Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II operators

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of stealth multirole fighters that first entered service with the United States in 2015. The aircraft has been ordered by program partner nations, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, and Australia, and also through the Department of Defense's Foreign Military Sales program, including Japan, South Korea, and Israel. The units that operate or plan on operating the aircraft are listed below.

F-35A operators (Royal Australian Air Force, Israeli Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force, Republic of Korea Air Force)
F-35B operators (Royal Air Force / Royal Navy)
F-35A and F-35B operators (Italian Air Force / Italian Navy)
F-35A, F-35B and F-35C operators (US Air Force / US Marine Corps / US Navy)

Operators

One of the RAAF's first two F-35As in December 2014

The F-35I Adir (accompanied by a 253 Squadron F-16I Sufa) on its debut flight in Israel, December 2016

F-35A

 Australia

• Royal Australian Air Force – 14 delivered, 58 on order,[1] up to 28 additional planned[2]
  • RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales
    • No. 2 OCU[3]
    • No. 3 Squadron[4][5]
    • No. 77 Squadron (Planned for 2021)[6]
  • RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland
    • Unspecified possible squadron[7]
  • RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory
    • No. 75 Squadron (Planned for 2021)[8]

 Belgium

• Belgian Air Component - 34 planned[9][10]
  • Florennes Air Base
    • 2nd Tactical Wing
  • Kleine Brogel Air Base
    • 10th Tactical Wing

 Denmark

• Royal Danish Air Force – 27 planned[11] The first four aircraft are expected to be flown from Luke Air Force Base, starting in 2021 for the training of Danish pilots. The first arrival of the aircraft in Denmark, at Skrydstrup Air Base, is expected in 2023. Full operational capability is expected in 2027.[12]

 Israel

• Israeli Air Force – 22 currently delivered and operational (F-35I),[13][14] from 50 ordered, and 75 planned.[14]
  • Nevatim Airbase, Nevatim
    • 116 Squadron[15]
    • 140 Squadron[16][17]

 Italy

• Italian Air Force – 9 F-35A operational and 2 more on order with 17 more ordered for delivery up to 2019;[18][19] up to 60 total planned.[20]
  • Amendola Air Base, Apulia
    • 13º Gruppo[21]
  • Istrana Air Base, Treviso
    • 132º Gruppo CBR (planned)

 Japan

• Japan Air Self-Defense Force – 17 operational; with a total order of 147, including 42 F-35B variants.[22] 38 are being built by Mitsubishi.[23][24]
  • Misawa Air Base, Aomori
    • 302nd Squadron

Dutch F-35A in July 2013

 Netherlands

• Royal Netherlands Air Force – 13 currently delivered and operational, from 46 ordered[25][26][27]
  • Edwards Air Force Base, California, US
    • 323 Squadron (OT&E)[28]
  • Leeuwarden Air Base, Netherlands
    • 322 Squadron

 Norway

• Royal Norwegian Air Force – 7 operational and used for training of Norwegian pilots in the US, 21 delivered to Norway for testing and integration, with a total of 52 planned[29] In November 2019 Norway declared initial operating capability (IOC) status for its F-35s. FOC is expected in 2025.[30]
  • Ørland Main Air Station, Trøndelag
    • 331 Skvadron (planned 2022)
    • 332 Skvadron[31]

 Poland

• Polish Air Force – 32 on order[32]

 South Korea

• Republic of Korea Air Force – 24 delivered[33][34] out of 60 ordered.[35][36]
  • 17th Fighter Wing[37] - Cheongju AFB
    • 151st Fighter Squadron[38]
    • 152nd Fighter Squadron[39]

 Turkey

• Turkish Air Force – 4 delivered and withheld[40][41] at Luke Air Force Base. 30 F-35s were ordered,[42] of up to 120 total planned.[43][44] Future purchases have been banned by the U.S. with contracts canceled by early 2020.[41] Intended Turkish squadrons were:
  • 112th Squadron "Devil"
  • 171st Squadron "Corsair"
  • 172nd Squadron "Hawk"

 United Arab Emirates

• United Arab Emirates Air Force - Up to 50 planned, although the sale was suspended and is under review by the Biden Administration [45][46]

 United States

• United States Air Force – 1,763 planned[25][47]
  • Air Combat Command
    • 53d Wing, ACC – Eglin AFB, Florida
      • 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron – Edwards AFB, California (53d Test and Evaluation Group)[48]
      • 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron – Nellis AFB, Nevada (53d Test and Evaluation Group)[49]
    • 57th Wing ACC – Nellis AFB, Nevada
      • 6th Weapons Squadron
    • 388th Fighter Wing ACC – Hill AFB, Utah
      • 4th Fighter Squadron
      • 34th Fighter Squadron[50]
      • 421st Fighter Squadron
  • Air Education and Training Command
    • 33d Fighter Wing AETC – Eglin AFB, Florida
      • 58th Fighter Squadron[51]
    • 56th Fighter Wing AETC – Luke AFB, Arizona
      • 61st Fighter Squadron[52]
      • 62d Fighter Squadron[53]
      • 63d Fighter Squadron[54]
      • 308th Fighter Squadron[55]
  • Air Force Reserve Command
    • 419th Fighter Wing – Hill AFB, Utah
      • 466th Fighter Squadron
  • Air Material Command
    • 412th Test Wing – Edwards AFB, California
      • 461st Flight Test Squadron[56]
  • Air National Guard
    • 158th Fighter Wing – Burlington ANGB, Vermont[57]
      • 134th Fighter Squadron[58]
  • Pacific Air Forces
    • 354th Fighter Wing – Eielson AFB, Alaska
      • 355th Fighter Squadron
      • 356th Fighter Squadron
  • United States Air Forces in Europe
    • 48th Fighter Wing USAFE - RAF Lakenheath, England
      • 495th Fighter Squadron

F-35B

The first Italian F-35B

First four RAF F-35Bs on a delivery flight to RAF Marham, June 2018

 Italy

• Italian Air Force – 15 planned[25][59]
• Italian Navy – 15 planned[59] of which 1 delivered with 4 on order for delivery by 2019.[60]
  • Gruppo Aerei Imbarcati

 Japan

• Japan Air Self-Defense Force - 42 planned,[61] also planning to deploy to Nyutabaru Air Base.[62]

 Singapore

• Republic of Singapore Air Force - up to 12 planned[63]

 South Korea

• Republic of Korea Navy - unspecified number planned[64]

 United Kingdom

21 received,[65] with 18 in the UK[66] and the rest in the US, where they are used for testing and training.[67] 42 (24 FOC fighters and 18 training aircraft) to be fast-tracked by 2023;[68][69] 138 F-35 total planned, first 48 aircraft will be F-35B.[70][71] Declared combat-ready in January 2019.[72]

• Royal Air Force
  • Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, US
    • No. 17 Squadron (Operational Evaluation Unit) – 3 operated for testing[73][74]
  • RAF Marham, Norfolk, UK
    • No. 207 Squadron (Operational Conversion Unit) – 6 delivered[75][74]
    • No. 617 Squadron[74] – 9 delivered[66]
    • Unspecified squadron[74]
• Royal Navy
  • RAF Marham, Norfolk, UK
    • 809 Naval Air Squadron – To be reformed in April 2023[68][74][76]
    • Unspecified squadron[74]

 United States

A USMC F-35B aboard USS Wasp

• United States Marine Corps – 340 planned[77][78]
  • VMX-1 – Edwards AFB, California[79]
  • VMFA-121 – MCAS Iwakuni, Japan[80]
  • VMFA-122 – MCAS Yuma, Arizona
  • VMFA-211 – MCAS Yuma, Arizona[81]
  • VMFAT-501 – MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina[82]

F-35C

USN F-35C launches from USS Abraham Lincoln

 United States

• United States Marine Corps – 80 planned[25][47]
  • VFA-101 – Eglin AFB, Florida (Navy squadron, but trains both Navy and Marine F-35C pilots, and operates Navy and Marine F-35Cs maintained by both sailors and Marines. This is the same arrangement as other aircraft common to the Navy and Marine Corps.)
  • VMFA-314 - MCAS Miramar, California
• United States Navy – 260 planned[25][47]
  • VX-9 – Edwards AFB, California[83]
  • VX-23 – NAS Patuxent River, Maryland[84]
  • VFA-101 – Eglin AFB, Florida[85] - deactivated 23 May 2019.[86]
  • VFA-125 – NAS Lemoore, California[87]
  • VFA-147 - NAS Lemoore, California[88]

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