The United States produced a record number of fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighters in 2025, consolidating the industrial and operational maturity of the program. The information was released by Lockheed Martin.
Over the past year, customers received 191 combat aircraft, surpassing the previous record of 142 deliveries. According to the company, annual F-35 production is currently five times higher than that of any other allied fighter, underscoring the scale of the program.
The global F-35 Lightning II fleet now totals approximately 1,300 aircraft in service and continues to expand. In March 2025, the aircraft surpassed the milestone of 1 million cumulative flight hours, a significant achievement for a fifth-generation fighter still in an international growth phase.
+ Norwegian F-35 fighter jets intercept Russian Tu-142 aircraft over the Norwegian Sea
Beyond industrial progress, the F-35 was also employed in real combat operations in 2025. Among the highlighted episodes was its participation in the suppression of Iranian air defenses during the so-called Operation Midnight Hammer. The period also recorded nearly 5,000 accident-free flight hours during the deployment of the U.S. Marine Corps’ F-35B.
Another cited event was the interception of Russian drones over Poland, marking the first use of the F-35 against threats in the airspace of NATO allied countries.
International demand for the fighter continued to grow in 2025. Italy and Denmark announced expansions of their programs, adding 25 and 16 aircraft, respectively. In September, the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) and Lockheed Martin finalized the agreement for Lots 18 and 19, which предусматриes the production of up to 296 aircraft under a contract valued at $24 billion, the largest in the program’s history.
As part of the global expansion, the first Finnish fifth-generation multirole fighter, the F-35A, conducted its maiden flight on December 8, 2025, reinforcing the entry of new operators into the system.
Source and images: Lockheed Martin. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
