Swiss F-35A Components Begin Production

A pixelated view of the F-35 fuselage section from Cameri | Photo: Ministry of Defense and Leonardo S.p.A.

Production of Switzerland’s first F-35A components has begun at Leonardo’s facility in Cameri, Italy, where the fuselage section and wing for aircraft J-6004 are being manufactured. The fuselage section carries serial number MJ-4.

After work in Cameri is completed, the fuselage section with its attached wings will be transported to Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, for assembly with the aircraft’s other components.

The first eight F-35As for Switzerland are scheduled to be deployed at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas from mid-2027 for training Swiss pilots and ground crew. The aircraft are then to be transferred to Switzerland. The first F-35A produced at Cameri is scheduled to arrive from mid-2028, while J-6004 is expected in Switzerland by the end of 2029.

Swiss F-35A operations are planned to begin at Payerne from mid-2028, followed by Meiringen in 2030 and Emmen in 2032. Switzerland is currently set to receive 30 aircraft, down from the 36 originally approved, according to recent Swiss reporting.

Cameri is one of three F-35 production sites, alongside Fort Worth and Nagoya, Japan, and is the only site outside the United States with an F-35 final assembly line. Its annual capacity is up to 20 aircraft. Around one-third of F-35 wings are also manufactured there.

The F-35 supply chain includes more than 2,100 companies worldwide, with components produced in several countries before final assembly. Swiss aircraft are being built within this international production network, which includes European partners such as Germany and the United Kingdom.

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