The first German F-35A fighter aircraft has entered final assembly at the Lockheed Martin production facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
The aircraft has been moved to the final assembly station after its major structural components were joined, including the wing and forward, centre and aft fuselage sections. The process was completed using laser-guided alignment systems before the airframe was lifted into position for the next phase of production.
At this stage, the aircraft will receive its engine, control surfaces and remaining onboard systems. Final work will also include application of coatings and finishes ahead of flight testing and rollout later this year.
The aircraft is one of the first eight German F-35As currently in production in the United States, forming part of a wider programme to deliver 35 aircraft to Germany. Initial deliveries are planned to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where German pilots will undergo training.
The milestone follows earlier programme activity, including the start of major assembly work in 2024 and a visit by German officials to the production line. Lockheed Martin said the aircraft will provide advanced capabilities through features such as low observability, sensor integration and networked operations.
The F-35 programme forms a central element of Germany’s future air combat capability and is intended to support interoperability with allied air forces operating the same platform.
I really have a hard time seeing how Russia could pose any kind of conventional threat to European NATO members in 2030 given the size of Europes F35 fleet.
ENATO countries will have 600 F35’s in operation by the end of the decade which on its own would seem to be a force capable of decimating any Russian ground or airforce. That assumes the Donald doesn’t stage a coup and find some way of bricking European F35’s.
Anything is possible in his head, especially if he forms closer ties with Russia. Trump’s mind is a slot machine; we don’t have a clue in what order the numbers will stop!
Everyone loves Americans when they are paying the bills, especially the hefty NATO defence bills. But once they say “hey, you should pay your share,” then everyone instantly hates Americans. Call them “unstable” and ” not a reliable ally.” So predictable but now the jig is up.
PAY YOUR OWN DEFENCE BILLS.
I’d be impressed if you pull out of Menwith Hill, and all the other intelligence and enabling locations you have in Europe, as a part of Europe paying it’s bills.
Because you’re hamstringing your power projection capability.
I’ve always thought US presence in Europe was as much for US domination and strategic purposes as defending Europe.
As for Europeans paying, which I fully agree with, our useless government hasn’t got that message yet.
“Hefty NATO defence bills”
What are those? Because there are only 80,000 American troops in Europe, compared to well north of 1.5 million European Troops, and of those only about 10,000 are actual combat formations, the remainder are logistics enablers which make the US fighting Wars in the middle east easier and cheaper.
FYI THE EU’S ANNUAL DEFENCE BUDGET IS 500 BILLION USD, ONLY BEHIND AMERICA AND CHINA.
So Shut the fuck up.
Yo Vinnie, the NATO website shows that the 2014 2% GDP Defence spending target is on track 2.16% avg) so #47 alleged delinquency of European spending was just a lie to trigger his ignorant supporters.
US National Security Strategy
Europe sees that This US is unreliable. Germany and UK won’t tolerate that. France will say CDG Told you so.
Europe must take the initiative in European NATO command to send the American staff home and lead for the interests of all European people. Maga will claim they saved taxpayers money ..
Europe already started with Joint Expeditionary Force and Enhanced Forward Presence.
🇸🇪🇳🇴🇩🇰🇫🇮🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹🇳🇱🇬🇧🇩🇪
There can be no influence for a country that will not uphold Article 5, especially no membership veto for USA or the RF terrorist state.
Maga said they won’t support Article 5, so European NATO countries will take that duty and decide what security guarantees will be given to Ukraine. The best security guarantees are Ukrainian weapons made by Ukraine and ITAR free, so only Ukraine decides how they use them.
Deutchland, Czechia, and Great Britain have been investing and collaborating with Ukraine to design, build, test, and improve long range precision fires. A refinery a day keeps the orcZ away. Flamingo go go 🦩🔥🦩🔥🦩
Increased defence spending to 5% GDP means European NATO taxpayers expect their tax to be spent on European jobs, profits, and taxes, not US MIC. There’s no reason to pay the US arms premium for interoperability when USA has said they will not uphold Article 5. So it’s on #47 that red states, where US arms are built, that they lose jobs, profits, and taxes. Lower export volumes increase the unit price to US taxpayers.
Only serious Constitutional reform to prevent #47 foreign interference happening again will enable the eventual alliance rebuilding in the US national security interest.
America Alone is weaker and poorer until then.
Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦
Heroyam Slava 💙💛
#StrongerTogether
#WeAreNATO
#vpdfo #FDJT
Russia vs ENATO isn’t a contest in the Air, Russia probably had around 600-800 modern fighters in 2022 (depending on definitions and what you consider usable), I’m pretty sure ENATO’s F-16 fleet at the time on it’s own would have given them a run for their money numbers wise. Now… I’m not sure even the Russians know how many airframes they have, but given the size of the European F-35 fleet, and then add in Gripen, Rafale, Typhoon, and Russia is being bodies in the Air.
At sea ENATO holds a clear advantage in every department besides submarines. Even then the Russians have 13 SSN’s (divided between the Northern Baltic and Pacific Fleets ofc) to ENATO’s 12 and 19 SSK’s to ENATO’s 60. (36 if you don’t want to count Canada and Turkey). 24 SSBNs and SSGNs to ENATO’s 8 is really the only field they have a genuine numerical superiority and, I don’t think SSBN’s will be used to try and hunt down ENATO warships and Submarines.
On the ground is where it’ll be close. The Russian Army has been worn down by Ukraine, and it probably can’t advance far into Europe, but it can probably take some European Ground and dig it’s claws into it, and it’ll be hard to dislodge as long as there isn’t a co-ordinated ENATO response and some serious moves made to enable our Armies to work together without the US as a framework nation.
Interesting to see the orcZ taking a couple of bases on the perimeter of Finland out of mothballs into pre position of armoured vehicles so just add troops to get a NATO invasion force. In addition one airbase refilled with strategic bombers after Op Spiderweb showed that parked on the apron 300km from Ukraine is not safe. Now that RF Baltic oil terminals are burning, even the Kola peninsula can’t be confident that they’re safe. FP-5 Flamingo!
So those sites are clear threats following Finnish accession to NATO. Of course vatniks have minimal skills on armoured warfare and these bases are in range of Finlands massive Artillery so unlikely to get off the base in a hot conflict before top attack achieves a turret toss. Very obvious ISTAR targets that even existing F18s will have no difficulty with.
The Baltic nations departure from the anti landmine treaty and build of Eastern border buffer areas suggests that orcZ would get a hard lesson in area denial. As stand out AFU donors the Baltics can expect further help from the expert unmanned systems brigade 414 Magyars Birds and others. So that’s a very hot buffer area.
#StandWithUkraine
#69thSniffingBrigade #NAFO
So why did we buy into the top tier on the F35 if Germany can make their own???
Did you even read the article?
Fort Worth, TX, the origin JSF manufacturing site is clearly stated, so no, he didn’t.
Only Italy has an F35 production line other than the USA.
Germany isn’t building this
Tier 1 for research and development. Roughly 15% of every single F35 built of all 3 varients for any country is made in the UK. Every single rear fuselage is built at Samlesbury Lancashire.
Bit more for the B variant, closer to 20-25%.
Yes. It is more for the B. 👍