Northrop Grumman’s F-35 Fighter output highlights industrial power behind US air dominance.

On July 2, 2025, Northrop Grumman announced from Palmdale, California, that it had reached a new milestone in military aircraft manufacturing with the ability to deliver a center fuselage for the F-35 Lightning II every thirty hours. This announcement, taken from an official company release, reflects the significant transformation of defense manufacturing methods, where production speed is now combined with strict standards of precision and reliability. For the United States and its international partners, this achievement provides additional assurance of the availability and modernization of the fifth-generation fleet.
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A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II (Picture source: US DoD)

The F-35 Lightning II, developed by Lockheed Martin with contributions from Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, and Pratt & Whitney, is a fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter designed for air superiority, ground attack, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare. It is produced in three versions: the F-35A, intended for air forces and equipped with conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL); the F-35B, which combines stealth with short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) capability, enabling operations from smaller ships or austere bases; and the F-35C, adapted for carrier operations with a larger wing and reinforced structure. Sharing a common technological foundation, the variants provide operators with a coherent and flexible tool suited to different operational environments.

Powered by a Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan producing up to 43,000 pounds of thrust with afterburner, the F-35 reaches a maximum speed of Mach 1.6 (1,930 km/h) and a range of 2,220 km with internal fuel. Its maximum takeoff weight is 31,800 kg, allowing it to carry a wide range of armaments. The internal 20 mm cannon (GAU-22A or M61A2, depending on the version) is complemented by AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, as well as ground-attack weapons such as the GBU-31 JDAM, the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, and the AGM-88 HARM, designed to neutralize air defense systems. The internal weapons bay preserves stealth, while six external hardpoints allow a payload of more than 15,000 pounds when discretion is not required. The aircraft is equipped with advanced sensors, including the AN/APG-81 AESA radar, the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), the Distributed Aperture System (DAS), and the Helmet-Mounted Display System (HMDS), providing comprehensive battlefield coverage and extended situational awareness.

At the core of this architecture, the center fuselage plays a critical role. It houses the air intakes, part of the fuel tanks, the internal weapons bay, and the flight-operable doors and mechanisms. The accuracy of its assembly, particularly edge alignment and application of coatings, directly determines the aircraft’s stealth performance and reliability in missions. Northrop Grumman has already delivered more than 1,400 such fuselages, confirming its central role in the Lightning II program and its expertise in producing complex aerospace structures.

This production pace is made possible by the Integrated Assembly Line (IAL), inaugurated in 2011, which remains one of the most advanced facilities worldwide for fighter aircraft manufacturing. Designed to assemble all three versions of the F-35 on a single line, it incorporates advanced processes such as automated guided vehicles, robotic drilling, and on-site molding. These operations are reinforced by real-time production data analysis, improving quality control while optimizing the use of human resources. The IAL thus represents the convergence of automation, robotics, and precision engineering.

The scale of the facility illustrates the magnitude of the project. Covering an area equivalent to a football field, it includes more than 115 assembly stations and processes around ten million parts annually. With this capacity, completing one center fuselage every thirty hours has become feasible, symbolizing a shift in the standards of defense aerospace manufacturing.

Beyond fuselage production, Northrop Grumman is also responsible for several other F-35 subsystems, including radars, communications equipment, and logistics support. This vertical integration, bringing together design, production, and sustainment, aims to secure supply chains and ensure technical consistency across the program. It reflects an industrial strategy designed for long-term requirements and the continuous adaptation of client armed forces.

The consequences of this acceleration extend well beyond the Palmdale plant. In a context of technological competition and regional tensions, the ability to deliver fifth-generation aircraft rapidly is a decisive factor. For U.S. forces, it ensures increased fleet availability, while international partners rely on these production rates to meet delivery schedules and strengthen their air capabilities.

Since entering service in 2015, the F-35 has become the most widely distributed fighter program globally. In the United States, the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps each operate their respective variants. Among historical partners, the United Kingdom employs F-35Bs for both the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, Italy has acquired both F-35As and F-35Bs, and the Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark are already fielding F-35As.

Additional customers have joined this initial group. Israel, the first to use the aircraft in combat, operates customized F-35As. Japan, already equipped with F-35As, began deploying its first F-35Bs in the south of the country in August 2025. Australia, South Korea, and Belgium have also received their first aircraft, while Finland, Poland, Switzerland, Canada, Romania, Greece, Germany, and the Czech Republic have signed firm contracts but are still awaiting deliveries.

This diversity of buyers, combined with production having already passed 1,200 aircraft delivered by mid-2025, highlights the pressure on the global supply chain and the need for Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to further increase throughput. Forces already equipped are working to integrate the F-35 into their operational doctrines, while those still waiting for deliveries depend on the reliability of industrial schedules. In this context, the declared pace of one center fuselage every thirty hours is critical, as it underpins both the credibility of the program and the fulfillment of commitments to allied nations.