- The UK government said it expects to have taken delivery of its 75th F-35 Lightning aircraft by the end of 2033, according to a parliamentary response.
- As of November 2025, the UK had received 41 F-35 aircraft, with deliveries continuing through the 2030s to complete the planned fleet.
The United Kingdom expects to have taken delivery of its 75th F-35 Lightning aircraft by the end of 2033, the British government confirmed in a written parliamentary response published on January 5, 2026.
In a response to a question from Lord West of Spithead, Defence Minister Lord Coaker said “the Department expects to take delivery of its 75th F-35 aircraft by the end of 2033.” The answer was issued on behalf of the British Ministry of Defence and was reported by UK Defence Journal.
The question asked when the government expected to have received 74 F-35 fighter jets, a figure that has long represented the baseline size of the UK’s planned Lightning fleet. The response provides an updated timeline for deliveries extending into the early 2030s.
The F-35 Lightning II forms the core of the UK’s carrier strike and fifth-generation combat aviation capability and is operated jointly by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. UK aircraft are based primarily at RAF Marham in eastern England and are routinely deployed aboard the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
The UK has committed to purchasing at least 74 F-35 aircraft, with the option to acquire additional jets beyond that number. The current program focuses on completing the initial tranche of deliveries before decisions are made on any follow-on purchases.
According to a separate parliamentary response issued by Veterans and People Minister Louise Sandher-Jones, the UK had received 41 F-35 aircraft as of November 12, 2025. That figure was part of a plan to deliver 48 aircraft by the end of 2025, forming the backbone of the UK’s early operational carrier strike force.
The delivery schedule reflects the long-term nature of the F-35 program, which spans multiple decades and production blocks. Aircraft delivered in later years are expected to incorporate updated hardware and software configurations as the platform continues to evolve.
The UK operates the short takeoff and vertical landing F-35B variant, which allows the aircraft to operate from aircraft carriers without catapults or arrestor gear. This capability is central to the UK’s ability to project air power at sea and support NATO operations.
The F-35 program underpins both the RAF’s combat air capability and the Royal Navy’s carrier aviation, with pilots and maintainers drawn from both services. The aircraft have been used in operational deployments, multinational exercises, and carrier strike group operations in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Indo-Pacific.
Deliveries beyond the first 48 aircraft are expected to continue steadily through the 2030s, with the fleet gradually expanding toward the 74-aircraft commitment and then reaching the 75th aircraft milestone identified in the parliamentary answer.