Lockheed Martin’s first F-35A Lightning II for Germany has completed its maiden flight at the company’s Fort Worth, Texas, site. The aircraft, designated MG-01 and carrying the Luftwaffe serial 35+01, is the first of 35 F-35A jets ordered by Berlin under the US Foreign Military Sales programme and is due to be formally presented later this month.
The aircraft is one of the clearest signs yet that Germany’s F-35 acquisition is moving into its final delivery phase. Several reports indicated that the jet flew with Luftwaffe markings and the emblem of Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 33, the unit that will operate the type from Büchel Air Base. Germany’s first operational F-35s are expected to arrive in 2027, giving the air force its first fifth-generation strike platform. The maiden flight took place shortly before the planned rollout ceremony in Fort Worth, suggesting the airframe has already cleared final assembly and finishing work.