Germany Expanding F-35 Orders By 42 Percent: Pan-European Stealth Fighter Program Faces Dim Future

The German Defence Ministry is planning to expand its procurement for F-35A fifth generation fighters from 35 to 50 fighter, and is currently holding talks with the United States on a followup contract. Despite the country’s political leadership having <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/german-once-fired-its-air-force-chief-for-supporting-the-f-35-now-it-will-order-f-35s-for-nuclear-bombing-missions" >long opposed</a> the possibility of procuring the F-35, due to the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/german-policymakers-concerned-american-kill-switch-disable-f35" target="_blank">risks of overreliance</a> on the United States and the perceived need to protect local industry, a decision to acquire the aircraft was taken in March 2022, a month after the escalation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine to full scale war. While a small F-35 fleet was originally expected to be relied on for nuclear strike roles, it had long been expected that once the extent of the performance discrepancies between the aircraft and much less capable indigenous European fighters became apparent, interest in acquiring the American jets on a much larger scale would grow.<img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/07/11/article_68711d264829e4_27050880.jpg" title="Future Combat Air System European Sixth Generation Fighter – Concept Art">German interest in increasing F-35 procurements has occurred as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) next generation fighter program being jointly developed by France, Germany and Spain has continued to face <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/european-stealth-program-decades-behind-infighting-difficulties" target="_blank">growing difficulties</a>,&nbsp;raising questions regarding the program’s viability. Disagreements between two of the primary participating firms, Airbus and Dassault, have reportedly caused major delays to the ongoing technology development phase of the program, marking the latest of several cases of infighting hampering progress.&nbsp;According to Dassault CEO Eric Trappier, the program is scheduled to bring a fighter into service only the 2050s, two decades behind China and the United States’ own <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/worlds-largest-fighter-plane-china-ultra-long-range-sixth-gen" target="_blank">sixth generation fighter programs</a>. The lack of Western alternatives to the F-35 with comparably advanced capabilities has allowed it to <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/f35-europe-clients-production-dominance-market" target="_blank">dominate markets</a> for NATO-standard fighter jets. Germany’s expansion of F-35 orders may reflect American plans to<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/nato-more-nuclear-weapons-standby" target="_blank"> increase the number </a>of nuclear bombs it shares with its European ally, or may signal that a wider range of roles are being considered&nbsp;for the aircraft&nbsp;beyond nuclear delivery.&nbsp;