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

[The SC]

31.01.2019


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.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/...s-f-35-out-of-competition-to-replace-tornado/

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

Obviously Germany France would never ever buy an American plane. They look down on Americans. They say Americans are losers of Europe who emigrated to America. The best scientists are in Europe, not in America.

 

[Ultima Thule]

Obviously Germany France would never ever buy an American plane. They look down on Americans. They say Americans are losers of Europe of emigrated to America. The best scientists are in Europe, not in America.

there lots of world renounce US scientists , EU developing their military aviation industries that's rival to US Miltary aviation industries @undertakerwwefan

 

[Oldman1]

Obviously Germany France would never ever buy an American plane. They look down on Americans. They say Americans are losers of Europe who emigrated to America. The best scientists are in Europe, not in America.

https://www.janes.com/article/78644/luftwaffe-chief-dismissed-over-f-35-support

The Chief of the Luftwaffe is to leave his position in large part due to his support for a German procurement of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), Jane’s has learned.

Lieutenant General Karl Müllner will leave his position by the end of May, with the news of his retirement breaking just two days after Germany’s defence secretary, Ursula von der Leyen, was sworn in for another term.

Jane’s understands that Gen Müllner’s outspoken public support for the JSF as a successor to the German Tornado fleet was pivotal in the decision for his early retirement. “The Luftwaffe considers the F-35’s capability as the benchmark for the selection process for the Tornado replacement, and I think I have expressed myself clearly enough as to what the favourite of the air force is,” Gen Müllner told Jane’s and other media in November 2017.

The Chief of the Luftwaffe’s active support of the JSF clashes with current Ministry of Defence planning, which prefers a successor solution involving the Eurofighter Typhoon.

The Chief of the German Air Force wanted the F-35??? But was fired for that?

Before that this is what happened.

https://www.rt.com/news/417708-germany-f35-airforce-row/

German Air Force chief told to stop talking about the F-35 or risk being fired – reports

Germany’s Air Force chief “will likely be fired” if he “says ‘F-35’ again,” a local defense expert reports as debate about the Luftwaffe’s next-generation fighter jet grows in German military circles.
The news comes amid reports that the German Air Force (the Luftwaffe) is mulling replacement options for its aging Panavia Tornado jets. The Tornado, designed and brought to service during the Cold War, fails to meet the requirements of modern warfare. Finding suitable options has, however, proved difficult.

Some military chiefs, like Luftwaffe commander General Karl Muellner, advocate the Lockheed Martin-built F-35. Government officials favor an upgraded version of Joint Strike Fighter’s European contender, the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Christian Thiels, a defense expert and military correspondent with ARD public broadcaster, reported that Muellner was told to stop talking about the F-35.

 

[Ali_Baba]

The decision doesnot suprise me. It is of course, the wrong decision, but then Europe is full of wrong military procurement decisions(when they ever do them that is.).