The first article of this series discusses why Germany is buying the land around Russia’s borders. It also explores how other countries have bought up land, but none quite like it. Finally, we discuss what lessons can be learned from this purchase and share some thoughts on international relations in general.
The “f35 jet cost” is a topic that has been on the minds of many people. The “Germany to Russia: We’re Buying the F-35 Jet” article discusses how Germany is going to buy the jets.
6:35 p.m., March 16, 2022 ET
On June 7, 2019, a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter plane parked on the tarmac at Payerne Air Base.
Getty Images/Fabrice Coffrini/Agence France-Presse
Last month, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to invest €100 billion to repair the country’s aging military, demonstrating that nothing concentrates the mind like tanks moving across Europe. Berlin is also making rapid progress with the procurement of F-35 combat fighters.
Germany’s military minister said this week that the nation would purchase Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet as part of its NATO commitment to spend 2% of its GDP on defense, up from 1.5 percent in previous years. The F-35 would take the place of Germany’s aging Tornado fighter planes, which have been in service since the 1980s but are now mostly used as hangar decorations.
For various reasons, an F-35 purchase sends a strong statement to Vladimir Putin. America maintains nuclear weapons around Europe as part of NATO, while many nations, including Germany, have planes capable of delivering the bombs. This agreement is meant to serve as a deterrence to Russia.
Germany had considered purchasing F-18 fighter jets for the nuclear role, but the F-35 is more stealthy and hence more suited to operations in an area with advanced air defenses. Instead of purchasing F-35s, the French wanted the Germans to support a European initiative to develop a new fighter for the 2040s. However, Germany is correct in concluding that, after Ukraine, it now needs stronger air force. This is a positive indicator for closer cooperation with NATO members who are also purchasing the F-35.
However, purchasing a Porsche, like as the F-35, is costly, and the maintenance fees continue to pile up long after you’ve flown off the lot. Germany will have to accept this fact, despite the inevitable political protests about the cost. The plane’s engines, for example, are in limited supply and have needed more repair than anticipated.
The F-35 program has a track record of being late and overbudget. However, the jet is now the most fearsome alternative for a battle against a peer force, and we must make the most of it. The United States also needs additional F-35s. The Air Force has requested around 48 planes every year, but military expert Mark Cancian points out that at current pace, the service would not meet its objective of 1,763 planes until 2049.
After decades of neglect, the West is scurrying to upgrade its defenses, which will be costly. However, Germany deserves credit for purchasing the fighter plane it urgently needs to repel attack. If Europe is compelled to engage the Russians, the F-35’s hourly cost will not be a major consideration.
Wonder Land: In a type of spontaneous, crowd-funded alternative to the Armageddon tripwire, almost the whole globe has pledged to fight Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Images courtesy of AP/AFP/Getty Images. Mark Kelly’s composite
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