By Sabine Siebold and Mike Stone
BERLIN/WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Germany is considering ordering more U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets, two sources told Reuters, a move that would deepen Berlin's reliance on American military technology as its joint next-generation fighter program with France falters.
One source said Berlin was in talks that could lead to the purchase of more than 35 additional jets. A second source did not specify the number. Both sources cautioned the outcome was still uncertain.
In 2022, Germany purchased 35 of the aircraft, which are due to begin delivery later this year.
The potential acquisition of more Lockheed Martin stealth fighters, at a cost of more than $80 million each, comes as Germany and France are deadlocked on their Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program.
The 100-billion-euro-project, launched in 2017 to replace France's Rafales and Eurofighters from 2040, has been stalled by industrial rivalries.
Insiders expect Germany and France to abandon the development of a joint fighter jet but continue cooperation on drones and the so-called combat cloud, the digital backbone linking manned and unmanned platforms within the FCAS system.
Purchasing more F-35 jets would buy Germany time to figure out a solution for the development of a sixth-generation fighter jet and finding a partner for such a project.
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Germany's Defence Ministry did not immediately comment while a Pentagon spokesperson referred questions to Germany.
A spokesperson for defence contractor Lockheed Martin said the company was focused on building F-35s already ordered by Germany.
Expansion of Germany's F-35 fleet would mark a significant strategic shift toward deeper military integration with the United States and away from European defence autonomy, a priority for fellow European Union member France.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz questioned on Wednesday whether developing a manned sixth-generation jet, as FCAS has sought to do, still made sense for his country's air force.
"Will we still need a manned fighter jet in 20 years' time? Do we still need it, given that we will have to develop it at great expense?" Merz said on the Machtwechsel podcast published on Wednesday.
The F-35 aircraft will succeed the Tornado jets in their role of carrying U.S. nuclear bombs stored in Germany in the event of a conflict.
The F-35 is the only Western fighter jet certified to carry the most modern B61 nuclear bombs.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said last week the fate of FCAS would become clear within days.
(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington and Sabine Siebold in Berlin; Editing by Chris Sanders and Cynthia Osterman)
