Production of the Swiss F-35A is on track.

Bern [ENA] Production of the Swiss F-35A is proceeding as planned: The first fuselage section was assembled with the first wing in the Leonardo plant in Cameri in the Italian province of Novara, Italy. Cameri is home to the only F-35 final assembly line in Europe and is part of the international production network. The first F-35A from Cameri is to be transferred directly to Switzerland in mid-2028.

The fuselage section with the serial number MJ-4 assembled here, as well as the wing, will later become part of the Swiss aircraft with the military registration J-6004. Production is progressing rapidly. With the manufacture of these components, the new combat aircraft fleet is gradually taking shape. After manufacture is completed in Cameri, the fuselage section with the attached wings will be transported to the USA. The structural element will be assembled with the other components of the aircraft in the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, in the US state of Texas.

The first eight F-35A destined for Switzerland are to be deployed from mid-2027 at the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, to train Swiss pilots as well as the ground crew. The combat aircraft manufactured in the USA will then be gradually transferred to Switzerland. The first F-35A aircraft from Cameri will be transferred to Switzerland as early as mid-2028. The J-6004 is expected to arrive in Switzerland at the end of 2029. The F-35A will be introduced on the military airfields Payerne, Meiringen and Emmen over the next few years. Deployment in Payerne is scheduled from mid-2028, in Meiringen from 2030 and in Emmen from 2032.

The F-35 is manufactured in an international production network in which more than 2100 supplier companies are involved worldwide. The individual components are produced at various sites and then brought together for final assembly. Together with Fort Worth and Nagoya in Japan, Cameri is one of three sites worldwide at which F-35 aircraft are manufactured. At the same time, the only final assembly line of the 5th generation combat aircraft is located in Cameri.

Production is distributed over several countries. Italy is one of the five European partners of the F-35 program, along with the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. These states are participating in the development and production of the combat aircraft, together with the USA, Canada, and Australia. Other European countries are also involved in the production. For example, the middle fuselage section of the F-35A is manufactured in Germany, while the rear fuselage section is produced in the United Kingdom.

The final assembly line in Cameri has an annual production capacity of up to 20 aircraft. Apart from the F-35A, the F-35B is also produced here for the Italian armed forces. In addition, around one-third of all F-35 wings are manufactured in Cameri. The site is around 40 kilometers as the crow flies from the Swiss border. The manufacture of components for the Swiss F-35A in Italy underlines the international and, in particular, the European networking of the F-35 program. In addition to geographical proximity, industrial and security cooperation with European partner states is of major importance for Switzerland. (SOURCE: Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse, General Secretariat DDPS.)