Germany to buy 15 more F-35s, raising total order to 50 amid FCAS uncertainty
July 11, 2025
In a significant move that reinforces Germany’s long-term commitment to US defence technology, Berlin is set to acquire 15 additional F-35 fighter jets, bringing its total planned fleet of the stealth aircraft to 50.
This is according to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Politico, although a subsequent Reuters report says Germany is denying any further purchases.
If true, this increase from the previously planned 35 aircraft marks a strategic pivot at a time when tensions within Europe’s own next-generation fighter programme – the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) – are becoming more pronounced.
The decision has not been officially announced but follows internal deliberations in Berlin over how to close a looming air capability gap, especially as the FCAS programme continues to face delays and industrial friction.
According to reports, the expanded F-35 order was discussed discreetly between Berlin and Washington and will provide Germany with a combat-ready, nuclear-capable platform that could be fully operational by 2027.
The aircraft is expected to carry US tactical nuclear bombs currently stored on German soil as part of NATO’s nuclear sharing agreement.
FCAS faces cross-channel tensions
The announcement comes just days after renewed friction emerged between Germany and France over the FCAS programme.
Paris has pushed for up to 80 per cent of workshare in the central components of the 6th-generation fighter project, a demand that has met with resistance in Berlin.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the FCAS stalemate during a meeting this week with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Berlin, saying the differing views on the consortium’s structure are yet to be resolved but will be addressed “conclusively over the next few months.”
While FCAS remains Germany’s official long-term bet for strategic autonomy in air combat capabilities, the F-35 order suggests a pragmatic short-term approach that is ensuring military readiness now rather than waiting until the FCAS demonstrator flies, which is not expected before 2028 or 2029.
Germany follows other EU nations in F-35 orders
Germany’s move follows a similar decision by the United Kingdom, which recently increased its own planned procurement of the F-35B variant, as well as adding the nuclear-capable F-35A.
Other European countries including Poland, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium have also expanded their F-35 acquisitions, citing the aircraft’s battlefield-proven capabilities and interoperability within NATO frameworks.
The German Ministry of Defence has declined to comment on the new order, but defence sources suggest that the agreement could be finalised ahead of German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’s upcoming meeting with his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, in Washington next week.
A bilateral summit between Chancellor Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron is also expected later this month in Berlin, where FCAS is likely to be high on the agenda.
The F-35 ensures stability amid strategic shifts
Germany’s original deal for 35 F-35s was signed in 2022, prompted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Construction of an F-35 Integrated Assembly Line in Germany began in 2023, and production of the first aircraft commenced in 2024. That infrastructure now positions Berlin to ramp up deliveries if the new order is finalised.
With this latest decision, Berlin not only shores up its own defence preparedness but also sends a clear message: despite ambitions for greater European defence autonomy, Germany is not willing to compromise on readiness or deterrence, at least not in the near term.
The expanded purchase also ends speculation that Germany might reconsider its commitment to the F-35 programme in favor of focusing solely on FCAS.
Instead, it appears Berlin is keeping one foot firmly in both camps and building for the future while preparing for present-day realities.
These growing orders for the F-35 reflect not just confidence in the aircraft’s battlefield performance, but also a shared recognition that the security environment requires immediate capability, not just long-term vision.
