Germany’s F-35s are a good sign in a worrying world
Germany’s purchase of the F-35 should strengthen its military capabilities and its contribution to European security, which I think is a positive development. At the same time, the fact that Germany and so many other European countries now feel such urgency around rearmament says something much less positive about the world we are living in.
Germany is still in the middle of the transition
Germany moving toward receiving its first F-35s leaves me with mixed feelings because I think the country absolutely should take its defense responsibilities seriously, especially given how much Germany matters to European security. At the same time, it is difficult to look at the scale of current military investment across Europe without also thinking about how much insecurity is driving it.
The timeline is also important because Germany does not already have an operational F-35 fleet sitting at German air bases. According to the Defense Ministry’s published plans, aircraft handovers in the United States begin in 2026, while the necessary flight infrastructure at Büchel is expected to be available from 2027. Lockheed Martin also announced in March 2026 that the first German aircraft had entered final assembly and that the first eight aircraft would initially go to Arkansas for pilot training.
Germany is therefore in the process of introducing the F-35 rather than already having completed that transition.
(German Defense Ministry, Lockheed Martin production update)
I think the purchase makes sense
There is a fairly straightforward argument in favor of the purchase. Germany plans to acquire 35 F-35As, which will replace capabilities currently provided by the Tornado and will also allow Germany to continue fulfilling its role in NATO nuclear sharing. The aircraft will of course also have conventional combat roles.
If Germany says that it wants to contribute seriously to NATO and European collective defense, then at some point those political commitments have to be supported by actual military capabilities. You cannot spend years saying that European countries need to take more responsibility for their own security while indefinitely postponing the equipment, training, infrastructure, and personnel that responsibility requires.
For Germany, I see the F-35 as an opportunity to turn part of that political commitment into something practical. A stronger German air force also benefits Europe because Germany is simply too large and important for European defense to work properly if Germany itself is not capable of contributing enough.
Of course, buying the aircraft is only the beginning. Germany still needs trained pilots, maintenance capacity, functioning infrastructure, spare parts, long-term financing, and the ability to actually keep the aircraft operational. Buying a sophisticated military system creates responsibilities that last for decades.
Europe still needs to think about dependence
The part that concerns me more is what kind of military strength Europe is building. Buying the F-35 gives Germany access to an extremely capable aircraft, but it also means that another major part of European military capability remains connected to an American-led defense program.
I think there is an obvious tension here. Europe talks increasingly about strategic autonomy and about becoming capable of defending its own interests, but many of its most important military capabilities continue to depend heavily on American technology, suppliers, weapons systems, and political cooperation.
That does not mean Germany should have rejected the F-35 simply to make a political statement about European independence. Germany needs capabilities that work now, not only projects that might produce something in twenty years. However, Europe also cannot keep postponing the question of how much defense technology and industrial capacity it wants to control itself.
There is also a wider issue that goes beyond the aircraft. Stronger defense can reduce the risk of aggression because potential enemies have to take the cost of attacking more seriously, but the current urgency around rearmament also shows how little confidence governments have that agreements, diplomacy, and international institutions alone will protect them.
I can support Germany becoming better prepared without being happy about the circumstances that make that preparation necessary.
I want Germany to be capable of defending itself and contributing seriously to European security, but I also want that military investment to happen alongside diplomacy, democratic oversight, and a serious discussion about long-term costs and dependence. The F-35 can make Germany better prepared for the world that currently exists, but whether that world itself is becoming safer is a completely different question.
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