Lockheed Martin F-35 Deliveries Accelerate as European Demand Surges

In September, Germany took delivery of its inaugural F-35A Lightning II from Lockheed Martin, with an additional 34 units on order. Following this, Finland received its first of 64 F-35As just a week later, while Poland's initial delivery occurred in May. James King from Lockheed Martin highlighted robust international interest and a production capability of 156 aircraft per year. The development of the F-35A involved collaboration from the UK, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, and Norway. Turkey was expelled from the program in 2019 due to its acquisition of Russian air defense systems. Last month, the State Department greenlit a potential sale of 48 F-35s to Saudi Arabia for $24.3 billion. Globally, over 1,355 F-35s are in operation. Additionally, Germany's intelligence chief cautioned about a potential conflict with Russia.