On the opening day of ILA air show in Berlin, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced that the government has placed an order for 20 additional Eurofighter jets.
During a speech on June 5, 2024, Chancellor Scholz confirmed that the purchase of the new aircraft for the Luftwaffe is in addition to the 38 Eurofighter Typhoons ordered in 2020.
Addressing the media, Scholz said: “I am strongly in favor of maintaining and expanding production capabilities. That is why we will order 20 more Eurofighters in this legislative period in addition to the 38 aircraft currently in the pipeline.”
The German leader added: “We are also committed to further prospects for the Eurofighter in terms of exports. I already had the opportunity to visit the Eurofighter facility in Manching in January. We shall ensure continuous capacity utilization there.”
He added that the order would provide Airbus and its suppliers with security for the future.
Wir wollen eine starke Luft- und Raumfahrtbranche in Deutschland und Europa. Dazu gehört Planungssicherheit in der Verteidigungsindustrie. Deshalb sorgen wir für verlässliche Aufträge – auch mit der Bestellung von 20 weiteren Eurofightern noch in dieser Legislaturperiode. #ILA24 pic.twitter.com/uyXSvdTSYu
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) June 5, 2024
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.”
Mezzanatto added: “Eurofighter Typhoon will be the backbone of Europe’s defence for decades to come.”
In June 2020, Germany’s acquisition of 38 Eurofighter Typhoons was estimated to be worth around €5.4 billion ($5.8 billion). Delivery of the Airbus fourth-generation fighter jets should commence in 2025.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter, manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.