Berlin  - In a first move to reduce its order for Eurofighter air-force combat planes, Germany is altering the approvals process for its third batch of the jets, a Finance Ministry document obtained Tuesday by the German Press Agency dpa showed.

The type, which is already in service with the German, Italian, British and other air forces, is built by a consortium including the Franco-German company EADS, Alenia Aeronautica of Italy and BAE Systems of Britain.

Germany has decided it does not need as many as originally ordered and will attempt to sell the new planes that are surplus to requirements. The project proved far more expensive than planned.

The third order or "tranche" comprises 68 aircraft. The Finance Ministry paper for the parliamentary budget committee shows the government will only seek an appropriation for 31 jets, and delay a request for the remaining 37 till 2012.

That would allow Berlin to find third-country buyers for those 37 by that time, officials explained.

When it placed the original order 12 years ago, Germany expected to buy 180 Eurofighter jets by 2015.(dpa)