Overview
- Northrop Grumman delivered the 1,500th F-35 center fuselage from its Palmdale, California Integrated Assembly Line, which produces roughly one unit every 30 hours.
- Augmented and virtual reality tools at the facility reduced center-fuselage assembly time by 35% and cut the technician learning curve by 20%, according to the company.
- Lockheed Martin recorded a program-best 191 F-35 deliveries in 2025, underscoring sustained throughput at final-assembly sites in the U.S., Italy and Japan.
- The global F-35 fleet surpassed 1 million flight hours in 2025, with operations supported at 39 air bases and 12 ships worldwide.
- Northrop also supplies the AN/APG-81 AESA radar and stood up a second center-fuselage line in Weeze, Germany, which began production in 2025.