USAF won’t resume full F-35 buys until Lockheed wrings problems from upgrade: service chief
Gen. Allvin says the decision flows from new DOD priorities.
Audrey Decker | July 23, 2025 06:41 PM ET
ROYAL AIR FORCE FAIRFORD, England—Lockheed Martin needs to make progress on a host of delayed upgrades to the F-35 fighter jet before the Pentagon will return to buying the jet in planned levels, the Air Force’s chief said.
Frustration over delays with the Block 4 upgrade—coupled with a broader Pentagon budget reprioritization—led the service to request just two dozen new jets in its 2026 budget proposal—half of last year’s plan and down from the 44 bought in 2025.
The Air Force will increase procurement again when it can buy “F-35s that are most relevant for the fight,” Gen. David Allvin told Defense One on the sidelines of the Royal International Air Tattoo.
"In the end, because we have limited financial resources, we need to make sure that the F-35s we buy have the capability to meet the pacing threat. So, some of the delays with respect to Block 4 and TR-3 weighed into decisions by the department,” Allvin said.
https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2025/07/usaf-wont-resume-full-f-35-buys-until-lockheed-wrings-problems-upgrade/406934/?oref=d1-featured-river-secondary
