According to a report by the U.S. Defense One website on July 23, before manufacturers Lockheed Martin could make progress in upgrading military aircraft,
the U.S. Air Force will not proceed with the original plan for purchasing F-35 fighter jets at the rate planned.
This decision was made due to dissatisfaction over the delay in the fourth upgrade and improvement of the F-35 (Block 4), as well as budget adjustments by the Pentagon. In its 2026 budget proposal, the U.S. Air Force only requested purchases, which were half of last year’s planned amount and lower than the 44 planes purchased in 2025.
“Due to our limited financial resources available, we need to ensure that the F-35 fighter jets procured can respond to urgent threats. The delays in Block 4 and TR-3 have impacted the decisions of the Department of Defense,” said Capt. David Alvin, the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff.
Previously, on July 14, the Office of the Secretary of Defense announced that due to software improvements being delayed, the delivery of F-35 fighter jets had been postponed for several months. The Department of Defense withheld final payments on each aircraft up to $5 million until Lockheed Martin proved that software and hardware upgrades could support intensive training missions and final full combat operations.