Pilots from the 388th and 419th fighter wings taxi F-35As on the runway in preparation for a combat power exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. (Senior Airman Justin Fuchs/U.S. Air Force)
Hans Binnendijk and Jim Townsend, Defense News: German F-35 decision sacrifices NATO capability for Franco-German industrial cooperation
While the German decision last week to remove the Lockheed Martin F-35 from consideration as a replacement for 90 aging Tornado fighters solidifies Franco-German industrial cooperation, it could come at the expense of making Germany’s Luftwaffe a less capable air force until at least 2040, when a new advanced Franco-German fighter becomes available.
The decision also places German domestic political considerations ahead of Germany’s leadership role in NATO. This would be understandable for a nation that does not perceive a significant military threat from Russia, but it is disturbing for those who emphasize the need to maximize NATO’s deterrent posture in the East. The decision should be reconsidered.
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WNU Editor: The French and Germans are betting that their new advanced joint fighter will be developed and built and ready to be deployed by 2040. I am willing to bet that they will not succeed.
4 comments:
2040? Are they crazy? Have they not learned that democracies SUCK at anything that's further than 4 years down the road? Easy prediction: it will be 1) late 2) bad 3) way over budget, 4) canceled, 5) and then some F37-BIII will be bought ;)
Germany's decision is obviously a sop to France for this project. It has a much deeper significance as well, as it ends the ability of Germany to provide a NATO nuclear response and that destroys NATO counter nuclear role. Not today but very soon all NATO tactical nuclear bombs will be converted to the American B-61-12. That weapon is engineered to only work with one tactical bomber, the F-35. No way will the US absorb the expense of transforming the F-18 avionics nor Euro-fighter avionics to carry that bomb. No way Germany will pay for it as well.
This decision by Germany is just one that they've made to weaken the NATO alliance, I might add it is Germany and France doing the damage, not the USA.
Or, it guarantees the US a place in the future.
So both, Merkel and macron are deeply unpopular and always make shady deals with Putin and support Russia through oil purchase/see the pipeline project... but cnn tells us it is Trump who is the Putin stooge. Not Merkel and Macron who seem to compete with each other to make Europe weaker. Got it.
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