COLOGNE, Germany — The German government is not any longer concerned over a proposed sale of 48 Eurofighter Typhoons jets to Saudi Arabia, following the dominion’s help intercepting Houthi-fired missiles geared toward Israel, in line with German media reports.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday backed up Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s overture from the day prior, the press agency dpa reported, citing an announcement to that effect from government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.
Baerbock had broached the Eurofighter blockade during a visit to Israel, saying Germany would not object to a U.K. sale of the aircraft.
Germany, as a co-producer of the jets together with the U.K., Spain and Italy, can veto Eurofigher sales to countries outside of the core user group. The aircraft are made by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.
Saudi Arabia already operates a fleet of greater than 70 Eurofighters. Saudi officials have said they need more, threatening to purchase other fighter types elsewhere if their request goes unfulfilled.
The policy of Germany’s governing coalition — composed of the Social Democratic, the Green and the Free Democratic parties — was to ban weapons sales to parties involved in Yemen’s civil war. Saudi Arabia supports the Yemen government in fighting Houthi rebels, who’ve aligned themselves with Hamas against Israel. Berlin’s blockade was also grounded in human rights violations committed by Riyadh.
The German government’s about-face, which has led to backlash, especially in Baerbock’s Green Party, has its roots in what Scholz and his foreign minister consider Saudi Arabia’s constructive role in averting an expansion of the continuing Israel-Hamas war.
Speaking in Jerusalem, Baerbock specifically mentioned Ryadh’s use of its Eurofighters in intercepting Houthi missiles and drones geared toward Israel, in line with the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
Dan Darling, a defense analyst at Forecast International, said he’s surprised German leaders modified their tune.
“The country has long held a critical view on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, and the Saudis already field a big inventory of capable combat aircraft,” Darling told Defense News. “But British pressure on Germany to lift its export objections, coupled with a newfound little bit of realpolitik in Berlin following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, appears to have altered the present government’s stance on the matter.”
In response to Richard Aboulafia, a managing director with AeroDynamic Advisory who has tracked aircraft programs for greater than 30 years, said Berlin’s recent approach will alleviate its neighbors’ concerns that future arms cooperation with Germany effectively means most export plans are dead on arrival.
“Given what’s at stake, there’s a superb likelihood of a German policy change here,” Aboulafia said. “Germany’s credibility as an arms program partner may be very much doubtful with no change. Saudi Arabia is one in all the world’s largest export markets, and given recent developments, Germany’s government actually has the rationale for a policy change.”
The move would also invigorate the economic complex behind the Eurofighter, argued Douglas Barrie, a senior fellow for military aerospace on the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.
“German arms export policy has placed it increasingly at odds with defense industrial partners, including those within the Eurofighter consortium,” Barrie said. “In effectively blocking the sale of additional Typhoons to Saudi Arabia, Berlin was also risking damaging its domestic defense aerospace sector in addition to hindering other export opportunities.”
Sebastian Sprenger reported from Cologne, Germany. Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo reported from Milan.
Sebastian Sprenger is associate editor for Europe at Defense News, reporting on the state of the defense market within the region, and on U.S.-Europe cooperation and multi-national investments in defense and global security. Previously he served as managing editor for Defense News. He relies in Cologne, Germany.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a big selection of topics related to military procurement and international security, and focuses on reporting on the aviation sector. She relies in Milan, Italy.