As doubts about the future of the FCAS grow, Germany is evaluating the purchase of additional F-35 stealth fighters from the United States, in a context marked by industrial tensions with France and political questions regarding the development of a sixth-generation aircraft. The possible expansion of the F-35 fleet would deepen Berlin’s dependence on U.S. military technology, while the Franco-German program faces structural difficulties.
According to sources cited by Reuters, the German government is considering the acquisition of more than 35 additional aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin, although the final number has not been confirmed and the outcome of the talks remains uncertain. However, a German government spokesperson denied that there are current plans for a new purchase and stated: “There are no plans and there is no decision,” while the Ministry of Defense in Berlin noted that there are no “concrete plans or political decisions” regarding the acquisition of more F-35s.
In 2022, Germany had already purchased 35 F-35 units, whose deliveries will begin this year, with the aim of replacing the Panavia Tornado aircraft in their role within NATO’s nuclear deterrence framework. These aircraft will assume the mission of carrying U.S. nuclear bombs stored on German territory in the event of conflict, making the program a central component of German Air Force planning.
The potential additional purchase comes in parallel with the stagnation of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a project launched in 2017 by Germany and France, later joined by Spain, with an estimated investment of €100 billion to develop a sixth-generation fighter by 2040. The program, intended to replace the French Rafale and the Eurofighter, has been affected by industrial rivalries, particularly between Airbus and Dassault Aviation, raising doubts about its viability in its current format.
In this context, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly questioned the need to move forward with the development of a sixth-generation manned fighter. “Will we still need a manned fighter in 20 years? Do we really need it, considering that we will have to develop it at a very high cost?” Merz said on the Machtwechsel podcast, adding that if differences with France are not resolved, Germany could explore partnerships with other European countries interested in developing a manned stealth aircraft.
Industry sources believe that Germany and France could abandon the joint development of the manned fighter within FCAS, although they would maintain cooperation on drones and the so-called “combat cloud,” the digital architecture that connects manned and unmanned platforms. At the same time, Berlin is also analyzing possible participation in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), an initiative driven by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan to develop a new sixth-generation fighter expected to enter service by 2035.
Previous reports by the German outlet Der Spiegel indicated that documents submitted to the Bundestag’s Budget Committee contemplated the acquisition of up to 15 additional F-35A aircraft for a value close to €2.5 billion, which would raise the German fleet to around 50 aircraft of this type. If finalized, the fleet expansion would represent a strategic move granting Germany greater time flexibility to define its participation in a future sixth-generation program, in a scenario where the fate of FCAS, according to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, should become clear in the coming days.
*Images for illustrative purposes.
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