Bundeswehr Takes Delivery of Germany's First F-35A Stealth Jet in Texas
Defense Minister Pistorius accepts the first of 35 Lockheed Martin F-35A jets, calling it the start of a "new era" for the Luftwaffe.
What to know
- Germany's Bundeswehr took delivery of the first of 35 F-35A stealth jets ordered from Lockheed Martin for roughly €10 billion, approved by the Bundestag budget committee in December 2022.
- The jets replace the aging Tornado fleet and underpin NATO's nuclear-sharing arrangement, giving Germany access to deliver US nuclear weapons if needed.
- The first eight jets remain in the US for pilot and technician training; deployment to Büchel airbase in Rhineland-Palatinate is planned from 2027, with the full order completed by 2029.
- Commentary frames the purchase as exposing German and European dependence on US defense technology, with concerns also raised (and denied by the Bundeswehr) about a possible remote "kill switch".
Boris Pistorius German Defense Minister (SPD)
Pete Hegseth US Secretary of DefenseLockheed Martin Manufacturer of the F-35
How it unfolded 5 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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Pistorius calls jet start of a new era for the Luftwaffe
Following the handover, n-tv reported Pistorius framing the F-35's arrival as the beginning of a new era for the German air force, reiterating the aircraft's role in NATO deterrence.
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Kampfjet-Übergabe in Texas: Pistorius sieht F-35 als Beginn einer neuen Ära für die Luftwaffe https://www. n-tv.de/politik/Pistorius-sieh t-F-35-als-Beginn-einer-neuen-Aera-fuer-die-Luftwaffe-id31323200.html?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=dlvr.it&utm_content=n-tv.de%20-%20Startseite&utm_term=%40ntv%40mstdn.social
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Pistorius defends F-35 purchase on heute journal
In a television interview, Pistorius defended Germany's continued reliance on US arms technology despite the F-35 highlighting Europe's inability to produce a comparable jet domestically.
“neue Ära für die Luftwaffe…”
— Boris Pistorius, German Defense Minister · source -
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Pistorius nimmt in Texas ersten F-35A-Jet für Bundeswehr entgegen In Texas hat Bundesverteidigungsminister Pistorius den ersten von 35 Kampfjets des Typs F-35A übernommen. Die Flugzeuge sind vom gegnerischen Radar nur schwer zu orten. Pistorius sprach von einer "neuen Ära für die Luftwaffe". ➡️ https://www. tagesschau.de/inland/innenpoli…
2 more of the top 3 · 3 posts in this stretch
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Übergabe der ersten Maschine: Bundeswehr erhält neuen Kampfjet: Das kann die F-35 A https://www. n-tv.de/mediathek/videos/polit ik/Bundeswehr-erhaelt-neuen-Kampfjet-Das-kann-die-F-35-A-id31323084.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
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Die Bundeswehr hat ihren ersten F-35-Kampfjet übernommen. Im heute journal erklärt Verteidigungsminister Boris Pistorius, warum Deutschland weiter auf US-Rüstungstechnik setzt. Kampfjets aus den USA: Pistorius verteidigt den Kauf der F-35
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Explainer details F-35 capabilities, costs and "kill switch" concerns
BR24 outlined the jet's stealth design, 2,000km range, its role in NATO's nuclear-sharing deterrence concept, the roughly €10 billion order plus €2 billion for upgrading Büchel airbase, and lingering public concern over an alleged remote "kill switch" that the Bundeswehr denies exists.
“Für die Luftwaffe beginnt ab jetzt eine neue Ära…”
— Boris Pistorius, German Defense Minister · source -
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F-35 für die Bundeswehr: Was der Jet kann – und was er kostet https://www. br.de/nachrichten/deutschland- welt/f-35-fuer-die-bundeswehr-was-der-jet-kann-und-was-er-kostet,VVZBTvh?at_medium=mastodon&at_campaign=BR.de
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Pistorius receives first F-35A jet at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth site — Pistorius formally accepted the first of 35 ordered F-35A jets for the Luftwaffe at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth headquarters; the manufacturer called the delivery a "milestone for Germany" and for NATO.
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Politico Europe frames purchase as Germany's "fighter jet dilemma"
A Politico Europe podcast argued the F-35 delivery is an expensive symbol of German dependence on the US, securing nuclear-sharing capability while exposing the failure of European defense projects to close the technological gap.
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1 outlet Deutschlands Kampfjet-Dilemma
first by Politico Europe, 6d ago
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Deutschlands Kampfjet-Dilemma https://www. politico.eu/podcast/berlin-pla ybook-podcast/deutschlands-kampfjet-dilemma/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Gepostet in POLITICO German Politics @ politico-german-politics-POLITICOEurope
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Reports detail planned F-35 handover and jet's capabilities
German outlets previewed Pistorius's planned Friday acceptance of the first F-35 in Texas, noting Germany's total order of up to 35 jets, their stealth design, cost of $82.5–109 million per unit, and Lockheed Martin's claim that 19 countries have now ordered the aircraft.
“das tödlichste und widerstandsfähigste Kampfflugzeug der Welt…”
— Lockheed Martin, Manufacturer · source -
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Er ist superschnell, nahezu unsichtbar und höchst gefährlich: Der Tarnkappen-Jet F-35 gilt als das modernste Kampfflugzeug der Welt. Nun soll Deutschland sein erstes Exemplar erhalten. https://www. t-online.de/nachrichten/deutsc…
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Pistorius and Hegseth sign US-German arms cooperation deal — At the start of his US trip, Pistorius signed an armaments agreement with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington, deepening bilateral defense-industrial cooperation.