Germany has ordered another 20 Eurofighters for the Luftwaffe, Airbus announced on 15 October 2025. The order followed the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag approving the acquisition on 8 October.
That an order for Tranche 5 Eurofighters would be placed by the end of 2025 was initially announced in June 2024 by the then German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, during the opening of the ILA Berlin Air Show that year.
The new Tranche 5 aircraft, which will be produced at Airbus’ final assembly line in Manching, near Munich, will be equipped with the latest sensors, including the European Common Radar System Mk 1 active electronically scanned-array radar. Airbus will also add electronic warfare capabilities to the Luftwaffe’s Eurofighter fleet by integrating the Arexis sensor suite, developed by Sweden’s Saab, in both existing and newly built aircraft, the company stated.
According to a press release issued by the German Federal Ministry of the Defence, the order for 20 Tranche 5 Eurofighters is worth EUR 3.75 billion, with deliveries planned to take place from 2031 to 2034.
The order comes in addition to Germany’s acquisition of 38 Tranche 4 Eurofighters under Project Quadriga, which was approved by the German parliament on 5 November 2020.
“This new order is further proof of the Eurofighter’s importance to the German Air Force and the strategic role it plays in our country’s air defence and NATO capabilities,” Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “The continued evolution of the Eurofighter serves as an essential technological and operational bridge to a Future Combat Air System (FCAS), ensuring a seamless transition to the next generation of air power. With these additional Eurofighters, Germany strengthens its ability to conduct surveillance of its airspace and secure NATO’s skies, supporting Germany in its role as a reliable partner for collective security,” Schoellhorn added.
This latest German contract means that nine countries – Eurofighter nations Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom plus Austria, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar – have ordered more than 740 Eurofighters.
Airbus noted in its press release that the Eurofighter is planned to remain in service with the German Air Force until the 2060s.
