The figures for the active F-35 fleet already dwarf those of the Eurofighter Typhoon

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and the Eurofighter Typhoon are two excellent fighter jets and two great rivals in the market.

The rivalry between the F-35 and the Eurofighter analyzed by their operators and their sales
Eurofighter vs F-35: the opinions of professional pilots on these advanced fighters

In April 2023, I already reviewed some pilots' opinions on both aircraft, which make it clear that despite not being a stealth aircraft (its main disadvantage compared to the American fighter), the Eurofighter has excellent performance that in some cases surpasses that of the F-35, such as its weapons payload capacity and thrust-to-weight ratio. However, the F-35's very low radar signature and more modern technology are making it a sales success, in some cases at the expense of its main European rival.

As you may recall, at the end of December 2024 I analyzed the fleet figures for both aircraft here. At that time the Eurofighter already had 680 orders, including aircraft already delivered and those pending delivery. Airbus data from July 30, 2024 reflects that same figure and indicates that by then 607 aircraft had already been delivered to 8 nations, with a total of 10 customers (two of them awaiting their first deliveries). At that time, Germany was already the largest operator of the Eurofighter, with 181 units ordered and 143 delivered.

In that article, I linked to an F-35 program document published on December 4, 2024, noting that more than 1,080 Lightning IIs had already been delivered to 10 nations. The F-35 fleet had accumulated a total of 957,000 flight hours at that time. Furthermore, the F-35 program already had committed sales to a total of 20 countries, twice as many as the Eurofighter.

On December 31, 2025, Airbus published a document indicating that the Eurofighter has now accumulated 761 orders, of which 617 aircraft have already been delivered to 10 nations. This is the same number of customers as in December 2024. The number of orders has increased by 81 aircraft, but deliveries were only 10 aircraft in one year.

A week later, on January 7, the F-35 program released its latest figures: it has already delivered more than 1,290 aircraft, with 191 delivered in a year. The number of customers remains at 20. That same day, Lockheed Martin noted that this delivery figure sets a new record for the F-35, surpassing a previous mark of 142 aircraft delivered in a single year. The F-35 fleet has now exceeded one million flight hours. Lockheed Martin took the opportunity to tease its competitors: "Annual F-35 production is now running at a pace five times faster than any other allied fighter currently in production, underscoring the program's scale and maturity."

Thus, the fleet of F-35s delivered is already more than double the Eurofighter fleet. This figure reflects, of course, the enormous production capacity of an aerospace industry giant like Lockheed Martin, but also the sales success the F-35 is enjoying, despite its high cost. To this we must add another fact: Yesterday Northrop Grumman announced that it has already delivered 1,500 F-35 center fuselage parts, from which it can be deduced that orders for this stealth fighter are on track to double those of the Eurofighter.

The F-35's figures dwarf those of the Eurofighter and show a growing trend for the stealth fighter against its European competitor. This is understandable: the F-35 is a more modern fighter, with stealth capabilities, and manufactured by a country with enormous industrial potential. In fact, of the four countries in the Eurofighter program, three (Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom) have also decided to purchase the F-35, and the latter two are already operating it. Spain is the exception, for strictly political reasons: the current government dislikes the United States and prefers to leave the Spanish Navy without carrier-based fixed-wing aircraft rather than buy the F-35B, the only option to replace the Harrier II.

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Main photo: U.S. Air Force. A USAF F-35A flying over Poland on November 19, 2025.