„A halálmadár neve: Starfighter”

The powers signing the Brussels Treaty in 1948 considered the Soviet Union more dangerous than an armed Germany. The danger of the Red Army stationing in Europe was over exaggerated in Washington due to reasons of foreign and domestic politics. In accordance with the Treaties of Paris Chancellor Adenauer was invited to (join) the NATO. In the spring of next year the Federal Republic of Germany became member of the NATO. In March 1958 the Council of NATO (mainly owing to pressure from Washington) agreed that the allies should be armed with atomic weapons. According to their decision the USA retained control over these weapons. Right after that a Bundestag decree was passed by the CDU/CSU coalition, which made it possible for the Bundeswehr to be supplied with atomic and missile weapons. (So the prohibition for the use of ABC weapons by West Germany stated in the Treaties of Paris was in effect for three and a half years.) Permission to use the weapons could be given by the president of the USA. Among the potential carriers of atomic weapons soon appeared the new aircrafts of the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine: Lockheed’s F-104 Starfighters. They were not designed to carry atomic weapons but Washington’s wish was decisive in this matter. Aircraft were acquired in a remarkably large number (916 pcs) and were mainly flown by inexperienced young pilots. Because of the large number of accidents and incidents the matter had to be discussed in the Bundestag. That is why the Hungarian daily ‘Népszabadság’ published news on West German Starfighters on regular basis completed with remarks - of course - on ‘American imperialism’ and ‘West German militarism’. The training of West German pilots resulted in the improvement of those ‘horrid statistics’. With the appearance of the new and modern aircraft of the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine, the number of articles on Starfighters reduced in the central paper of MSZMP (Hungarian Socialist Worker's Party). The topic was only brought up again when it turned out that Lockheed used illicit means when selling their aircraft to West Germany and other countries is Europe.