New fighter jets for the Bundeswehr: Pistorius receives the first F-35 in Texas

afp | Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) received the first F-35 fighter jet for the German Air Force in the US state of Texas. Pistorius spoke of a “new era for the Air Force” at the handover ceremony in Fort Worth on Friday. The defense company Lockheed Martin said this was a “milestone for Germany” as well as for NATO as a whole.

The F-35 is “the world’s most modern fighter aircraft,” said Pistorius, partly because of its stealth capability. Because of their special shape and external coating, the machines are difficult for enemy radar to detect.

Pistorius also justified the armament in Fort Worth with the increased threat from Russia, including from drones. “Russia is testing our limits,” he said in his speech. “Germany has heard the wake-up call.” The federal government is therefore strengthening its defense and deterrence.

The defense minister once again dismissed fears that the F-35 purchase would make Germany dependent on the USA. The dependencies are “mutual,” Pistorius told reporters in Fort Worth, referring to the numerous fighter jet orders from Europe. He trusts Donald Trump's US government not to question the project.

The first eight F-35 fighter jets for the German Air Force will initially remain in the United States, where German pilots and technicians will be trained on them. From 2027, the first machines will be stationed at the Büchel air base in the Eifel in Rhineland-Palatinate.

At the end of 2022, Germany ordered a total of 35 F-35 aircraft to replace the aging Tornado fleet. The arms business is worth around ten billion euros, which comes from the special fund for the Bundeswehr.

“The tornado is really showing its age,” said Pistorius in Fort Worth. “If we are serious about maintaining nuclear sharing, especially in times like these, then the decision to procure the F-35 was the only right one.”

The US government says it used the jets in the Iran war, which began at the end of February. According to Lockheed Martin, more than 1,350 of these fighter aircraft are currently in service worldwide.

At the start of his trip, Pistorius signed an arms agreement with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington on Tuesday. The discussions in the Pentagon also discussed the US plans for a troop withdrawal in Europe. The NBC broadcaster reported on Friday that Hegseth was examining the withdrawal of 25,000 soldiers. Another of four scenarios even envisages 40,000 fewer forces in Europe.

According to the report, Hegseth wants to submit a recommendation to US President Donald Trump by November 6th. The Pentagon had already announced the withdrawal of 5,000 US soldiers from Germany in the spring. Most recently, around 36,000 US soldiers were stationed in the Federal Republic.