F-35 Lightning II: Specs, Cost, Operators & Comparison

The F-35 is a fifth-generation multirole fighter that combines air superiority, strike against land and sea targets, reconnaissance and electronic warfare in a single platform. It is defined by low observability (stealth), advanced sensor fusion and network-centric operation alongside allied forces.

It is produced in three variants: the conventional take-off and landing F-35A, the short take-off / vertical landing F-35B, and the carrier-based F-35C. This versatility has made the F-35 the common backbone of NATO and allied air forces.

The F-35 has become the common fighter of the Western world. The table below summarises the main operators and their status according to open sources.

Lockheed Martin delivered a record 191 F-35s in 2025, bringing the cumulative total to roughly 1,300 aircraft. The stable production rate is about 156+ jets per year. The Lot 18–19 contract alone covers 296 aircraft. Major order books include the United Kingdom (138), Japan (147), Italy (90) and Canada (88).

F-35 unit cost varies by variant, production lot and contract scope. With Lot 18 (2025) the fully equipped F-35A passed $100 million for the first time, driven by inflation, raw-material costs and rising engine prices. The program’s lifetime cost exceeds $2 trillion through 2088, making the F-35 the most expensive weapon system in U.S. history.

The F-35’s closest global counterparts are the fifth-generation Su-57 (Russia), J-20 and J-35 (China), and Turkey’s in-development KAAN. These are not identical in mission, however: the F-35 is designed as a networked multirole system, the J-20 emphasises long-range air superiority, and the Su-57 prioritises manoeuvrability. Read the table below as a near-class comparison, not direct equivalence.

Assessment: in production scale and export reach the F-35 leads by a wide margin, with a mature supply chain across 19+ nations. China’s J-20 has grown rapidly past 300 airframes but is not exported and serves only the PLAAF. The Su-57 offers longer range and higher speed on paper but is produced in small numbers with a more limited stealth approach. The J-35 is the Chinese system closest to the F-35 in size and mission and is also being fielded for carrier duty. KAAN is still in development, so its figures here are targets/estimates, not verified in-service data.

Equivalent classes: the Russian counterpart is the Su-57 (mission alternative, not a full equivalent); the Chinese counterparts are the J-20 for air superiority and the J-35 in size/carrier role; the Turkish counterpart is KAAN. The F-35 has no exact equivalent at the level of its multirole sensor fusion and allied integration, but these systems are being developed to perform similar missions.

Turkey was both a production partner and a customer that had ordered 100 F-35As. After Turkey purchased the Russian S-400 air-defence system, the United States removed Turkey from the F-35 program in July 2019. Turkey had paid roughly $1.4 billion; six aircraft that had already been built were never delivered.

To fill the gap, Turkey ordered 44 Eurofighter Typhoons, pursued F-16 modernisation, and accelerated its indigenous fifth-generation fighter, KAAN, which first flew in 2024 with deliveries targeted from 2028.

Strengths: genuine all-aspect stealth, industry-leading sensor fusion, deep allied interoperability, combat experience and the largest fifth-generation production base in the world.

Criticism: high acquisition and sustainment cost (US lifetime sustainment ~$1.6 trillion), a declining mission-capable rate (GAO reported a fall from 67% to 44%), engine and software-upgrade (TR-3/Block 4) delays, and logistics dependency on the U.S.-managed supply chain.

The F-35 is built by Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest defence company, with the F135 engine supplied by Pratt & Whitney and major structures by Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Final assembly takes place in Fort Worth (US), Cameri (Italy) and Nagoya (Japan).

Besides the United States, the F-35 is operated or on order by the UK, Italy, Israel, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Greece, Canada and Singapore — more than 19 nations in total.

As of 2025 (Lot 18) a fully equipped F-35A costs about $101.5M (airframe ~$81M + engine ~$20M). The F-35B is ~$109M and the F-35C ~$102M. The Lot 18–19 package is ~$24.3B for 296 aircraft; dividing the package by aircraft does not give the true unit price. Program lifetime cost exceeds $2 trillion.

The Russian counterpart is the Sukhoi Su-57 (Felon), though it is produced in small numbers (fewer than 30 by 2025). China fields the air-superiority J-20 (300+ in 2025) and the F-35-sized, carrier-capable J-35. These are near-class rivals rather than exact equivalents.

By the end of 2025 roughly 1,300 F-35s had been delivered, with output reaching about 191 aircraft in 2025. The Lot 18–19 contract covers 296 aircraft.

Turkey was removed from the program in July 2019 after buying the Russian S-400 air-defence system. It had ordered 100 F-35As and paid about $1.4 billion; six completed aircraft were never delivered.

Yes. Lockheed Martin produces about 156+ F-35s per year and delivered a record 191 in 2025, with deliveries planned well into the 2040s.