The US Department of Defense recently informed Capitol Hill of a significant reduction in orders for F-35 fighter jets destined for the United States Air Force (USAF), marking a contraction from 48 to 24 units compared to last year’s forecast. This decision reflects a military expenditure containment strategy, consistent with the objective outlined by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to cut overall defense investment by 8% over the next five years. 

Specifically, the funding request for the upcoming fiscal year amounts to approximately $3.5 billion for the purchase of F-35s, alongside $531 million allocated for the advance procurement of components necessary for production. Other branches of the US Department of Defense also exhibit changes in acquisition plans: the Navy intends to purchase 12 carrier-based F-35 variants, totaling $1.95 billion plus $401.5 million anticipated for materials; the Marines are aiming for 11 aircraft, with funding of $1.78 billion plus $113.7 million for raw materials. 

The F-35, one of the most expensive programs in US defense history, operates on an overall budget approaching $2,000 billion, divided among development, acquisition (approximately $485 billion for the production of 2,456 aircraft), and sustainment (over $1,500 billion). To date, 747 aircraft have been delivered out of about 967 contracted, with the Air Force as Lockheed Martin’s primary customer. This downsizing in procurement may indicate a strategic reassessment of aerial assets influenced by fiscal priorities and programmatic reorganizations within the Department of Defense.