US Dominates Global F-35 Fleet with 2,456 Aircraft Planned
The United States controls nearly two-thirds of the worldwide F-35 Lightning II fleet, with Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Italy rounding out the top five operators of the fifth-generation fighter.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program has evolved into the most extensive defense acquisition initiative in American history since its inception in 2001, with approximately 3,000 airframes set to serve 20 nations worldwide in three distinct variants.
According to published fleet data, the United States leads global F-35 operations with plans for 2,456 total aircraft across all three versions — 1,763 F-35As for conventional takeoff and landing, 340 F-35Cs for carrier operations, and 353 F-35Bs capable of short takeoff and vertical landing. Japan follows with 147 fighters combining both A and B variants, while the United Kingdom has committed to 138 F-35Bs for its carrier fleet. Australia rounds out the top four operators with 100 F-35As, followed by Italy with a mixed fleet of 90 aircraft split between air force and naval variants.
Production of the Joint Strike Fighter takes place primarily at the Fort Worth, Texas facility historically known as the Air Force's 'Bomber Plant,' though two additional final assembly lines operate in partner nations. Italy hosts a European production facility at Cameri Air Base, where Leonardo and Lockheed Martin collaborate on wing construction for the global supply chain, airframe assembly for Italian orders, and maintenance services for other European operators.
Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced in July 2025 that his country would establish the first F-35 pilot training school outside American territory, with Sicily selected as the location. "The future is built not by limiting ourselves to defence, but by making defence a social, economic, and technological innovation engine," Crosetto stated at a ceremony in Sardinia.
The Italian military committed to F-35 procurement following 2019 sea trials aboard the carrier Cavour, which demonstrated the vessel's compatibility with the B variant. Italian operational squadrons have since participated in Baltic Air Policing missions and Red Flag exercises in the United States after their initial jets entered service from bases at Amendola and Ghedi.
A third final assembly line operates in Nagoya, Japan, supporting the rapid expansion of fifth-generation fighter capabilities across Pacific alliance partners and fundamentally reshaping air power dynamics in the 21st century.