Germany receives first F-35 jet from US as NATO boosts military spending
Germany has taken delivery of its first F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter from Lockheed Martin as part of a nearly 35-aircraft order placed in 2022. The handover, at a Lockheed facility in Fort Worth, Texas, took place amid a broader NATO-era push by European countries to increase defence spending and modernise their militaries.
Why It Matters
The delivery marks a concrete step in Germany’s post-Ukraine-invasion rearmament and its effort to meet NATO commitments, including nuclear-sharing responsibilities. It also reflects wider pressure and policy shifts that have prompted NATO members to raise defence budgets across Europe.
Key Facts
- Aircraft model: F-35A Lightning II
- Number ordered by Germany: 35
- Order placed: 2022
- Delivery location: Lockheed Martin facility, Fort Worth, Texas
- Event attendee: German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attended the handover ceremony.
Germany received its first F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter on Friday, the first delivery from an order of 35 aircraft placed in 2022. Lockheed Martin formally presented the jet to the German government at its Fort Worth, Texas production site in a ceremony attended by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.
The acquisition is part of a broader modernisation program intended to replace the Luftwaffe’s ageing Tornado fleet and to help Germany fulfil NATO nuclear-sharing duties. German officials have framed the F-35A as a significant technological upgrade, highlighting its stealth features, integrated systems and advanced sensors.
The delivery comes as Germany accelerates military expansion and increases defence spending following a period of relatively low investment. European NATO members more widely have been ramping up their armed forces and budgets, a trend that the source ties to longstanding U.S. pressure for higher European defence outlays.
The source also notes a 2025 agreement among European countries to meet a target of devoting 5 percent of GDP to security-related spending by 2035, reflecting the alliance-wide push to strengthen defence capabilities in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
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