10 nations, 1,900 suppliers: Here’s where the Lockheed Martin F-35 is built

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is often thought of as an American fighter jet. In reality, it is the most international combat aircraft programme in history.

At its core are a handful of US and UK defence giants, yet more than 1,900 suppliers across the globe contribute to the jet. Lockheed delivered 110 F-35s in 2024 and plans to ramp up to as many as 190 in 2025. Here are all the places where the F-35 is built.

Lockheed Martin F-35: Who builds what

The huge multinational effort to build the Lockheed Martin F-35

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet programme is a joint effort between the United States and its key allies. That said, the US maintains control over the programme and does the bulk of the work.

Unlike the F-22 Raptor, which was designed exclusively for the US Air Force, the F-35 was conceived as a multirole fighter for the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as key allies.

International partners were organised into investment tiers when the programme began. The UK remains the sole Tier 1 partner, with Italy and the Netherlands as Tier 2 partners, and Australia, Canada, Denmark, and Norway as Tier 3 partners. Other nations, including Japan and Israel, participate through Foreign Military Sales or special cooperative agreements.

Peace Through Strength 💪

F-35s provided an escort for a B-2 over the Washington Monument to honor Operation Midnight Hammer, where 5th Gen capability ensured mission success through stealth and precision.⚡

📸@dustinthenow pic.twitter.com/FKG2vFrhQT

— F-35 Lightning II (@thef35) July 14, 2025

While most F-35s are assembled at Lockheed Martin’s plant in Fort Worth, Texas, it also has final assembly and checkout facilities in Cameri in Italy, and Nagoya in Japan. It is common for countries to license the production or assembly of fighter jets in other countries.

The Italian facility assembles many, but not all, European F-35As and F-35Bs (e.g., British F-35Bs are assembled in Fort Worth). The Japanese facility assembles the F-35As (but not F-35Bs) for Japan.

The United Kingdom makes the largest contribution to the Lockheed Martin F-35

The United Kingdom produces around 15% of all the components found in the world’s F-35s, making it by far the largest international supplier of components. The UK also paid for around 10% of the development costs of the fighter jet.

While Pratt & Whittney produces the engine, Rolls-Royce produces the LiftSystem for the F-35B variant, while Martin Baker supplies the ejection seats. Other notable British contractors include SELEX, Cobham, Ultra Electronics, and UTC Actuation Systems.

BAE Systems is one of the major contractors with the programme (designed as a ‘principal partner’ alongside Northrop Grumman). BAE produces rear fuselages, tails, the AN/ASQ-239 Barracuda electronic warfare system, the antenna, various avionics, a large amount of computer code, and much more. 

BAE says, “As a key partner, we hold a 13-15% workshare of each aircraft, excluding propulsion, and we play a major role in the programme across multiple markets.”

Italian & Dutch input into the F-35

Two other notable contributors are the level 2 partners, the Netherlands and Italy.

Italy has the only final assembly and check-out facility for the F-35 in Europe. Leonardo is the leading Italian contractor and stated in 2015 it would have a 4.1% workshare. Italy produces various components, including electro-optical targeting systems, radios, engine components, and more.

GKN Fokker in the Netherlands is another significant contractor responsible for producing doors, hatches, the drag parachute system, radar systems, and other components. It also manages spare parts for over 500 European F-35s.

Airframer wrote in 2019, GKN Fokker was responsible for “the manufacturing of Flaperons, Inflight Opening Doors (IFOD), Arresting Gear, and Electrical Wiring and Interconnection Systems (EWIS) content.”

Other countries contributing to the F-35 programme

In late 2024, Australia received the final F-35As of its original 72-strong order. Australia is a far-flung contributor to the programme and makes vertical tails and uplock actuator systems.

Over 700 critical pieces of the aircraft are built in the Australian state of Victoria alone, and over 70 companies across Australia have contracts. ASDAM Group (previously RUAG Australia) is Australia’s largest supplier for the F-35.

Norway contributes air-to-air pylons, vertical leading edges, and more, while Finland supplies front fuselage sections and other components. Canada is a leading supplier for the F-35, making inserts for weapons by doors and other contributions, valued at around $2.3 million per aircraft.

Germany is a latecomer to the programme and is purchasing at least 35 jets. In July 2025, Germany inaugurated a new factory in Weeze to support the programme. According to defence contractor Rheinmetall, “The new plant is due to produce at least 400 F-35A fuselage sections for the air forces of Germany and other friendly nations.”

Various other countries produce other components for the F-35. Turkey was a partner and was producing parts for the aircraft, but it was kicked out of the programme by the US after it purchased Russian S-400 SAMs against US warnings. Turkey’s components were quickly substituted.

Japan assembles its own F-35As and is able to produce some components domestically. It’s not clear how many of these components are exported.

Israel’s unique F-35I Adir

Israel makes some components for the F-35 valued at over $2 billion by the end of 2025 (e.g., outer wings, helmet-mounted displays, EW systems, fuel tanks). Notably, Israel is also unique for being able to customise the jet.

The United States places ‘onerous’ conditions on countries buying its prized F-35 and has banned many countries from purchasing it. Countries operating advanced Russian or Chinese fighter jets, Chinese Huawei 5G networks, or Russian S-400s cannot fly the F-35. It even bans Israeli pilots with dual nationalities from flying it.

The United States does not permit partner nations to alter the F-35 or access its computer codes. The sole exception is Israel, whose F-35I Adir variant is fitted with domestically developed avionics, weapons, and communications systems, making it the only heavily customised version of the aircraft in the world.

Leading contractors for the F-35 in the USA

The prime contractor for the F-35 is Lockheed Martin, but that company doesn’t produce or design most of the components found in the aircraft. Lockheed oversees and coordinates the massive programme, assembling the F-35 in Fort Worth.

Northrop Grumman is one of two prime contractors (with BAE). It manufactures the centre fuselage, the AN/APG-81 radar, and various communications and navigation systems. Overall, Northrop contributes around 20-25% to the aircraft.

RTX, through its Pratt & Whitney subsidiary, supplies the engines, while RTX’s Raytheon provides weapon systems, sensors, and other components.

Various other recognisable US aerospace contractors, like Honeywell, Curtiss-Wright Corporation, and L3Harris Technologies, are also contributing to the aircraft.

One name absent from the F-35 production chain is Boeing. The company’s X-32 competed against Lockheed Martin’s X-35 in the Joint Strike Fighter contest but lost out, leaving Boeing with only a minimal role as a subcontractor in the programme.

Instead, Boeing continues to focus on its own fighter portfolio, producing the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-15EX Eagle II, while advancing development of its next-generation F/A-XX concept.

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