According to Military Watch Magazine, Germany is planning to order 15 F-35 fighters and is currently negotiating with the U.S. for the next contract.

What’s interesting is that Germany, Switzerland, and France previously criticized the F-35, claiming it comes with a “remote kill switch.” According to these claims, this feature allows certain advanced functionalities of the aircraft to be disabled remotely.

There’s another point worth mentioning: the ownership of F-35 technology. Those rights belong to the developer, Lockheed Martin, not the U.S. military. In other words, tinkering with or modifying the jet’s features is impossible without Lockheed Martin’s involvement.

As for the purchase, it’s driven by a few factors. One is NATO’s new requirements for increased combat readiness. Another is the uncertainty surrounding the joint FCAS project with Spain and France.

The FCAS project (“Future Combat Air System”) aims to develop a sixth-generation fighter. The first demonstration flight is expected no earlier than 2028, with operational units not arriving until 2040.

Still, the German government insists the F-35 is a temporary solution to replace the Tornado while the FCAS program progresses, and its commitment to the European project remains unchanged.