{"id":34193,"date":"2018-08-17T14:49:19","date_gmt":"2018-08-17T14:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/08\/17\/could-us-politics-impact-germanys-next-atomic-warplane\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T20:55:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T20:55:39","slug":"could-us-politics-impact-germanys-next-atomic-warplane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/08\/17\/could-us-politics-impact-germanys-next-atomic-warplane\/","title":{"rendered":"Could US politics impact Germany\u2019s next atomic warplane?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

COLOGNE, Germany \u2013 As Germany ponders a suitable successor for the nuclear-capable Tornado aircraft, U.S. government officials are keeping a close eye on the proceedings — and could have an outsized impact on Germany\u2019s final options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the four competing aircraft types, three are American: the Lockheed Martin F-35<\/a>, as well as variants of Boeing\u2019s F-15 and F-18. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But officials at the ministry of defense in Berlin are leaning toward a European aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon<\/a>. That is in large part because fielding an improved version of that airplane, developed by a consortium of Airbus, Leonardo and BAE Systems, is considered a stepping stone toward fielding an entirely new type of aerial weapon<\/a> for the continent in 2040.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The politics around the selection process make the deal worth watching closely. Under a NATO agreement dating back to the Cold War, Germany has outfitted its Tornado fleet with a nuclear option, enabling the planes to carry U.S. atomic bombs eastward in case of a major war between the alliance and the former Soviet Union. Following several waves of reductions, around 20 bombs of the B-61 variant are still believed to be at B\u00fcchel air base, situated at the edge of the Mosel river wine region between the cities of Koblenz and Trier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whichever plane Germany picks to replace the aging Tornados must be able to continue the nuclear role, the government\u2019s current thinking here goes. And that is where things could get complicated, because the U.S. government gets a say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reuters reported in June that German officials had sent a letter to Washington asking what it would take to certify the Eurofighter for the nuclear mission. The process could take anywhere between five to ten years, potentially throwing a big wrench in the Luftwaffe’s timing, sources told Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\t