Lockheed begins final assembly of Germany’s first F-35A fighter

Lockheed Martin has begun final assembly of the first F-35A Lightning II fighter jet destined for the German Air Force at its Fort Worth, Texas production facility.

The airframe has entered final assembly with its major structural components joined and positioned for installation of critical systems.

The F-35A program is intended to provide the Luftwaffe with a stealth-capable fighter that integrates with allied forces and supports NATO operational requirements.

According to the company, the aircraft’s wing and forward, center, and aft fuselage sections have been joined using an electronic mate and alignment system with laser-guided fixtures. The structure has reached the “weight on wheels” stage, indicating that the primary assembly of the airframe has been completed and it is ready for further integration work.

In the next phase of final assembly, the aircraft will receive its engine, control surfaces, and mission systems. As noted by Lockheed Martin, the platform will then proceed through finishing processes, including the application of specialized coatings required for low-observable performance, before moving toward its first flight and rollout later this year.

The German aircraft is one of eight currently in production at the Fort Worth site. German F-35A airframes began major assembly in December 2024 at the company’s Marietta, Georgia facility before being transferred to Texas for final assembly and integration.

Under the current plan, the first eight German F-35A aircraft will be delivered to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where German pilots will begin training. This approach aligns with standard procedures for integrating new aircraft types into service while ensuring interoperability with allied forces already operating the platform.

The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing variant of the Lightning II family and is designed for multi-role missions, including air superiority, strike operations, and intelligence gathering. Its low-observable design reduces radar detection, while its sensor suite collects and fuses data from multiple sources to provide pilots with a comprehensive picture of the battlefield.

In operational terms, the aircraft’s sensor fusion capability allows it to act as both a shooter and an information node, sharing targeting data with other aircraft and ground systems. This networked approach is intended to support coordinated operations across air, land, and maritime domains.