American multirole stealth fighter, developed in the early 21st century, extensively deployed in global military operations. Key figures: top speed 1,960 km/h, range 2,800 km, service ceiling 15,000 m, max takeoff weight 27,216 kg, unit price $103M, built 965. In service with 13 air forces as of 2026 — United States (611), Australia (72), Japan (57) and 10 others.
| Crew | 1 |
| Length | 15.6 m (51.2 ft) |
| Wingspan | 11 m (36.1 ft) |
| Height | 4.4 m (14.3 ft) |
| Wing area | 43 m² (462.8 sqft) |
| Empty weight | 14,651 kg (32,300 lbs) |
| Max. takeoff weight | 27,216 kg (60,001 lbs) |
| Powerplant | 1 × turbofan Pratt & Whitney F-135-PW-600 19,500 kgf each |
| Ejection seat | Martin-Baker US16E |
| Maximum speed | 1960 km/h (Mach 1.96) |
| Operational range | 2,800 km (1,740 mi) |
| Service ceiling | 15,000 m (49,213 ft) |
United States
611 +1707
Australia
72 +28
Japan
57 +90
Norway
52
Italy
50 +65
Israel
48 +27
United Kingdom
40 +22
South Korea
40 +20
Netherlands
40 +12
Denmark
21 +6
Belgium
12 +22
Poland
7 +25
Finland
1 +63
Canada
0 +88
United Arab Emirates
0 +50
Switzerland
0 +36
Germany
0 +35
Romania
0 +32
Czechia
0 +24
Greece
0 +20
Singapore
0 +20
Germany
First F-35A handed over at Fort Worth; jet stays in the US for Luftwaffe aircrew training.
Delivered
Poland
×5
Five F-35A Husarz landed at Łask after a ferry flight via the Azores, raising the number based in Poland to eight.
Delivered
United States
Crashed short of the runway on approach to MCAS Miramar, San Diego; pilot ejected and survived with minor injuries.
Crash
Poland
×3
First three F-35A Husarz fighters landed at Łask Air Base, Poland's first F-35s on home soil; escorted by Polish F-16s.
Delivered
United Kingdom
×3
BK46, BK47 and BK48 arrived at RAF Marham with Voyager tanker support, completing the UK initial order of 48 F-35Bs.
Delivered
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, supersonic stealth multirole strike fighters developed for air superiority, strike, electronic warfare, and intelligence missions. Lockheed Martin serves as prime contractor, partnered with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. The aircraft entered service in 2015 with the US Marine Corps, followed by the US Air Force in 2016 and US Navy in 2019. It is known as the world's most-numerous stealth aircraft, with 883 in service as of 2025, operating across land and carrier-based variants.
The program originated from the Joint Strike Fighter competition, which merged earlier tactical aircraft projects to replace the F-16, F/A-18, and AV-8B. In October 2001, Lockheed Martin's X-35 demonstrator won the contract over Boeing's X-32. Development was funded primarily by the United States alongside international partners including the United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia. The first production F-35A flew on 15 December 2006. Global deliveries reached approximately 1,300 aircraft by 2025, with full-rate production capacity reaching 156 units annually.
The F-35 utilizes a wing-tail airframe with 35% composite materials, diverterless supersonic inlets, and canted vertical stabilizers to reduce radar cross-section. Power is provided by a Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan generating 43,000 lbf of thrust with afterburner, reaching a maximum speed of Mach 1.6. The F-35B incorporates a shaft-driven lift fan and swivel nozzle for short takeoff and vertical landing operations. Sensors include the AN/APG-81 AESA radar, AN/AAQ-37 electro-optical distributed aperture system, and AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare suite. The cockpit features a helmet-mounted display system that projects flight and targeting data directly onto the pilot's visor.
For low-observable missions, ordnance is carried in two internal weapons bays housing AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, JDAM guided bombs, or B61 Mod 12 nuclear weapons on certified F-35As. Non-stealth operations utilize six external wing hardpoints, increasing maximum total payload capacity to 18,000 pounds. The F-35A carries an internal 25 mm GAU-22/A rotary cannon with 182 rounds, whereas the F-35B and F-35C employ an external centerline gun pod containing 220 rounds.
The F-35 first saw combat in May 2018 during Israeli Air Force strikes in Syria, followed by US Marine Corps F-35B strikes in Afghanistan in September 2018. US forces subsequently deployed the aircraft in combat over Iraq, Yemen, Venezuela, and Iran. The Royal Air Force conducted its first combat sorties over Iraq and Syria in 2019. Major export operators include Australia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, South Korea, and the Netherlands.
The U.S. State Department on 17 September 2026 approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II fighters and 49 F135 engines to Saudi Arabia, a package estimated at $24.3 billion that now goes to Congress for review.
The annual US-South Korean exercise will end on August 21 instead of August 27 and its second command-post phase is cancelled, after President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon on August 16 to substantially reduce the drills.
Lockheed Martin said on August 18 that the Luftwaffe's first F-35A has completed final assembly at Fort Worth, with a rollout set for September 18 and the first aircraft due at a US training base before the end of 2026.
The Defence Minister announced the purchase at Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin on August 6, 2026. Australia will be the first country outside the United States to field the AIM-260 JATM, the classified long-range air-to-air missile built to succeed the AMRAAM.
A US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II crashed and burned near the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on July 31, 2026. The pilot ejected and survived, and the Marines classified the accident as a Class A mishap.
Twenty countries have 2,402 F-35 Lightning IIs on order against 1,041 already delivered to 13 operators, an order book more than ten times the size of the next-largest fighter program.
