Lockheed Martin has formally rolled out Germany’s first F-35A Lightning II at its Fort Worth, Texas production site, handing the fighter to the German government during a ceremony on 18 September. The aircraft, designated 35+01, is the first of 35 F-35As ordered for the Luftwaffe, with the initial eight remaining in the United States for pilot training at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas later this year before deliveries begin in Germany in late 2027.
Germany’s F-35 programme is intended to replace the Luftwaffe’s Tornado fleet and preserve the country’s role in NATO nuclear-sharing arrangements. The German government, defence and military leaders, and US officials attended the ceremony at the Lockheed Martin facility. Lockheed Martin has targeted full operational capability for the German fleet in 2029, although later commentary has pointed to some variation in long-term planning assumptions. The handover places Germany among the growing number of European F-35 operators and extends the aircraft’s production flow for allied customers.