New Delhi: US defence manufacturing big Lockheed Martin, which is greatest identified for making the F-35 stealth jets, closed 2025 with a manufacturing surge that modified the worldwide fighter plane market and pushed rival programmes far into the background. It delivered 191 F-35 fighter jets final yr, setting a brand new file and comfortably surpassing its earlier peak of 142 plane.
The tempo labored out to almost one accomplished fighter jet each two days, a degree of output hardly ever seen in trendy army aviation.
Firm knowledge confirmed that annual F-35 manufacturing was operating at a tempo about 5 occasions sooner than every other allied fighter jet nonetheless being constructed. This tempo highlighted how far the programme had superior past the constraints that decelerate conventional fight plane manufacturing traces.
A comparability with different main fighters confirmed the hole. French aerospace firm Dassault Aviation delivered 26 Rafale jets in 2025. It marginally exceeded its personal goal of 15 plane despatched to export clients and 11 inducted into the French armed forces.
Russia’s United Plane Company delivered seven batches of Su-35 fighters throughout the yr. Stories indicated that every batch contained two or three plane, inserting whole deliveries someplace between 14 and 21 jets for the Russian Aerospace Forces.
Exact annual figures for Eurofighter Typhoons and Saab Gripens weren’t formally launched, although media estimates pointed to about 12 Typhoons and 17 Gripens delivered throughout the identical interval. When mixed, the whole output of Rafale, Storm, Su-35, Su-34 and Gripen nonetheless fell wanting Lockheed Martin’s F-35 manufacturing for 2025 alone.
The size of the F-35 programme has roots in its construction. The Joint Strike Fighter effort was developed together with eight associate nations, making a provide chain that stretches throughout three continents. Firm disclosures confirmed that roughly 30 to 42 p.c of every plane is manufactured outdoors the USA earlier than closing meeting takes place in Texas.
Demand has matched this industrial attain. Greater than 1,300 F-35s have already been delivered, whereas general commitments now exceed 3,000 plane unfold throughout 20 international locations. This demand has stored manufacturing traces below fixed stress to increase.
Past manufacturing numbers, the programme crossed a number of operational milestones throughout the yr. The worldwide F-35 fleet handed 1 million cumulative flight hours. Essentially the most superior software program package deal to date, Expertise Refresh 3, was additionally rolled out, bringing improved processing energy and fight capabilities to the plane.
The jet’s function was not restricted to coaching and patrols. F-35s have been utilized in energetic fight throughout a number of conflicts. The plane supported efforts to suppress Iranian air defenses throughout Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Rising Lion. In the course of the 12-day Iran-Israel warfare, Israeli F-35I Adirs carried out repeated strikes on Iranian army amenities, flew deep into closely defended airspace and accomplished missions with out losses.
Even throughout long-range bombing missions involving B-2 stealth bombers, F-35s operated together with F-22 Raptors on the entrance of the formation. Their job concerned securing air superiority and neutralising air defenses earlier than the bombers entered contested zones.
Operational security figures additionally stood out. Throughout a US Marine Corps deployment, F-35B variants logged shut to five,000 mishap-free flight hours. NATO operations marked one other first when F-35s have been used to intercept and destroy Russian drones over Polish airspace, the primary recorded engagement of hostile threats by NATO F-35s inside allied skies.
Senior management throughout the programme expressed satisfaction in assembly manufacturing targets, sustaining operational efficiency and increasing world partnerships all year long. The main target was on delivering superior expertise to frontline forces to counter rising threats.
Industrial momentum continued with main contracts. In September, the F-35 Joint Programme Workplace and Lockheed Martin finalised agreements masking Tons 18 and 19, securing manufacturing and supply of as much as 296 plane valued at roughly 24 billion {dollars}. The deal represented the biggest manufacturing contract within the programme’s historical past.
With practically 1,300 plane already in service and 12 nations actively working the jet, the F-35 has turn out to be a central pillar of world airpower. The fleet now outnumbers all different fifth-generation fighters mixed, together with the F-22, Su-57, J-20 and J-35.
Sturdy demand has additionally created a sizeable backlog. By the top of the third quarter of 2025, excellent orders stood at 265 plane. Early fourth-quarter additions pushed the backlog up by one other 151 jets, taking the whole to roughly 416 plane by late 2025.
Orders continued to rise by way of the yr. Italy expanded its deliberate fleet by 25 plane, whereas Denmark added 16 extra to its programme. Within the Center East, the opportunity of new operators emerged past Israel, with alerts from Washington indicating potential gross sales to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, each of which have repeatedly expressed curiosity. Early within the yr, openness was additionally proven towards a doable sale to India, although New Delhi didn’t sign sturdy intent to pursue the plane.
The sustained output appeared to align with political stress inside the USA over protection manufacturing capability. Public criticism resurfaced in early January when considerations have been raised in regards to the velocity of manufacturing, upkeep requirements and shareholder payouts throughout the protection trade.
Calls have been made for brand new and trendy manufacturing amenities and limits on govt compensation till output and readiness points have been addressed. Particular criticism was directed at Raytheon for gradual manufacturing development and prioritising shareholder spending over army wants.
Together with fighter manufacturing, Lockheed Martin introduced a significant growth in missile manufacturing. A seven-year framework settlement signed on January 6 with the US Division of Warfare aimed to extend manufacturing of the PAC-3 Missile Phase Enhancement interceptor. The plan targets a soar from about 600 missiles per yr to roughly 2,000 yearly over the lifetime of the settlement.
The PAC-3 MSE interceptor is already utilized by 17 international locations, together with Sweden, Qatar, Japan, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine. Manufacturing has been rising, with output rising by greater than 60 p.c over the previous two years. Lockheed Martin delivered round 380 interceptors in 2023, practically 500 in 2024 and 620 items in 2025.
Taken collectively, the fighter jet surge and missile growth highlighted a yr by which Lockheed Martin not solely broke data but in addition widened the gap between its programmes and people of world opponents.