Britain’s fleet of cutting-edge stealth fighters has grown stronger, as the Royal Air Force confirmed the arrival of two new F-35B Lightning II jets at RAF Marham.
The aircraft, which flew from Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, were escorted across the Atlantic by a RAF Voyager from Brize Norton. The delivery underscores the UK’s ongoing investment in world-class air capabilities and carrier strike readiness.
The announcement was made on social media, with the RAF posting:
“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 latest arrivals will further enhance the UK’s carrier strike capabilities, with the F-35Bs designed to operate from the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Their short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) features make them ideally suited for naval operations and rapid deployment missions.
The UK is on track to receive 47 of the originally ordered 48 jets by the end of 2025, one having been lost in a previous incident. Plans are already in motion to go beyond that number.
According to the Ministry of Defence’s ‘Defence in a Competitive Age’ strategy, the UK intends to increase its fleet size beyond 48, forming part of a broader expansion of the RAF’s Combat Air capacity.
“The Royal Air Force will continue to grow its Combat Air capacity over the next few years… increasing the [F-35] fleet size beyond the 48 aircraft that we have already ordered,” the Defence Command Paper states.
In addition to growing the Lightning Force, the RAF is upgrading its Typhoon fleet, integrating advanced systems such as Radar 2 and the UK-developed SPEAR Cap 3 precision missile. The F-35s will also benefit from ongoing software enhancements and weapons integration to ensure continued parity with global F-35 operators.
The arrival of the two new jets marks another step in modernising Britain’s fighter fleet, reinforcing its ability to project air power and contribute meaningfully to NATO operations and allied defence.
