Germany will buy U.S. F-35 fighter jets as part of military procurement projects worth 13 billion euros, Reuters reports.

Germany's parliamentary budget committee has approved spending, including 10 billion euros for F-35 jets, as well as funds for the purchase of encrypted digital radios and assault rifles.

These projects were among the first to draw money from the 100 billion euro special fund, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in a major policy shift days after the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February.

Germany intends to buy a total of 35 F-35 stealth fighters, including missiles and other weapons and equipment, with the first eight aircraft due for delivery in 2026.

The American jet will replace the aging Tornado, the only German jet capable of carrying American nuclear bombs, which are stored in Germany for use in case of conflict.

The German Air Force has been flying the Tornado since the 1980s, and Berlin plans to phase them out between 2025 and 2030.

Berlin's decision to buy the F-35 jets, which was announced in March but required final parliamentary approval, has upset France. Paris fears that the deal could undermine the development of a joint Franco-German fighter jet, which should be ready in the 2040s.