Switzerland’s first F-35A has entered assembly at Leonardo’s Cameri facility in northern Italy, with the first fuselage section joined to the first wing as the programme moves into production. armasuisse said the jet, identified as MJ-4 and later to become J-6004, is part of the planned Swiss delivery schedule, while the first aircraft from Cameri is due to transfer to Switzerland in mid-2028.
Cameri, in Novara province, is Europe’s only F-35 final assembly line and forms part of the wider multinational production network for the aircraft. After work at the Italian plant, the section will be shipped to Fort Worth for further integration. The first eight Swiss F-35As are planned for training use at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas from mid-2027, before domestic operations begin at Payerne from mid-2028, followed by Meiringen in 2030 and Emmen in 2032.
The latest progress comes within Switzerland’s existing F-35A procurement schedule rather than as a new order decision. The programme shows how Swiss aircraft production is split across Italy and the United States, with industrial work now under way on the first of the jets destined for the Swiss Air Force.