Breaking News
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Program Crosses 1,300 Aircraft With Record 2025 Deliveries.
Lockheed Martin said on January 7, 2026, that the F-35 program delivered a record 191 aircraft in 2025, pushing the global fleet past 1,300 jets. The milestone reflects the fighter’s transition from a developmental program into the backbone combat aircraft for the United States and a growing coalition of allies.
Lockheed Martin announced on January 7, 2026, that the F-35 Lightning II program closed 2025 with a record 191 aircraft delivered, making it the most productive year in the fighter’s two-decade history. This achievement goes beyond production volume alone, underscoring a wider transformation in global airpower as the F-35 shifts from a next-generation capability into the core combat aircraft underpinning an expanding coalition of allied air forces.
Lockheed Martin announced that the F-35 Lightning II program delivered a record 191 aircraft in 2025, pushing the global fleet beyond 1,300 jets and cementing the fighter’s role as the core combat aircraft for U.S. and allied air forces (Picture Source: Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed Martin confirmed that the annual F-35 production rate is now five times greater than any other allied fighter platform currently in manufacture, reflecting both the aircraft’s industrial scalability and sustained global demand. The total F-35 fleet now exceeds 1,300 aircraft, operated by more than 19 nations, and the program surpassed the milestone of one million cumulative flight hours earlier in the year. These indicators point not only to program maturity but to the increasing reliance on the F-35 as a linchpin in Western and allied air strategies.
While the industrial figures are staggering, the program’s real momentum lies in operational performance. In 2025, the F-35 saw increased combat deployment across multiple theaters. According to Lockheed Martin, U.S. and allied F-35 units participated in Operation Midnight Hammer, a joint campaign involving the suppression of Iranian integrated air defenses. Although precise mission details remain classified, defense industry sources suggest the operation tested TR-3 software capabilities in live contested airspace for the first time. The aircraft’s ability to penetrate advanced radar environments and conduct precision strikes was reportedly instrumental in the campaign’s success.
Separately, Lockheed Martin revealed that NATO F-35s eliminated airborne threats over Poland in what it described as the first known instance of fifth-generation fighters engaging drones in NATO airspace. While the company did not specify the operator or the drones’ origin, defense officials in Brussels confirmed the engagement occurred along the eastern flank and has prompted tactical reviews across NATO’s integrated air and missile defense architecture.
On the Pacific front, U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs logged nearly 5,000 mishap-free flight hours during overseas deployments aboard amphibious assault ships and expeditionary bases. These flight hours demonstrate the platform’s operational reliability and are a significant endorsement of the aircraft’s performance under expeditionary conditions, especially as the U.S. military pivots toward distributed maritime operations in the Indo-Pacific.
The record-setting year was also marked by a surge in global acquisition commitments. Italy expanded its program of record by 25 aircraft, and Denmark confirmed plans to acquire 16 additional F-35As, both citing enhanced interoperability and the urgency of replacing aging fourth-generation fleets. Finland marked a significant milestone with the rollout of its first aircraft, while Belgium welcomed its first F-35 at home soil, initiating in-country basing and training. Norway became the first Nordic country to complete full F-35 deliveries, rounding out a regional transformation that places fifth-generation capability across Northern Europe.
Industrial and sustainment advancements kept pace with operational growth. In September, Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) finalized the long-awaited Lots 18-19 production agreement, covering up to 296 aircraft valued at $24 billion - the largest production deal in the program’s history. In parallel, a new Air Vehicle Sustainment Contract was signed, ensuring logistics support, software integration, parts availability, and training pipelines are reinforced for 2025 and beyond. These deals are central to maintaining full mission capability across a rapidly expanding global fleet.
Technological progress remained a pillar of the program in 2025, particularly with the rollout of the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3). Described by Lockheed Martin as the most advanced software baseline yet delivered, TR-3 upgrades the F-35’s processing core, sensor fusion, and electronic warfare capability. The refresh also prepares the platform for Block 4 enhancements, including advanced weapons, cyber-resilience features, and AI-assisted targeting algorithms. Despite initial delays, Lockheed confirmed TR-3 deliveries were completed within 2025 and are now operational in frontline squadrons.
Chauncey McIntosh, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II program, said the company sees the jet as an increasingly routine asset for U.S. and allied forces worldwide, and added that it plans to keep pushing the latest technologies into the hands of aircrews so they can stay ahead of any emerging threat.
The F-35’s growth in 2025 reflects more than tactical success. It marks a strategic shift in global air dominance, where coalition partners are aligning around a single multi-role stealth platform capable of penetrating modern anti-access environments, sharing data in real time, and integrating across joint and multinational formations. With over a dozen F-35 production lines and support centers now operating worldwide, the program has become the most expansive and strategically embedded fighter initiative of the 21st century.
As 2026 begins, the question is no longer whether the F-35 will dominate the skies, it already does. The focus now shifts to how nations will employ this dominance, in an era where fifth-generation survivability, interoperability, and scalability will define the next generation of joint force projection.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.