Germany will purchase US-made F-35 fighter jets because it ramps up navy spending after Russia`s Ukraine invasion
For Germany, the fighter jets will constitute a considerable advance. While the Tornado, which has been in service since the 1980s and will be phased out by 2030, was capable of transporting nuclear weapons, it has long been regarded as an out-of-date option in modern combat.
Boakyewaa Lawrencia 
Germany has announced that it will purchase 35 F-35A fighter fighters from the United States, the first big arms acquisition since Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to increase defense expenditure in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
These decisions were made in tandem with Germany's decision to become more involved in European defenses. Scholz has also taken bold efforts to curtail Germany's commercial relations with Russia, including delaying the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
The F-35s will replace Germany's aging fleet of Tornados, which are the only planes in the Luftwaffe's inventory capable of transporting US nuclear warheads stockpiled in the country in the event of a European conflict.
The decision to purchase F-35s is crucial because it will make Germany's air force more compatible with the rest of NATO and other European defense partners that already own or plan to buy F-35s.
US Air Force F-35As in Europe will be licensed to deploy nuclear weapons before 2023, according to the US Defense Department.
The F-35 is available in three versions: A, B, and C, with the F-35A being the only one having nuclear weapons.
For Germany, the fighter jets will constitute a considerable advance. While the Tornado, which has been in service since the 1980s and will be phased out by 2030, was capable of transporting nuclear weapons, it has long been regarded as an out-of-date option in modern combat.
"The Tornado was designed to fly low and fast enough to get past air defenses. The F-35, which combines stealth with unrivaled situational awareness against aerial and ground-based threats, as well as its own electronic warfare capabilities, is a night and day difference "According to Justin Bronk, a Royal United Services Institute airpower and technology research fellow.
"Any eventuality in which a NATO nuclear weapon is dropped would need breaching the world's most effective air defense networks. In 2022, flying low and quickly as the Tornado would into that is simply not feasible "Added he.
The procurement of these planes is part of a larger German defense strategy shift that has occurred in the last three weeks. Germany, which has resisted becoming a military force since World War II ended, has vowed to significantly raise its defense budget to meet NATO's 2% criterion.
According to Scholz, the rise in spending, which would increase from €47 billion in 2021 to €100 billion in 2022, reflects Germany's recognition that it "will have to invest more in our country's security to safeguard our freedom and democracy."
The increased spending will make Germany's military the best-funded in Western Europe, and it appears certain that, post-Ukraine, Germany will aggressively attempt to play a more prominent role in European security.
Other European capitals may be concerned about the likelihood of Germany suddenly taking on a larger role. France, which was formerly the European Union's most powerful military voice, has been a vocal supporter of tighter European defense cooperation. It's unclear how a modernized German military would fit into the EU's long-term defense strategy or how it will behave within NATO.
