Berlin approves 9.9 billion for the purchase of F-35 fighters

(ANSA) - BERLIN, DECEMBER 14 - The Budget Committee of the German Parliament has given the go-ahead to the German Ministry of Defense for the purchase of 35 F-35 fighter jets from the US Lockheed Martin.

The aircraft will cost 9.9 billion.

Other military expenditures have also been approved, for a total of almost 13 billion euros.

The new German defense fund of 100 billion will be used for the expenditure.

   With the F-35s "now we can also replace the Tornado fighters", German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said today at a press conference, who spoke of "record times" in the execution of the project, with the signing of the contract after a decision taken 9 months ago.

More generally, Lambrecht declared that it is a question of "bringing the Bundeswehr decisively further" and covering the German military shortcomings, doing what "for so many years it has not been done, but it was urgent to do".

Lambrecht underlined how the "epochal turning point" announced by Berlin after the invasion of Ukraine is also being implemented.

   As reported by Zeit and Dpa, among the purchases of the German army there should also be 118 thousand Hk416 assault rifles to replace the G36 used up to now as the basic weapon of the soldiers.

"Very, very urgent replacement, which he has been waiting for for years," Lambrecht always said.

Also planned are new military radio transmission systems, the adaptation of Puma armored infantry fighting vehicles and new snow vehicles.

(HANDLE).