Create a free starter account, or log in.

Get access to four free articles per month, as well as our Decisive Edge Newsletters and Daily News Bulletin.

Email Address

Password

Forgot your password? Reset by clicking here

Create a Password

[[ req.met ? '✓' : '•' ]] [[ req.text ]]

Re-enter Password

Passwords do not match

First Name

Last Name

Country

Confirm your account

Please enter the four-digit pin below that has been emailed to you.

Didn't receive the pin yet?

This pin expires in 20 minutes.

[[ error ]]

By creating an account, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Stay informed with Shephard's award-winning journalism. Unlock unlimited access and in-depth analysis with a corporate or individual subscription.

Explore your options here

Remarkable turnaround sees Germany pick F-35 and Eurofighter ECR

15th March 2022 - 14:45 GMT | by Tim Martin in Belfast

RSS

Three F-35A fighter jets fly in formation during a training exercise (Photo: USAF)

Germany has decided it will buy both the F-35 and a Eurofighter electronic combat role aircraft, defying a proposal from the last government.

After previously excluding Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Joint Strike Fighter from consideration for future fighter requirements, Germany announced on 14 March that it will purchase the fifth-generation combat jet to replace a number of Panavia Tornado aircraft.

In an extraordinary turn of events, Christine Lambrecht, Germany’s defence minister, also confirmed that a new Eurofighter Electronic Combat Role (ECR) variant had been selected, scrapping a proposal from the last government to buy Boeing E/A-18G Growler Electronic Attack (EA) aircraft.

The F-35A is to be acquired in support of nuclear sharing missions and equipped with the B61 nuclear bomb or, more precisely, hold

Already have an account? Log in