Switzerland's first F-35A components enter production in Italy

Production has begun on the first physical components for Switzerland’s future fleet of F-35A stealth fighters at the Leonardo facility in Cameri, Italy. The work includes a fuselage section, identified as MJ-4, and a wing intended for the aircraft designated J-6004, which will be the fourth Swiss-registered F-35A.

According to the Swiss defense procurement agency, Armasuisse, these two structures have already been joined in Cameri. However, the final assembly of the aircraft will not take place in Italy. Once the structural work is complete, the fuselage section and wings will be transported to the Lockheed Martin factory in Fort Worth, Texas, for integration with remaining sections and primary systems.

The F-35 manufacturing process is highly distributed, involving over 2,100 suppliers globally. While the Cameri plant produces approximately one-third of all F-35 wings and can complete up to 20 aircraft per year, the central fuselage is manufactured in Germany and the rear section in the United Kingdom.