Lockheed Martin closed out 2025 with a new record for the F-35 Lightning II program, completing the delivery of 191 fifth-generation stealth fighters to the U.S. Armed Forces and allied countries in Europe, significantly surpassing the previous annual record of 142 aircraft delivered in a single year.
According to the company, which made the announcement on January 7, 2026, from Fort Worth, Texas, annual F-35 production is currently proceeding at a rate five times higher than that of any other allied fighter aircraft still in production, reflecting the level of maturity reached by the program.
Production, software, and operations in 2025
The milestone followed the F-35 program surpassing one million cumulative flight hours during 2025. At the same time, the program team completed the delivery of the Tech Refresh 3 (TR-3) software package, considered the most advanced to date, while sustaining a global fleet of nearly 1,300 aircraft in service.
Throughout the year, the F-35 was employed in several real-world operations, including participation in the suppression of Iranian air defenses during Operation Midnight Hammer; the accumulation of nearly 5,000 incident-free flight hours during a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B deployment; and the interception of Russian drones over Poland, marking the first time NATO F-35s confronted threats in allied airspace.
Commenting on these achievements, Chauncey McIntosh, Vice President and General Manager of the F-35 Lightning II program, stated: “I am immensely proud of the F-35 enterprise for delivering on our production commitments, performing with excellence, and expanding our global partnerships in 2025.”
Contracts and international expansion
In September 2025, the Joint Program Office (JPO) and Lockheed Martin reached a final agreement for Lots 18 and 19, covering the production and delivery of up to 296 F-35s valued at USD 24 billion, the largest manufacturing contract in the history of the program. In addition, both parties signed an air vehicle sustainment contract to cover logistics activities beginning in 2025.
International demand also continued to grow. Italy and Denmark expanded their programs by adding 25 and 16 additional aircraft, respectively. These developments were accompanied by key milestones across allied nations. First, Norway completed the delivery of its entire F-35 fleet. Next, Belgium received its first F-35A aircraft on national territory. Finally, Finland officially unveiled its first F-35A in December 2025.
Recent milestones among allied countries
The performance achieved in 2025 contrasted with the previous year. In 2024, Lockheed Martin delivered 110 F-35s, below the initial projection of 156 aircraft. This reduction was linked to delays in the certification of Block 4 software associated with TR-3, which led the JPO to reject aircraft lacking the certified configuration. Despite this, the program surpassed the threshold of 1,100 F-35s delivered worldwide.
Among the most notable milestones, in April 2025 the Royal Norwegian Air Force became the first F-35 partner to complete its fleet, with the delivery of aircraft numbers 51 and 52. On that occasion, Norwegian Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik stated: “…the F-35 is the best combat aircraft in the world, and I am very pleased to receive the last of the 52 fighter jets that Norway has ordered from Lockheed Martin…”.
In October 2025, Belgium inducted its first three F-35A aircraft at Florennes Air Base and confirmed the purchase of 11 additional units, raising the total to 45 aircraft. Finally, in December 2025, Finland presented its first F-35A, designated JF-501, intended to replace the F/A-18 Hornet fleet of its Air Force.
With these results, Lockheed Martin consolidated 2025 as the year with the highest annual volume of F-35 deliveries since the start of the program, reinforcing the aircraft’s operational presence in the United States and across multiple allied air forces.
Images for illustrative purposes.
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