Germany’s first F-35A arrives following the collapse of the FCAS fighter project, strengthening Berlin’s military and industrial integration with the United States.
In Summary
Germany officially received its first F-35A Lightning II on September 18, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. Aircraft 35+01 is the first of 35 fighters ordered by Berlin to replace a portion of its aging Tornado fleet and fulfill Germany’s NATO nuclear-sharing mission. The first eight F-35As will initially remain in the United States to train German pilots and maintenance technicians. The first jets will arrive at Büchel Air Base starting in the third quarter of 2027. This delivery comes just three months after the cancellation of the New Generation Fighter (NGF) crewed aircraft, which served as the centerpiece of the Franco-German-Spanish FCAS/SCAF project. The timing is telling: Germany is rapidly embedding itself into the American F-35 ecosystem right down to its industrial base. While this shift does not mean Berlin is abandoning European defense ambitions entirely, it significantly weakens the prospect of a future fighter developed alongside Dassault—especially if the Luftwaffe decides to acquire additional F-35s.
Germany’s First F-35A Opens a New Era for the Luftwaffe
On September 18, 2026, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius officially took possession of the first German F-35A at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth. Serial number 35+01 completed its maiden flight ten days prior. Berlin now physically possesses the first unit of a procurement program launched in December 2022.
The purchase encompasses 35 aircraft under a Bundeswehr procurement package valued at roughly €10 billion, which includes the airframes, weaponry, spare parts, training, and several years of logistics support. Their primary operational mission is clear: replace the Tornado in NATO’s nuclear sharing agreement.
The F-35 Lightning II holds a decisive advantage for this role. Its conventional takeoff and landing variant, the F-35A, was specifically designed and certified to carry the American B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb. The platform combines radar stealth, AESA radar, electronic warfare capabilities, automated sensor fusion, and secure communications. It reaches a top speed of Mach 1.6 and handles load factors up to +9G.
The First Aircraft Will Remain in the United States
The ceremony in Fort Worth does not mean aircraft 35+01 will deploy immediately to Germany.
The first eight German aircraft are assigned to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas. They will be used to train German pilots and ground crews. Deliveries to Büchel Air Base are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2027 and run through 2029.
Büchel is the operational hub for the fleet. Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 33 currently operates the Tornado fighters assigned to NATO’s nuclear mission from this location. The base is undergoing extensive modernization to support the F-35, including new hangars, operational facilities, maintenance infrastructure, IT systems, and enhanced cybersecurity measures.
With the Tornado scheduled for complete retirement by 2030, the Luftwaffe cannot afford any schedule slip.
The F-35 Solves a Problem FCAS Could Not Address
It would be inaccurate to view the initial F-35 purchase as the root cause of the FCAS failure.
The two initiatives operated on different timelines and served distinct requirements. Berlin ordered its F-35s in 2022 to urgently replace the Tornado and maintain Germany’s nuclear capability. FCAS was intended to build a next-generation air combat system for the 2040 horizon, combining a crewed fighter, autonomous drones, and a combat cloud network.
The dynamic shifted dramatically in June 2026.
France and Germany formally agreed to cancel the New Generation Fighter, the crewed aircraft that formed the core of the FCAS/SCAF project. Disagreements between Dassault Aviation and Airbus over program governance, intellectual property rights, and industrial workshare ultimately proved insurmountable. Certain other elements of the broader system, particularly the combat cloud and remote carrier systems, may continue under a restructured format.
The split leaves Berlin facing a much more concrete set of options. Boris Pistorius outlined three potential paths forward: purchase additional F-35s, join another international fighter program, or launch a new initiative led by Germany and Airbus.
Germany Entrenches Itself in the American Defense Ecosystem
This is where the delivery of the first German F-35 carries significance that extends far beyond the 35 aircraft currently on order.
Berlin is not merely purchasing American jets; German industry is being integrated directly into its global supply chain.
In Weeze, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rheinmetall constructed a 30,000 m² manufacturing facility representing an investment exceeding €100 million and creating over 400 skilled jobs. The plant will produce at least 400 F-35 center fuselage sections for Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, serving as a secondary manufacturing source for a key component of the global program.
On September 15, just days before the handover ceremony, Berlin and Washington signed a Letter of Intent to deepen defense industrial cooperation. The F-35 fits into a broader alignment that includes Patriot air defense systems and Germany’s planned acquisition of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Boris Pistorius has embraced this strategic direction, noting that roughly 700 F-35s could eventually operate across European armed forces, creating extensive local requirements for maintenance, training, and industrial support. He advocates for transatlantic interdependence over complete strategic autonomy from Washington.
This positions Germany as a central European hub for the F-35 program. Calling it a sole American bridgehead in Europe would be an overstatement, however; Italy’s Final Assembly and Check-Out (FACO) facility in Cameri already handles heavy maintenance for European F-35s and remains a longer-standing industrial pillar of the program.
The German Choice Narrows Dassault’s Strategic Options
For Dassault Aviation, the issue is not that Germany’s 35 F-35s directly replace a future European fighter—they operate on entirely different timelines.
The real shift occurred with the collapse of the NGF project.
As Berlin invests more heavily in F-35 infrastructure, pilot training, munitions, maintenance facilities, and manufacturing, the marginal cost of ordering additional aircraft becomes much easier to justify. Protocols are established, pilots are trained, airfields are adapted, and supply chains are operational.
A potential fleet expansion to 50 aircraft has been raised on several occasions. An additional 15 F-35s were estimated in 2025 to cost approximately €2.5 billion. However, this potential acquisition has not been confirmed by official German sources, which maintain that 35 aircraft remains the firm order.
To better understand the operational distinctions within the American stealth program, comparing the capabilities of the F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C highlights why Berlin selected the land-based F-35A variant.
The FCAS Split Triggers a Battle for the Post-2040 Horizon
The cancellation of the NGF does not automatically mean the F-35 will become Germany’s primary combat aircraft past 2040.
Airbus is actively exploring alternative partnerships, including intensified discussions with Sweden’s Saab. The German aerospace group is also evaluating the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), led by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan. Industry partner Leonardo has publicly welcomed potential German participation.
The Eurofighter also remains central to German defense planning. The Eurofighter Typhoon maintains a sovereign European industrial base and will continue to perform a major share of the Luftwaffe’s conventional missions, particularly with upcoming electronic warfare upgrades.
Berlin is building a two-tiered force structure: F-35s for stealth and nuclear roles, alongside Eurofighters to preserve European industrial capacity and conventional air power.
For Dassault, the consequences are significant. With the end of the NGF, the French manufacturer loses a tri-national program backed by three major European defense spenders. Dassault has stated it can develop a future combat aircraft under French prime contractorship, while Airbus seeks new international partners.
The delivery of aircraft 35+01 in Fort Worth highlights two diverging industrial realities. The F-35 is operational, flying, and in full-rate production. The European successor to the Rafale and Eurofighter, meanwhile, remains to be redefined.
It is this gap in timelines, far more than the initial order of 35 American aircraft, that could reshape European combat aviation for decades to come.