Parts of the F-35 combat aircraft, which will also be in hangars in the Air Force in the future, will be manufactured in Germany in the future. The Düsseldorf group Rheinmetall concludes a corresponding agreement with the US consortium of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
The German armaments group Rheinmetall is to be involved in the construction of the US F-35 fighter jet. As the Düsseldorf-based company announced, it signed a letter of intent with the US companies Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to build central fuselage sections for the stealth jet. In December, the federal government ordered 35 of the fighter jets to replace the aging Tornado fleet.
The cooperation with the US companies would include the establishment of an integrated assembly line for F-35 fuselage center parts in Germany, explained Rheinmetall. Lockheed F-35 program vice president Mike Shoemaker said production in Germany will be "vital to meet growing global demand for the F-35."
The F-35 is considered one of the most modern combat aircraft in the world. The manufacturer is Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman is one of the main partners and produces wings and sensor systems for the jet, among other things. There are currently 890 F-35s in service around the world. For Germany, the machine is important for so-called nuclear participation. Bundeswehr machines would transport US nuclear bombs in the event of a crisis or war. So far, the German tornadoes have performed this task, but they will have to be replaced in the coming years. The Bundeswehr is to receive the first eight F-35A Lightning II in 2026.
The economic policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Reinhard Houben, welcomed Rheinmetall's involvement in the construction of the US fighter jet. It was "good news for North Rhine-Westphalia as a business location," he told the "Rheinische Post". At the same time, it is "a strong sign of transatlantic cooperation that the USA is relying on German know-how in this major project".
