How safe are we?: Does Germany need fighter jets – if everyone wants drones?

Germany is facing one of the most important arms policy decisions of the coming years: Who should develop the next generation fighter jet - and with whom?

The German-French billion-dollar FCAS project has failed. There are now two alternatives: entry into the fighter jet program of Great Britain, Italy and Japan or cooperation with the Swedish manufacturer Saab. “It’s about tens of billions,” says Handelsblatt chief reporter Markus Fasse.

But does Germany still need new fighter jets? Cheaper drones are fundamentally changing warfare. They stay in the air longer and do not endanger pilots.

In the first episode of “How Safe Are We?” Nana Brink (Tagesspiegel Background) and Markus Fasse (Handelsblatt) explain why Germany is under pressure to make decisions, what interests the defense industry pursues and whether new fighter jets will make Germany safer.

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Contributed to this episode:

Moderation: Nana Brink and Markus Fasse

Editorial team: Sonja Gillert, Solveig Gode and Lennart Glaser

Production: Anton Ivankiv

Sound design: Marvin Schwarz

Cover art: Sebastian Arlt and Thomas Weyres

Published according to the editorial standards of the Handelsblatt. You can find more information in our guidelines.