The United States releases one stealth fighter every three days. Yesterday, September 28, the press service of Lockheed Martin Corporation announced the release of the 700th F-35 Lightning II aircraft from the assembly line.
"The 700th F-35 has been produced — a milestone that marks the critical growth of the most advanced node in the architecture of the war of the XXI century," the Lockheed Martin press service reported.
F-35B fighter
Image source: f35.com
Fourteen countries purchase F-35 fighters for their armed forces. Under the Joint Strike Fighter program, more than 1,460 pilots and 11,025 maintenance personnel have been trained, and the total flight time of the F-35 has exceeded 430,000 hours. By the end of this year, Lockheed Martin plans to produce 133-139 of these fighters, in 2022 — 151-153. From 2023, it is planned to produce 156 units annually.
The F-35 Lightning II fighters are designed in three modifications: F-35A (basic), F-35B (with short takeoff and vertical landing) and F-35C (takes off from an aircraft carrier using a catapult, lands using an aerial finisher). The modification of the F-35B reached the level of initial combat readiness in 2015, the F-35A - in 2016, and the US Air Force adopted the F-35C in 2019.