Germany packages and purchases three types of military aircraft-
"Three Difficulties" Behind "One Arrow, Three Eagles"
Recently, the German government decided to purchase 90 "Typhoon" fighters, 30 F / A-18E / F "Super Hornet" fighters, and 15 EA-18G "Roarer" electronic fighters to jointly take over the old "Breeze" "Fighter fleet. Buying three different models in one package is a rare international military purchase in recent years. Behind such a special move is the triple consideration of Germany.
One is to explicitly abandon the introduction of US-made F-35 fighters and maintain French-German relations. In recent years, as Britain ’s “Brexit” and the US government continue to criticize NATO allies, France and Germany continue to deepen bilateral defense cooperation and lead Europe to “autonomous defense”. In January 2019, the Aachen Treaty was signed to develop arms research and development. As an important "hand" for the two countries to join hands. France has repeatedly warned Germany that the purchase of a cutting-edge F-35 will impact Europe ’s own research and development of new fighters; Germany excludes the F-35, a “hot” selection target for this round of military purchases, and selects the “super bumblebee” that is relatively low France feels comfortable working with it to develop a new generation of European fighter jets.
The second is to appease the United States and fulfill NATO defense obligations. Although the number of "Super Hornet" fighters placed in Germany this time is not large, it is already its largest overseas customer, and the American Boeing Company, which has suffered heavy losses in the civil aircraft business, can be called a charcoal. As an important member of NATO, Germany needs to maintain nuclear deterrence within the framework of NATO ’s collective defense, but it cannot develop and equip itself with nuclear weapons due to its defeated World War II status. In view of the fact that "Typhoon" does not currently have a nuclear load capacity, the United States has clearly stated that it will pass the certification of the "Super Hornet" B-61 nuclear gravity bomb within 3 to 5 years. Procurement of the "Super Hornet" has become an important choice for Germany.
The third is to try to maintain the overall air combat capability. Although the "Typhoon" is a model jointly developed and produced by many European countries, Germany has been deeply involved and has been equipped with two batches. The renewal can maintain the continuity of the update of its main fighter. "Super Hornet" and "Roarer" can make up for the lack of "Typhoon" in the field of nuclear carrying and electronic attacks.
However, the appearance of "one arrow, three eagles" in military purchases does not bring the result of "everyone is happy", but it is a helpless move after careful and careful weighing, which exposes Germany's difficulty in breaking away from the delicate international status and role positioning caused by World War II. It is impossible to cover up Germany's own left and right.
One is that the German political and military views differ. The F-35 is currently a cost-effective fighter, especially its stealth performance is significantly better than the "Typhoon", so it attracts many European countries to order and is also very popular within the German military. However, the ambition to promote "European defense autonomy" and act as "Europe's Germany" eventually overwhelmed the military "just need": the parties of the German ruling coalition and the Ministry of Defense finally continued to buy the "Typhoon" and imported it in the international "Super Hornet" and "Roarer" who are neither well-received nor well-received by the market; Milner, the longest-serving director of the Bundeswehr Air Force in history, was indignant in 2018 because of his "obvious preference for F-35". Resignation.
Secondly, the level of combat readiness of the Luftwaffe is becoming increasingly worrying. This fighter plane replacement selection will make the Bundeswehr Air Force continue to maintain its low profile after World War II: The German Air Force has been relying on dozens of old F-4 refurbished radars to support the facade before entering the 21st century; ", The version with the lowest configuration is selected, with only basic anti-air combat capabilities. This orientation, coupled with the German political community's focus on maintaining the welfare system and accepting and digesting refugees from the Middle East, it is not surprising that the media has repeatedly reported that the "maintainability of equipment for German military services has reached a new low". Public opinion doubts "how much combat power the Luftwaffe once had a glorious record", fearing it will continue to exist.
The third is the lack of stamina in the aviation industry. Due to historical burdens, Germany has not been able to independently develop and equip any type one main fighter aircraft since World War II, and has always taken the route of "outsourcing plus joint research and development". Although the German government gritted its teeth to buy 90 "typhoons" developed by the "incorporation" to maintain its technical level and R & D capabilities, its aviation industry lacked demand and it was difficult to reverse the shrinking trend.
Sea mirror