The planned renovation of the NATO airbase Büchel in Rhineland-Palatinate is facing significantly higher costs than initially anticipated. According to reports from ARD Hauptstadtstudio, the German government now estimates the total expenditure could reach up to two billion euros.
In 2024, the infrastructure project at the airbase in the Eifel region was budgeted at a maximum of 1.2 billion euros. New calculations suggest this figure could increase by as much as 800 million euros.
The German Ministry of Defence had previously indicated at the end of June that the additional costs for Büchel would be in the hundreds of millions of euros, without specifying a precise amount. The ministry cited the pace of construction and stringent US security requirements as reasons for the escalating expenses. The infrastructure must be completed before the first new F-35 fighter jets are deployed in Germany.
The first F-35 stealth jets of the German armed forces are slated to be stationed in the Eifel region starting in 2027. The Ministry of Defence states that the procurement of the 35 aircraft is proceeding according to schedule. The aircraft are primarily intended to support Germany’s participation in NATO’s nuclear sharing program, a deterrence strategy that allows allied nations access to US nuclear weapons in the event of war.
