The Ministry of Defence is seeking a significant increase in funding to modernize the Büchel Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, the future home of Germany’s new F-35 fighter jets. According to a confidential document submitted to the Bundestag’s Committee on the Budget, the Ministry is requesting the release of €644 million for “weapon system-specific infrastructure” at the airbase.
This request elevates the total project cost to nearly €2 billion, a substantial rise from initial projections of approximately €700 million.
The Ministry’s rationale for the funding increase emphasizes its necessity for timely readiness. The submitted paper asserts that without the supplemental funds, the urgently required infrastructure to facilitate flight operations could not be prepared on schedule. A significant portion-one-third-of the additional costs are attributed to increased personnel needs aimed at accelerating the project timeline, complex high-altitude construction work and specific challenges within the construction site. Higher material costs and stringent security protocols are also factored into the increased expenditure.
The document implicitly acknowledges a previous miscalculation regarding the overall scope, costing some €10 billion, of the F-35 program and associated infrastructure upgrades. The Ministry is now facing the challenge of realigning budgetary expectations to accommodate the increased demands of the project.
