Germany, France Seal Airlift Agreement Amid Trump's NATO Push
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- Must face reality and defend ourselves, German minister says
A Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules in Le Bourget, France, on June 16, 2009.
Photographer: Antoine Antoniol/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Germany and France agreed to buy as many as 12 U.S.-made military transport planes to boost Europe’s airlift capability as U.S. President Donald Trump presses NATO allies to spend more on defense.
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen and her French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian sealed the accord in Berlin on Monday, confirming an October 2016 plan to jointly operate the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules from a base at Evreux, France. They will add to a fleet of Airbus A400M transports that have been plagued by delays, cost overruns and breakdowns.