Germany is leaning towards buying an American F-35 fighter jet to replace its aging Tornado, Reuters reported, citing a German Defense Ministry source.

Another source close to the German military said a possible purchase of the F-35 was re-discussed but no decisions were expected anytime soon.

Recently there have been attempts to brief Germany on how to move forward with a potential F-35 purchase, said a third source involved in the effort.

Germany needs to rapidly replace its aging Tornado jets to remain part of NATO's nuclear sharing agreement, which the new government, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has promised to do.

The Tornado is the only German jet capable of carrying American nuclear bombs stored in Germany in case of conflict. But the Air Force has been using the aircraft since the 1980s, and Berlin plans to phase it out between 2025 and 2030.

A German defense source said Scholz should raise the issue when he travels to Washington next week.