[Jimbuna]

We have to get stronger - Merz wants to discuss with Britain and France joint use of their nuclear weapons

Probable future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that he would like to hold talks with France and the UK on the joint use of their nuclear weapons. At the same time, he added that the nuclear umbrella of France and Britain should be a "complement" to the existing US nuclear shield.

Merz said this in an interview with Deutschlandfunk, The Guardian quoted him as saying, Censor.NET reports.

"The sharing of nuclear weapons is an issue we need to talk about... We have to become stronger together in the area of nuclear deterrence," said the likely next German Chancellor.

The politician added that it is necessary to talk to both France and Britain.

Merz also emphasized that the nuclear weapons of Britain and France should be a complement to the American nuclear shield, which Germany would like to preserve.

Defense of Europe by nuclear weapons of Britain and France
Earlier it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron said he had decided to start discussions with EU leaders on the protection of the European continent by French nuclear weapons.

The leaders of Poland and Denmark have said they are open to French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to discuss how France's nuclear deterrent could protect Europe. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3540162

United States announced termination of support for Ukrainian F-16s. They may be replaced by French Mirage 2000 - Forbes

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has cut off critical support for jamming systems for the Ukrainian Air Force, which could significantly weaken its air defense capabilities.

According to Censor.NET, Forbes analyst David Axe wrote about this.

It is noted that before the transfer, the aircraft were modernized with AN/ALQ-131 units, PIDS+ and ECIPS+ systems, which increased their ability to counter Russian threats. And while the United States cannot simply pull the plug on the US-designed F-16s for the Ukrainian Air Force, stopping the jamming system upgrades poses serious risks.

However, Ukraine has an alternative - it can partially compensate for this shortcoming with French Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters.

Ukrainian pilots make extensive use of F-16s equipped with AN/ALQ-131 electronic warfare pods, which create electronic interference for Russian radars. In effect, these aircraft serve as a "flying air defense" with early warning technologies for missile attacks, according to the Conflict Intelligence Team.

The Russian air force can adapt by changing the frequencies of its radars to avoid interference. Under the Biden administration, the US Air Force regularly updated AN/ALQ-131 frequencies in response to such changes. However, under Trump, Ukrainian pilots have stopped receiving these updates, which could make the systems obsolete.

Unlike the US F-16, the French Mirage 2000 has its own powerful jamming systems, and the US does not participate in their programming. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3540149