Why does Germany need the F-35?

Germany wants to upgrade its air force with the world's most modern fighter jet, the F-35. Such a contract costs several billion dollars. But the question is, is the F-35 suitable for Germany?

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[jacksonteller]

They initially rejected it due to the lack of budget but thanks to Russian aggression the budget is increased. This drags them into the 21st century kicking and screaming. They had an eighties and nineties technology air force. They can't fly an artist renderings of the future aircraft and this is a necessary system. The future aircraft will be a replacement for the Typhoon not the Tornado.

[keithmoore]

for a fighter they'd be better off getting Gripens!! but you know it's odd that a country that doesn't have nukes would emphasize the ability to deliver nukes? is this a pre-announcement to a development program or an admission they already developed them and have had them in secret for a while?

[horusfalcon]

So... let me get this straight: Germany didn't want F-35, but now realizes they "need" it? The investment in this aircraft and its specialized support infrastructure will necessarily make it a long-term solution, and one with a very fragile supply chain in the event of war. I hope part of the purchase includes licenses for indigenous manufacture of most components needed for maintenance and support.

I'm not a huge fan of F-35 - I feel like it has made too many compromises to try to fill too many different roles, and has wound up too costly, too late, and too half-assed at any one role. We could have done better if the design of the aircraft had not been so caught up in bringing home the pork to so many "key" Congressional districts, and more focused on a form-follows-function approach to design. What we and our allies need right now is a line of modular designs that can be configured for various fighter, fighter/bomber, and attack roles quickly and inexpensively. The recent scaling back of F-35 orders is a portent that military planners in the U.S. are waking up and realizing this (or, worse, that the present budget does not support the original order... and the less said about why that is the better, at least in the present context.)

Manufacture of the components for F-35 is presently spread from perdition to pancakes across the U.S. This might have strategic advantages, but it makes a supply chain that is easy to break by taking out just a few critical components at their sites of manufacture. This need not be accomplished by direct military action, either. Our enemies are not beyond terrorism or sabotage from within, and we still can't seem to figure out how to thwart their intelligence efforts.

I could go on, but those who support F-35 will have already taken umbrage by now, and those who think as I do will already agree with most of what I've said. Let me wrap up with this: stealth in general is too damned expensive, too easily defeated, and not worth it in the final analysis. We need aircraft that will get in, get out, and get back home with empty hardpoints begging for more ordnance. Perhaps something in an intelligent UAV with super-maneuverability?

[gorancepuran]

Please use reader your english is so bad I can't listen