Germany received the first of the 35 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets it ordered at a ceremony held in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
An important stage has passed in Germany's F-35A Lightning II program. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius received the first F-35A fighter jet produced for the country at a ceremony held at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth facility in Texas on September 18, 2026.
The delivered aircraft stands out as the first of 35 F-35As ordered by Germany. Thus, the actual delivery phase of the German Air Force's transition to the fifth generation fighter aircraft has begun.
The first F-35A was delivered in the USA
Germany's first F-35A will be kept in the USA in the first stage instead of being sent to the country. In addition to the aircraft, other F-35As in the first delivery group are planned to be used in the training of German pilots and technical personnel at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas.
Therefore, Germany's delivery of the first F-35A does not mean that the aircraft has been deployed on German territory yet.
The involvement of German pilots and maintenance personnel in the training process in the USA is planned as one of the first stages of the F-35A program. The permanent deployment to Germany is expected to be realized at a later stage.
Germany orders 35 F-35As
Germany joined the F-35A program in 2022 and placed an order for 35 aircraft. F-35As are planned to replace the German Air Force's aging Panavia Tornado fleet.
The German Ministry of Defense foresees a budget of approximately 10 billion euros for the program. All aircraft included in the order are planned to be delivered by 2029.
One of the important stages in the production process of the first F-35A was completed in September. The aircraft made its first flight in Fort Worth on September 8, 2026 and was officially delivered to Germany with a ceremony held on September 18.
F-35As will be deployed in Büchel
The main base of the F-35A fleet in Germany will be Büchel Air Base. A comprehensive modernization program was carried out to make the base suitable for new warplanes.
The first F-35A deliveries to Germany are planned to begin in the third quarter of 2027 and continue until 2029. In the same period, the training process for F-35A pilots and maintenance personnel of the German Air Force is expected to progress.
Thus, Germany's F-35A fleet will first be shaped in the training infrastructure in the USA, and then the operational structure will be transitioned to the aircraft by moving to their permanent bases in Germany.
F-35A will replace Tornado
One of the most important aspects of the F-35A program for Germany is that the new aircraft take over the duties of the Tornado fleet.
The German Air Force also uses Tornado aircraft within the scope of NATO's nuclear sharing arrangement. F-35As are planned to be used in this role.
In this context, the F-35A's low visibility features, advanced sensors and interoperability with NATO allies are among the important elements of Germany's new air power structure.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also stated at the delivery ceremony of the first aircraft that the F-35A is the beginning of a new era for the German Air Force.
Germany became the 20th country to use F-35
With Germany joining the program, the country took its place among the countries using F-35A. The F-35 Joint Program Office of the US Department of Defense defines Germany as the 20th country to use F-35. In Europe, Germany became one of the countries participating in the F-35 program.
The international structure of the F-35 program allows different countries to share training, maintenance, logistics and operational standards on the same platform. Germany is also planned to be included in this common user structure with educational activities in the USA.
Germany's F-35 transition will be completed in 2029
Germany's receipt of its first F-35A marks an important stage in the long-running Tornado to F-35A transition program.
The first aircraft will be used for training purposes in the USA. The permanent deployment in Germany is planned to begin in 2027, and the delivery of the entire fleet of 35 aircraft is planned to be completed by 2029. The F-35A fleet is aimed to reach full operational capability in the same year.
Thus, Germany will gradually transfer the duties of the Tornado fleet to the F-35A in the coming years, increasing the weight of fifth-generation warplanes in its air force structure.
