Germany receives first F-35A stealth fighter jet in Texas handover ceremony

Handover ceremony in Texas

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attended the official rollout of the German Air Force's first F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter at Lockheed Martin's production facility in Fort Worth on Friday. The Houston Saengerbund opened the ceremony by singing the German and American national anthems before a black curtain fell to reveal the aircraft illuminated in black, red, and gold stage lighting. OJ Sanchez, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, addressed the delegation of German lawmakers and defence executives as fog machines filled the hangar. Pistorius opened his speech by saying "thank you for the goosebumps" and described the delivery as proof of the power of the transatlantic partnership. The presentation concluded a four-day visit to the United States, following bilateral defence talks with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth near Washington on Tuesday.

For the air force, a new era begins from now on: the new combat jet F-35A is the most modern combat aircraft in the world.

Nuclear sharing role and fleet replacement

The procurement project was initiated under former Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht, who signed the initial letter of intent in December 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine. Germany is allocating 10 billion euros from its 100 billion euro special defence fund to acquire 35 F-35A jets. The aircraft will replace the Panavia Tornado fleet developed in the 1970s, which is scheduled for retirement by the end of the decade due to airframe fatigue. The primary mission of the fleet is Germany's participation in NATO nuclear sharing, a framework operating since 1958 that assigns German aircraft to deliver US B61 thermonuclear gravity bombs stored in Germany. Ministry officials stated that the stealth jets will also conduct air defence suppression, ground and maritime strikes, and deep precision strikes.

Delivery schedule and basing infrastructure

Lockheed Martin will deliver the first six aircraft before the end of 2026, while ten German airframes are currently under assembly in Fort Worth. The first eight jets will remain in the United States to support flight instruction, with training for German pilots and technicians scheduled to begin on 10 December 2026 at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas. Germany is spending two billion euros to rebuild Büchel Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, where costs rose above initial estimates to meet mandatory US technical security requirements. The first operational aircraft will arrive at Büchel in late 2027, with deliveries of all 35 aircraft scheduled to conclude in 2029.

Industrial cooperation and readiness concerns

German defence contractor Rheinmetall is manufacturing center fuselage sections for the program in Germany. Lockheed Martin maintains a global production rate of 156 aircraft annually, with 19 customer countries including Britain, Poland, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The manufacturer estimates that approximately 700 F-35 fighters will be operating across Europe by 2035. Production costs range between 82.5 million and 109 million dollars (71.5 million to 95 million euros) per aircraft depending on variant. In response to US Government Accountability Office reports finding American F-35 readiness rates at 28 percent, Germany purchased an extensive maintenance package, while Pistorius dismissed concerns regarding reliance on US defence hardware.