Specialists inspect F/A-18 fighter jet aboard the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, June 7, 2016. REUTERS/Andrea Shalal/File Photo
Reuters: Germany drops F-35 from fighter tender; Boeing F/A-18 and Eurofighter to battle on
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will pick either the Eurofighter or Boeing’s F/A-18 fighter jet to replace its Tornado warplanes, knocking Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighter out of a tender worth billions of euros, Defence Ministry sources said on Thursday.
The ministry will make a final decision after receiving detailed information from Boeing and Airbus about the aircraft, which must be able to carry U.S. nuclear weapons to fulfill Germany’s obligations to NATO, the sources said.
No timetable for a decision was given, but the process could take time since the U.S. government will have to certify both jets to carry the nuclear weapons. Germany has 85 operational Tornado jets, but not all are equipped to carry nuclear weapons.
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More News On Germany Not Replacing Its Tornado Warplanes With The F-35
Germany officially knocks F-35 out of competition to replace Tornado -- Defense News
SPD puts brakes on Germany's search for nuclear capable jet -- DW
Germany opts against buying American F-35 stealth fighter -- Financial Times
Germany Weighs Purchase of 45 Boeing-Made F/A-18 Warplanes -- The Wall Street Journal