Fifth-Generation Fighter Jets See Increased Production and Deployment

Lockheed Martin delivered a record 191 F-35s in 2025, the highest annual total in the program’s history, as more countries move to expand or introduce the fifth-generation jet into their air forces. The company reports that annual production is now running at a pace around five times higher than any other allied fighter currently in production. The global fleet has grown to almost 1,300 aircraft and passed one million cumulative flight hours in 2025. According to AeroTime, Lockheed Martin’s 2025 figures mark a sharp step up from previous years, supported by new production and sustainment agreements with the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO). In September 2025, the JPO and Lockheed Martin finalized contracts for Lots 18 and 19 covering the production and delivery of up to 296 aircraft, with a total value of around $24 billion. A separate Air Vehicle Sustainment Contract was also agreed, intended to support annualized sustainment activities across the F-35 enterprise from 2025 onward.