# Germany receives first US F-35 as NATO boosts defence spending

https://mins.news/en/item/64903

- Al Jazeera, 2026-09-18 21:06 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/18/germany-receives-first-f-35-jet-from-us-as-nato-boosts-military-spending?traffic_source=rss

> Germany has received its first F-35A Lightning II fighter from Lockheed Martin as European NATO members increase defence budgets. The country ordered 35 jets in 2022 to replace its ageing Tornado fleet and support its NATO nuclear-sharing duties. The handover took place at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility in the presence of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

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