Though Germany will eventually manufacture its own F-35s, the Luftwaffe’s first eight aircraft are being built in Texas.
Last month, Germany announced it would not increase its program of record for the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, the conventional takeoff and landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. Even so, Berlin is still on track to acquire 35 fifth-generation multirole stealth fighters for the Luftwaffe as part of a December 2022 deal valued at $10 billion.
In addition to the aircraft, Germany will receive weapons, training, and infrastructure for the Lightning IIs. Once they enter service, the F-35s will replace the Luftwaffe’s aging fleet of Panavia Tornado fighters, which it has operated since the 1980s.
Lockheed Martin has already produced more than 1,300 of the stealth fighters, making it the most successful fifth-generation program to date. It has been widely adopted by NATO members, with several alliance countries increasing their respective orders.
German F-35s in “Final Assembly Stage”
On Monday, the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) confirmed that the first F-35A intended for the Luftwaffe (the German Air Force) had “progressed further in its journey through the mile-long production line at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas site, as it was hoisted by an overhead crane to the final assembly station.”
The aircraft is now in the final assembly stage, where the “four major components,” including the F-35’s wing, forward section, center, and aft fuselage, were “freshly mated.” In the coming weeks, the “engine will be installed,” followed by the control surfaces and final systems, the JPO added. Flight testing is expected to begin later in the year.
It is the first of eight F-35s now under construction at Lockheed Martin’s facility in the Lone Star State. Yet, it wasn’t where the warbirds were hatched, as “German F-35s started major assembly at the Marietta, Georgia site in December 2024.”
When Will Germany’s First F-35s Take Flight?
Following final assembly of the first of the eight German F-35s, the aircraft will be painted and receive stealth coating in advance of its maiden flight.
However, it will be some time before the Luftwaffe’s F-35 will arrive in Germany. Once the first eight fighter jets are complete, they will instead travel to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, for initial pilot training.
An additional 27 F-35s will follow in the early 2030s.
Several factors led to Berlin’s adoption of the fifth-generation fighter, with the Tornado’s age among the key ones. That Cold War-era aircraft “currently performs the NATO nuclear-sharing mission from Büchel Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate,” Aerotime previously explained.
Germany needed a new fighter to fill that role, and the F-35A, the conventional take-off and landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, met the criteria.
The F-35A Lightning II’s Specifications
- Year Introduced: 2015
- Number Built: 1,000+, all variants (A, B, and C)
- Length: 51 ft 4 in (15.7 m)
- Wingspan: 35 ft (10.7 m)
- Weight (MTOW): 70,000 lb (31,800 kg)
- Engines: One Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 afterburning turbofan
- Top Speed: ~1,200 mph (1,930 km/h) / Mach 1.6
- Range: ~1,380 mi (2,220 km) with internal fuel
- Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,240 m)
- Loadout:
- One GAU-22/A 25 mm rotary cannon (internal on F-35A only)
- Internal bays: Up to 4 × AIM-120 AMRAAMs or 2 bombs + 2 AMRAAMs
- External hardpoints: Up to 18,000 lb (8,160 kg) of ordnance (compromises stealth)
- Aircrew: 1
Germany Will Help Build Future F-35s, Too
Although the initial F-35s that will eventually enter service with the Luftwaffe are being produced in the USA, Germany will play a larger role in the Lightning II program. In 2023, Lockheed Martin began construction of an F-35 Integrated Assembly Line (IAL) in Germany.
Earlier this year, German defense conglomerate Rheinmetall began center fuselage production for the F-35 at its Weeze Facility. Including Germany’s industry in the strategic partnership with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman has effectively ensured Berlin’s commitment to the program.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
