U.S. Keeps F-35 Fighter Jet Production at 156 Aircraft as Global Demand Stays Strong
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Lockheed Martin will maintain F-35 Lightning II production at 156 aircraft per year, citing sustained demand from the United States and international customers. The decision reinforces confidence in the fighter program despite uncertainty surrounding the final U.S. defense budget.
During its second quarter 2026 earnings presentation, Lockheed Martin said the Department of Defense’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget includes funding for 85 F-35 fighter jets for the U.S. military, with the remaining aircraft in the annual production plan destined for foreign military sales and partner nations. Although Congress has not yet finalized appropriations, the company said global demand remains strong enough to support the current manufacturing rate over the long term.Related News: How Terma’s Multi-Mission Pod Could Make F-35 Fighter Jets More Adaptable for Future Missions
With more than 1,340 aircraft delivered and over twenty operators or customers across Europe, North America, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region, the F-35 has become the largest Western fighter aircraft program currently in service. (Picture source: US DoD)
According to Lockheed Martin Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Taiclet, annual defense budget discussions do not alter the program’s long-term requirements. Aircraft that are not funded during one fiscal cycle are expected to be procured in subsequent years to meet the operational needs of U.S. and allied forces. This level of visibility enables the company to maintain a stable assembly line while supporting an industrial network involving hundreds of suppliers across the United States and partner nations. The annual output of 156 aircraft does not represent an increase in production but rather the rate that Lockheed Martin intends to sustain over the coming years.
This outlook also reflects the increasingly global nature of the program. During the conference call covering the company’s second quarter 2026 financial results, Taiclet explained that the 156 aircraft produced each year are not intended exclusively for the U.S. military. Of that total, 85 aircraft correspond to the current U.S. budget request, while the remaining 71 are allocated to international customers and security partners. The F-35 has been ordered or is in service with more than twenty countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Poland, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Singapore, and the Czech Republic. This broad customer base reduces reliance on annual U.S. budget decisions and helps maintain a consistent production workload.
Figures released by Lockheed Martin illustrate the current status of the program. At the end of the second quarter of 2026, the company had delivered 1,344 production F-35s since the program began, including 956 F-35As, 250 F-35Bs and 138 F-35Cs. Its order backlog stood at 317 aircraft. At the current production rate, that represents slightly more than two years of manufacturing activity, although it does not fully reflect the program’s long-term prospects. Orders from the United States and international customers continue to replenish the backlog, while several operators have yet to receive all of the aircraft already on order and are considering additional acquisitions. Lockheed Martin estimates that total F-35 production will exceed 3,500 aircraft over the life of the program.
Alongside aircraft deliveries, the company continues to expand its sustainment activities. Shortly before the earnings announcement, Lockheed Martin received a $1.6 billion contract for F-35 spare parts, described as the largest award of its kind for the program to date. The company stated that it had built inventories of replacement components before the contract was awarded to shorten delivery times. This approach aligns with Pentagon efforts to improve the operational availability of a global fleet that now exceeds 1,300 aircraft.
The F-35 program consists of three variants designed for different operational requirements. The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing version and is the most widely operated model, accounting for the majority of export orders. The F-35B features short takeoff and vertical landing capability through the Rolls-Royce LiftFan system integrated with the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, allowing operations from amphibious assault ships and austere airfields. The F-35C is designed for catapult-assisted carrier operations and incorporates larger folding wings, reinforced landing gear, and increased range to support naval missions.
All three F-35 variants share a common mission architecture built around the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array radar, the AN/AAQ-40 Electro-Optical Targeting System, the AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System and the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, which produces approximately 43,000 pounds of thrust. Data collected by these systems is fused and distributed through the Multifunction Advanced Data Link and Link 16, enabling real-time information exchange with other air, land and naval platforms. Internal weapons bays can carry AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, AIM-9X missiles and precision-guided munitions including JDAM and GBU-53/B StormBreaker while preserving the aircraft’s low observable configuration. The platform is designed to operate in contested environments by combining low observability, electronic warfare, intelligence gathering and precision strike capabilities within a single aircraft.
With more than 1,340 aircraft delivered and over twenty operators or customers across Europe, North America, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region, the F-35 has become the largest Western fighter aircraft program currently in service. Maintaining an annual production rate of 156 aircraft reflects both the existing order backlog and the continued flow of new contracts and follow-on orders from current operators. As additional countries introduce the aircraft into service, the expanding fleet contributes to greater interoperability among allied air forces through common logistics, training, maintenance, and mission systems. In the context of continuing strategic competition involving Russia and China, the sustained production rate indicates that the F-35 is expected to remain a central element of air force modernization efforts across a large number of partner nations for the foreseeable future.
Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition GroupErwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.
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Lockheed Martin will maintain F-35 Lightning II production at 156 aircraft per year, citing sustained demand from the United States and international customers. The decision reinforces confidence in the fighter program despite uncertainty surrounding the final U.S. defense budget.
During its second quarter 2026 earnings presentation, Lockheed Martin said the Department of Defense’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget includes funding for 85 F-35 fighter jets for the U.S. military, with the remaining aircraft in the annual production plan destined for foreign military sales and partner nations. Although Congress has not yet finalized appropriations, the company said global demand remains strong enough to support the current manufacturing rate over the long term.
Related News: How Terma’s Multi-Mission Pod Could Make F-35 Fighter Jets More Adaptable for Future Missions
With more than 1,340 aircraft delivered and over twenty operators or customers across Europe, North America, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region, the F-35 has become the largest Western fighter aircraft program currently in service. (Picture source: US DoD)
According to Lockheed Martin Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Taiclet, annual defense budget discussions do not alter the program’s long-term requirements. Aircraft that are not funded during one fiscal cycle are expected to be procured in subsequent years to meet the operational needs of U.S. and allied forces. This level of visibility enables the company to maintain a stable assembly line while supporting an industrial network involving hundreds of suppliers across the United States and partner nations. The annual output of 156 aircraft does not represent an increase in production but rather the rate that Lockheed Martin intends to sustain over the coming years.
This outlook also reflects the increasingly global nature of the program. During the conference call covering the company’s second quarter 2026 financial results, Taiclet explained that the 156 aircraft produced each year are not intended exclusively for the U.S. military. Of that total, 85 aircraft correspond to the current U.S. budget request, while the remaining 71 are allocated to international customers and security partners. The F-35 has been ordered or is in service with more than twenty countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Poland, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Singapore, and the Czech Republic. This broad customer base reduces reliance on annual U.S. budget decisions and helps maintain a consistent production workload.
Figures released by Lockheed Martin illustrate the current status of the program. At the end of the second quarter of 2026, the company had delivered 1,344 production F-35s since the program began, including 956 F-35As, 250 F-35Bs and 138 F-35Cs. Its order backlog stood at 317 aircraft. At the current production rate, that represents slightly more than two years of manufacturing activity, although it does not fully reflect the program’s long-term prospects. Orders from the United States and international customers continue to replenish the backlog, while several operators have yet to receive all of the aircraft already on order and are considering additional acquisitions. Lockheed Martin estimates that total F-35 production will exceed 3,500 aircraft over the life of the program.
Alongside aircraft deliveries, the company continues to expand its sustainment activities. Shortly before the earnings announcement, Lockheed Martin received a $1.6 billion contract for F-35 spare parts, described as the largest award of its kind for the program to date. The company stated that it had built inventories of replacement components before the contract was awarded to shorten delivery times. This approach aligns with Pentagon efforts to improve the operational availability of a global fleet that now exceeds 1,300 aircraft.
The F-35 program consists of three variants designed for different operational requirements. The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing version and is the most widely operated model, accounting for the majority of export orders. The F-35B features short takeoff and vertical landing capability through the Rolls-Royce LiftFan system integrated with the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, allowing operations from amphibious assault ships and austere airfields. The F-35C is designed for catapult-assisted carrier operations and incorporates larger folding wings, reinforced landing gear, and increased range to support naval missions.
All three F-35 variants share a common mission architecture built around the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array radar, the AN/AAQ-40 Electro-Optical Targeting System, the AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System and the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, which produces approximately 43,000 pounds of thrust. Data collected by these systems is fused and distributed through the Multifunction Advanced Data Link and Link 16, enabling real-time information exchange with other air, land and naval platforms. Internal weapons bays can carry AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, AIM-9X missiles and precision-guided munitions including JDAM and GBU-53/B StormBreaker while preserving the aircraft’s low observable configuration. The platform is designed to operate in contested environments by combining low observability, electronic warfare, intelligence gathering and precision strike capabilities within a single aircraft.
With more than 1,340 aircraft delivered and over twenty operators or customers across Europe, North America, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region, the F-35 has become the largest Western fighter aircraft program currently in service. Maintaining an annual production rate of 156 aircraft reflects both the existing order backlog and the continued flow of new contracts and follow-on orders from current operators. As additional countries introduce the aircraft into service, the expanding fleet contributes to greater interoperability among allied air forces through common logistics, training, maintenance, and mission systems. In the context of continuing strategic competition involving Russia and China, the sustained production rate indicates that the F-35 is expected to remain a central element of air force modernization efforts across a large number of partner nations for the foreseeable future.
Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.
