The U.S. Air Force would cut its F-35A purchases for fiscal 2026 by nearly half, from 44 jets in 2025 to 24, under a draft Pentagon budget, according to a document obtained by Defense News.
The $4 billion plan, a 45% reduction in jets from the $4.8 billion allocated for 2025, would save less than 18% compared to this year’s cost, indicating reduced economies of scale.
The Air Force typically procures about 48 F-35s annually, with some years exceeding 60, but the proposed 2026 buy is significantly lower than the 51 jets purchased for $5.5 billion in 2024. The service has expressed concerns over delayed Technology Refresh 3 upgrades, prompting efforts to scale back F-35 purchases, though such a drastic cut was unexpected. Air Force leaders have consistently called the F-35 the “quarterback” of its fighter fleet, emphasizing its advanced data-sharing capabilities.
The Air Force’s aging fighter fleet, with retiring F-15s and F-16s, requires at least 72 new fighters annually to modernize and reduce the fleet’s average age, according to service leaders. The proposed 2026 budget, including 24 F-35As and 21 F-15EX fighters, falls short of this goal. Last year, the Air Force projected buying 42 F-35As in 2026, with plans for 47 in 2027 and 2028, and 48 in 2029, toward a total of 1,763 F-35As.
In contrast, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense advanced a bill Tuesday allocating $4.5 billion for 42 F-35As for the Air Force, $1.9 billion for 13 Marine Corps F-35Bs, and $2 billion for Navy and Marine Corps F-35C carrier variants, aligning more closely with typical purchase levels.
The slow release of budget details under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has not yet presented a full fiscal 2026 proposal, is unusual. Typically, proposed budgets are released in spring with explanatory briefings, but only broad spending outlines have emerged so far.