Rheinmetall to Begin Production of F-35A Center Fuselage in April

Rheinmetall has started assembling equipment for the production of center fuselage sections for F-35A fighter jets, with full-scale production set to begin in April 2025.

The German defense company shared a video on its social media platforms showing preparations at its manufacturing site.

Since January, heavy trucks from the U.S. have been delivering necessary equipment to the AERO-Bildungs GmbH plant near Wiesbaden Airport. This follows an agreement signed in 2023 between Rheinmetall and Northrop Grumman for the production of more than 400 center fuselage sections for the fifth-generation fighter jet.

Personnel training for the project began in July 2024 to ensure readiness ahead of the scheduled production launch. The German government remains committed to acquiring F-35A aircraft due to the lack of modern alternatives for nuclear weapons delivery. The only European aircraft capable of carrying B61 nuclear bombs is the Panavia Tornado, which Germany plans to retire by 2030 and replace with F-35As.

In December 2024, the first F-35A Lightning II fighter jet for the German Air Force, serial number MG-01, entered production in the United States.