Lockheed Martin Plans to Finish 1,000th F-35 By End of Year, and Graduates 2,000 Pilots

Lockheed Martin is set to manufacture its 1,000th F-35 fighter by the end of 2023 at its one-mile, 20-foot-long assembly line at Air Force Plant 4, which has been in operation since 1942, producing planes such as the B-24 Liberator bomber. The production of the F-35 is a complex process that relies on contributions from approximately 1,650 suppliers, including around 1,000 small companies and contractors like Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.

After a brief halt in deliveries due to an incident where an F-35B pilot ejected on the runway at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, in December 2022, Lockheed Martin resumed deliveries in early 2023. The F-35 Joint Program Office has ordered a retrofit to reduce “harmonic resonance,” a higher-than-usual engine vibration that may put additional strain on the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, for all F-35 models to mitigate future risks.

The F-35 program is used by 17 nations, and recent purchasers include Finland, Switzerland, and Germany. The Czech Republic and Greece may also join the list of nations using the F-35. Furthermore, Lockheed Martin has graduated over 2,000 pilots through the F-35 training system, which requires an average of 192 hours of training before takeoff, with nearly half of the qualifying flights conducted in a simulator.

Lockheed Martin collaborates closely with pilots from all services and nations involved in the F-35 program to ensure that their abilities are honed and every flight is safe. The F-35 Full Mission Simulator is a fully immersive training tool that simulates all weapons and sensors using the same software as the aircraft. The simulator enables pilots to practice a wide range of air-to-air, air-to-ground, and electronic warfare operations, ensuring that they are prepared for future missions. Utilizing simulations reduces the expense and wear on the jets, allowing fleets to remain mission-ready, and pilots to maintain their skills.