Production of first German F-35A begins
Lt Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, Inspector of the Luftwaffe signed the bulkhead for the first German F-35A at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta, GA plant on 5 December 2024, officially beginning production of…
December 13, 2024
Lt Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, Inspector of the Luftwaffe signed the bulkhead for the first German F-35A at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta, GA plant on 5 December 2024, officially beginning production of the first F-35A Lightning II fighter jet for Germany. General Gerhartz described the event as marking another step in the implementation of the F-35A programme for the Federal Republic of Germany.
The event was attended by a number of VIPs and notable figures, including a representative from Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support (BAAINBw).
Germany’s acquisition of 35 F-35As is part of a broader effort to replace its ageing Panavia Tornado fleet, which also includes the acquisition of 30 single-seater and eight twin-seat Tranche 4 Eurofighters, and the production of 15 Electronic Attack configured Eurofighter EKs under the Luftgestützte Wirkung im Elektromagnetischen Spektrum (luWES) programme. The F-35A will allow a simpler and more streamlined replacement of those Tornados allocated to NATO’s Nuclear Sharing programme, under which Luftwaffe aircraft deliver US-supplied and -controlled B61 nuclear weapons.
The procurement of the F-35A jets under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, was finalised via a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) signed in December 2022.
The first F-35A deliveries are expected in 2026, with training operations initially taking place at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in the United States. Deliveries to Büchel Air Base in Germany will begin by 2027.
Globally, the F-35 programme continues to gain momentum. Lockheed Martin has now delivered more than 1,080 F-35 aircraft globally, and the fleet has clocked up a total of 950,000 flying hours across all operators and variants.
