Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the fifth-generation stealth fighter consolidates its position as the West’s main combat aircraft with production records and squadron expansion.
The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter designed for ground attack, reconnaissance and air defense missions. Developed by the US Department of Defense in conjunction with allied countries, the aircraft has become the central pillar of modern tactical aviation. To understand how many F-35 fighters has Lockheed Martin already produced and how big is the American fleetthe most recent data from early 2026 reveals that the global program has surpassed the 1,300 operational jets mark. In 2025 alone, the manufacturer delivered a record 191 units. Domestically, the United States Air Force (USAF) surpassed the mark of 500 units in service, while the Marine Corps (USMC) plans to reach 261 aircraft on the platform by the end of 2026.
The core design of fifth generation fighter aviation
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II represents the largest and most costly weapons systems program in military history. It is a combat aircraft that combines stealth technology, supersonic speed, extreme agility and an advanced set of integrated sensors. Unlike previous generation fighters, the project was designed from the beginning to share real-time data with other platforms in the air, at sea and on land, acting as a high-capacity aerial command center.
The platform has three main variants to meet different needs of the Armed Forces. The F-35A, operated primarily by the US Air Force, uses conventional takeoff and landing. The F-35B, designed for the Marine Corps, has short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capability, ideal for amphibious assault ships. The F-35C was developed for operations on US Navy aircraft carriers, with larger wings and reinforced landing gear for use in catapults and retention cables.
Lightning II operational engineering in practice
The jet’s tactical superiority stems from its systems architecture and aerodynamic design. Operating technology on the frontline requires rigorous training and dedicated infrastructure. Operation in real missions follows a methodical and sequential pattern:
1. Silent infiltration
The fuselage’s structural shape and radar-absorbent coating materials (RAM) allow the jet to penetrate heavily defended enemy airspace without being tracked by early warning systems. Armaments are carried in internal compartments to avoid reflection of radar waves, keeping the aircraft’s signature to a minimum.
2. Sensor fusion and data processing
The flight software acts autonomously to process dozens of pieces of information from the active electronically scanned radar (AESA), electronic warfare systems and infrared cameras. The central computer merges this data and projects it directly onto the pilot’s helmet smart display, eliminating the need to consult multiple traditional analog panels and ensuring 360-degree situational awareness.
3. Target engagement and sharing
When identifying anti-aircraft threats or surface forces, the aircraft can deploy its own guided missiles or simply act as an invisible tactical coordinator. The secure datalink system allows you to transfer precise target coordinates to older fourth-generation jets, destroyer ships or land-based missile batteries, directing the force in an integrated manner.
The deployment of fleets on the global stage
In addition to protecting domestic airspace, F-35 squadrons are actively deployed in geopolitical tension points across the globe to exercise military deterrence. The aircraft’s operations are divided into different strategic fronts to defend the interests of the United States and NATO.
In the theater of operations in Europe and the Middle East, the jet has performed highly complex tactical missions. In 2025, F-35 squadrons directly participated in the interception of Russian drones in Polish airspace and carried out the suppression of anti-aircraft batteries on Iranian territory during specific neutralization operations. The jet also logged nearly 5,000 incident-free flight hours during maritime operational deployments.
Fort Worth’s fast-paced industrial footprint serves an extensive list of partner nations. Countries such as Italy, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Australia and Israel operate and receive constant updates to the platform. Currently, Lockheed Martin’s production capacity allows the aircraft to be assembled at a rate five times greater than any other existing Western fighter model.
Clarifications about program costs and deliveries
How many fighters does the US government intend to buy in total?
The United States Department of Defense’s official record plan (Program of Record) foresees the acquisition of almost 2,500 F-35 fighters throughout the project’s entire operational lifespan. This contingent will be mainly allocated to the Air Force (which plans to operate more than 1,700 units of the A variant), while the Navy and Marine Corps maintain a structural requirement of 420 aircraft of the vertical and naval landing variants.
What caused the halt in aircraft deliveries recently?
The distribution line underwent a suspension that lasted around a year, between mid-2023 and July 2024, due to delays by the Pentagon in approving the complex hardware and software update called Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3). Lockheed Martin had to keep more than 100 newly manufactured jets stored on the ground until the government authorized the receipt of the units, which led to the large backlog and the subsequent record-breaking number of deliveries recorded in 2025.
What is the stipulated unit cost for the jet?
Exact values fluctuate depending on the large production batches ordered and the type of variant selected by buyers. After the initial phase of the project and the gain in scale on the assembly line, the cost of acquiring the base unit of the F-35A model stabilized at a range of 80 million to 85 million dollars per aircraft, without taking into account the figures linked to the supply of the Pratt & Whitney engine and the costly long-term maintenance package.
The industrial and logistics chain mobilized to support the F-35 Lightning II shapes the scenario of contemporary air power. With the historic milestone of one million hours flown, the transition from old interceptor fleets to fifth-generation combat networks solidifies the technological dominance of the United States, based on annual production records and the strengthening of international military alliances.
