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

In June 2026, it was reported that Germany was officially terminating its troubled Future Combat Air System (FCAS) 6th-generation fighter jet program with France. Now Germany is left in a quandary about how to proceed. In the interim, it is purchasing Eurofighter Typhoons into the 2030s and is considering purchasing more F-35As (first expected to be delivered in 2026).