After Berlin decided in early March to choose the F-35 Lightning II as a replacement for the Panavia Tornado, now the latest news has come from Washington, namely the US Department of Defense through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has given approval for the potential sale of the F-35 fleet package. along with ammunition for the German Air Force worth US$8.4 billion.
Quoted from dsca.mil (28/7/2022), in detail the German government has requested an offer for the purchase of 35 units of the F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL). In the package offered by DSCA includes the sale of 37 units of Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines (35 installed, 2 spare parts), and the package of weapons offered is quite large and complete, including 105 units of AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium.
Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM); 75 units of AGM-158B/B2 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles-Extended Range (JASSM-ER); 162 units of BLU-109 2000LB Hardened Penetrator Bombs for GBU-31; 264 units of MK-82 500LB General Purpose (GP) Bombs for GBU-54 and 75 units of AIM-9X Block II+ Tactical Sidewinder.
The DSCA said the proposed sale would support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by enhancing the security of its NATO allies, who are important forces for political and economic stability in Europe. The proposed sale will enhance Germany's ability to deal with current and future threats by providing a replacement for Germany's fleet of Tornado aircraft, primarily in support of the NATO nuclear sharing mission.
Currently, the Panavia Tornado is the only German fighter jet capable of carrying nuclear bombs belonging to the United States that are stored in Germany, and will one day be used in the event of a conflict. The nuclear bomb in question is the B61 nuclear gravity bomb. So far, the German Air Force is still operating 85 units of Tornado IDS version (Interdictor/strike) and 28 units of Tornado variant ECR (Electric Combat/Reconnaissance).
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The main contractors in the F-35 procurement package for the German Air Force are Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company for aircraft work; Pratt & Whitney for engines; Boeing and Raytheon will supply the missile systems and other munitions. Any offset agreement will be determined in the negotiations between the buyer and the contractor.
With the selection of the F-35 by Germany, the marketing of the single engine fighter jet will be more complete in European countries. Previously the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Italy and the UK already operate the F-35. Continued Finland, Switzerland and Poland who have made purchase orders.
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