Germany Announces Plans For New Eurofighter Purchase
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Wednesday that Berlin plans to sign a contract ordering 20 new Airbus Eurofighters by autumn 2025.
Scholz announced his government’s intent to purchase the Eurofighters at the opening of the ILA air show in Berlin. “We will order 20 more Eurofighters before the end of this legislative session (scheduled for autumn 2025) — in addition to the 38 aircraft currently in the pipeline”, said Scholz.
Scholz said the order would provide certainty to Airbus and its suppliers. “Today, we see more clearly than ever how important it is to have a European and German defense industry that can continuously produce all major types of weapons and the necessary ammunition”.
In a press release, Eurofighter CEO Giancarlo Mezzanatto said:
“Today’s announcement from the German government is great news for the Eurofighter programme and our industry partners.
It underlines Germany’s long-term commitment to the Eurofighter.
Eurofighter Typhoon will be the backbone of Europe’s defence for decades to come.”
Germany currently has 30 single seat and 8 twin seat Eurofighters on order under Project Quadriga. Project Quadriga aims to replace the German Air Force’s oldest Tranche 1 Eurofighters with new Tranche 4 aircraft from 2025, with the purchase contract signed in 2020.
More recently, German lawmakers approved funding for 15 electronic warfare versions of the Eurofighter in November 2023. The Eurofighter Elektronischer Kampf will replace the German Air Force’s Tornado ECRs in the electronic warfare mission by 2030 as the Tornadoes are retired, while the Tornado’s tactical nuclear delivery mission will be assumed by F-35As.
Airbus has indicated a need for around 100 Eurofighters to be ordered by 2030 in order to keep Eurofighter production lines active through 2040, when the company expects to begin manufacturing aircraft and other systems developed under the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System program. While the program intends to develop a next generation fighter that will replace the Eurofighter as its operators’ most advanced fighter, Airbus says the advanced networking capabilities being pursued by FCAS will allow Eurofighters to collaborate with other manned and unmanned platforms, keeping the Eurofighter relevant into the 2050s.