The first German fighter plane F-35A has entered the final assembly phase at the production facility to Lockheed Martin i Fort Worth, Texas (USA).
according to UK Defence Journal the aircraft has already been moved to the final assembly station after the main structures have been assembled, including the wing sections and the front, center and rear sections of the fuselage.
In this phase, the aircraft will have the engine, control surfaces and the remaining systems on board installed. The final work will also include the application of coatings and finishes prior to flight tests and planned operational use later this year.
The aircraft is one of eight currently under production at Lockheed-factory in Fort Worth. According to the current plan, the first eight will be German F-35A-the planes will be delivered to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where German pilots will begin training.
F-35Aprogram is intended to provide the German Air Force with a stealth fighter that can be integrated with allied forces and support NATO’s operational requirements. Its low-signature design reduces radar detection, while the sensor system collects and fuses data from multiple sources to give pilots a holistic view of the battlefield.
Photo: Lockheed Martin. This content was created with the help of KI and reviewed by the editors.
