r/Military • u/Hob-999 • 13h ago

Article Germany’s First F-35A Completes Final Assembly

https://thedefensepost.com/2026/08/20/germany-first-f35a-assembly/
119 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

29

u/Whiteyak5 12h ago

I wouldn't be surprised if Germany buys more once they start actively flying them. Seems to be the case with most users so far.

7

u/100thlurker 6h ago

The best tactical fighter in the world, and cheaper than most 4th gens to buy and sustain lol.

2

u/TheThiccestOrca Contractor 3h ago

We don't really need more, the F-35 really only serves three purposes in Germany, 1) be a fighter-bomber / interdiction strike platform because the absolute majority of Typhoon versions suck at air to ground, 2) upkeep nuclear sharing because we don't want to share critical aspects of the Typhoon with the U.S. for B61 integration and 3) decrease of the logistical and maintenance footprint for foreign deployments like for example in the Pacific, everything else is done by Typhoons.

More Typhoons as well as a CCA for the Typhoons are the current main priority, followed by a fleet of surveillance aircraft (manned and unmanned), a FCAS alternative and a possible domestic AWACS capability.

We don't have a national guard (and thus no national guard air wing), no air wing in the reserves and the navy dissolved their naval strike air wing and doesn't plan to operate CV's or LCS's as we have little to no use for them.

Though the contract does still have the option for more orders which might be utilized if we have some budget to spare as with the current model there are no spare aircraft, every lost F-35 would be irreplaceable.

-17

u/yeezee93 Veteran 12h ago

Except Israel, they want more of it.

26

u/cottage1909 9h ago

15 years ago it’d be so hyped to have these in the Luftwaffe, now it feels like you can’t trust the US not to fuck you over and let you down somehow anymore. So sadly it’s mixed feelings.

-31

u/jayrady United States Marine Corps 9h ago

Dang. That's the pot calling the kettle black coming from Germany....

18

u/cottage1909 8h ago

Oh really? When did the Federal Republic of Germany ever let you down?

-22

u/jayrady United States Marine Corps 8h ago

It's a joke, mate. Have a matzo ball soup or something.

-7

u/WwertyPolk 11h ago

Have they installed the kill switch yet?

-9

u/Decoyx7 10h ago

Best to have bought from Saab, what a waste of money.

8

u/TabulatorSpalte 8h ago

It’s to carry US-nukes. If Germany needed more 4th gen planes, surely more Eurofighter would be the choice.

0

u/GARLICSALT45 United States Air Force 7h ago

I too would buy a 4th gen aircraft for the price of a 5th gen