Pistorius to hold talks on Germany’s participation in fighter jet program — Anadolu Agency

In Berlin, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he will hold talks in the coming weeks with the defense ministers of Italy and Japan on Germany’s possible accession to the next-generation fighter jet program that the United Kingdom is implementing jointly with Italy and Japan. This was reported by Anadolu Agency.

Terms of possible accession

Pistorius stressed the need for swift talks, as the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan have spent five years building the project’s existing contractual framework. According to him, the parties must determine as soon as possible whether the three program participants are ready to accept Germany and under what mutual terms this could happen.

The minister said that initial discussions have already taken place. He plans to meet with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. According to Pistorius, these contacts should provide an initial understanding of the possible timeframe for accession and the distribution of work within the program.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Need for new aircraft

Pistorius noted that after the talks, a decision will be made on the next steps or on abandoning further participation. He stressed that Germany and its partners cannot spend another five years on negotiations, as new combat aircraft must be available in the early 2040s regardless of the outcome of the consultations.

The minister’s statement came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced during a visit to Tokyo last week that Berlin would explore the possibility of a joint project with Japan and its partners. Germany is seeking alternatives after the troubled Future Combat Air System project, which the country had been developing with France, collapsed in June.