Well, the short answer to that question is nine (not counting the good ol’ US of A, of course). Not bad at all for a warbird that is so maligned by the media and political pundits within its own country of manufacturer, eh?
That nine-figure is only counting the nations that have already taken possession of the F-35, not the nine other countries who have placed orders but are still awaiting actual delivery (Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Poland, and Switzerland awaiting the F-35A; Singapore awaiting the F-35B)
But like I’ve said before, our dearly beloved readers of Simple Flying don’t turn to our website to read articles consisting of a mere one or two short sentences. Accordingly, Simple Flying now delves a bit deeper into the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers of the current pride & joy of Lockheed’s famed “Skunk Works” division.
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
The RAAF has 22 F-35As, spread out across three operational squadrons:
- RAAF Base Williamtown, located 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) north of Newcastle (not to be confused with the English city that produces the famous brown ale of the same name) in the local government area of Port Stephens, in New South Wales
- RAAF Base Tindal, located 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) east southeast of the town of Katherine, Northern Territory
- A training squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown
As luck would have it, this past Thursday, I had the honor & pleasure of attending a meeting of the Australian Returned and Services League (RSL) Washington DC Sub Branch at the Australian Embassy, wherein our guest speaker was Air Commodore (AIRCDRE; equivalent of a Brigadier General/O-7 in the USAF) Angus Porter, AM, the Embassy’s current Air Attaché. I asked AIRCDRE Porter about his country’s F-35s and how they were performing. His response:
“The general consensus is: We love them, we think they’re fantastic.”
The only criticism he had, and a minor one at that, was some corrosion issues, but he quickly added that those issues were being worked out. He also praised the Joint Strike Fighter’s interoperability and ability to communicate with the JSFs of foreign allies (including some of the other countries included on this list), even the non-English-speaking nations.
AIRCDRE Porter’s “We love then” comment echoes the sentiments of some junior RAAF officer I spoke with at the Gunfire Breakfast this past April 25 (ANZAC Day).
Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF; Flyvevåbnet)
The “Great Danes” (so to speak) currently have four F-35As, all being used for training purposes, as Simple Flying’s Aaron Spray noted this past June.
Israeli Air Force (IAF; זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל/Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal)
The Jewish State currently has 39 F-35Is operational.
As I’ve mentioned in several other articles, the IAF is the only entity thus far to actually use the Lightning II — or as they’ve redubbed it, the Adir (אדיר/”Mighty One”) — in combat:
“According to Maya Carlin of The National Interest]:
‘In 2018, the modified F-35I Adir variant flew in an operation for the Israeli Air Force… According to the IAF, the Adir carried out strikes inside Syria targeting Iranian military infrastructure. In 2021, Israel’s Adirs also became the first F-35s to destroy airborne targets. This occurred when the IAF’s F-35s intercepted a pair of Iranian UAVs that were headed for Israeli airspace. Israeli officials said that the UAVs, believed to be Shahed 197 drones, were taken down far beyond the country’s airspace.'”
Related
The Adir and Super Flanker share the same last two digits. But how else do the Israeli-American and Russian jet fighters compare & contrast?
Italian Air Force and Italian Naval Aviation (Aeronautica Militare [AM] and Aviazione Navale)
- AM: 27 F-35As and four F-35Bs
- Naval Aviation: Three F-35Bs
Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF; 航空自衛隊/Kōkū Jieitai)
The Japanese currently have 40 F-35As in service.
Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF; Koninklijke Luchtmacht [KLu])
They’re real good at fighting and such
They’ll chase you, they’ll hound
Royal G*ddamn Dutch by Dick Jonas, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret.)
The Dutch currently have 39 F-35s delivered and up & running.
Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF; Luftforsvaret)
47 F-35As in total, with duties divvied as follows:
- 37 for frontline strike fighter duties
- Ten designated as trainers
Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF)
ROKAF currently has 39 operational F-35As.
United Kingdom (Royal Air Force [RAF] and Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm)
At least 15 F-35Bs received, maybe up to 32, depending on which source you believe. All are currently under RAF ownership, but some are slated for eventual Fleet Air Arm possession.
