First German F-35 rolls off the line

WASHINGTON — German and US officials celebrated the rollout of Berlin’s first F-35 in a ceremony today, with both sides praising the moment as a sign of the close defense alignment between the two partners.

At an event held at Lockheed Martin’s Ft. Worth, Texas, facility, Germany’s defense minister Boris Pistorius called the jet “living proof” of the health of the transatlantic relationship, and an “important step towards further strengthening collective deterrence and defense.”

Turning to look at the F-35, Pistorius called it “a promise that Germany will step up to defend itself and defend its allies.”

Dan Zimmerman, who is performing the duties of the US deputy undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, echoed those comments. “Germany has proven itself a model ally, and their procurement of the F-35 is no exception,” he said, noting it “reinforces our shared vision for defense in the European theater.”

For years, it appeared unlikely that Germany would ever get the F-35. However, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Berlin signed a $8.8 billion deal in 2022 for 35 of the stealthy jets. There is talk of a follow-on order, especially in light of the collapse this year of the Franco-German-Spanish sixth-gen FCAS program.

According to a statement from Lockheed, the first eight German aircraft will head to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas in the fall to start pilot training, with the first German F-35s actually arriving in country in “late 2027.”

“As Germany prepares to take ownership of its first F-35A, we are proud to build on more than 50 years of partnership and deliver a capability that will strengthen European security and support the Luftwaffe for decades to come,” said OJ Sanchez, president of Lockheed’s aeronautics division, in a company statement.

The rollout comes days after Pistorius visited the Pentagon and met with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. While there have been political clouds between Washington and Berlin, both men did their best to stress that military ties remain strong, and signed a “Statement of Intent to significantly intensify defense-industrial collaboration,” according to a Pentagon readout.