German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius plans to order an additional 15 F-35 fighter jets from U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
According to confidential documents prepared for the parliament’s budget committee, the extra aircraft are expected to cost around 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion), News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Germany has already ordered 35 F-35s to replace its ageing fleet of 85 Tornado fighter jets, which are due to be retired. The U.S.-made F-35s will also take over the Tornados’ role of carrying U.S. nuclear bombs stored in Germany under NATO arrangements.
Although Berlin denied similar plans in July, a larger defense budget has now made the expansion possible.
At the time, military officials had acknowledged that discussions about acquiring 15 more jets were already under consideration.
Analysts say the move could renew tensions with France, as both countries have struggled to make progress on their joint Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project — seen as Europe’s answer to the F-35.