Lockheed Martin has announced that the global F-35 fleet has completed over one million hours of flying.
“Reaching one million flight hours is a monumental achievement for the F-35 program. It highlights the unwavering dedication of our pilots, maintainers, industry partners and our international partners and foreign military sales customers,” said Program Executive Officer for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, Lieutenant General Michael Schmidt.
The one million hours includes combat operations completed by all F-35 variants, after the F-35C was first deployed in combat in November 2024, striking targets in airspace.
“The F-35 is the backbone of the allied force, enabling peace through strength in the 21st century,” stated Vice President and General Manager of the F-35 Lightning II program at Lockheed Martin, Chauncey McIntosh.
The F-35 team has now centred their attention on the next 1 million hours to be flown by the growing global fleet of more than 1,100 jets.