Royal Air Force F-35B Delivered

The United Kingdom took delivery of the final three F-35B Lightning IIs of its initial 48-aircraft order in late April 2026. Jets BK46, BK47 and BK48 departed Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth production line in Texas and crossed the Atlantic to RAF Marham, Norfolk, supported by a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker from RAF Brize Norton. The arrival completes the first procurement phase of the UK Lightning programme, with the operational fleet standing at 47 aircraft following the 2021 loss of BK18 in a carrier takeoff mishap. The fleet is operated jointly by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, with a follow-on batch of 15 F-35Bs and 12 F-35As planned.