Overview
- Germany formally received its first F-35A at a Fort Worth rollout on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius attending the ceremony.
- The initial German jets will stay in the United States for pilot and technician training at Ebbing ANGB, the first aircraft are planned to arrive at Büchel in late 2027, and full operational capability is targeted by about 2030.
- Berlin says the F-35 is the only aircraft currently able to carry out its NATO nuclear‑sharing mission, which was a primary reason for the 2022 purchase of 35 jets valued at roughly $8.8 billion.
- The collapse of the Franco‑German‑Spanish FCAS fighter component has left a gap in Europe’s next‑generation plans and pushed German officials to weigh buying more F-35s, joining other sixth‑generation partnerships, or pursuing an Airbus‑led national program.
- European industry is already embedded in the F-35 supply chain — Lockheed says roughly 25% of components are made in Europe and Rheinmetall supplies fuselage parts — a tie that brings jobs and close transatlantic links but raises long‑term questions about German industrial sovereignty.