RAF MARHAM, Norfolk — May 28, 2026 : The United Kingdom has completed the initial procurement phase of its F-35B Lightning II programme following the arrival of the final two aircraft, BK43 and BK45, at Royal Air Force Marham, bringing the UK’s operational F-35B fleet to 47 aircraft.
The delivery completes the first tranche of 48 F-35B aircraft ordered by the UK and produced by Lockheed Martin at its Fort Worth, Texas, manufacturing facility. One aircraft, BK18, was lost during an accident aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in November 2021, leaving the current operational inventory at 47 jets.
Lightning Wing at RAF Marham
RAF Marham in Norfolk serves as the home base of the UK’s F-35B Lightning Wing, a joint force composed of personnel from both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. The wing is responsible for pilot and ground crew training, force generation, and frontline combat operations.
The Lightning Wing currently operates through three squadrons. 207 Squadron functions as the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), responsible for training F-35B pilots and maintenance personnel before their assignment to frontline units. 617 Squadron (The Dambusters) serves as a frontline combat formation, while 809 Naval Air Squadron (The Immortals) provides additional frontline operational capacity following its reformation.
The F-35B is the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Lightning II, enabling operations from conventional land bases as well as the ski-jump flight decks of the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.
The platform combines low-observable characteristics, advanced sensors, network-enabled warfare systems, intelligence-gathering capabilities, electronic warfare functions, air superiority missions, and precision strike capabilities.
Operational Activity
The UK’s F-35B fleet has maintained operational activity over the past year. In 2025, Lightning Wing aircraft participated in a global carrier strike deployment as part of UK naval operations.
More recently, aircraft from 617 Squadron deployed to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, where they conducted combat missions in support of UK personnel across the Middle East, including the interception of one-way attack drones during regional escalations.
“I’m delighted to welcome the final aircraft of our initial procurement of F35Bs to Marham,” Air Commodore Layden, Combat Air Force Commander, said in a statement. “This marks an important milestone in our 5th-generation combat air power journey, reinforcing our declaration of full operational capability last year.”
Layden added that the Lightning Wing’s operational activity over the past year demonstrated the continued growth of the UK’s fifth-generation combat air capability from both land and sea-based operations.
Future Procurement Plans
Although the initial procurement phase has concluded, the UK Ministry of Defence has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to procuring up to 138 F-35 aircraft over the lifetime of the programme. Further details on acquisition timelines and future procurement plans are expected in the upcoming Defence Investment Plan.
Following the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, the UK adjusted its future acquisition strategy to include 12 conventional take-off and landing F-35A aircraft for the Royal Air Force to support NATO’s nuclear delivery mission. As a result, the anticipated second procurement batch of F-35B aircraft is expected to be reduced from 27 to 15 jets.
Capability Upgrades and Industrial Contribution
The newly delivered aircraft are built to the Technical Refresh 3 (TR-3) configuration, which provides the hardware foundation for future Block 4 software upgrades. These upgrades are required to integrate UK-developed weapons systems, including the SPEAR 3 precision strike missile and Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, with planned integration targeted for the late 2020s and early 2030s.
The United Kingdom also continues to play a significant industrial role in the Joint Strike Fighter programme as its only Tier 1 partner. UK industry, led by BAE Systems, manufactures approximately 15 percent of every F-35 produced globally, supporting thousands of skilled jobs across the country.
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