ReportGermany's First F-35: A 10-Billion-Euro Bet on DeterrenceAired September 19, 2026 at 9:16 AM UTCWritten September 19, 2026 at 9:18 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:11Germany has taken delivery of its first F-35 stealth fighter, a 10 billion Euro bet0:16on nuclear deterrence.0:18Defense Minister Boris Pistorius accepted the aircraft at Lockheed Martin's Texas0:22facility, calling it a new era for the Luftwaffe and NATO.0:26The jet is the first of 35 nuclear-capable and set to replace the aging tornado at0:30Buech Schell in western Germany.0:32With 34 more jets to come, can Europe call itself strategically independent?0:36That 10 billion Euro contract covers 35 jets, each taking about three years to0:41build.0:41That works out to roughly 285 million Euros per jet, but the figure comes with no0:45breakdown between the aircraft themselves, support, and infrastructure.0:49And it's a figure that sits in stark contrast to Germany's post-Cold War defense0:52budgets, which were famously tight for decades.0:55The order was a direct response to Russia's invasion, a moment that overturned0:59decades of German reluctance to invest heavily in defense.1:02That invasion rewrote Germany's security calculus, and this delivery is the most1:06concrete result.1:08The decision to buy American F-35s was a break from the past.1:11signaling a new willingness to spend on defense.1:14Today, the first jet is in German hands, but it's a single aircraft among many more1:18to come.1:19The jet was handed over in Texas, but its operational home will be Buchel in western1:23Germany, the same base that has hosted NATO's nuclear mission for decades, that1:28makes this delivery as much about deterrence as it is about air power.1:31The Tornado has been the Luftwaffe's strike workhorse since the Cold War.1:35It first entered service in the 1980s and has been upgraded repeatedly.1:39The F-35 was built to take over that role, with a modern stealth design, advanced1:44sensor fusion, and the ability to carry nuclear weapons.1:47From the production line in Texas to the forests of western Germany, this jet's1:51journey spans an ocean.1:53At Buchel, it will join an existing nuclear mission that has been in place since the1:57Cold War.1:58The base is a small military installation, but it's been at the center of NATO's2:02deterrence strategy for decades.2:04Just one jet has arrived so far.2:06The remaining 34 will be delivered over the coming months, with testing and pilot2:10training continuing.2:11Only after that will the fleet be fully operational at Buech-L?2:15That's a process that will take years to complete.2:18The nuclear dimension is why this delivery matters beyond conventional air power.2:22Buchel has been the home of NATO's nuclear-sharing mission for decades.2:25Under that arrangement, the tornado has carried U.S.2:28nuclear weapons, and the F-35 is designed to take over that role.2:32More than 100 U.S.2:33nuclear bombs are held across Europe under NATO arrangements.2:36The weapons themselves remain under American custody, even though German aircraft2:40would carry them.2:41That's part of the dependence that unsettles Berlin.2:44But many questions remain open.2:46When exactly the other 34 jets arrive, what the full program will cost once weapons,2:51training, and infrastructure are added, and what nuclear role the fleet will2:55ultimately play.2:56For NATO, the F-35 means greater interoperability, a common platform across allied3:01air forces, tying Germany into the Alliance's nuclear mission.3:05But it also underscores Europe's dependence on American-made hardware and American3:08control, attention with calls for strategic autonomy.3:12So what happens next?3:13The remaining 34 jets are to be delivered over the coming months, with testing and3:17pilot training continuing.3:19The full cost of the program, including weapons, training, and infrastructure at3:22Buchel, has not been published, and the precise nuclear role these jets will play3:26remains to be defined.3:27This first F-35 stands as both a promise and a question mark for Germany's3:31rearmament.3:32The questions of timing, cost, and nuclear role are still open, and the broader3:36question of Europe's strategic autonomy is far from settled.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗