BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany will buy 20 additional Eurofighter jets from Airbus, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday, as the NATO member spends more on defence in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Scholz, speaking at the opening of the ILA air show just outside Berlin, said he was strongly committed to maintaining and expanding arms production capacity.
“That is why we will order 20 more Eurofighters before the end of this legislative session — in addition to the 38 aircraft currently in the pipeline,” he said, adding that the order would give certainty to Airbus and its suppliers.
Germany’s air force wants to replace its aging Tornado jets with the Eurofighter, known as Typhoon in Britain. It currently operates 138 Eurofighters, according to its website.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, writing by Thomas Seythal, editing by Madeline Chambers)
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