U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) speaks during a meeting with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (L) at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on Sept. 15, 2026. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)
Germany received its first F-35A fighter jet at a ceremony attended by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at Lockheed Martin’s plant in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 18.
“This is the beginning of a new era for the German Air Force,” Pistorius said, describing the aircraft as “the world’s most advanced combat aircraft.”
Germany has ordered 35 of the U.S.-made jets under a program costing about 10 billion euros, with all deliveries scheduled by 2029.
The aircraft will replace aging Tornados in Germany’s contribution to NATO’s nuclear deterrent. Under the alliance’s nuclear-sharing arrangements, German aircraft can carry U.S. nuclear weapons.
Pistorius said cooperation with 19 other participating countries offered opportunities for joint training, exercises and operations through shared technology and procedures.
The first eight aircraft will remain in the United States for pilot training. The first jets are scheduled to arrive in Germany in late 2027, according to Lockheed Martin.
Their main base will be Büchel Air Base in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where an upgrade costing about 2 billion euros is underway. Infrastructure needed for flight operations is due to be ready in 2027, the Defense Ministry said.
