Decizia Germaniei de a nu cumpăra avioane de luptă F-35 este un pas înapoi care i-ar putea afecta capacitatea de a opera la acelaşi nivel cu partenerii din NATO, potrivit şefului european al Lockheed Martin, care fabrică aceste aeronave, relatează Financial Times conform News.ro.
DAY 57 / MARCH 17: The first face-to-face meeting between President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel started awkwardly and ended even more oddly, with a quip by Trump about wiretapping that left the German leader visibly bewildered.
The two leaders share different views on trade, Russia and immigration, leading to some uncomfortable moments at a joint news conference in which they took pains to downplay differences that were hard to mask.
Merkel began her remarks at the news conference by saying it was better to speak to each other than about each other.
Trump pressed Merkel for Germany to meet NATO’s military spending target, and Merkel reiterated her country’s commitment to the 2 percent military spending goal.
Trump also stood by unproven claims that the Obama administration tapped his phones, and expressed solidarity with a surprised Merkel, whose government charged that the United States in 2013 may have monitored Merkel’s mobile phone.
As far as wiretapping, I guess, by this past administration, at least we have something in common perhaps, Trump said to Merkel, who looked bewildered as she stared back at him from her podium.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Jonathan Hoyle, vicepreşedinte al grupului american din industria apărării, a declarat că decizia Germaniei de a nu cumpăra avioane F-35, ca înlocuitoare pentru flota sa de avioane Tornado, a luat prin surprindere multe guverne.
Ministerul german al Apărării a anunţat la momentul respectiv că a decis să cumpere fie mai multe avioane Eurofighter de la grupul european Airbus fie avioane F-18 fabricate de Boeing.
În timp ce retorica germană din ultimii trei ani a fost despre creşterea capabilităţilor militare, decizia de a nu lua în considerare achiziţia a avioane F-35 a ridicat semne de întrebare privind continuarea acestei politici şi implicaţiile pentru NATO, a afirmat Hoyle într-un interviu acordat Financial Times.
