Germany has formally received its first F-35A Lightning II at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth production facility, with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attending the handover ceremony on 18 September 2026. The aircraft is the first of 35 F-35As ordered under Berlin’s 2022 procurement plan, which is aimed at modernising the Luftwaffe and sustaining NATO nuclear-sharing tasks.
The first eight German aircraft will stay in the United States for pilot and maintainer training at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas before entering German service. Deliveries to Büchel Air Base are expected to begin in late 2027, with full operational capability planned for 2029.
The handover shifts Germany from acquisition into integration of a fifth-generation fighter fleet. It also advances the planned replacement of the Tornado force and deepens interoperability with NATO allies as the programme moves through training, infrastructure and support preparation ahead of domestic deployment.