Who Actually Builds the F-35’s Engine and Critical Systems?

Short answer: the F-35 isn’t the product of one company — it’s built by at least three major prime contractors (Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems) plus a separate engine giant (Pratt & Whitney/RTX). By Lockheed Martin’s own count, 1,650 suppliers across 47 US states feed the program, and on the broadest definition more than 13,000 companies worldwide contribute parts, technology or services. Here’s the aircraft broken down by subsystem and who actually builds it.

Airframe: three companies, three continents

The F-35’s structure isn’t built in one factory. Lockheed Martin (Fort Worth, Texas) builds the forward fuselage; Northrop Grumman builds the center fuselage; the center wing comes from Lockheed’s Marietta, Georgia plant; the outer wings are split between Fort Worth and Leonardo in Italy; and the aft fuselage is built in the UK by BAE Systems. Northrop Grumman delivered its 1,500th F-35 fuselage in early 2025 — reflecting the company’s roughly 20-25% contribution to the airframe.

Engine: Pratt & Whitney (RTX)

At the F-35’s heart is the Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan, built in East Hartford and Middletown, Connecticut. The F-35B’s STOVL lift system comes from a different supplier: Rolls-Royce, manufactured in Indianapolis. Delays in the engine supply chain hit delivery schedules directly — the F135’s Lot 18/19 production contracts weren’t finalized until spring 2026.

Radar and sensors: mostly Northrop Grumman

• AN/APG-81 AESA radar — Northrop Grumman, Linthicum, Maryland
• AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System (DAS) — missile-warning/360° situational awareness, Northrop Grumman
• AN/ASQ-242 communications and navigation system — Northrop Grumman
• AAQ-40 Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) — Lockheed Martin
• AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare suite — BAE Systems

Cockpit and pilot equipment

The Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) — which projects flight and targeting data directly onto the pilot’s visor, replacing a traditional HUD — is built in Fort Worth by Collins Aerospace and Elbit Systems of America. The ejection seat is the UK’s Martin-Baker US16E, assembled in Fort Worth; the company has delivered more than 1,400 seats to the program to date.

At a glance: who builds what, where

This table covers only the major, publicly confirmed prime-level supply relationships — not the full network of 1,650+ sub-tier suppliers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many countries manufacture the F-35?

The core structure is built in the US, UK and Italy; the engine in the US. But the deeper sub-tier supply chain spans a far wider network of countries and companies.

What technology access does a buyer country get?

Typically the aircraft itself plus a defined maintenance/training package; source code, the most sensitive sensor-fusion algorithms and some electronic warfare details remain under US control.

How do supply chain delays affect deliveries?

A delay in the engine or a critical sensor subsystem — like the F135’s contract slipping into spring 2026 — can leave even structurally complete jets waiting undelivered, as seen with the TR-3-driven delivery backlog in 2025.

Sources

• Simple Flying — Beyond Lockheed Martin
• Military Aerospace — F-35 Avionics and Sensors
• F-35.com — F-35 Partners
• The National Interest — Northrop Grumman’s 1,500th F-35 Fuselage
• Martin-Baker — US16E Ejection Seat
• Congressional Research Service — F-35 Lightning II Report

Related Reading

• Order an F-35 Today: How Long Is the Real Wait?
• Bozdoğan vs AIM-9X Sidewinder

Updated August 28, 2026. Supply relationships here cover only major, publicly confirmed system-level information.

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