Vinsanity

The handover happened yesterday September 18, 2026, at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas facility. The first German aircraft carries the Luftwaffe serial 35+01 and had made its maiden flight on September 8. Germany has ordered 35 F-35As to replace part of the aging Tornado fleet. The important distinction is that 35+01 isn’t going straight to Germany yet. The first German F-35s will remain in the United States at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, where German pilots and maintainers will train. The first aircraft are scheduled to arrive at Büchel Air Base in Germany in 2027. The F-35A gives the Luftwaffe a fifth-generation stealth aircraft with sensor fusion, advanced networking and a top speed of about Mach 1.6. It will also eventually assume Germany’s NATO nuclear-sharing role currently performed by the Tornado. Deutschland ist zurück! 🇩🇪

Oh Lily 🦋

Luftwaffe’s F-35 🇩🇪

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Visible transonic effects on the F-35

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Abril Vela