Lockheed Martin delivered 191 F-35s in 2025, the most jets ever produced in a single year, marking a new milestone for the global fighter program.
Production now runs five times faster than any other allied fighter, with Lockheed sustaining nearly 1,300 aircraft worldwide.
Global demand for the aircraft remained strong. Italy added 25 F-35s to its fleet while Denmark added 16, and countries across Europe also marked major program milestones.
Finland rolled out its first F-35, Belgium received its first in-country aircraft, and Norway completed its fleet deliveries.
In September, the F-35 Joint Program Office finalized Lots 18-19, covering production and delivery of up to 296 aircraft for $24 billion — the largest production contract in program history.
This record follows the program reaching one million flight hours earlier in the year and completing its most advanced software upgrade, TR-3, supporting both US and international operations.
F-35 Global Footprint
The F-35 is now a central asset for 12 nations: the US, UK, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Finland, and the Netherlands.
Its versatility allows deployment across multiple mission profiles — from tactical airlift to suppression of enemy air defenses — while enabling allied forces to standardize training, sustainment, and operations.
Beyond Europe and North America, Israel has used F-35Is operationally over the Middle East since 2017, integrating its stealth capabilities into air defense and strike missions.
Japan and South Korea have steadily expanded their fleets since 2018 and 2019, respectively, reflecting growing regional reliance on advanced stealth fighters.
Australia’s F-35A fleet supports both homeland defense and regional security exercises, while Norway and Finland’s aircraft have participated in NATO interoperability drills in the Baltic and Arctic regions.
