Lockheed Martin is increasing efforts to promote F-35 Lightning II fighter jet to replace Panavia Tornado multirole combat aircraft of Germany Air Force (Luftwaffe).
The company unveiled its offer programme for Luftwaffe as part of future Tornado replacement during the Berlin Security Conference (BSC). The BSC is one of the largest yearly events on European Security and Defence.The congress is organized by the Behörden Spiegel and supported by an Advisory Board made up of distinguished international personalities.
According to the programme, Tornado would be replaced by the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft since 2025 with a gradual increase in supplies, in order to replace the whole fleet of aircraft by 2035.
Early, Lieutenant General Karl Muellner said that Germany would need to buy an off-the-shelf replacement that could enter service around 2025 to facilitate a smooth transition with the Tornado, noting that did not leave enough time to develop a unique solution.
The successor fighter has to be low-observable, and able to identify and strike targets from a great distance, noted Muellner.
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As today the F-35 Lightning II is the world’s most advanced multi-role fighter – providing unmatched capabilities to military forces around the world, securing high-tech, high-skill jobs for hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, and elevating international security by allowing for more integrated coalition operations.
The F-35 Lightning II is referred to as a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth capabilities with fighter aircraft speed and agility, fully-fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced logistics and sustainment.