Germany and France's Joint Fighter Development Stalled, Germany Considers Increasing Purchase of US F-35 Jets

According to a report by German media on February 19 (reporters Zhang Yirong and Li Chao), due to a deadlock in the joint development of a new generation fighter jet project by Germany and France, the German government is considering purchasing more F-35 fighter jets from the United States.

German media cited informed sources stating that the negotiations between Germany and the United States involve more than 35 F-35 fighter jets, with each costing about 80 million euros. Germany had already ordered 35 F-35 fighter jets from the United States in 2022, with deliveries expected to begin later this year.

The report indicated that the background for Germany's consideration of increasing its purchase of F-35 jets is the disagreements between Germany and France in the joint development of the next-generation fighter jet project. The development of the next-generation fighter jet was originally an important move for Europe to achieve greater autonomy in the field of armaments, but as the two major participating companies, France's Dassault Aviation and Germany's Airbus Defence and Space have long been at odds over how to advance the project, with the former demanding a dominant position in the project.