Around 200 of over 650 planned F-35s now delivered to European air forces
September 13, 2025
On the night of September 9th, two of the four Dutch F-35As stationed in Poland took off and helped shoot down intruding Russian drones. The event not only marked the first time NATO forces had kinetically protected NATO airspace, but also highlighted the growing European F-35 fleets.
European countries completely transitioned to F-35
A total of 13 European countries are purchasing the advanced F-35 Lightning II fighter jet. 12 of these countries are NATO members, as Switzerland is purchasing the jet but is not a member of NATO. Turkey was an important customer for the F-35, but the US expelled it from the programme after it purchased Russian S-400s.
Of these, two countries, Norway and the Netherlands, have now completely retired their fourth-generation fighter jets and have switched to operating F-35s as their frontline tactical fighters. Norway has 52 examples (including six in the US for training) in inventory representing its complete programme of record.
The Netherlands has a programme of record for 57 F-35s and had 49 in inventory in March 2025. It was one of the first European countries to completely retire the F-16, donating many of them to Ukraine.
European countries partially transitioning to F-35
The United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Romania are larger countries with air forces and budgets large enough to accommodate two types of frontline fighter jets. In these air forces, the F-35 will complement fourth-generation fighter jets like the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-16.
The United Kingdom and Italy are currently operating F-35s and are set to eventually have the largest fleets in Europe. The UK has a plan to eventually purchase a total of 138 F-35s, with the breakdown currently being 12 F-35As and 126 F-35Bs. The UK has currently committed to purchasing 72 F-35s.
The Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy jointly operate the STOVL F-35Bs, although the Typhoon Eurofighter remains the primary fighter jet of the RAF. In all, the British have 37 F-35B jets in service of the 38 delivered (one fell off an aircraft carrier in 2021). The UK expects to have 48 in service by the end of April 2026.
The RAF is excited to announce the procurement of 12 new F-35A jets.⚡💪
— Royal Air Force (@RoyalAirForce) June 25, 2025
These fifth-gen aircraft can fly in @NATO nuclear crisis missions, strengthening our nuclear deterrence, & ensuring we are ready to fly, fight and win against threats.
Read more: https://t.co/5Oj0v2Ft4R pic.twitter.com/NT6MOo8ogg
Italy has recently increased its programme of record to 75 conventional F-35As and 40 naval F-35Bs. It’s unclear exactly how many Italy has in service. FlightGlobal listed a total of 30 in inventory in its 2025 report, including two for training. Italy may have 40 or more aircraft in inventory by mid-2025.
Denmark, the next country to fully transition
Denmark appears set to be the next European country to fully transition to the F-35 stealth fighter as it plans to retire its remaining F-16s by the end of 2025. Many of its retired F-16s have been sent to Ukraine or Argentina.
The Nordic country has a programme to purchase 27 of the aircraft. The first example rolled out in 2021, and the first fleet of four aircraft arrived in Denmark in 2023. As of mid-2025, 15 have been delivered, six are based in the US for training, and the remaining six are to be delivered by the end of 2026.
According to Breaking Defense, Denmark is gearing up to order at least ten more F-35s.
European countries currently training on F-35
Two more European countries have already received their first F-35s, but these are being held back in the US for training. Lockheed Martin has built the first eight F-35As for Belgium and the first six for Poland.
The first examples are not expected to arrive in Poland until 2026 and may not be operational until 2028. Poland is currently purchasing 32 F-35As.
Poland’s first F-35 Lightning II “Husarz” is coming soon, be on the lookout for tomorrow's reveal. 🐎 pic.twitter.com/5vD5zztC4R
— Lockheed Martin (@LockheedMartin) August 27, 2024
Belgium has a programme of record for 36 F-35A fighter jets, but has recently announced it will increase this to 45 fighter jets.
Future European F-35 operators
Romania placed an order for 32 F-35s in 2024, and it is still waiting for the first units to be delivered. In the meantime, it is transitioning to the F-16 (including retired Norwegian jets) away from legacy Soviet aircraft.
Switzerland has ordered 36 F-35As, but the first is not expected to be delivered until 2027, with the final examples following in 2030. Rumblings have recently circulated in the media that Switzerland could cancel its order due to tensions from the ongoing trade war with the US.
Greece has ordered 20 F-35s, and construction of the first aircraft may have begun, although delivery of the first examples is not expected until 2028 or 2029.
Germany has also ordered 35 F-35As, and production of the first aircraft began in late 2024. These are to replace its ageing variable-sweep wing Tornados and fulfil its NATO nuclear sharing commitments. The first units are expected to arrive in the US for training in 2026 and become operational in 2027.
Finland is to be a major European operator of the F-35 and is purchasing 64 of them to replace its ageing fleet of F/A-18 Hornets. The first jet is currently in production and is expected to roll out in late autumn in 2025.
The Czech Republic currently appears to have the most distant timeline. The first of its 24 F-35As is not expected until 2031, with the last arriving in 2035 to replace its fleet of Swedish Saab Gripen fighter jets.
Current status of the F-35 in Europe
In summary, two European countries have completely transitioned to the F-35, with Denmark soon to follow. European countries (including Switzerland) are currently planning to purchase around 668 F-35s. At the same time, the UK and Italy are growing their fifth-generation fleets to serve alongside their fourth-generation fleets.
Of these, around 193 F-35s have been delivered to the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, and Italy, with perhaps a dozen or two jets in the US for training.
As Europe rearms, more orders are being placed for the F-35, so there is potential for more sales to the continent. At the same time, geopolitical tensions have reportedly dissuaded Spain and Portugal from ordering the jet, at least for now.
Spain is reportedly considering ordering more Eurofighters or looking forward to the troubled sixth-generation FCAS aircraft programme. However, the F-35B is essentially the only option for Spain to replace its ageing fleet of Harrier jump jets. This raises the question of whether Spain will at least order the F-35B or retire its Harriers without replacement.
Sweden and France are two other European NATO allies with the budget and requirement for frontline fighter jets like the F-35, although they are focusing their resources on their own domestic fighter jet programmes.
