“Germany’s first F-35 has reached its next destination,” Lockheed Martin said in a social media post. “The aircraft has arrived at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where it will support Luftwaffe pilot training ahead of the F-35’s future arrival in Germany.”
Eight Luftwaffe F-35As are scheduled to be based temporarily at Ebbing for training. All eight have entered final assembly at Fort Worth.
Germany ordered 35 F-35As through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales process to meet national and alliance requirements. The government-to-government Letter of Offer and Acceptance was approved on December 14, 2022.
Germany’s first F-35 has reached its next destination. 🇩🇪
The aircraft has arrived at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where it will support Luftwaffe pilot training ahead of the F-35’s future arrival in Germany. https://t.co/oFtBdmw2Hw— Lockheed Martin Europe (@LMEuropeNews) October 7, 2026
The fighters will replace Germany’s Panavia Tornado IDS aircraft in NATO’s nuclear-sharing mission, their principal planned role. Under that arrangement, allied aircraft are equipped to carry and employ U.S.-supplied B61 nuclear bombs.
The first aircraft are scheduled to arrive at their German home base in Büchel in 2027. Germany has chosen full-color national markings for its F-35As, following other operators including Denmark and Belgium.
