NATO bases in five countries fund major construction for F-35 arrival
Five NATO members are spending billions on hangars, shelters, runways and simulators so the F-35 can operate from European soil, with construction often costing more than the jets themselves.
NATO members are building new infrastructure across Europe for the Lockheed Martin F-35, one of the alliance's largest peacetime construction programmes. The aircraft is often the smallest line item in the projects, according to the source.
Before a single Lightning II can fly from a European base, new hangars, hardened aircraft shelters, security perimeters, weapons infrastructure, flight simulators and rebuilt runways must be finished. Several air forces are rebuilding airfields that date back decades, in some cases starting close to scratch.
Billions of euros, pounds and dollars are being committed to bases in five NATO countries, each with its own construction and delivery schedule. Part of the spending is straightforward fleet replacement, with F-16s and Eurofighters giving way to a stealthier jet, the source said.
A second driver carries more weight. NATO's nuclear-sharing mission requires a small number of European bases to be rebuilt to standards few other airfields on the continent have had to meet.
Sources
- simpleflying.com5 NATO Bases Spending Billions To Prepare For The F-35's European Expansion