USAF prioritises F-47 development as F-35 orders drop to 18 jets in 2028
November 13, 2025
The United States Air Force is currently planning to reduce the number of F-35s it plans to buy until 2028. Meanwhile, the first representative F-47 is expected to fly in 2028.
USAF to reduce F-35 buys until 2028
In mid-2025, Defense One reported plans to halve the number of F-35 purchases in 2026 and won’t resume full F-35 orders until Lockheed irons out its upgrade issues. Gen. Davil Allvin, old Defense One that the service will increase procurement again when it can by “F-35s that are most relevant for the fight.”
The USAF’s decisions are informed by delays and concerns over TR-3 and Block 4 upgrades, and limited financial resources with competing priorities. The USAF’s program of record remains 1,763 F-35As.
The Air Force is also looking to spend more of its money on upgrading its existing fleets of fighter jets. It has to balance new procurements with maintaining and upgrading current jets, as well as the costs of developing new systems.
According to a new report submitted to Congress, the Air Force wants its purchases of F-35s to be 39 in 2027, 18 in 2028, 32 in 2029, and 29 in 2030. The Air Force budget documents show it purchased 44 in 2025 and has received funds to purchase 24 in 2026. In 2024, the Air Force purchased 51 of the aircraft.
We've reached an agreement with the U.S. government for 296 F-35s. Check out the agreement fast facts below: ⬇️
— F-35 Lightning II (@thef35) September 29, 2025
🌎 Includes F-35s for U.S. services and key allies
🛡️ Ensures air dominance for decades to come pic.twitter.com/pZ1qXksIJz
Meanwhile, the Marine Corps is planning to purchase 11 F-35s in 2026, down from the 13 originally planned, and it’s unclear what the Navy’s buy will be.
In September 2025, Breaking Defense reported that the Pentagon’s Joint Program Office had finalised a deal for 296 F-35s, including 148 jets in Lots 18 and 19.
USAF rushing development of F-47
In March 2025, Boeing was announced as the winner of the manned component of the next-generation fighter jet programme (NGAD) that includes Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
Locked in competition with China, the Air Force is prioritising the development of the F-47. There were even calls in Washington to freeze the Navy’s F/A-XX program out of concerns it could delay the F-47. Although the Navy has secured FY 2026 funding for the program.
Construction of the first representative F-47 is underway, and USAF Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin has just confirmed the F-47 will conduct its prototype flight in 2028. Technology demonstrators first flew in 2020.
BREAKING: 🇺🇸 USAF Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin confirms the F-47, America’s next-generation air dominance fighter, will conduct its first flight in 2028.
— Defence Index (@Defence_Index) November 12, 2025
Designed by Boeing to eventually replace the F-22, the F-47 is expected to reach Mach 2, cover over 1,800 km, and operate… pic.twitter.com/DOmX7SCEgq
The Air Force plans to procure at least 185 of these jets, which will be designed from the ground up to operate with CCAs. They will form the tip-of-the-spear for air dominance missions and are intended to be the ‘silver bullet’ of air dominance that the F-22 was when it entered service.
Get the latest aerospace defence news here on AGN.
F-35 continues to grow in export popularity
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet is the most advanced in the world and is “the” 5th-generation fighter jet on the market. As such, the aircraft receives an enormous amount of scrutiny and public press.
Given that more orders for the F-35 continue to roll in from overseas countries like Belgium and Germany, and more countries like Morocco and Saudi Arabia are known to be negotiating to purchase the jet, it’s unclear if the USAF’s reduced buys will have any impact on Lockheed’s production rate.
So far, no export order has been cancelled, although Spain and Portugal have (for now at least) given up on ordering the aircraft, and Canada is (again) re-exploring its operations. Currently, the first F-35A is expected to be delivered to Canada in 2026.
The Trump administration is considering Saudi Arabia’s request to purchase up to 48 F-35 fighter jets — a potential multi-billion-dollar deal that has reportedly cleared a key hurdle at the Pentagon ahead of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit. pic.twitter.com/3YLKn0v1l3
— International Defence Analysis (@Defence_IDA) November 6, 2025
Having delivered 110 F-35s in 2024, Defence Industry Europe is reporting Lockheed Martin is planning to deliver up to 200 in 2025. This will be record-breaking and likely more than all other Western and even Russian fighter jets deliveries for 2025 combined.
Featured Image: United States Air Force
