Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II operators

Nations flying the F-35 fighter From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II operators
Remove ads

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of stealth multirole fighters that first entered service with the United States in 2015. The aircraft has been ordered by program partner nations, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, and Australia, and also through the Department of Defense's Foreign Military Sales program, including Japan, South Korea, and Israel. The units that operate or plan on operating the aircraft are listed below.

Thumb
  Operates F-35A, F-35B and F-35C variants (United States)
  Operates F-35A and F-35B variants (Italy, Japan)
  Operates F-35A variant only (Australia, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea)
  Operates F-35B variant only (United Kingdom)
  Operates F-35I variant only (Israel)
  Awaiting delivery (F-35A: Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Poland, Romania, Switzerland; F-35A & F-35B: Singapore)
Remove ads

Operators

Summarize
Perspective
Thumb
One of the RAAF's first two F-35As in December 2014
Thumb
The F-35I Adir (accompanied by a 253 Squadron F-16I Sufa) on its debut flight in Israel, December 2016
Thumb
Dutch F-35A in July 2013
Thumb
F-35 in 41st Training Air Base in Dęblin, Poland during the 2020 acquisition deal signing ceremony

F-35A

 Australia

 Belgium

 Canada

  • Royal Canadian Air Force – 88 ordered in January 2023. First aircraft to arrive in 2026, first squadron operational in 2029 and full fleet operational by 2032 to 2034.[9][10][11]

 Czech Republic

  • Czech Air Force – The U.S. State Department approved a possible sale to the Czech Republic of F-35 aircraft, munitions and related equipment worth up to $5.62 billion, according to a 29 June 2023 announcement.[12] On 29 January 2024, the Czech government signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States for the purchase of F-35A fighters.[13]

 Denmark

 Finland

 Germany

 Greece

 Italy

 Japan

 Netherlands

 Norway

 Poland

 Romania

  • Romanian Air Force – The first order for 32 F-35 fighters worth $6.5 billion was concluded on 21 November 2024.[40][41] Plans are to buy a further 16 F-35s for a total of 48 which will replace the current Romanian F-16s between 2034 and 2040.[42]

 Singapore

 South Korea

 Switzerland

 United Kingdom

 United States

F-35I

 Israel

F-35B

Thumb
The first Italian F-35B
Thumb
First four RAF F-35Bs on a delivery flight to RAF Marham, June 2018

 Italy

 Japan

 Singapore

 United Kingdom - 41 delivered, out of 48 ordered.[94] 1 lost.[95] 138 F35s planned over life of programme.[96][53]

 United States

Thumb
A USMC F-35B aboard USS Wasp

F-35C

Thumb
USN F-35C launches from USS Abraham Lincoln

 United States

Remove ads

Potential operators

 Morocco

India

Remove ads

Former potential operators

Summarize
Perspective

 Republic of China

  • Republic of China Air Force – In 2011, it was reported that Taiwan would procure a 5th Generation fighter such as the F-35.[124] A renewed push for purchasing the F-35 happened in early 2017,[125] and again in March 2018.[126] However, by November 2018 it was reported that the Taiwanese military leadership abandoned the F-35 program in favor of the F-16V Viper. Reportedly, the decision was motivated by concerns about industry independence, and Chinese espionage concerns.[127]

 Spain

  • Spanish Navy / Spanish Air Force – In 2023, the Spanish government included €6.25 billion in its budget requirements to begin the process of replacing combat aircraft used by both the Navy and the Air Force. The Navy's plan was to retire its AV-8B Harrier aircraft by 2030; due to Juan Carlos I being a STOVL aircraft carrier, the only feasible alternative to the Harrier was the F-35B. The Air Force were also looking at the F-35A to replace its F/A-18 Hornets while the Future Combat Air System was under development. However, in 2025, the government elected to end any interest in the procurement of either version of the F-35. For the Air Force, Spain instead elected to new purchases of the Eurofighter Typhoon, while the Navy faced the potential of a fixed-wing aviation gap after 2030.[128]

 Thailand

 Turkey

  • Turkish Air Force – 4 F-35A delivered and withheld[133][134] at Luke Air Force Base. 30 F-35s were ordered,[135] of up to 100 total planned.[136][137] Future purchases have been banned by the U.S. with contracts canceled by early 2020.[134] On 1 February 2024 the U.S. expressed a willingness to readmit Turkey into the F-35 program in the event of a satisfactory resolution of the S-400 issue.[138]

 United Arab Emirates

Remove ads

Ship-based platforms

Ship-based platform activation includes:[143]

Remove ads

See also

Notes

  1. In June 2025, the UK government announced that, as part of the second tranche of 27 aircraft it planned to procure, it would purchase 15 new F-35Bs, swapping the additional 12 airframes for an identical number of F-35As. Intended to operate as part of 207 Squadron, the Lightning Operational Conversion Unit, the F-35A would primarily be utilised as a training platform, thanks to its increased endurance over the F-35B. Additionally, the F-35A would allow the UK to restore its airborne nuclear strike capability as part of NATO's dual-capable aircraft programme.[51][52][53]
  2. Navy squadron that trained both Navy and Marine F-35C pilots, and operated Navy and Marine F-35Cs maintained by both sailors and Marines.
Remove ads

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads