The Royal Air Force has announced the arrival of two new F-35B Lightning jets at RAF Marham.
According to the RAF, the aircraft made the long journey from Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, supported by an RAF Brize Norton Voyager. The new arrivals highlight the UK’s continued commitment to expanding its cutting-edge combat capabilities.
The RAF stated on social media: “After a long journey from @LockheedMartin in Fort Worth Texas, two new F-35B Lightning jets have arrived @RAF_Marham. Supported by an @RAFBrizeNorton Voyager, they represent the UK’s ongoing effort to maintain advanced air power and an important step in the F-35 program.”
These new additions mark a significant enhancement to the UK’s carrier strike capabilities, with the F-35B playing a central role aboard the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. The jets will further bolster the UK’s ability to project air power and maintain air superiority as part of the ongoing modernisation of the RAF’s fighter fleet.
There is an expectation that all of the 47 in the first batch will be delivered by the end of 2025. Note that it would have been 48 if one didn’t crash.
After that, the Ministry of Defence expressed the intention to purchase another tranche of jets. Funding has been delegated for an additional tranche of F-35B jets for Britain beyond the 48 already ordered.
How many are expected?
According to the Defence Command Paper titled ‘Defence in a Competitive Age’, the UK intends to increase the fleet size beyond the 48 F-35 aircraft it has already ordered.
“The Royal Air Force will continue to grow its Combat Air capacity over the next few years as we fully establish all seven operational Typhoon Squadrons and grow the Lightning II Force, increasing the fleet size beyond the 48 aircraft that we have already ordered. Together they will provide a formidable capability, which will be continually upgraded to meet the threat, exploit multi domain integration and expand utility.
The Royal Air Force will spiral develop Typhoon capability, integrate new weapons such as the UK developed ‘SPEAR Cap 3’ precision air launched weapon and invest in the Radar 2 programme to give it a powerful electronically scanned array radar. We will integrate more UK weapons onto Lightning II and invest to ensure that its software and capability are updated alongside the rest of the global F 35 fleet.”
May as well skip Marham and head straight for their sisters in the Med
Minimum number must be at least 100.
So when we remove the 3 oranges for the test and evaluation squadron, you have 44..2 squadrons of 12 and a OCU of 12 is 36 then you need 20% for the sustainment fleet so 8 that takes it to 44…clever stuff. What have always found interesting is that they expect to order another 26… but a further squadron would only need 12 +20% sustainment so 14-15 aircraft, so I have never understood the extra 26..it makes no sense as it’s way more than you need to stand up an extra squadron, but not enough to stand up 2 squadrons ( you would need 30 for that).
So for some reason the RAF are looking for a far bigger percentage sustainment fleet for the F35..24 sustainment fleet for 3 front line squadrons, compared to typhoon which will be running 6 squadrons with a none existent sustainment fleet of around 9-10 aircraft. the tranche 2-3 only consists of 96 fighters.. 6 squadrons + OCU + Falklands flight + test and evaluation totals about 86-88 deployed aircraft..
That’s some odd maths for some reason.
might that extra 26 be partially for attrition? Undoubtably some will be lost over a 40+ years ops lifetime.
For some reason the figure 96 repeatedly crops up in these discussions, but I believe the correct figure is 107 tranche 2 & 3.
I’ve read on more than one occasion that the aspiration is for the F35B squadrons to be larger than 12 aircraft (16?), but that could be a false rumour.
96 single seat. 11 twin seat. Typhoon and the F35 fleets are pooled. So aircraft are moved around the squadrons depending on operational need.
96 front line fighters and 11 trainers, so you cannot count the trainers in front line squadrons numbers and the OCU has always had a full set of single seat front line fighters as well as around 5-6 two seater trainers.. generally the rest of the 2 seaters would have been scattered around the front line squadrons.. if you look at the FOI that included a record of where each airframe was..the frontline squadrons all had 12 single seat front line fighters and 1-2 two seaters and the OCU had 12 single seat fighters and 6 trainers.
I wonder if jets have that new car smell?
Initially yes but I have heard a rumour that the United States has installed a secret switch that changes the smell from “new car” to “rotten cabbage” if they are unhappy with the buyer.