The German parliament will decide in mid-December about the 10 billion euro ($10.50 billion) purchase of the F-35 fighter jet produced by U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin , Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Tuesday.
"We will discuss a huge project in the next session of the budget committee on Dec. 14, the F-35 ... with a volume of 10 billion euros in total," Lambrecht told reporters on a visit to the town of Simmern in western Germany.Germany aims to buy 35 F-35 stealth fighter jets, including missiles and other weapons and equipment, with the first eight aircraft to be delivered in 2026.
The F-35 is meant to replace the ageing Tornado, the only German jet capable of carrying U.S. nuclear bombs, which are stored in Germany to be used in case of a conflict. The German air force has been flying the Tornado since the 1980s, and Berlin is planning to phase it out between 2025 and 2030. Berlin's decision for the F-35, which was announced in March but needs final approval by parliament, upset France.Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Holger Hansen Editing by Miranda Murray amd Frank Jack Daniel
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