DefenseLockheed Martin delivers 191 F-35s in 2025, breaking previous production record
Lockheed Martin delivered 191 F-35 Lightning II fighters in 2025, surpassing its previous annual record of 142 jets. The company confirmed the milestone on January 8.
Lockheed Martin stated that F-35 production is advancing five times faster than any other allied fighter currently in production. Italy and Denmark expanded their fleets last year, adding 25 and 16 F-35s, respectively.
“I’m immensely proud of the F-35 enterprise for delivering on our production commitments, performing with excellence and growing our global partnerships in 2025,” said Chauncey McIntosh, Vice President and General Manager of the F-35 Lightning II Program.
The F-35 program previously reached one million flight hours earlier in 2025. During the year, the aircraft reportedly played a key role in suppressing Iranian air defenses in Operation Midnight Hammer and recorded nearly 5,000 incident-free flight hours during a US Marine Corps F-35B deployment.
F-35s operated by NATO engaged Russian drones over Poland last year, which Lockheed Martin notes as the first instance of the type countering threats in allied airspace.
Despite the increase in annual deliveries, the F-35 program lost support from Canada, Switzerland, and Portugal during the first year of the Trump administration.
Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office finalized an agreement in September for the production and delivery of up to 296 F-35s, valued at $24 billion.
About the Author
Ricardo Meier
Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
