Germany receives first F-35 jet from US as NATO boosts military spending

Germany received the first of nearly three dozen F-35 stealth warplanes it ordered four years ago from Lockheed Martin.

Lockheed Martin presented Germany's first F-35 to the German government during a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas on Friday [Handout/Lockheed Martin Aeronautics]

Germany has received its first F-35A Lightning II fighter jet, as the country accelerates a major military buildup and increases defence spending amid a broader push by European NATO members to strengthen their armed forces.

The delivery on Friday is part of Germany’s effort to fulfil NATO nuclear-sharing duties and modernise its military after decades of relatively low defence spending.

Lockheed Martin formally presented the aircraft to the German government during a ceremony at its production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, attended by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

“This is the beginning of a new era for the German Air Force: the new F-35A fighter jet is the world’s most advanced combat aircraft,” Pistorius said in a statement. “It is characterised by its stealth capabilities, close integration with other platforms, and exceptionally powerful sensor technology.”

Germany ordered 35 F-35As in 2022, the year Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. The aircraft are intended to replace Germany’s ageing Tornado fleet.

The Trump administration has long pressured Europe to spend more on defence, allowing Washington to focus on other challenges such as countering China.

European countries, including Germany, are ramping up military budgets as a result, agreeing in 2025 to Trump’s demand to devote five percent of GDP to security-related spending by 2035.

德国接收了四年前向洛克希德·马丁公司订购的近36架F-35隐形战机中的第一架。

洛克希德·马丁公司于周五在德克萨斯州沃斯堡举行的仪式上向德国政府交付了德国首架F-35战斗机。[图片由洛克希德·马丁航空提供]

德国接收了首架 F-35A 闪电 II 战斗机，该国正在加速大规模军事建设，并增加国防开支，而欧洲北约成员国也在大力加强其武装力量。

周五的交付是德国为履行北约核共享义务、在经历了数十年相对较低的国防开支后实现军队现代化而做出的努力的一部分。

洛克希德·马丁公司在位于德克萨斯州沃斯堡的生产基地举行仪式，正式向德国政府交付了这架飞机，德国国防部长鲍里斯·皮斯托里乌斯出席了仪式。

“这标志着德国空军新时代的开始：新型F-35A战斗机是世界上最先进的作战飞机，”皮斯托瑞斯在一份声明中表示。“它的特点是隐身能力强、与其他平台紧密集成，以及拥有极其强大的传感器技术。”

德国于2022年订购了35架F-35A战斗机，同年俄罗斯入侵乌克兰。这些战机旨在取代德国老旧的“旋风”战斗机机队。

特朗普政府长期以来一直向欧洲施压，要求其增加国防开支，以便华盛顿能够集中精力应对其他挑战，例如对抗中国。

因此，包括德国在内的欧洲国家正在增加军费预算，并在 2025 年同意特朗普的要求，到 2035 年将 GDP 的 5% 用于安全相关支出。