US defence manufacturer Lockheed Martin has begun final assembly on the first F-35A stealth fighter bound for service with the German air force.
Lockheed revealed the milestone on 23 March, sharing partially censored photos of the incomplete aircraft (number MG-01) being moved to final assembly station of the company’s primary F-35 production line in Fort Worth, Texas via overhead crane.
Final assembly begins after the four main component of the airframe have been mated and landing gear installed, allowing the aerostructure to support its own weight on the ground. Those sections include the forward, centre and aft fuselage pieces and the wing assemblies.
During final assembly, each F-35 receives its single Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan engine, moveable control surfaces, cockpit canopy and final onboard systems. After assembly is completed, the German aircraft will receive its outer paint, including the all-important stealth coating that helps reduce each F-35’s radar signature.
Lockheed says it currently has eight jets destined for the Luftwaffe in various stages of assembly in Fort Worth. Initial work on fabrication of the major structural components of the German fighters began in late 2024.
Evaluation and check-out flights for Germany’s inaugural F-35 will begin later this year.
Berlin has 35 of the conventional take-off and landing A-variant F-35s on order.
The first eight examples of that fleet will be delivered to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in the US state of Arkansas, where the first cohort of Luftwaffe pilots and maintainers will undergo certification on the F-35A.
