BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is pressing Washington to clarify whether it would let the Eurofighter Typhoon carry nuclear bombs as part of shared Western defenses, an issue that could help decide whether Berlin orders more of the jets, sources familiar with the matter said.

FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Eurofighter Typhoon (L) and a Dassault Rafale are seen at the ILA Air Show in Berlin, Germany, April 26, 2018. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt/File Photo

Although not a nuclear power, Germany hosts some U.S. nuclear warheads under NATO’s nuclear-sharing policy and operates a number of Tornado warplanes that can deliver them. New jets will need to be certified by Washington to carry out nuclear missions, a process which can take years.

Germany’s defense ministry sent a letter to the U.S. Defense Department in April asking whether certification of the European jets was possible, how much it would cost, and how long it would take, the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Top U.S. Air Force and Pentagon officials are working to respond to the German query, the sources said.

The multi-billion-euro tender to replace Germany’s fleet of 89 Tornados, which are due to retire in the middle of the next decade, pits the Typhoon against several U.S. contenders at a time of strains in transatlantic ties.

Executives with Airbus (AIR.PA), Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) and Boeing (BA.N) are making presentations to the defense ministry this week after submitting reams of information on their respective warplanes in April, with the formal launch of the competition expected later this year, industry sources said.

The German defense ministry declined comment on the issue.

No comment was immediately available from the Pentagon.

Lockheed’s radar-evading F-35 fighter is already slated to have the nuclear capability in the early 2020s, while the Eurofighter would still need certification.

Airbus has said it is confident Eurofighter - a joint project with Britain’s BAE Systems (BAES.L) and Italy’s Leonardo (LDOF.MI) - could be certified by 2025. Sources familiar with the Eurofighter said it was possible to reconfigure the European jet to carry nuclear bombs.

But U.S. government sources say that schedule is ambitious given that the F-35 and other aircraft must be certified first. Washington has suggested it could take 7-10 years to certify the Eurofighter for nuclear missions, well beyond the Tornado’s retirement date, according to one German military source.

While urging Europe to boost defense spending, U.S. officials are worried about being shut out of European defense projects after 25 EU governments signed a pact in December to fund, develop and deploy armed forces together. [nL2N1QH1P6]

U.S. officials will also weigh whether the Eurofighter could survive a mission into enemy territory to drop a nuclear bomb without stealth capability at a time when Russia and other potential future enemies have bolstered their sensors and air defenses, a second source said.

The F-35 is the only aircraft in the running that has such radar-evading capabilities, but Boeing and Eurofighter argue that their aircraft can work in tandem with jamming equipment.

Volker Paltzo, chief executive of Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH, told Reuters this week that he remained confident that Eurofighter could take over the roles of the Tornado, and the company had a strategy to deal with a length certification process.

He said the Tornado had been successfully recertified several times after major upgrades. </s> German officials have reportedly asked their American counterparts about whether it would be possible to turn the Eurofighter Typhoon into a nuclear strike aircraft. The answer to this question could have serious ramifications on Germany’s effort to replace its aging Panavia Tornado combat jets, which are certified to carry U.S. B61 nuclear bombs during a crisis as part of an inter-NATO agreement, and reinforces previous reports that the European fighter jet is the German Air Force’s preferred option. In April 2018, the German Federal Ministry of Defense sent a formal letter to U.S. officials asking about whether it would be feasible to configure Typhoons for the nuclear mission, how expensive it would be, and how long the process might take, according to Reuters.

The German Air Force’s ability to fly nuclear strikes has become an increasingly important issue even though the country is not a nuclear power itself. During the Cold War, Germany, as well as other NATO allies, agreed to host American nuclear bombs with the understanding that their aircraft could be called upon to employ them if a major conflict with the Soviet Union broke out. After the Cold War, this arrangement has persisted and the Germans continue to keep an unspecified number of B61 bombs at Büchel Air Base near the borders with Belgium and Luxembourg. The problem is that the only German aircraft that can carry these weapons are the Tornados, which are in desperate need of replacement.

Availability rates for the Cold War-era swing wing jets have dramatically dropped in recent years. In 2015, state broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported that only 30 of the approximately 85 remaining aircraft were airworthy at any one time. The aircraft also lack cockpits that will work with night vision goggles, which limits the jet's ability to perform missions at night. In March 2018, German magazine Der Spiegel also obtained a report calling into question the security of the Tornado’s data links. “This could in the worst case mean that the demand for an encrypted communication system for the Tornado weapons system can’t be achieved,” the document stated according to the report. “That means the Tornado weapons system may not take part in NATO missions.” The German Air Force disputed the story, saying that all of the Tornados set aside to support the alliance's requirements had the equipment necessary to perform their missions. Regardless, the service has made no effort to hide the importance of replacing the jets.

The Germans will need to certify whatever aircraft replaces the Tornado as a nuclear-capable platform in order to continue performing the mission. In addition to Eurofighter, the Germans are considering an unspecified variant of Boeing’s F-15 Eagle or that company’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and Lockheed Martin’s stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The process to make sure any of those planes could carry the B61 would likely include ensuring they could safely drop the bombs at all, as well as developing appropriate mission systems and software to enable this capability under various different attack parameters. In addition, engineers would have to find ways to install the necessary systems and linkages so that the pilot can arm the weapon in flight. Each one of the bombs has a so-called “Permissive Action Link,” or PAL, that prevents the warhead from functioning until an individual puts in a specific code. You can read more about these safety features and other components of the bombs in this past feature.

The U.S. military has not certified any variants of the Joint Strike Fighter to carry the B61, but Air Force is in the process of doing so with regards to the F-35A. The aircraft types that Boeing is offering are the only ones in the running that have already gone through this process. But the German Air Force's top preference is reportedly the Eurofighter. Germany already has nearly 130 of the jets in service and recently began adding a robust air-to-ground capability to some of them. The video below shows German Air Force Eurofighters training to employ precision-guided bombs as part of validating the aircraft's new air-to-ground role in 2017. </s> Germany's next major aircraft acquisition has proved nothing short of a political hot potato. Lt. Gen. Karl Müller was fired from his role as chief of staff of the German Air Force for supporting Berlin's purchase of Lockheed Martin's F-35 aircraft in March. Others in the German Defense Ministry have instead favored buying European-made aircraft instead of the F-35 or even other, more proven American jets like the F/A-18 or F-15E.

Müller said last November that "the Luftwaffe considers the F-35's capability as a benchmark for the selection process for the Tornado replacement, and I think I have expressed myself clearly enough as to what the favorite of the air force is." However, others within the German MoD rebuked Müller before he was let go, saying in December the Eurofighter was the "primary" option to replace the Tornado. The Tornado was manufactured by the Panavia company, organized by Germany in conjunction with the Italian and British governments for the task.

Germany and France have a joint agreement to develop a future fighter jet, but the Franco-German plane is years away from becoming a reality.

With Müller out of the way, German officials seem keen on moving forward with buying the Eurofighter Typhoon. However, according to Germany's NATO commitment, it must field jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and that means upgrading the Eurofighter to handle the powerful bombs.

Reuters reported Wednesday that Germany sent the Pentagon a request in April seeking information on whether it is possible to certify the jets for nuke-carrying duties, the cost to upgrade the Typhoons, and how long it would take to complete those modifications.

Citing sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Reuters noted that the Pentagon's response will play a role in determining whether Berlin ultimately buys Eurofighters or another aircraft to replace the Tornado fleet, which is slated to begin retirement in the middle of the 2020s.

Executives from Airbus, Lockheed Martin and Boeing are visiting German officials this week to make more presentations about their product offerings in the fighter aircraft industry, according to Business Insider.

While Germany is not a nuclear power in its own right, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey have a combined stockpile of approximately 200 B-61 gravity bombs as part of NATO obligations, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative.

Even though Berlin seems keen on picking anything but the F-35, a costly "national disaster" that some call "one of the greatest boondoggles in recent military purchasing history," the fifth-generation aircraft is, technically, scheduled to carry nukes around the time Germany's Tornado fleet retires. As a consequence, Germany wouldn't have to worry about whether an F-35 purchase would be compatible with NATO obligations. </s> FILE PHOTO - A German air force Tornado jet takes off from the German army Bundeswehr airbase in Jagel, northern Germany December 10, 2015. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German armed forces may not be able to use the Tornado fighter jet for NATO missions, according to a defence ministry report seen by Reuters.

The report says that so far, it has not been possible to build an encryption device for secure data transfer into the jet, which entered service in the 1970s.

The communication devices of the Tornado also do not meet current standards, the report said, meaning there’s a risk that information could be intercepted.

“This could in the worst case mean that the demand for an encrypted communication system for the Tornado weapons system can’t be achieved. That means the Tornado weapons system may not take part in NATO missions,” the report states.

A spokesman for the German air force said its 10 Tornado jets registered for the NATO Response Force met current requirements, without providing further details.

The report was first cited by German magazine Spiegel.

Germany wants to start phasing out the Tornado jets in 2025 and the defence ministry has said that the Eurofighter Typhoon is the leading candidate, with Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and Boeing’s F-15 and F-18 fighters also options.

An annual report released in February said Germany’s military must move faster to tackle persistent gaps in personnel and equipment. </s> A classified German Defense Ministry report says the country’s fleet of Tornado fighter jets may be unsuitable for conducting NATO missions, several media outlets said.

The report, first cited by the German magazine Spiegel, says the Panavia Tornado, which first entered service in the 1970s, has several equipment flaws that make it vulnerable and no longer suitable for duty. The fleet of fighter jets needs costly modernization if Germany wants to keep them operational until 2035, as it plans. The upgrade would cost millions of euro, if it technically possible at all. This is not a certainty, the report noted.

Among the warplane’s shortcomings are outdated electronic equipment, a lack of proper encryption for its communications, and the absence of NATO-compatible friend-or-foe detection systems.

Of the 97 Tornados currently in service, only 10 meet NATO requirements; and these have already been assigned to the NATO Response Force, according to the document, which was released in February. Commenting on media reports about the state of the German Air Force, a Bundeswehr spokesman said the country was meeting its current NATO obligations thanks to those 10 aircraft.

The Luftwaffe is expected to start phasing out the Tornado fleet in 2025, with the Eurofighter Typhoon believed to be the most likely model to replace them. The US-made Lockheed Martin F-35 and Boeing’s F-15 and F-18 fighters are possible alternatives. Among other requirements, the replacement aircraft would need to be capable of deploying the American nuclear B-61 gravity bombs.

The deficiencies of the German Tornados have long been known and occasionally resulted in embarrassing public incidents. In 2016, their contribution to the US-led coalition counter-terrorist effort in Syria came under question when their cockpit instruments turned out to be too bright for pilots flying night missions in night-vision gear. The fleet was later grounded after monitors in cockpits started losing screws during flights.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! </s> BERLIN (Reuters) - Pentagon officials briefed German military on the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jet this week but Berlin said no procurement decisions have been taken.

 Germany, which is looking to replace its aging Tornado fighter jets, is due to decide in mid-2018 about whether to start a new fighter development program or buy an existing fighter. 

 A German Defence Ministry spokesman said the decision will hinge largely on assessments of how long the Tornados can stay in use.

 "The F-35 is one of many options we are exploring," the spokesman said.

 Any move to buy a U.S. warplane could run into political resistance in Germany, which has strong labor unions, and given a big push by Europe to develop its own military equipment.

 The German Air Force asked the U.S. military in May for a classified briefing on the F-35 fighter jet as part of an "in-depth evaluation of market available solutions."

 Germany's interest in the F-35 took some European defense industry officials by surprise, given a big push by European aerospace giant Airbus and other European defense companies to develop a next-generation European fighter.

 Lockheed, which is already building the F-35 fighter for several other NATO allies - the United States, Britain, Italy, Turkey, Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark - also plans to provide the German defense ministry with information about opportunities for German industry to participate in the F-35 program, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

 This week's briefings took place in Bonn, Germany, on Monday and Tuesday and involved a German one-star general, as well as working groups looking at specific weapons requirements and capabilities, according to another source briefed on the matter.

 "This meeting is consistent with the standard Foreign Military Sales process where we explain the path to F-35 acquisition and provide a top-level F-35 capabilities brief," F-35 program office spokesman Joe DellaVedova said. 

 The German military plans to send Washington a formal "letter of request" for information about the F-35 and Boeing Co's F-15 and F/A-18E/F fighter jets later this summer, the ministry spokesman said.

 It will also gather information from Airbus about its work on a next-generation weapons system, he added.

 Experts also see the F-35 as the leading contender in a Belgian fighter competition that includes the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Aviation Rafale. Sweden's SAAB and Boeing have withdrawn from that tender.

 

 (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Susan Fenton) </s> All German Tornado aircraft are no longer capable of carrying out tasks within NATO due to outdated equipment, German magazine Spiegel has reported, citing confidential report of the German Defense Ministry.

According to the media outlet, the report has revealed many critical details. For instance, the electronics installed on all 93 Tornado planes in the 1980s are completely outdated. The jets are not sufficiently tap-proof and do not possess an encrypted communication system, which is mandatory in all international missions.

In addition, the aircraft has no friend-enemy detection system which is required in NATO operations in order to avoid erroneous attacks on allied jets.

READ MORE: Twitter Ablaze Over German Defense Minister's Proposal on Afghanistan

The Defense Ministry is confident that in their current condition the jets should "no longer participate in any NATO operation." However, any modernization of the aircraft won't be complete until 2019, when new equipment within NATO operations will become mandatory.

Earlier, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen had said that the aircraft was expected to be deployed at least until 2035, when a suitable replacement could be found.

Von der Leyen also acknowledged that the technical condition of many Bundeswehr combat systems do not correspond to existing and ever increasing operational needs. This, in particular, applies to helicopters, aircraft, tanks and ships.

Tornado planes are currently involved in an international mission to fight the Daesh terrorist group in Syria and Iraq. </s> Two Eurofighter Typhoon fighters of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) on Monday crashed into each other during a combat training mission killing one of the pilots. The unarmed Typhoons crashed over a lake in Nossentiner Hutte in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

According to the BBC, one Typhoon jet crashed into a forest near the village of Jabel after the mid-air collision and the other crashed near a village about 10 km (6 miles) away, the interior ministry in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania said. A third pilot in another Typhoon fighter witnessed the two jets collide and also reported seeing two parachutes.

German police cordoned off the crash area immediately as rescue teams rushed to the lake. A German Air Force spokesperson of the Steinhoff Tactical Air Force Wing 73 squadron in Laage where the two ill-fated jets were based said both pilots had ejected but one of them died while the other was found alive stuck in a tree, according to the sun.co.uk. The crash took place at around 2 pm local time (5:30 pm Indian Standard Time). 



An eyewitness claimed that a wing of one of the jets was shattered due to the impact while others added that they saw two ejector seats shooting out from the Typhoons.

According to European defence experts, it is the seventh fatal crash of the Eurofighter Typhoon since the aircraft entered active service with the air forces of European countries in August 2003. But Monday's crash is the first time two Typhoons, capable of flying at 1,550 miles per hour (2,495 kmph), have crashed into each other.

The £125 million supersonic twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter has 13 external points to carry weapons. The jet is in service with United Kingdom's Royal Air Force, German Air Force, Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare), Spanish Air Force (Ejercito del Aire), Austrian Air Force, Kuwait Air Force, Royal Air Force of Oman, Qatar Air Force and Royal Saudi Air Force. </s> Two Eurofighter military jets have crashed in the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, said Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe.

Both pilots ejected and one of the pilots was found alive, hanging in a tree canopy after deploying his parachute.

The other pilot was pronounced dead; police found human remains in the area.

The pilots were part of a trio of Eurofighters flying a mission out of Laage, near Rostock on Monday.

They were part of the Tactical Air Force Wing 73, known as "Steinhoff," a fighter wing that specializes in general air defense and is the chief training center for pilots of the Eurofighter Typhoon in Germany.

After the crash, two plumes of smoke could be seen about 10 kilometers apart

Read more: Only 4 of Germany's 128 Eurofighter jets combat ready — report

The aircraft collided shortly before 2 p.m. local time (1200 UTC) near Lake Müritz, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Berlin.

'Today is a day of mourning'

Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has announced there would be an investigation into the incident.

"Today is a day of mourning and anguish over the loss of our soldier," she told journalists after visiting the crash site with state Interior Minister Lorenz Caffier. "We share in the grief of the relatives."

Witnesses shared video footage of smoke billowing from two sites reportedly about 10 kilometers apart. Reports emerged that the wreckage had caused fires but that the flames had been extinguished.

At least part of the wreckage fell on the area of Malchow, with police warning locals not to approach. The Luftwaffe said the aircraft were not carrying ammunition.

aw, dv/rc (AFP, dpa, AP)

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Faulty tanks and grounded helicopters — today in the German military Frustrated soldiers and a defense system struggling to repair its way into a fully functioning military. And a new defense minister who will have to regain confidence from army representatives.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Defective helicopters Ageing helicopters have proved a big hurdle for the German military. The Bundeswehr has grounded all its 53 Tiger helicopters, after engineers said technical faults needed attention. Defense services were also forced to recall 22 Sea Lynx anti-submarine helicopters in 2014, confirming newspaper reports of malfunction.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Manufacturing fault The Eurofighter is the German military's most modern fighter jet. As a result of a manufacturing error, only four of the 128 planes were in action in 2018. A pilot was killed in June 2019 when two Eurofighters collided in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania, prompting fresh calls for further restriction on the plane's use.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Let's replace it... as soon as we make a decision Tornado fighters have been flying for over 40 years. CDU plans to replace the ageing planes were thrown into question by the center left SPD in February 2019. But some officials claim flying the Tornado after 2030 could cost Germany around €8 billion ($9 billion) in repair costs.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Not making any tracks New Puma tanks for the German tanks came into use in 2018. Only 27 of the 71 Pumas were immediately ready for deployment — which prompted a fresh backlash against then Defense Secretary Ursula von der Leyen.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Glitches at sea New F125 frigates — but they are't ready yet. German plans to replace the old frigates stalled in 2018, due to there not being enough spare parts to make them seaworthy. Officials also said Germany would have to soon stop signing up to NATO and UN missions in the same year — the country just did not have enough ships spare.

Bundeswehr struggles with faulty defense equipment Headache for AKK? She has not been in the job long, but Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has inherited a huge problem. Old equipment being grounded is now a regular and pressing occurrence. Former Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen signed a deal to develop a "Future Combat Air System" in June — which is scheduled to replace Germany's air force by 2040. Author: Sven Pöhle / db



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Germany reportedly asks the U.S. Department of Defense if the Eurofighter Typhoon could be certified to carry nuclear bombs.