Germany’s First F-35A Fighter Jet Reaches Production Milestone at Lockheed Martin facility in U.S.
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U.S. Company Lockheed Martin has begun producing Germany’s first F-35A, following the ceremonial signing of the aircraft’s center-fuselage bulkhead and the start of final assembly in Fort Worth. The milestone marks a major step in Germany’s shift toward fifth-generation airpower and deeper NATO integration.
U.S.-based company Lockheed Martin confirmed that the first F-35A fighter jet for the German Air Force has officially entered production, with structural work and final assembly now underway at the company’s Fort Worth plant in Texas. Photos released in late November show the jet in a near-complete configuration, signaling steady progress toward Germany’s 35-aircraft procurement program. Defense officials in both countries have described the build milestone as a key moment in Berlin’s modernization effort and its commitment to NATO readiness.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
U.S. and German defense officials attend the formal ceremony marking the start of F-35A production for the German Air Force at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility in the United States. (Picture source: Lockheed Martin
This first F-35A fighter jet, expected to carry the Luftwaffe serial number MG-01, is now undergoing final systems integration and will proceed to pre-delivery testing in the coming months. German pilots are already engaged in training in the United States, with the first aircraft scheduled for operational handover in 2026. Initial deployment will be to U.S. bases for training and familiarization, before the aircraft begin permanent basing in Germany at Büchel Air Base from 2027, once hardened shelters and nuclear-certified infrastructure are completed.
Germany’s F-35 procurement was approved by the Bundestag in December 2022 under a contract estimated at €10 billion. The package covers 35 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variants, Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, mission equipment, U.S. nuclear certification for the B61-12 tactical bomb, training systems, spares, logistics support, and base modernization. The decision was driven primarily by the need to replace the ageing Panavia Tornado, the only aircraft in German service currently cleared for NATO nuclear delivery missions.
At present, the Luftwaffe operates a mixed combat fleet consisting of 138 Eurofighter Typhoons in the air superiority and multirole fighter category, 68 Tornado IDS strike aircraft of which 8 are in long-term storage, and 20 Tornado ECR variants optimized for electronic warfare and suppression of enemy air defenses. The F-35A will not only replace the Tornado in its nuclear role but also provide a new edge in electronic attack, stealth strike, and deep-penetration missions that exceed the capabilities of both legacy platforms.
Production of Germany’s F-35A is part of a broader strategic integration into the U.S.-led F-35 global program. In December 2024, Luftwaffe Inspector General Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz visited Lockheed Martin’s Marietta, Georgia, site to ceremonially sign the bulkhead of the first German fuselage, symbolizing Germany’s entry into the international manufacturing network. That fuselage has since been transferred to Fort Worth for final assembly.
Importantly, the F-35 program also includes a strong industrial dimension for Germany. Rheinmetall is building a dedicated fuselage production line in Weeze, North Rhine-Westphalia, in cooperation with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. That facility will begin manufacturing center fuselage sections in 2025, with initial deliveries supporting global F-35 production from 2026 onward. This industrial participation secures long-term economic return and embeds German industry into a core pillar of NATO’s next-generation airpower.
Operationally, the F-35A offers Germany significant advantages. It brings low-observable stealth, full-spectrum situational awareness, multi-domain connectivity, and integrated electronic warfare—all capabilities essential for future high-intensity warfare environments. Unlike the Tornado, which struggles to meet 21st-century survivability and interoperability requirements, the F-35 is designed from the outset to operate in contested and denied airspace, enabling both deterrence and rapid strike.
The nuclear-sharing dimension remains central. Germany’s new fighters will be certified to carry the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb, ensuring continuity of its NATO obligations. With the Tornado fleet scheduled for retirement by 2030, the F-35A ensures there is no capability gap in this critical mission set.
The transition is not without challenges. The Luftwaffe must adapt its doctrine, logistics, cybersecurity posture, and training pipelines to integrate a highly complex, software-driven system into its force structure. Infrastructure upgrades at Büchel and other bases are underway, but require continued investment and political backing. Nonetheless, German defense leaders see the F-35 as essential for meeting both national and alliance-level threats in a deteriorating security environment.
The release of images by Lockheed Martin on November 21, 2025, captures more than a milestone in F-35A aircraft assembly. It reflects Germany’s strategic pivot toward deeper interoperability with NATO allies, modernization of its nuclear deterrent capabilities, and a long-term investment in defense industrial capacity. For the first time, Germany is entering the era of fifth-generation airpower with a platform designed not only to survive modern battlefields, but to dominate them.
Army Recognition will continue to follow Germany’s F-35A program through every phase of testing, deployment, and operational integration, with exclusive reporting, analysis, and insights from our defense aerospace desk.
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U.S. Company Lockheed Martin has begun producing Germany’s first F-35A, following the ceremonial signing of the aircraft’s center-fuselage bulkhead and the start of final assembly in Fort Worth. The milestone marks a major step in Germany’s shift toward fifth-generation airpower and deeper NATO integration.
U.S.-based company Lockheed Martin confirmed that the first F-35A fighter jet for the German Air Force has officially entered production, with structural work and final assembly now underway at the company’s Fort Worth plant in Texas. Photos released in late November show the jet in a near-complete configuration, signaling steady progress toward Germany’s 35-aircraft procurement program. Defense officials in both countries have described the build milestone as a key moment in Berlin’s modernization effort and its commitment to NATO readiness.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
U.S. and German defense officials attend the formal ceremony marking the start of F-35A production for the German Air Force at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility in the United States. (Picture source: Lockheed Martin
This first F-35A fighter jet, expected to carry the Luftwaffe serial number MG-01, is now undergoing final systems integration and will proceed to pre-delivery testing in the coming months. German pilots are already engaged in training in the United States, with the first aircraft scheduled for operational handover in 2026. Initial deployment will be to U.S. bases for training and familiarization, before the aircraft begin permanent basing in Germany at Büchel Air Base from 2027, once hardened shelters and nuclear-certified infrastructure are completed.
Germany’s F-35 procurement was approved by the Bundestag in December 2022 under a contract estimated at €10 billion. The package covers 35 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variants, Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, mission equipment, U.S. nuclear certification for the B61-12 tactical bomb, training systems, spares, logistics support, and base modernization. The decision was driven primarily by the need to replace the ageing Panavia Tornado, the only aircraft in German service currently cleared for NATO nuclear delivery missions.
At present, the Luftwaffe operates a mixed combat fleet consisting of 138 Eurofighter Typhoons in the air superiority and multirole fighter category, 68 Tornado IDS strike aircraft of which 8 are in long-term storage, and 20 Tornado ECR variants optimized for electronic warfare and suppression of enemy air defenses. The F-35A will not only replace the Tornado in its nuclear role but also provide a new edge in electronic attack, stealth strike, and deep-penetration missions that exceed the capabilities of both legacy platforms.
Production of Germany’s F-35A is part of a broader strategic integration into the U.S.-led F-35 global program. In December 2024, Luftwaffe Inspector General Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz visited Lockheed Martin’s Marietta, Georgia, site to ceremonially sign the bulkhead of the first German fuselage, symbolizing Germany’s entry into the international manufacturing network. That fuselage has since been transferred to Fort Worth for final assembly.
Importantly, the F-35 program also includes a strong industrial dimension for Germany. Rheinmetall is building a dedicated fuselage production line in Weeze, North Rhine-Westphalia, in cooperation with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. That facility will begin manufacturing center fuselage sections in 2025, with initial deliveries supporting global F-35 production from 2026 onward. This industrial participation secures long-term economic return and embeds German industry into a core pillar of NATO’s next-generation airpower.
Operationally, the F-35A offers Germany significant advantages. It brings low-observable stealth, full-spectrum situational awareness, multi-domain connectivity, and integrated electronic warfare—all capabilities essential for future high-intensity warfare environments. Unlike the Tornado, which struggles to meet 21st-century survivability and interoperability requirements, the F-35 is designed from the outset to operate in contested and denied airspace, enabling both deterrence and rapid strike.
The nuclear-sharing dimension remains central. Germany’s new fighters will be certified to carry the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb, ensuring continuity of its NATO obligations. With the Tornado fleet scheduled for retirement by 2030, the F-35A ensures there is no capability gap in this critical mission set.
The transition is not without challenges. The Luftwaffe must adapt its doctrine, logistics, cybersecurity posture, and training pipelines to integrate a highly complex, software-driven system into its force structure. Infrastructure upgrades at Büchel and other bases are underway, but require continued investment and political backing. Nonetheless, German defense leaders see the F-35 as essential for meeting both national and alliance-level threats in a deteriorating security environment.
The release of images by Lockheed Martin on November 21, 2025, captures more than a milestone in F-35A aircraft assembly. It reflects Germany’s strategic pivot toward deeper interoperability with NATO allies, modernization of its nuclear deterrent capabilities, and a long-term investment in defense industrial capacity. For the first time, Germany is entering the era of fifth-generation airpower with a platform designed not only to survive modern battlefields, but to dominate them.
Army Recognition will continue to follow Germany’s F-35A program through every phase of testing, deployment, and operational integration, with exclusive reporting, analysis, and insights from our defense aerospace desk.
