German Air Force F-35A Delivered

Germany took formal delivery of its first F-35A at the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas, on 18 September, the German Defence Minister accepting the aircraft at a handover ceremony and calling it the start of a new era for the Luftwaffe. The jet is the first of 35 ordered, bought to replace the Tornado in NATO nuclear-sharing from Buchel Air Base. The first eight aircraft will stay in the United States, at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where German aircrew and maintainers begin training from late 2026; deliveries to Germany are due to start in 2027 and run to 2029.