Very good move by Germany. They may even exceed that 2% of GDP budget that Trump beat them over the head with. Our guy was right - once again.
And based on the performance of the Russian Air Force this time around the F35 should dominate the airspace if it comes to a Russia-Germany engagement,
And based on the performance of the Russian Air Force this time around the F35 should dominate the airspace if it comes to a Russia-Germany engagement
—
F-35s are bomb trucks and not air superiority fighters - Russia’s SU-30SM & SU-35 would wipe the floor with them in a huge turkey shoot. With only frontal ‘stealth’, 4 missiles internal, and 216 cannon rounds, F-35s could defend to a degree, but not go hunting with any success. Besides, its replacing the German’s Tornado bomb truck, in any case.
If they need more air superiority fighters besides their Typhoons, then the latest F-16 variant would be a contender. The big factor is who has the most flying time.