Which Country Flies More F-35 Lightning II Fighter Jets Than All Others Combined?

In an offer that seemed to stun the world, American President Donald Trump recently offered to increase weapons and equipment to India in 2025 — including access to F-35 Lightning II fighter jets developed by Lockheed Martin. The offer was made following a meeting between Trump and ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. By providing India […] The post Which Country Flies More F-35 Lightning II Fighter Jets Than All Others Combined? appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Apr 19, 2025 - 15:11

Which Country Flies More F-35 Lightning II Fighter Jets Than All Others Combined?

In an offer that seemed to stun the world, American President Donald Trump recently offered to increase weapons and equipment to India in 2025 — including access to F-35 Lightning II fighter jets developed by Lockheed Martin. The offer was made following a meeting between Trump and ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. By providing India with F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, which many countries keep as a centerpoint of their defense strategies, Trump hopes to deepen the United States’ strategic and political relatonship with India. In particular, the two countries discussed the need to fight radical Islamic terrorism. But the aircraft also provide India with stronger air superiority and a more versatile aircraft than the country has seen, allowing India to now deploy F-35 jets in defense and attack situations. (One fighter jet benefit is speed in combat scenarios — and this fighter jet can hit 1,875 mph.)

But India is certainly not the only country interested in getting its hands on a fleet of F-35 Lightning II fighter jets. Here, 24/7 Wall St. set out to determine which countries are buying the most F-35s. To do this, we reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication to compile a list of the countries buying the most F-35 Lightning II fighter jets. We ranked them based on the number of F-35 jets each country has on order. We also included information on the number of active F-35s in each country’s fleet, the specific military branches that will be using these aircraft, and which variants of the F-35 (F-35A, F-35B, or F-35C) are on order or already in active service.

Why We’re Covering This Important Topic

Luke+Air+Force+Base | Australian Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II - Luke Air Force Base, AZ, UNITED STATES 06.27.2018

The F-35 Lightning II fighter jet is considered the most advanced military aircraft in today’s world. This plane plays an important element in providing security and preventing future conflicts, both in the United States and abroad. Although the cost of each jet is high, ranging upwards of $62-109 million USD, manufacturing F-35 Lightning II fighter jets creates jobs and boosts the economy — particularly in the United States, where the jets are manufactured.

Here is a look at the countries that are buying the most F-35 Lightning II fighter jets:

20. Singapore

Aircraft on order: 12
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches: Republic of Singapore Air Force
Variant(s): F-35

19. Norway

Aircraft on order: 12
Active aircraft: 40
Military branches: Royal Norwegian Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

18. Denmark

Denmark+F-35 | Lockheed Martin F-35 "Lightning II"

Aircraft on order: 17
Active aircraft: 10
Military branches: Royal Danish Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

17. Netherlands

Netherlands+F-35 | Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

Aircraft on order: 18
Active aircraft: 34
Military branches: Royal Netherlands Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

16. Czech Republic

Aircraft on order: 24
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches: Czech Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

15. South Korea

Aircraft on order: 25
Active aircraft: 40
Military branches: Republic of Korea Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

14. Poland

Aircraft on order: 32
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches: Polish Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

13. Belgium

Belgium+F-35 | Luke AFB selected as candidate for Belgium Lockheed Martin F-35A Lighting II "Joint Strike Fighter" Training

Aircraft on order: 34
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches: Belgian Air Component
Variant(s): F-35A

12. Germany

Germany+F-35 | Spikes Honor Squadron Mate Finally Laid to Rest

Aircraft on order: 35
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches: German Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

11. Israel

Aircraft on order: 36
Active aircraft: 39
Military branches: Israel Air and Space Force
Variant(s): F-35I

10. Switzerland

Aircraft on order: 36
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches: Swiss Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

9. Australia

Aircraft on order: 37
Active aircraft: 63
Military branches: Royal Australian Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

8. Romania

Aircraft on order: 48
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches: Romanian Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

7. United Arab Emirates

Aircraft on order: 50
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches: United Arab Emirates Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

6. Finland

Aircraft on order: 64
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches: Finnish Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

5. Italy

Italy+F-35 | 2d Audiovisual Squadron Creates Air Force Space Command Production

Aircraft on order: 65
Active aircraft: 25
Military branches: Italian Air Force, Italian Navy
Variant(s): F-35A/B

4. Canada

Pilots from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings taxi F-35As on the runway

Aircraft on order: 88
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches: Royal Canadian Air Force
Variant(s): F-35A

3. United Kingdom

Aircraft on order: 105
Active aircraft: 29
Military branches: Royal Air Force
Variant(s): F-35B

2. Japan

Aircraft on order: 110
Active aircraft: 36
Military branches: Japan Air Self-Defence Force
Variant(s): F-35A/B

1. United States

us+Air+Force | US Air Force Weapons School [Image 20 of 24]

Aircraft on order: 1,855
Active aircraft: 553
Military branches: United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy
Variant(s): F-35A/B/C

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