German govt jets to have anti-missile system

Germany would install missile defence systems on three new government jets that were used President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, the Spiegel news outlet reported on Friday.

The German defence ministry would submit a corresponding contract to the parliamentary budget committee for approval by the end of the year, said the report. The three A350 jets will be equipped with an infrared system on the fuselage that could disable approaching missiles with laser pulses.

The defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment or to a question on how other government jets were protected from possible missile attacks.