Ger8k8 online casino loginmany to buy 50 fighter jets amid crisis

Germany will purchase 35 US-made F-35 fighter jets and 15 Eurofighter jets in response to the crisis in Ukraine.

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said the F-35 jets, which are capable of carrying nuclear warheads, will replace some of Germany's Tornado planes that are due to be phased out from 2025.

The step indicates a significant change in German security policy and is the first big military deal announced since German Chancellor Olaf Scholz last month said Berlin would inject 100 billion euros ($110 billion) into the country's armed forces.

Until now, Europe's top economy has kept a low military profile "in part out of guilt over World War II", AFP said.

Previously, Germany was criticized for not paying its share of financial contributions to the NATO military alliance. With the policy change, more than 2 percent of Germany's GDP will now be spent on defense, surpassing NATO's target, said Scholz.

Germany does not have nuclear weapons of its own, but it has maintained the Tornado planes, which are capable of carrying US atomic weapons, in case of conflict, Reuters said.

"After looking thoroughly into all available options, I decided to initiate the purchase of F-35 aircraft as replacement for the Tornado in the role of nuclear sharing," Lambrecht said. F-35 stealth jets are considered the most modern combat aircraft in the world, said the AFP.

Germany's Deutsche Welle news service said that buying the F-35 aircraft could upset France, which was seeking a joint project to build a European combat aircraft.

However, Lambrecht emphasized continued German support for the joint fighter program in her statement, echoing earlier comments from Scholz.

The move would also be a setback for manufacturer Boeing, whose F-18 plane was the preferred choice of former German defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to replace the Tornado, said Reuters.

Deutsche Welle said a document circulated to lawmakers confirmed the purchase of the F-35 jets from US arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin, but did not indicate when the planes would be delivered.

The document said Berlin will also purchase 15 Eurofighter jets from a consortium that includes Airbus. The Eurofighter is designed for electronic warfare such as jamming enemy defense systems, said the AFP.