...Previously, “Berlin had not only taken a strong political stance against F-35 and sacked the former head of the Luftwaffe for publicly supporting its acquisition, but had also previously refused to engage with practical discussions of any kind around the operational delivery of the DCA [dual capable aircraft] mission,” he said. “This is a clear sign that all that has now changed.”

The news was cause for celebration for Lockheed Martin, as the F-35 has now won every fighter contest it had entered, with Germany previously standing alone as the sole holdout.

“We are proud of the confidence the German Federal Ministry of Defense and Luftwaffe officials have shown in choosing the F-35,” the company said in a statement. “Lockheed Martin values our strong partnership and history with the German Air Force and looks forward to continuing that partnership.”