U.S. Produces Record Number of F-35 Fighter Jets in 2025

The United States produced a record number of fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jets in 2025.

According to Lockheed Martin, a total of 191 combat aircraft were delivered to customers during the year, exceeding the company’s previous production record of 142 fighter jets.

According to the U.S. company, annual F-35 production is now five times higher than that of any other allied fighter jet, reflecting the scale and maturity of the program.

The global fleet of F-35 Lightning II aircraft currently numbers around 1,300 jets in service, and this figure continues to grow. As of March 2025, the fleet had surpassed 1 million flight hours.

According to information released by Lockheed Martin, the F-35 was also used in real combat operations in 2025.

Among the most significant events was its involvement in suppressing Iranian air defenses during Operation ‘Midnight Hammer.’

Nearly 5,000 hours of accident-free flight were also recorded during the deployment of U.S. Marine Corps F-35B aircraft.

Another cited example was the interception of Russian drones over Poland, marking the first use of F-35 fighter jets to counter threats within NATO allies’ airspace.

Meanwhile, international demand for the F-35 continued to grow in 2025. In particular, 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 reached a final agreement on Lots 18 and 19, providing for the production of up to 296 aircraft valued at $24 billion. This agreement is the largest production contract in the history of the program.

As previously reported, the first Finnish fifth-generation multirole F-35A fighter conducted its maiden flight on December 8, 2025.