The U.S. to deliver the last of the 75 stealth F-35 fighters acquired by the British Armed Forces by the end of 2033

Following a brief parliamentary inquiry held in the House of Lords, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that the United States will deliver the last of the 75 stealth F-35 fighters acquired by the British Armed Forces by the end of 2033. These aircraft are key to consolidating the strike capabilities of the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Groups and to advancing the Royal Air Force’s plans to restore the air component of the nuclear deterrent. The announcement reflects a change in timelines compared to the original schedule, delaying the date on which both services will be able to operate their full complement of aircraft.

Based on the brief quotations available, it can be stated that the question regarding the acquisition of the F-35s was submitted by Lord Alan West, Baron West of Spithead: “To ask His Majesty’s Government when they expect to have received the 74 (sic) F-35 Lightning aircraft.” The response was provided by Lord Vernon Coaker, Baron Coaker and a senior official within the UK defence portfolio, who stated: “The Department expects to receive its 75th F-35 aircraft by the end of 2033.” Both the question and the response were submitted in writing and are publicly available on the UK Parliament’s website.

It is worth highlighting at this point that the United Kingdom announced last November that it had a fleet of 41 stealth fighters, with the goal of reaching a total of 48 aircraft by the end of the year—efforts that are reportedly still ongoing. These statements were made by Louise Sandher-Jones, who serves as Minister for Veterans and People in the British government, revealing that a significant number of F-35s remain to be delivered in order to complete the agreed schedule.

On the other hand, it should be noted that the aircraft delivered to date belong to the B variant of the fighter developed by U.S. company Lockheed Martin, whose main advantage lies in its ability to operate from the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers that equip the Royal Navy, while also being jointly operated with the Royal Air Force from RAF Marham. In particular, both services recently celebrated the achievement of Full Operating Capability for carrier-based operations, a milestone reached aboard HMS Prince of Wales during last year’s deployment known as Operation Highmast.

Returning to what was mentioned at the outset, it should be recalled that the confirmation of the purchase of 12 new F-35A fighters was announced by London as recently as June 2025, on the eve of the publication of the Strategic Defence Review issued by the new Labour administration. As previously reported, this acquisition is intended to form a squadron of aircraft capable of carrying U.S.-made B61-12 thermonuclear bombs, with this variant being the only one certified for that role.

In detail, this dozen aircraft would operate under the Royal Air Force, with RAF Marham in Norfolk as the likely main base, while RAF Lakenheath is considered a potential alternative. Both bases are notable for having storage facilities which, although requiring refurbishment after nearly two decades since the withdrawal of the last U.S. nuclear bombs from the country, would be capable of housing the weapons intended to be added to the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent, thereby reducing reliance on its current submarine-launched missile force.

*Images used for illustrative purposes

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