According to a new report submitted to Congress, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) plans to continue a gradual reduction in the incorporation of new F-35 fighters until at least 2028. The document, part of the budget planning for upcoming fiscal years, indicates that the pace of fighter aircraft acquisitions will remain limited due to industrial delays, technological restructuring, and a focus on modernizing existing fleets.
Although the plan does not explicitly detail the number of aircraft to be acquired each year, the roadmap included in the report anticipates a sustained contraction in the purchase rate before a gradual recovery toward the end of the decade. According to projections, the detailed inventory indicates that a base of 344 aircraft will be reached in 2026, followed by an additional 39 aircraft in 2027, 18 in 2028, 32 in 2029, and 39 in 2030, reflecting the fleet level desired by the USAF to maintain operational availability and balance the transition toward next-generation platforms.
In presenting the report, the U.S. Air Force explained that “the modernization of aging platforms due to programmed obsolescence —such as the F-35—, the decreasing availability of spare parts in models like the F-15E, and other logistical factors will drive aircraft acquisition above the established requirement.” Even so, the document acknowledges that the number of units to be purchased in the coming years will be lower than in previous periods, noting that in 2024, 48 fighters were acquired—almost double the number projected for 2027.
However, this situation had already been anticipated. In mid-June, a report revealed that the Pentagon was seeking to reduce planned deliveries of new stealth F-35 fighters, affecting orders for both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. Reportedly, this is mainly due to the new horizons the country is pursuing, along with the costs involved: the future sixth-generation Boeing F-47 fighter.
It is important to note that this new report also introduces a methodological change in fleet accounting, replacing the old Primary Mission Aircraft Inventory metric with the new CCTAI (Combat Coded Total Aircraft Inventory). Unlike the previous system, this includes all USAF combat aircraft, including those in reserve or assigned to training, providing a more accurate picture of the total available potential.
At the same time, it is worth noting that in parallel with unit acquisition, the U.S. Air Force faced delays in F-35 deliveries due to difficulties integrating the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) software. Because of this, only toward the end of 2024 and throughout 2025 did deliveries begin of versions with truncated software, in order to avoid halting the production line and allow users to begin training until integration was complete and they became familiar with the new architecture. Despite this, authorities indicated that the current focus is on completing TR-3 and Block IV modernizations, while fighters equipped with earlier versions of the system —such as TR-2— will lag behind in upgrades.
Nevertheless, this low incorporation rate also stems from strategic decisions made years ago. According to senior USAF officials, the delay in purchases during the 2010s was due to the intention to wait for the full maturation of the Block IV standard, which includes all the planned operational and mission capabilities for the Lightning II. According to the plan’s data, the Air Force’s total fighter inventory will hover around 1,271 units in 2026 and 2027, decrease to 1,215 in 2028, and then recover to 1,250 in 2029 and 1,304 by 2030, coinciding with the reactivation of the production pace.
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