Germany to buy US-made F-35s capable of carrying nuclear weapons

Germany will replace some of its ageing Tornado bomber jets with United States-made F-35A Lightning II aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons, according to the country’s defence minister.

Defence minister Christine Lambrecht said on Monday that Germany will also upgrade its Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets for electronic warfare – a capability that is also currently fulfilled by the Tornado jets.

The Eurofighter will be replaced beginning in 2040 with the Future Combat Air System, or FCAS, that’s being jointly developed with France and Spain, she said.

Germany’s air force (Luftwaffe) commander, Ingo Gerhartz, said the Russian war in Ukraine made it necessary to choose Lockheed Martin’s F-35s.

Previously, the government had considered replacing the Luftwaffe’s Tornados with a mix of different US and European-made aircraft.

“There can be only one answer to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s aggression,” said Gerhartz. “Unity in NATO and a credible deterrent. This in particular means there is no alternative but to choose the F-35.”

Source:al jazeera