Germany says it wants greater sovereignty in defence procurement, but confidential government documents indicate that its dependence on the United States is increasing as Berlin commits tens of billions of euros to American weapons systems under contracts that give the US government extensive control over prices, delivery and, in some cases, the operation of the equipment. Joint research by Die Zeit and the ZDF magazine frontal has examined previously little-known clauses in Foreign Military Sales, or FMS, agreements through which allied governments buy US military equipment directly from Washington.
The arrangements leave Germany with limited room to negotiate. A standard formulation in German records states: “The content of this offer is not negotiable; it can either be accepted or rejected.” Under the FMS system, Germany is required to pay in advance, while weapons may not arrive for years. If costs rise during that period, the German government must pay the additional amount. The German Defence Ministry says it has ordered US defence goods and services worth “over €20 billion” since 2022. But analysis of dozens of FMS contracts and classified government documents by Die Zeit indicates that Germany has ordered at least €30 billion worth of weapons through the programme during that period, excluding operation and maintenance costs.
The commitments are continuing. During Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’s visit to the United States, he and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a Letter of Intent aimed at strengthening defence co-operation. Among Germany’s planned purchases are long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles and their launch systems, with experts estimating a cost of more than €3 billion and warning that delivery could come well after the beginning of the 2030s.
The F-35 programme illustrates the terms of the relationship most clearly. Germany has ordered 35 F-35 fighter aircraft to replace its ageing Tornado fleet, with the first aircraft formally handed over to Pistorius at Lockheed Martin’s plant in Fort Worth, Texas. The German F-35 is listed at $74,739,968, but the purchase involves considerably more than the aircraft itself. The initial package, ordered for €10 billion, contains only two spare engines. Each additional engine currently costs $14.5 million. Even adapters and cables must be American-made, while German officials can examine the costs only “in principle”, according to confidential Defence Ministry documents. The US government says its system operates on a cost-neutral basis, but it can impose as many as 14 different charges, including $200 million for administrative costs.
The contract also limits Germany’s control over the aircraft after purchase. FMS standard terms and conditions state that the agreements are “unilaterally amendable”. The customer pays in advance, while the supplier retains the ability to alter arrangements afterwards. The Bundeswehr also depends on the United States for key elements of the F-35’s software and operational capability. Former Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who initially opposed the purchase, said: “The intelligence of the data was a black box. The concern that updates might no longer come was already there at the time. I shared it.”
Christine Lambrecht later approved the purchase following Russia’s aggression, but the concerns over dependence remain. If the US government does not provide software updates, German aircraft would operate with outdated software. Apart from training flights, the Bundeswehr must have individual missions programmed by the Americans, including routes, targets and tactics. Because the software is not fully disclosed to Germany, the possibility of a remotely activated “kill switch” cannot be excluded, although the German government denies that such a device exists. Nico Lange, a former chief of staff at the Defence Ministry, said: “If the Americans no longer support the German F-35s, they won’t fly.” For the first five years, the United States will also exclusively supply spare parts.
Pistorius rejected the suggestion that this amounted to excessive dependence, saying that if dependencies existed, they were “mutual”. Lange responded: “We have to stop using platitudes to make things look better than they are.” The final F-35s are scheduled to reach the German air force in 2029 and become fully operational in 2032. Germany has already paid $4 billion in advance.
Similar arrangements apply to other major purchases. Germany has ordered 60 CH-47F Chinook heavy transport helicopters from Boeing at $54,778,733 each, again with advance payment. The intended purchase price has already been exceeded by at least €631 million. The P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, capable of flying 7,000 kilometres and hunting submarines, presents another example: Germany has ordered eight aircraft and a simulator at $191,103,930 per aircraft. German companies can undertake maintenance, but software faults and updates remain the responsibility of the US government and Boeing.
Confidential procurement plans indicate that another 20 US arms contracts could be concluded this year, covering F-35 glide bombs, radios, naval combat systems and missile guidance systems used by the Patriot air-defence system. Across the FMS programme, price estimates remain subject to change, with increases borne by the buyer. Germany has no contractual penalties available for price rises or defective equipment, according to the Federal Ministry of Finance. The US government also excludes liability for “injury or death” and provides that disputes cannot be brought before a court. It retains the right to terminate or suspend performance “at any time”, in whole or in part.
The German Federal Court of Auditors is examining the arrangements. Christoph Heusgen, a former foreign-policy adviser to Angela Merkel, said: “In view of the unpredictability of this US administration, I consider the German government’s policy of continuing to rely solely on NATO and the USA to be dangerous.”
