Lockheed Martin Delivers Germany's First F-35A, 35-Jet Order Underway
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Fort Worth, Texas – September 20, 2026 -- Lockheed Martin handed over Germany's first F-35A Lightning II to the German government at a ceremony held at its production facility here, marking the start of deliveries under a program-of-record order for 35 aircraft.
Germany joins 20-nation F-35 operator base, 13 of them in Europe
The Luftwaffe becomes the latest air force to field the fifth-generation fighter, which is now operated or selected by 20 countries worldwide. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the jet's stealth capabilities and sensor fusion would give the German Air Force "a decisive key capability" for NATO, adding that full operational capability is targeted for 2029.