A U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter jet takes off from U.S. Spangdahlem Air Base during Air Force exercise "Air Defender 2023". © Boris Roessler/dpa
The German government wants to buy F-35 fighter jets. Parts of it are to be produced in Germany - several countries are interested in this, including Brandenburg. Prime Minister Woidke comments on this.
Potsdam - Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) has confirmed that the state is trying to locate the armaments company Rheinmetall for parts of the F-35 fighter jet. "I would be a bad prime minister if I didn't try," Woidke told the "Märkische Allgemeine" (Saturday/online). However, he did not comment on the status of negotiations on production in Germany.
Equipping the Air Force with jets from the manufacturer Lockheed Martin is possible thanks to the 100 billion euro package of the German government, Woidke told the newspaper. Because Germany is investing so much money, he thinks it is imperative "that we in Germany and Brandenburg benefit as much as possible from it". Manufacturing would bring high-tech jobs to the state if Brandenburg were awarded the contract.
The Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group has entered into a cooperation agreement with the US companies Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman in connection with F-35 fighter jets. This involves the production of fuselage center parts. Accordingly, the cooperation includes an assembly line in Germany. The German government wants to buy U.S. F-35 fighter jets because the Tornado fleet is getting on in years.
RBB and MDR reported on Thursday that Brandenburg had sought a Rheinmetall production site and was on the shortlist. Other states, such as Lower Saxony, have also shown interest in setting up Rheinmetall. The Brandenburg Ministry of Economics had announced that it did not comment on possible settlements. Rheinmetall would be the first armaments production facility to come to Brandenburg. After US electric car manufacturer Tesla, the country is trying to attract more major investors.
The courtship is no surprise. The head of government had visited the Lockheed Martin company in Texas during his trip to the USA with Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach (SPD) in September 2022. "The talks have obviously gone well," said Woidke of the "MAZ" (Saturday). However, he was not directly involved in the settlement negotiations and could therefore not say anything about the status of the talks.
Woidke had promoted the capital region in Texas as a top location for the German aviation industry and announced that he would explore opportunities for cooperation. "The visit to Forth Worth also took place against the backdrop of the procurement of the F-35 Lightning II multi-role fighter aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin, which was initiated by the federal government," the State Chancellery said on Facebook on September 22. "As a center for aerospace, Brandenburg offers numerous points of contact here," Woidke said there.
A possible settlement of the armaments company meets with criticism in the state parliament opposition. Left faction leader Sebastian Walter warned on Friday against doing business "with death" and breaking a taboo. Woidke rejected the criticism. "Our soldiers must receive the best equipment, the best materiel," he said. The modernization of the air force fleet is overdue, not only since Russia's war against Ukraine. Dpa