UK has announced it will not receive any new F-35 fighter jets before 2030…
The UK has completed the delivery of 48 F-35B STOVL-capable fighters ordered under the first procurement phase.
The second procurement phase plans for the acquisition of 27 additional fighters, comprising 12 F-35As and 15 F-35Bs.
The Royal Air Force will not procure any F-35A or F-35B aircraft from production lots 18 through 22. Consequently, the 27 platforms planned for the second phase are expected to be ordered under Lot 23 and subsequent production batches.
Production lots 18 and 19, which cover a total of 296 aircraft, are scheduled for completion in 2028.
Although no agreement has been reached for Lots 20–22, production is projected to begin in 2029 and conclude by the mid-2030s…