Ninth European country joins the F-35 Lightning II global team

The German Ministry of Defense is procuring 35 Lockheed Martin 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

"Congratulations to Germany on procuring the F-35A. Germany is the ninth foreign military sales country to join the program," said Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, F-35 program executive officer. "We look forward to working with them to deliver the F-35 air system to meet their national defense requirements."

The agreement includes a comprehensive package of engines, role-specific mission equipment, spare and replacement parts, technical and logistic support, training, and armament.

"It is an honor to formally welcome Germany to the F-35 Lightning II program. Germany's participation ensures the F-35's European alliance continues to strengthen and grow through interoperability with NATO and ally nations," said Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin's vice president and general manager of the F-35 program.

Lockheed Martin has been a committed partner to the Bundeswehr for more than 50 years, and the F-35 opens another chapter of supporting Germany's interests for national and European security. By the 2030s, it is expected that more than 550 F-35s will work together from more than 10 European countries, including two full U.S. F-35 squadrons at RAF Lakenheath (UK).

To date, the F-35 operates from 26 bases worldwide, with nine nations operating F-35s on their home soil. There are more than 875 F-35s in service today, with more than 1,845 pilots and 13,350 maintainers trained on the aircraft.