@jolyonBerlin just signed on to NATO's nuclear sharing deal for several more decades, a move anchored by the arrival of its first F-35 from Lockheed in Fort Worth. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attended the handover and called the plane the start of a new era for the German air force plus the most advanced combat aircraft flying. The order for 35 jets went through in 2022, coinciding with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, specifically to swap out Tornados that have served since the Cold War. Those older Tornados were previously authorized to carry U.S. nuclear weapons stationed in Germany, but the F-35 is identified as the only Western aircraft capable of inheriting that nuclear delivery role. Source: Al Jazeera / Writer: Daniyal

@jolyonBerlin just signed on to NATO's nuclear sharing deal for several more decades, a move anchored by the arrival of its first F-35 from Lockheed in Fort Worth. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attended the handover and called the plane the start of a new era for the German air force plus the most advanced combat aircraft flying. The order for 35 jets went through in 2022, coinciding with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, specifically to swap out Tornados that have served since the Cold War. Those older Tornados were previously authorized to carry U.S. nuclear weapons stationed in Germany, but the F-35 is identified as the only Western aircraft capable of inheriting that nuclear delivery role. Source: Al Jazeera / Writer: Daniyal