Germany will buy 35 American fighters F-35 in the context of modernizing its armed forces, the US Embassy in Berlin said today.

“The Federal Office for Equipment and Information Technology of the Bundeswehr (German military forces) has signed a contract with the US Air Force for the purchase of 35 F-35A Lightning II fighters for delivery between 2026 and 29,” the embassy said in a statement. in your ad.

Last March, Berlin announced it would buy 35 Lockheed Martin jets as well as 15 Eurofighters to replace its aging Tornado fighters. But in early December, the German Defense Ministry sowed doubts by stating the potential “extra costs” of the F-35 in a secret email to the Parliamentary Budget Committee. The Bundestag, the lower house, today finally gave the green light to the market.

The Bundestag has also approved other plans, such as the purchase of assault rifles, to be financed by a special 100 billion euro fund created after the Russian invasion of Ukraine to modernize the German armed forces.

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht called the decisions “very important”, indicating that the parliament supports the Bundeswehr.

“The German F-35 program ensures that Germany’s commitment to NATO continues” and the Alliance’s “credible deterrent capability” in the future, the US embassy welcomed.

The question of replacing the aging Tornado fleet, which dates back to the 1980s and 90s, has been a concern in the German political world for years. Currently, there are 93 such aircraft in the country, some of which are now in disrepair.

Source: APE-MPE-AFP.