Germany has announced that the F-35A Lightning II jets it will acquire will be manufactured at the U.S. production line, not from the Italian production line.
Germany has announced that the F-35A Lightning II jets it will acquire will be manufactured in the final assembly and check-out (FACO) plant in Fort Worth, Texas, rather than in Cameri, Italy.
Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands have demanded their F-35As manufactured in Europe. They also committed to have their entire or a portion of their fleets built at that European facility. The Biden Administration has recently decided to open the European facility to any other European customer.
Germany will acquire a total of 35 F-35As. The first German aircraft for the Luftwaffe will leave the production line in 2026 and arrive in Germany in 2027. In service, the F-35s will replace Germany’s ageing Tornadoes. The reason for choosing the American production line over the Italian one was not announced.
Germany Prefers the U.S. F-35A Production Line to Italian One
