New data has detailed the recent flight hours of the F-35B Lightning and Poseidon aircraft since 2019.

The figures came to light in response to a written parliamentary question posed by John Healey, the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, to the Ministry of Defence.

John Healey MP queried:

“What the average number of monthly flight hours by F-35 aircraft was in each year since 2019.”

He also sought clarity on the Poseidon-8’s flight hours with a similar query.

James Cartlidge, The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, provided the following breakdown:

“The average monthly flying hours for the F-35B Lightning and Poseidon fleets are given in the table below.”

Financial Year

F-35B Lightning

    • 2019-20: 160 hours
    • 2020-21: 140 hours
    • 2021-22: 210 hours
    • 2022-23: 180 hours

Poseidon

    • 2019-20: 30 hours
    • 2020-21: 80 hours
    • 2021-22: 150 hours
    • 2022-23: 190 hours

Cartlidge added,

“Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Poseidon entered service in late 2019 so the average figure is calculated on a partial year.”

Tom Dunlop
Tom Dunlop
Tom has spent the last 13 years working in the defence industry, specifically military and commercial shipbuilding. His work has taken him around Europe and the Far East, he is currently based in Scotland.

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53 COMMENTS

  1. The thing about politics is its played primarily by fatherless people who have never had a proper day job, who act as if they are still in the Student Union and who ask f-ing pointless questions in which to throw mud, simply because like pigs in shit, they love throwing the stuff. Here is the shadow defence sec wasting time asking a question, he could have had the answer to well before hand simply by asking somebody in Whitehall, who would have got on his Churchill terminal (I think it’s been recently replaced by centurion I think) and handed Healey the answers to any question he posed. (Just as a matter of interest I grew up on Healey Lane) But hey lets waste everybody’s time asking silly questions. 

    • Not ‘could of had the answer’, he likely DID have the answer well before hand. They only ask questions they know the answers to to throw mud like 5 year olds. Like either side would do any better on this issue. 2 sides of the same coin.
      Wouldn’t trust 99% to teach 1st year Home Economics but the public keep falling for the same BS and blindly ticking the box every 5 years for the same shower of… we’re f’d unless that changes.

    • Every opposition party asks such questions, no matter the government.

      Its useful information to know the P-8s , brand new aircraft are only flying 250 hours each per year – on average
      The design process was to be 1000 hours per year for 25 years.

      Simple answer is they dont have enough trained crews to do even 400-500 hrs per year

    • Absobloodylutely. Hit the nail on the head.
      They congeal in the public sector as they can’t hold down a job in the private sector.
      That great global charity referred to as the British tax-payer will foot the bill.

    • I’ll put the question asked so you can understand the answer as it’s not 5 hours a month.
      What the average number of monthly flight hours by F-35 aircraft was in each year since 2019.”
      F-35B Lightning

      2019-20: 160 hours
      2020-21: 140 hours
      2021-22: 210 hours
      2022-23: 180 hours

        • UKDJ previous article about 12 months back says of 30 delivered only 26 are in UK

          I think your 20 in 2 hrs is an exaggeration, as thats really 2 squadrons worth …in 2 hrs, maybe , maybe 2 days

    • I honestly thought they’d mislabeled it. Figured they meant ‘210 per plane per year’ which, while not great, was ok… but if these ARE fleet hours per month, which I think they must be, you are 100% correct. Ridiculous.

      • Only an uneducated twat like you Robert Deebee Blay would still be unaware of the problem.

        “After all, rust only affects ferrous metals like iron or steel and the F-35’s largely composite airframe wouldn’t rust, although its RAM — which has already been through a couple of iterations — may very well show similar signs after significant exposure to the harsh saltwater environment. While what makes up the F-35’s RAM — some of which is supposedly baked directly into the aircraft’s skin panels themselves — is a closely guarded secret, Iron is a known ingredient of radar-absorbent coatings going back to the dawn of stealth technology!

        F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at Williamtown RAAF base susceptible to ‘intergranular corrosion’, KPMG report finds

        Australian defence officials have been urged to consider round-the-clock dehumidification systems at an Air Force base near Newcastle to curb the corrosion risk for its fleet of Joint Strike Fighter jets.

        Key points:
        A KPMG report shows corrosion risks from salt to 72 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at the Williamtown RAAF base The report warns aluminium parts are susceptible, and recommends full-time dehumidification
        The fighters are the largest acquisition in the Air Force’s history, costing $17 billion

        Auditing and consulting firm KPMG was tasked with doing a report on the “intergranular corrosion mitigation options” for the 72 F-35A fighter jets, bought by the Australian Defence Force for $17 billion.

        Concerns over the risk of metal stress and cracking were raised in 2017, the year before the next-generation fighters were due to come to Australia.

        The FOI report obtained by the ABC said of the three bases where the jets would be based, only Williamtown, near Newcastle, had been identified as having potential problems.

        The risk is posed by salt and other climatic conditions.”

        LINK

        • The problem is the STEALTH COATING Moron.

          “Not only does the Williamtown stealth-coating facility provide Australia with a valuable sovereign capability and cut down on cumbersome timelines for sustaining Australian F-35s in the United States, it will also serve as a second source of service for US aircraft in the region,” analyst Ashley Townshend told Breaking Defense.”

          • “You are a pathetic sad twat keyboard warrior who only has half a brain and has no experience whatsoever to back up anything you say.”

            I just did 😂

          • Dear Nigel and Robert,

            I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to address the ongoing situation regarding your interactions on our site. I value every member of our community, and it’s of utmost importance to maintain a respectful and supportive environment for everyone.

            Upon reviewing recent interactions and reports, it has come to my attention that both of you have violated several of our community guidelines. Specifically:

            Respect for Others – Our policy clearly states that members should “treat others with respect, avoiding personal attacks and aggressive behaviors”. We’ve noted instances where conversations have escalated to inappropriate levels.
            Constructive Participation – While we encourage healthy debate, our guidelines stress the importance of contributing to discussions in a manner that’s beneficial and conducive to a positive community atmosphere. Disparaging remarks and attempts to undermine other members are not considered constructive.
            Lisa, one of our moderators, has reached out to both of you multiple times to address these issues. These warnings were intended to provide an opportunity for rectification without further escalation.

            While I understand that disagreements can occur, this dispute has consumed a disproportionate amount of my time and resources that could be better spent on enhancing our platform for the wider community.

            Given the recurring nature of these issues, I must inform you both that the next violation of our policies will result in that individual’s comments being set to automatically go into the moderation queue for review before publication. This action is not taken lightly, but it’s essential to ensure the wellbeing and positive experience of all our community members.

            I kindly ask both of you to review our community guidelines once more and ensure that all future interactions on our site align with these standards. Thank you for your understanding, and I genuinely hope we can move forward with a renewed commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive community.

            Best regards,
            George

          • Hello George, not a problem. As I have said to Lisa West above, Also, please look at Robert Blays replies to my posts which he comments on and when proven to be wrong starts to make the comments you are referring to thank you and yes, I have responded accordingly to the personal insults.

            I will flag them up in future to you both.

          • Thank you for your prompt response and understanding.

            I appreciate your commitment to bringing any violations to our attention. It’s essential for us to be made aware of these issues to address them appropriately and ensure our community remains positive and respectful.

            Regarding Robert Blay’s interactions, I assure you that all aspects of this situation are under review. Every member of our platform is expected to adhere to the same standards, regardless of the circumstances.

            Moving forward, I urge all members, including yourself and Robert, to utilise the reporting feature rather than engaging in exchanges that might escalate. This helps us in moderating effectively and ensures a swift resolution.

            Thank you for your cooperation, I expect this to be the last comment on the matter.

            Best regards,

            George

          • Copy and paste is not experience Nigel. Remember that. Bet you struggled to strip down an SLR. Maybe you should put as much effort into criticising our potential foes fast jet aircraft instead of the world’s most capable 5th gen capability. You know, the one that 17 allied nations are buying. The one that would dominate over anything Russia, China, or Iran or any another tin pot country could throw at the west. The one that Typhoon pilots lose against constantly because F35B has engaged and got simulated missiles in the air before the Typhoon pilot even has a radar track or situational awareness on the F35’s location. You don’t know a single thing about this aircraft. Did you cry so much over Typhoon or F22 when both were massively late and over budget? or when orders for both were massively reduced? Did you shed a tear when Typhoon only had ASRAAM/AMRAAM and 1000lb EP2 after such a huge investment and delays?

      • Noel, now, Robert. I didn’t do much, but was at the coal face.

        ARs today have gone toe to toe alongside regular colleagues, so please be nice. 😉

  3. 21 hours per Poseidon is unbelievable. that is the entire fleet only in the air for a quarter of an entire month.

    Poseidon 3/4 of the time has no aircraft in the air for MPA

  4. Is this the UK Armed Forces “punching above their weight” or hiding in the corner of the ring? Coming outnwhen tge weather is nice or when they got enough budget to fill the tank up? They’ve certainly go enough money to house illegal immigrants in fivenstar hotels though. Insanity. And sadly it’ll be the end of the UK.

  5. “F-35 flying 5 hours a month is fucking ridiculous”

    Lest We Forget! CLASSIC 😂

    It could be even less this month 😂😂😂

    “Yellow weather warnings have been put in place across the UK with storms set to ‘batter’ Britain. The alerts come as the Met Office say today (September 9), could be the hottest day of the year.

    The first warning comes into force today at 2pm covering a large secion of England and Wales, reaching as far north as Manchester and Hull, down to more southern areas including Oxford and Bath. The stormy conditions are likely to stick around until around 9pm this evening.

    A second weather warning affecting northern England and Scotland is also in place between 2pm and midnight on Sunday (September 10) when more thunderstorms are expected to sweep the country.”

    • It’s not 5 hours a month. It’s 180 a month for the fleet.
      What would be interesting to know is how much simulator time pilots get compared with previous generations.

      • In 2022 RAF/RN F35B pilots flew 2760 synthetic hours. 👍 Simulators allow the crews to fly in much more demanding environments compared to many sorties out of Marham. Like a complex Red Flag type scenario, without having to leave the comfort of Norfolk.

    • Dear Robert,

      I’ve observed your recent comments and, despite multiple warnings from both Lisa and myself, it’s clear that you have chosen to ignore our community guidelines. This platform strives to foster a respectful and constructive environment for all its users.

      Given your continued provocations and breaches, I’ve made the decision to place all your future comments into automatic moderation. This means that every comment you make will undergo a review before it’s made visible to the public. Each comment will be assessed against our community standards. Should they be found wanting, they won’t be published.

      I’d like to point out that Nigel has also been spoken to about his conduct. It is essential for all members to maintain civility and respect on this platform.

      I must stress the importance of positive interactions on our platform. Persistent disruptive behaviour could lead to further actions.

      I hope this action underscores the value we place on respectful discourse amongst our members.

      Kind regards,

      George

  6. Over 840 F35s in service with 17 countries operating from 26 bases around the world with 400,000 flight hours, combat proven in the middle east, the F35s capabilities are so good, Japan, arguably the most technological nation on earth civil& military are so impressed with the F35B variant they modified both of their helicopter carriers Izumo & Kaga to operate it, ( what would they know, a long with the many other thousands of aeronautical experts, air warfare planners, chief test pilots etc from the 17 countries which are purchasing this fantastic jet in droves??) The moaning Minnie’s can keep moaning but sales figures speak for themselves, end of.

        • Thats wishful thinking too, as the extra buy on top of the 48 contracted for really means the first 12 or so from early builds will be too expensive/unsuitable to update and ‘retired from service’

          This may have already happened for half a dozen

    • How does that change 5hrs per month for the UK F-35B ROBERT BLAY?

      TWO CHEEKS, SAME ARSE!

      We also have Ron5 now Grinch on here.

      • Nigel, I can assure you I’m not Robert Blay under a different user name, I think Mr Blay will be rather upset with that, ok then so you’re obviously not a fan of the F35 to say the least, please name which aircraft you would like to see be used by the RAF/ RN instead and why? I’m all ears!

      • So you divided the number of aircraft you think we have in service by the monthly average. That’s not how it works Nigel. Yet again, your lack of any common sense or military knowledge are severally falling short. A 50 something year old with the brain of a child. AND CAPITALS JUST MAKE YOU LOOK EVEN MORE RETARDED 🫡

        • The word Average springs to mind (a number expressing the central or typical value in a set of data)

          Any updates Robert/Deebee 😂😂

          “Full Operating Capability for the British F-35 fleet was planned for 2023, it has now slipped by two years to 2025.”

          • Because of manning issues Nigel. Maybe you should join up and help them out. But I don’t think they’ll take on idiot’s like you who can only use copy and paste articles

          • You really are a clueless …. Deebee Blay. 😂😂

            I think listening to the sound of those engines roaring overhead and too many bacon butties and coffee has damaged your short-term memory 😂😂✈

            Full Operating Capability for British F-35 jets delayed
            Posted: George Allison September 14, 2022
            14, 2022

            “*****CORRECTION 28/10/2022 – This report conflates the 2023 Carrier Strike FOC – embarking up to two frontline units on the carrier, with the arrival of the 48th  jet, this is incorrect.

            The 2025 FOC milestone is the completion of the Tranche 1 delivery programme, When the last delivery of the 48th jet occurs, this remains 2025 as planned:

            FOC for Tranche 1 of the F-35 Lightning Programme remains as 31 Mar 2025, in accordance with the Central Supporting Group through Main Gate 4, Review Note 3 (MG4, RN3), dated 17 Jan 17; there has been no formal amendment to the FOC date since then.”

            Is that you in front with your box of spanners? No wonder it’s rarely Airbourne 😂😂😂😂
            https://www.safeskiescleanwaterwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/f-35-lemon-cartoon.jpg

          • Dear Nigel and Robert,

            I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to address the ongoing situation regarding your interactions on our site. I value every member of our community, and it’s of utmost importance to maintain a respectful and supportive environment for everyone.

            Upon reviewing recent interactions and reports, it has come to my attention that both of you have violated several of our community guidelines. Specifically:

            Respect for Others – Our policy clearly states that members should “treat others with respect, avoiding personal attacks and aggressive behaviors”. We’ve noted instances where conversations have escalated to inappropriate levels.
            Constructive Participation – While we encourage healthy debate, our guidelines stress the importance of contributing to discussions in a manner that’s beneficial and conducive to a positive community atmosphere. Disparaging remarks and attempts to undermine other members are not considered constructive.
            Lisa, one of our moderators, has reached out to both of you multiple times to address these issues. These warnings were intended to provide an opportunity for rectification without further escalation.

            While I understand that disagreements can occur, this dispute has consumed a disproportionate amount of my time and resources that could be better spent on enhancing our platform for the wider community.

            Given the recurring nature of these issues, I must inform you both that the next violation of our policies will result in that individual’s comments being set to automatically go into the moderation queue for review before publication. This action is not taken lightly, but it’s essential to ensure the wellbeing and positive experience of all our community members.

            I kindly ask both of you to review our community guidelines once more and ensure that all future interactions on our site align with these standards. Thank you for your understanding, and I genuinely hope we can move forward with a renewed commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive community.

            Best regards,
            George

  7. It is hard to believe that the Poseidons, designed for long endurance missions, were only averaging 21 hours per month each in 22/23 when all 9 were operational.
    The F35 is only flying on average @10 hours per aircraft per month.
    These are the kind of numbers you might expect from a part time air national guard.

    • I agree, the numbers don’t seem right. The RAF is campaigning for a few more P-8’s before Boeing ends production in 2025, but if the 9 existing aircraft are really only flying one mission every one or two weeks, it’s hard to make a case that the current force is over stretched.

      • The lack of training is an issue, especially with fast jets as the RAF/RN are already short F35 pilots. The USAF/USN operate with two pilots assigned to each combat aircraft, each flying 200hrs a year, or 400~ per airplane. The senior pilots name is painted on the left side, the junior on the right side. The RAF is more like 1.0/1.1 pilots per aircraft and even then they aren’t flying enough hours.

      • This is peacetime. We definitely need more than 9 aircraft considering our maritime EEZ as well as protection of trade routes, shipping surveillance and ASW requirements. At least another 6 aircraft.

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