Lockheed Martin flies first F-35A for Germany ahead of official rollout ceremony

The first of 35 F-35A combat aircraft for Germany departs Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth production facility on its maiden flight on 8 September 2026. It will be officially presented to the German Ministry of Defence on 18 September 2026. (German Embassy in Washington, DC)

Lockheed Martin has flown the first F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft for Germany, ahead of its official rollout ceremony later in the month.

The maiden flight took place out of the Fort Worth production site on 8 September 2026, with the official handover at the same facility in Texas scheduled for 18 September 2026.

On its official X account, the German Embassy in Washington, DC, noted that this milestone marked the start of a new era for the Luftwaffe, deepening interoperability with NATO F-35 customers, strengthening NATO integrated air defence and deterrence posture, and reinforcing the defence-industrial and strategic bond between Germany and the US.

This first aircraft, designated 35+01 (35 denotes the F-35 aircraft type in Luftwaffe service, with 01 being the first airframe), will be delivered to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, for pilot training. Deliveries to Büchel Air Base in Germany will begin in the third quarter of 2027, and run through to 2029. Initial operating capability is scheduled for 2029, with full operating capability following in 2030.

Since the initial order for 35 aircraft was placed in December 2022, there have been repeated reports quoting senior Luftwaffe leaders that additional F-35A aircraft will be acquired. However, the Federal Ministry of Defence (Bundesministerium der Verteidigung: BMVg) has consistently denied this.

For more, please see ILA 2026: First F-35A for Germany nears completion