F-35 Lightning II

F-35A Lightning II

Lockheed Martin

Conventional takeoff and landing variant of the F-35 stealth multirole fighter.

Fielded

Combat use

Apr 30, 2019

Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Annika Schermerhorn · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Air Force)

Aircraft

F-35B Lightning II

Lockheed Martin

Short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the F-35 stealth multirole fighter.

Fielded

Combat use

Sep 27, 2018

Aircraft

F-35C Lightning II

Lockheed Martin

Carrier-based variant of the F-35 stealth multirole fighter.

Fielded

Initial operating capability

Feb 28, 2019

Each variant has its own page with its first flight, entry into service, unit cost and operators.

What the government budgets and pays for this program, from budget justification books, appropriations, acquisition reports and contract announcements. Each figure states its dollar basis. What contractors were obligated is under Contracts.

Obligations are signed USAspending prime-contract actions coded to this program, FY2008 to date, credited to the company that received each action. Obligations are money committed, not company revenue.

1. Dec 15, 2006First flightConfirmed

   F-35A completes first flight

   First flight of the conventional-takeoff F-35A; this does not date the earlier X-35 demonstrator or later F-35B/C first flights.

2. Jun 11, 2008First flightConfirmed

   F-35B completes first flight

   First flight of the short-takeoff/vertical-landing F-35B variant; distinct from both the X-35B demonstrator and the earlier F-35A flight.

3. Jun 6, 2010First flightConfirmed

   F-35C completes first flight

   First flight of the carrier variant, separately dated from the F-35A and F-35B.

4. May 5, 2011First deliveryConfirmed

   USAF accepts first production F-35A

   Formal acceptance of AF-7 took place at Fort Worth on May 5; the aircraft flew to Edwards the next day for flight testing. This was not operational readiness.

5. Jul 12, 2012ExportConfirmed

   First international F-35 delivered to United Kingdom

   The first international delivery was an F-35B for the United Kingdom; delivery does not indicate UK operational capability.

6. Jul 31, 2015Initial operating capabilityConfirmed

   Marine Corps declares F-35B IOC

   Variant-specific IOC; not a declaration for the entire F-35 family.

7. Aug 2, 2016Initial operating capabilityConfirmed

   USAF declares F-35A initial operational capability

   The conventional-takeoff F-35A met the Air Force’s initial readiness criteria. This declaration is variant- and operator-specific.

8. Sep 27, 2018Combat useConfirmed

   US Marine Corps F-35B conducts first combat strikes

   Marine Corps F-35Bs struck targets in Afghanistan during Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. This dates US F-35B combat use, not the first combat use by every F-35 operator.

9. Feb 28, 2019Initial operating capabilityConfirmed

   US Navy declares F-35C initial operational capability

   The carrier variant achieved IOC after VFA-147 completed carrier qualifications and safe-for-flight certification.

10. Apr 30, 2019Combat useConfirmed

    USAF F-35As conduct first combat strike

    Two USAF F-35As struck an ISIS tunnel network and weapons cache in Iraq. This is the US Air Force milestone, not the Israeli F-35I combat debut.

11. 2025MilestoneConfirmed

    F-35 program delivers 191 aircraft during 2025

    Lockheed Martin reported 191 deliveries across the family for calendar year 2025. This is an annual production-delivery milestone, not a claim that all aircraft shared the same software configuration.

Program and variant milestones. Dates show only the precision the sources give.

F135

Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney propulsion family for all three F-35 variants.

Fielded

First delivery

2009

Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military)

Major components and the companies that make them.