Why Germany Is Quietly Buying 15 More F-35s & Asking To Join A Fighter Program It Once Rivaled

Germany is buying 15 more F-35s and seeking entry into a fighter program it once competed against as it navigates the fallout from the termination of its Future Combat Air System (FCAS) 6th-generation program with France. The development, reported for June 2026, leaves Germany facing multiple paths: continue with Eurofighter Typhoons into the 2030s while considering additional F-35As expected to start delivery in 2026, and accelerating work on advanced “Jagdbomberdrohne” combat drones and loyal wingman drone concepts. At the same time, Germany must decide how to field a flagship next-generation frontline jet beyond FCAS, either by joining GCAP/Tempest as a likely partner, leading a new 6th-generation effort with Sweden and/or Spain, or relying on F-35s alongside future autonomous aircraft into the 2050s. FCAS, announced in 2017 with Germany’s Airbus, France’s Dassault, and Spain’s Indra, was undermined by disputes over workshare and control, with reports in 2025 alleging Dassault demanded an 80% workshare.