Internal document shows: Expensive new Bundeswehr jet apparently has massive problems

Created: 03/22/2022, 12:23 p.m

By: Linus Prien

Olaf Scholz wanted to initiate a "turning point".

The Bundeswehr is to have 100 billion euros at its disposal.

A jet is also to be bought from it, which has some shortcomings.

Washington, DC - The Bundeswehr is said to be using the F35 fighter jet to strengthen itself after the lessons of the Ukraine conflict - but the expensive US make has 845 errors, according to a recent media report.

The

reports this , citing a document that is actually internal but has now been published by an American NGO.

Ukraine war: New German jet is apparently not very reliable

Chancellor Olaf Scholz had recently promised a "turning point".

Essentially a 100 billion euro investment for the Bundeswehr.

The F35 is also part of the package.

The unit price of the machines is likely to be well over 100 million euros.

The model targeted by the Bundeswehr, the F35A, was not operational in more than a third of the launch attempts, it is said.

The reasons for this are various errors on the jet.

According to the data, the jet had an average availability of 54 percent in 2020.

In 2021, the machine had an availability of 61 percent, which was still below the target level of 65 percent.

This was also very low anyway.

The normal availability of a modern fighter jet is 80 percent.

The F35 should not only be a jet equipped with all the finesse, but also an easy-to-maintain jet.

With the F-35, the Bundeswehr is getting "the most modern combat aircraft in the world," said Air Force Inspector Ingo Gerhartz.

Now, however, problems seem to be emerging.

One reason for the low availability is said to have been the poor availability of spare parts.

According to the report, the jet requires significantly more spare parts than expected.

At the same time, some of the work on the jet should take twice as long as originally planned.

Bundeswehr: Major software defects in Germany's new F35 fighter jet?

The software of the jet is very complex.

All functions of the F35, from controls to weapon systems, are integrated into one software.

However, this has not yet been completed.

With regard to nuclear participation, there is currently still a problem: According to the report, the jet that Germany wants to buy is not compatible with the B61 free-fall nuclear bombs.

It is a software problem.

The further development of the software also seems more difficult than expected.

According to the report, errors that should have been fixed a long time ago occur again and again.

The maintenance software should actually be able to find errors and damage independently and order spare parts and repairs.

It also doesn't work as it says.

To solve the problems, new investments in the billions would be required.

However, European countries are only customers of the product and do not participate in the development of the jet.

However, in order for Germany to guarantee its nuclear sharing with the F35, the US would have to increase its investments.

Finland and Switzerland had already ordered the F35 from the US manufacturer Lockheed Martin last year.

Poland, Denmark, Belgium and Norway also ordered the fighter jet.

Now Germany is said to be one of the European countries that have the American plane in their fleet.

Germany is committed to nuclear sharing.

NATO nuclear weapons must be able to be used with German equipment.

The F35 is theoretically capable of carrying free-fall nuclear bombs.

This would ensure Germany's nuclear sharing.