Overview
- Germany formally received its first F-35A on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, marking the start of the delivery phase for a 35‑jet order meant to replace Tornado aircraft.
- The first eight jets will stay in the United States for German pilot and technician training, the Luftwaffe plans to station F-35s at Büchel from 2027, and the full fleet is scheduled to arrive by 2029.
- Berlin budgets roughly €10 billion for the F-35 system while upgrades to Fliegerhorst Büchel have risen to about €2 billion, creating new pressure on defence budgets and baseline timelines.
- Officials stress the jets are needed to maintain NATO 'nuclear sharing' (the certified ability to carry U.S. B61 bombs), but German authorities also reject claims of a U.S. remote 'kill switch' while acknowledging software and data‑access risks.
- Reports and U.S. audits have flagged low readiness rates, spare‑parts shortfalls and rising sustainment costs for F-35 fleets, and Germany’s industrial ties—including Rheinmetall fuselage work—heighten questions about dependence on U.S. supply and policy decisions such as a potential U.S. sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia.