UK Deploys Record Number of F-35B Fighter Jets on Its Aircraft Carrier

For the first time since the end of World War II, the UK’s Royal Navy has deployed 24 fighter jets on an aircraft carrier – a major milestone that significantly boosts the ship’s operational capabilities.

The War Zone reported on this.

This deployment was carried out entirely by the UK, without assistance from foreign forces – unlike previous missions, when the United States had stationed its own aircraft on the British carrier.

It is worth noting that 24 fighter jets do not represent the carrier’s full capacity. According to some official sources, the aircraft carrier is capable of accommodating over 50 fighter jets in total.

Meanwhile, a full operational air wing that can be housed entirely within the aircraft carrier’s internal hangar includes approximately 45–48 fighter jets.

Despite the number of aircraft the carrier can accommodate, as of today, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force together operate only 37 aircraft of this type – and about 40% of them may be non-operational while based at airfields.

According to long-standing plans by the Ministry of Defence, the United Kingdom ultimately intends to obtain a total of 138 F-35B fighter jets. However, this plan remains largely a promise, as funding has so far been allocated for the purchase of only 75 F-35B aircraft.

Whether the purchase of the remaining aircraft will be funded to bring the total number to around 100 units will become clear in the coming years.

In addition, the fighter jet procurement plan may be adjusted due to a possible order of 12 F-35A aircraft, which would represent a step toward restoring the UK’s nuclear deterrent air component, lost back in 1998. These new fighters are expected to carry B61 nuclear bombs.

Despite these procurement plans, the UK’s F-35 fleet faces a number of challenges, primarily due to a shortage of experienced pilots, specialists, and proper infrastructure, as well as the insufficient readiness of RAF Marham, which serves as the main base for F-35 fighter jets.

Militarnyi previously reported that the UK House of Commons Public Accounts Committee released a report on the capabilities of the country’s F-35 fighters, assessing their operational effectiveness as highly unsatisfactory.

The report notes that the Ministry of Defence is preparing to declare the aircraft fully operational according to criteria that are partly subjective and do not take into account key limitations – primarily the lack of long-range strike weapons.

Additionally, the Committee has demanded that the Ministry of Defence provide clear transparency regarding both funding and the exact number of aircraft planned for purchase.

The Committee noted a sharp increase in the program’s life-cycle costs: following an NAO audit, the Ministry of Defence updated its estimates to nearly £57 billion for 138 aircraft through 2069 – and this does not include expenses for personnel, fuel, or infrastructure.

The Committee also criticized the practice of “year-by-year savings,” which, according to them, ultimately only increases overall costs and creates gaps in combat capabilities.