Lockheed Martin announced that its technicians are installing the wings on the 100th F-35 strike fighter built to date on the company’s production line in Fort Worth, Tex. This airframe is an Air Force F-35A model, designated AF-41, that is destined for assignment at Luke AFB, Ariz., the future home of F-35A pilot training, according to the company’s release. Overall, the Air Force has plans to procure 1,763 F-35As. Of the first 100 F-35s, 40 have been for the Air Force: AF-1 through AF-41, with no AF-5 built in the series. The remaining 60 jets comprise 37 Marine Corps F-35Bs, 12 Navy F-35Cs, six ground test aircraft, three British jets, and two Dutch strike fighters, Lockheed Martin spokeswoman Laura Siebert told the Daily Report on Feb. 5. The very first F-35, a non-production-representative F-35A test jet dubbed AA-1, is not included in the 100, said Siebert.
Air Force Eyes New-Build F-16s to Boost Fighter Force
Sept. 16, 2026
The Air Force will consider acquiring new F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to answer capacity shortfalls in its aging fighter fleet, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. These discussions are happening as the Air Force is building its proposed fiscal 2028 budget and the five-year spending plan that goes…
