The U.S. State Department has approved the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of over $8 million to Germany for 35 F-35A 5th gen. fighter jets, weapons and other training equipment and support, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
Built by the joint collaboration of Boeing Co and Raytheon Technologies Corp, F-35 fighter jets by 2030 they will take over the nuclear weapons mission from the German Air Force’s aging fleet of PA-200 Tornado aircraft, based at Tactical Air Wing 33 in Büchel, Germany.
Despite approval by the State Department, the notification of the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency to Congress does not indicate a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded.
The potential deal for the advanced stealth fighter came after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged an upgrade to his country’s military following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Previously in March, Germany announced that it would buy 35 U.S. F-35 fighter jets to replace its aging Tornado.
Sale Package
Alongside the F-35 jet, the sale package includes the following munitions and equipments:
- 37 F135 engines
- Boeing and Raytheon Technologies
- AIM120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM)
- GBU-53 small diameter bombs
- AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles-Extended Range (JASSM-ER)
- Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits
- AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles.
Other Countries seeking f-35 jets
Besides Germany, following other European nations have sought after the U.S.-made F-35 to replenish its fighter jet fleets:
- Greece has sent an official letter of request to procure 20 F-35As by 2028
- Czech Republic wants the aircraft to replace its aging fleet of Saab JAS 39 Gripens
- Finland plans to spend $10 billion to buy 64 F-35 aircraft to replace its F-18 Hornets, with initial deliveries to start in 2026
- Switzerland selected the joint strike fighter in 2021, committing to 36 aircraft that will replace its own Hornet fleet.
- Poland will receive 32 F-35A aircraft beginning in 2024
- Belgium selected the F-35 in 2018, and will receive 34 aircraft, per Lockheed Martin