Germany officially knocks F-35 out of competition

[gortje]

Germany officially knocks F-35 out of competition to replace Tornado

COLOGNE, Germany ― Germany’s Ministry of Defence has officially ruled out the F-35 joint strike fighter as a choice to replace its aging Tornado fleet, Defense News has learned.

An official from the ministry confirmed that the F-35 is not a finalist in the competition, which seeks a replacement for the 90-jet fleet. The news was first reported by German site AugenGeradeaus.

The move is not altogether surprising. Berlin for some time has officially favored an upgraded version of the fourth-generation Eurofighter Typhoon, built by a consortium of Airbus, Leonardo and BAE Systems, as the Tornado replacement. The main argument is to keep European companies involved in building combat aircraft and, perhaps even more importantly, staying clear of disturbing Franco-German momentum in armaments cooperation.

However, the decision leaves open the question of certification for nuclear weapons. The Typhoon is not certified to carry the American-made nuclear bombs that Germany, as part of its strategic posture, is supposed to be able to carry on its jets.

Competing against the Typhoon is Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Before the German MoD confirmed that the F-35 was officially out of the running, Reuters on Thursday reported that the ministry was considering splitting the buy between the Typhoon and either the F-35 or Super Hornet.

Ordering both the Typhoon and an American aircraft would make it easier to continue carrying out the NATO nuclear mission, while also lending support to the European industrial base. However, it could complicate logistics, adding more expense and forcing the German air force to maintain two supply chains.

It is worth noting that despite complaints about the cost of keeping the ageing Tornados flying, keeping around a certain number of them always has been considered a painful, but not impossible, proposition among some defense experts. That is especially the case for the nuclear mission.

“There does not have to be a nuclear Tornado replacement,” Karl-Heinz Kamp, president of the Federal Academy for Security Policy, a government think tank, told Defense News last August. He noted that any German government is acutely averse to the publicity surrounding Berlin’s would-be atomic bombers.

“That’s why they will keep flying the Tornados, despite the price tag and despite having asked about a Eurofighter nuclear certification in Washington,” Kamp predicted at the time.

German defense officials on Thursday evening stressed that no decisions had been made besides reducing the playing field to the FA-18 and the Eurofighter Typhoon. The Defense Ministry will request additional information from the respective manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, on the issues of operations, economic viability and timing, these officials said.

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/global/euro ... ing%20News

[Gerard]

malicious gossip mode on

the F-104 Widowmaker trauma is still present in Germany and a single-engine fighter does not stand a chance

malicious gossip mode off

[Herby]

Luftwaffe and MOD has two fundamentals:-

- no fighters with one engine
- at least two different fighter types at any time

[Bennie]

malicious gossip mode on

the F-104 Widowmaker trauma is still present in Germany and a single-engine fighter does not stand a chance

malicious gossip mode off

More than one pilot seems like a better investment than more than one engine if you look at mishap reports from the last few decades (i.e. the era after the 'Witwenmacher').
So only F/A18Fs?

[Gerard]

malicious gossip mode on

the F-104 Widowmaker trauma is still present in Germany and a single-engine fighter does not stand a chance

malicious gossip mode off

More than one pilot seems like a better investment than more than one engine if you look at mishap reports from the last few decades (i.e. the era after the 'Witwenmacher').
So only F/A18Fs?

It was a mistake to fase-out the F-4F

[sp00k]

malicious gossip mode on

the F-104 Widowmaker trauma is still present in Germany and a single-engine fighter does not stand a chance

malicious gossip mode off

More than one pilot seems like a better investment than more than one engine if you look at mishap reports from the last few decades (i.e. the era after the 'Witwenmacher').
So only F/A18Fs?

It was a mistake to fase-out the F-4F

Indeed

[AlGa]

@Gerard
... And it would be a mistake to phase Tornado out too early.
Let's have this 'famous' nuke option on multirole Eurofighter before ...

[Alpha Kilo One]

Hear. Hear.. Please tell the British air force. They do phase out too early.