Lightning Nations: The Biggest Arsenals of This Fifth Generation Stealth Fighter

Built by Lockheed Martin with major contributions from BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman, the F-35 Lightning II entered front-line service in the 2010s and has quickly become integral to allied air fleets worldwide.

What sets the F-35 apart from other fighter jets is its mix of stealth and supersonic cruise without afterburner (supercruise-style performance). It also features flexible payload options as it can haul roughly 18,000 pounds of ordnance when fully loaded out.

Price varies by the variant with the baseline F-35A commonly quoted around $110 million per jet. The STOVL (short-takeoff vertical landing) F-35B comes in around roughly $136 million, and the carrier-optimized F-35C near $117 million. There are currently about 20 allied countries that have procured or are in the process of ordering the F-35. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the countries with these fifth-generation jets already in their arsenal.

To identify the countries with the most F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2025 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ranked these countries according to the number of F-35s currently in service. We included supplemental information regarding active F-35s in respective fleets, military branches that will be using these aircraft, and what variants of the F-35 are on order or are currently in service.

Here is a look at the countries with the most F-35 Lightning II fighter jets:

Why Are We Covering This?

Tracking global F-35 Lightning II purchases and ownership provides critical insight into which nations are positioning themselves at the forefront of modern air warfare. This jet is more than a fighter; it’s a force multiplier that features next generation technology, intelligence-sharing networks, and advanced sensors. Understanding who has F-35’s in their arsenal helps explain not just defense strategy, but geopolitical partnerships and economic investments in security.

10. Denmark

• Active F-35 aircraft: 10
• F-35 aircraft on order: 17
• Military branches employing F-35 aircraft: Royal Danish Air Force
• Variant(s): F-35A

Denmark has a total of 117 military aircraft, including 31 fighter aircraft and 4 attack aircraft. It has 20,000 active-duty personnel for its entire armed forces, with a reserve force of 12,000. Of these active-duty personnel, 3,500 are dedicated Air Force personnel. Also, to afford these aircraft, Denmark has a defense budget of $7,225,466,250, which ranks #40 in the world. Denmark has a total population of 5.973 million and its military ranks #45 out of 145 countries.

9. Italy

• Active F-35 aircraft: 30
• F-35 aircraft on order: 60
• Military branches employing F-35 aircraft: Italian Air Force, Italian Navy
• Variant(s): F-35A/B

Italy has a total of 729 military aircraft, including 89 fighter aircraft and 67 attack aircraft. It has 165,500 active-duty personnel for its entire armed forces, with a reserve force of 18,500. Of these active-duty personnel, 43,000 are dedicated Air Force personnel. Also, to afford these aircraft, Italy has a defense budget of $30,890,000,000, which ranks #16 in the world. Italy has a total population of 60.96 million and its military ranks #10 out of 145 countries.

8. United Kingdom

• Active F-35 aircraft: 31
• F-35 aircraft on order: 103
• Military branches employing F-35 aircraft: Royal Air Force
• Variant(s): F-35B

The United Kingdom has a total of 631 military aircraft, including 113 fighter aircraft and 31 attack aircraft. It has 184,860 active-duty personnel for its entire armed forces, with a reserve force of 924,000. Of these active-duty personnel, 34,790 are dedicated Air Force personnel. Also, to afford these aircraft, the United Kingdom has a defense budget of $71,500,540,000, which ranks #6 in the world. The United Kingdom has a total population of 68.46 million and its military ranks #6 out of 145 countries.

7. Japan

• Active F-35 aircraft: 38
• F-35 aircraft on order: 108
• Military branches employing F-35 aircraft: Japan Air Self-Defence Force
• Variant(s): F-35A/B

Japan has a total of 1,443 military aircraft, including 217 fighter aircraft and 38 attack aircraft. It has 247,150 active-duty personnel for its entire armed forces, with a reserve force of 56,000. Of these active-duty personnel, 50,000 are dedicated Air Force personnel. Also, to afford these aircraft, Japan has a defense budget of $57,000,000,000, which ranks #7 in the world. Japan has a total population of 123.2 million and its military ranks #7 out of 145 countries.

6. Israel

• Active F-35 aircraft: 38
• F-35 aircraft on order: 36
• Military branches employing F-35 aircraft: Israel Air and Space Force
• Variant(s): F-35I

Israel has a total of 611 military aircraft, including 240 fighter aircraft and 38 attack aircraft. It has 170,000 active-duty personnel for its entire armed forces, with a reserve force of 465,000. Of these active-duty personnel, 89,000 are dedicated Air Force personnel. Also, to afford these aircraft, Israel has a defense budget of $30,500,000,000, which ranks #17 in the world. Israel has a total population of 9.403 million and its military ranks #15 out of 145 countries.

5. South Korea

• Active F-35 aircraft: 40
• F-35 aircraft on order: 19
• Military branches employing F-35 aircraft: Republic of Korea Air Force
• Variant(s): F-35A

South Korea has a total of 1,592 military aircraft, including 315 fighter aircraft and 98 attack aircraft. It has 600,000 active-duty personnel for its entire armed forces, with a reserve force of 3,100,000. Of these active-duty personnel, 65,000 are dedicated Air Force personnel. Also, to afford these aircraft, South Korea has a defense budget of $46,300,000,000, which ranks #14 in the world. South Korea has a total population of 52.08 million and its military ranks #5 out of 145 countries.

4. Norway

• Active F-35 aircraft: 40
• F-35 aircraft on order: 12
• Military branches employing F-35 aircraft: Royal Norwegian Air Force
• Variant(s): F-35A

Norway has a total of 97 military aircraft, including 0 fighter aircraft and 32 attack aircraft. It has 23,250 active-duty personnel for its entire armed forces, with no reserve force. Of these active-duty personnel, 3,650 are dedicated Air Force personnel. Also, to afford these aircraft, Norway has a defense budget of $9,710,000,000, which ranks #32 in the world. Norway has a total population of 5.510 million and its military ranks #38 out of 145 countries.

3. Netherlands

• Active F-35 aircraft: 40
• F-35 aircraft on order: 12
• Military branches employing F-35 aircraft: Royal Netherlands Air Force
• Variant(s): F-35A

The Netherlands has a total of 120 military aircraft, including 32 fighter aircraft. (Note that some of these F-35s are classified as trainer aircraft) It has 41,380 active-duty personnel for its entire armed forces, with a reserve force of 6,765. Of these active-duty personnel, 6,540 are dedicated Air Force personnel. Also, to afford these aircraft, Netherlands has a defense budget of $27,000,000,000, which ranks #18 in the world. Netherlands has a total population of 17.77 million and its military ranks #36 out of 145 countries.

2. Australia

• Active F-35 aircraft: 63
• F-35 aircraft on order: 37
• Military branches employing F-35 aircraft: Royal Australian Air Force
• Variant(s): F-35A

Australia has a total of 327 military aircraft, including 24 fighter aircraft and 62 attack aircraft. It has 57,350 active-duty personnel for its entire armed forces, with a reserve force of 32,050. Of these active-duty personnel, 20,000 are dedicated Air Force personnel. Also, to afford these aircraft, Australia has a defense budget of $55,700,000,000, which ranks #8 in the world. Australia has a total population of 26.77 million and its military ranks #18 out of 145 countries.

1. United States

• Active F-35 aircraft: 601
• F-35 aircraft on order: 1,707
• Military branches employing F-35 aircraft: United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy
• Variant(s): F-35A/B/C

The United States has a total of 13,043 military aircraft, including 1,790 fighter aircraft and 889 attack aircraft. It has 1,328,000 active-duty personnel for its entire armed forces, with a reserve force of 799,500. Of these active-duty personnel, 701,319 are dedicated Air Force personnel. Also, to afford these aircraft, the United States has a defense budget of $895,000,000,000, which ranks #1 in the world. The United States has a total population of 341.96 million and its military ranks #1 out of 145 countries.

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