We have watched this particular aeroplane twice already: once when it went into the paint shop in August, and again when it flew for the first time on 10 September. On Friday, Lockheed Martin rolled 35+01 out under the lights at Fort Worth and formally handed it to the German government.
Short version: the aircraft exists, it flies, and it is now officially Germany’s. It is also not going to Germany for another year.
Kurzinfo
Flugzeug: Germany’s first F-35A Lightning II, tail number 35+01
Ereignis: rollout and presentation to the German government at Fort Worth, Texas, 18 September 2026
Total order: 35 aircraft
First eight: stay in the United States at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, where German pilot training begins this autumn
Arrivals in Germany: late 2027 · Full operational capability: 2029
Ersetzt: roles currently flown by the ageing Tornado fleet
Programme scale: 20 countries have selected the F-35, 13 of them in Europe
Was geschieht als Nächstes?
The first eight German F-35A stay in the United States. They go to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, which has become the shared training hub for several European operators, and German pilot training starts there this autumn.
Aircraft begin arriving in Germany in late 2027. Full operational capability follows in 2029. The type takes over roles currently flown by the Luftwaffe’s ageing Tornado fleet, which has been in German service since the early 1980s.
“This is the beginning of a new era for the German Air Force: the new F-35A fighter jet is the world’s most advanced combat aircraft. It is characterized by its stealth capabilities, close integration with other platforms, and exceptionally powerful sensor technology.”
Boris Pistorius — German Federal Minister of Defence, speaking at the rollout ceremony, 18 September 2026
Associated Press coverage of the ceremony at Fort Worth.
Germany’s first F-35A at the Fort Worth rollout. German industry has been part of the F-35 programme since 2001, long before Berlin decided to buy the aircraft. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
Why This One Matters
Thirty-five aircraft is not a large order by F-35 standards. What makes it significant is who is placing it. Germany spent two decades avoiding this decision, backing European alternatives and deferring the Tornado replacement question again and again.
Twenty countries have now selected the F-35, thirteen of them in Europe. A German squadron is the last major piece of that map.
Sources: Lockheed Martin; German Federal Ministry of Defence; Defence Industry Europe; aeroTELEGRAPH; Associated Press.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
When was Germany’s first F-35A handed over?
On 18 September 2026, at a ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant in Texas, attended by German and US government and military officials. The aircraft carries the tail number 35+01. It is the same airframe that made its maiden flight earlier in September.
How many F-35s is Germany buying?
Thirty-five F-35A Lightning IIs. Germany is one of 20 countries that have selected the type, 13 of them in Europe, and German industry has participated in the programme since 2001.
When will F-35s actually arrive in Germany?
Late 2027. The first eight aircraft stay in the United States and go to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where German pilot training begins this autumn. Full operational capability is planned for 2029.
What will the German F-35 replace?
It takes over roles currently flown by the German Air Force’s ageing Panavia Tornado fleet. The Tornado has been in German service since the early 1980s and is long overdue for replacement.
Where is Ebbing Air National Guard Base?
At Fort Smith, Arkansas. It has become the international training hub for several European F-35 operators, and Finnish crews train there too. Concentrating allied training at one site is part of how the F-35 programme keeps procedures common across 20 customer nations.
Has Afterburner covered Germany’s first F-35 before?
Twice. We covered the airframe entering the paint shop in August 2026, and its maiden flight at Fort Worth on 10 September 2026. Both are linked at the bottom of this article.
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