Though the Swiss aircraft will be mostly built in Italy, they will be finished in Texas and tested in Arkansas before their return to Europe.

Five European nations—the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Austria—are current operators of the Eurofighter Typhoon. However, in spite of its American origins, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II could arguably be described as just as much of a “European” fighter aircraft.

Thirteen European nations are participating in or purchasing through the US government’s Lightning II program. That includes Italy, which hosts Europe’s sole Final Assembly and Check-Out (FACO) facility in Cameri. Managed by Italian aerospace giant Leonardo, it also builds targeting systems and components for the fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter.

This month, production began on Switzerland’s first F-35 at the Italian FACO production facility. The current timeline calls for the aircraft to be transferred to the United States for final assembly, before being delivered to the Swiss Air Force for training.

“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,” the Swiss Ministry of Defense announced in a media statement. “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 FACO facility at Cameri is currently programmed to produce at least 165 total F-35 aircraft, with an output of roughly 15 fighters per year. That is significantly fewer aircraft than Lockheed Martin’s main F-35 production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, but the rate is expected to increase to meet the growing demand.

Italy Is Making F-35s for Many NATO Members

The Italian plant is currently producing the final batches of the Italian Air Force’s F-35s, along with an additional 29 aircraft for the Netherlands, and half of Poland’s order of 32 Lightning IIs.
A total of 24 of Switzerland’s reduced order of 30 F-35s will be manufactured or completed at Cameri.

All of the Dutch, Polish, and Swiss models of the aircraft are F-35As, the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants. However, the FACO facility is also the home to the only F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) production line located anywhere in the world outside the United States.

Beyond final assembly, the facility is highly utilized for component exports. It has manufactured more than 800 full F-35A wing sets—roughly one-third of global F-35 wings—to support the international program.

Lockheed Martin is the F-35’s prime contractor, but the global supply chain for the advanced fighter jet consists of more than 2,100 suppliers spanning more than a dozen countries. The aerospace giant’s mile-long sprawling “Air Force Plant 4” in Fort Worth remains the main final production hub for the F-35, but the regional manufacturing site in Italy—and another in Japan—ensure that global demand is met amid challenges with the US defense industrial base.

After Completion, Switzerland’s F-35s Are Coming to America Anyway

As noted, the initial eight F-35s will be completed in Fort Worth. Before they return to the Alps, however, the Swiss F-35s will get their first taste of the mountain air over the Ozarks and the Ouachitas in Arkansas. Beginning next year, the completed F-35s will head to Ebbing Air National Guard Base (ANGB) in the Natural State, where the first batch of Swiss pilots and ground crews will receive their training.

Once that is completed, the F-35s will be returned to Switzerland for operational service. Aircraft J-6004 is also expected to arrive in the famously neutral Central European nation by 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 Swiss government added.

Bern Scaled Back Its F-35 Order Following Trade Tensions

It was more than five years ago, in June 2021, that Bern officially selected the F-35A, the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, to replace its aging fleet of F/A-18 Hornet multirole fighters.

A procurement contract was signed in 2022 for 36 aircraft. However, facing cost escalations, the program was reduced to 30 aircraft in December 2025.

As previously reported, the selection of the F-35 has been a contentious issue, with some Swiss lawmakers warning of the high costs but also the geopolitical optics of relying on a US-made stealth fighter. Critics and opposition politicians have argued that the Lightning II relies too much on US command infrastructure and compromises Switzerland’s strict military and political neutrality. Tensions were further exacerbated last year by President Donald Trump’s trade policies, including tariffs imposed on Swiss exports. Public opinion polls suggest that only around 30 percent of the Swiss population still supports the purchase of the F-35.

The trouble was further escalated in March, after Switzerland declined to pay for additional Patriot missiles after the United States failed to deliver them on time. The US government instead subtracted the funds from the total that Switzerland owed for the F-35s.

Despite the objections, it remains clear to Switzerland and other operators that there aren’t a lot of proven fifth-generation options. To date, more than 1,300 F-35s have been delivered to the US military, its allies, and foreign partners, making it one of the most widely adopted modern fighters in Europe and beyond.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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