Image reproduced from 民視新聞網

A new F-35A fuselage midsection production facility, developed by Germany's Rheinmetall in collaboration with the U.S. Northrop Grumman, officially opened on the 1st of this month. Located in western Germany, this is the second such production line globally, with the first batch of products expected to be delivered to the U.S. in the fall of next year. This facility is anticipated to enhance the production capacity of the F-35 fighter jets and strengthen the European supply chain.

According to reports from Army Recognition, the facility is situated in Wetz, North Rhine-Westphalia, and was built with an investment of €200 million (approximately NT$6.8 billion). The production line is estimated to have an annual output of 30 F-35A fuselage midsections, with plans for potential expansion to 36 per year, targeting a minimum production of 400 units over the next 17 to 20 years.

Covering an area of about 60,000 square meters, the facility includes production lines for the manufacturing and assembly of the F-35A fuselage midsection, logistics, storage, research, testing, and training centers, all equipped with heavy machinery imported from the U.S. The current workforce stands at 200 employees and is planned to increase to over 400 by the end of next year.

Orders for the F-35 series from Lockheed Martin have surged, with the German Air Force already purchasing 35 F-35A jets set for delivery starting in 2027. However, while the supply chain for parts is global, after Turkey's aerospace (TAI) was removed from the F-35 program in 2019, Northrop Grumman had to independently produce the fuselage midsection for all variants of the F-35, making the addition of Rheinmetall's new production line crucial for boosting capacity and expediting delivery times.