Germany to arm its F-35 jets with Norwegian cruise missiles

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - Germany will arm its future F-35 jets with Norwegian cruise missiles, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters after meeting his Norwegian counterpart, Tore Sandvik, in The Hague during the NATO summit, Pistorius said they had just signed an agreement on the procurement.

“We plan the joint procurement of the air-to-ground Joint Strike Missile (JSM) for F-35 combat aircraft. This arrangement implements what we have set as our goal in Europe and NATO—joint procurements to reduce time, bureaucracy, and cost,” he said.

Pistorius noted that the German Air Force will receive the first JSM cruise missiles before the end of 2027, significantly enhancing its strike capabilities. The planned procurement was approved by the German Parliament earlier this month.

According to the German press agency DPA, Germany's share in the joint procurement of JSM cruise missiles from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace will cost approximately €677 million ($786 million).