The U.S. Air Force earlier this year received its milestone 500th fifth-generation F-35A fighter jet, which was delivered to the 125th Fighter Wing. With this number, these aircraft currently remain the second most numerous type in the U.S. Air Force after the multirole F-16 fighters.
The delivery of the milestone jet was confirmed to Air and Space Forces Magazine by both the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin. A company representative emphasized that together they are celebrating "the delivery of more than 500 F-35 aircraft into their squadrons, adding to a combat-proven global fleet that provides peace through strength for the U.S and its allies.
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It is important to note, as Defense Express highlights, that this figure refers specifically to jets delivered to the U.S. Air Force. In total, Lockheed Martin had already marked the production of the 1,000th F-35 aircraft in January 2024.
Although 500 aircraft is a significant number, more than 1,200 remain to be delivered to reach the original target. Back in the 2000s, the U.S. Air Force outlined a goal of acquiring a total of 1,763 F-35 stealth fighters.
However, even with the procurement of 48 aircraft per year, it would take until the 2050s to reach such numbers. Already today, discussions are underway within the service about whether to eventually halt the F-35 program for a simple reason — will it still be relevant 30 years from now?
At one point, there were even considerations to cap the fleet at the current 500 aircraft, though it appears that decision did not gain support.
Another noteworthy detail is that the budget request for 2026 includes funding for just 24 aircraft, not 48 as previously planned.
Earlier, Defense Express reported that Switzerland is also reconsidering its contract with the U.S.
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