How Much Does an F-35 Cost? Price by Variant and per Hour
An F-35A costs about $92.0 million to buy in the latest production lots, an F-35B about $121.4 million and an F-35C about $110.8 million, engine included. Flying one costs roughly $42,000 an hour, and keeping the whole fleet going through 2088 is estimated at more than $2 trillion.
Those three numbers measure different things, and export customers pay a fourth: a package price that includes training, spares, weapons and support. This guide breaks down F-35 cost by variant, by flight hour and over the life of the programme, using figures available in October 2026.
How much does one F-35 cost?
The usual measure is flyaway cost: what the government pays for a complete aircraft as it leaves the factory, including the engine and radar. For Lots 18 and 19, the contract Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon finalised in September 2025 for 296 jets, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported the averages below in September 2026.
| Lot | F-35A | F-35B | F-35C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 14 (2019 deal) | $77.9M | $101.3M | $94.4M |
| Lots 15-17 | $82.5M | $109.0M | $102.1M |
| Lots 18-19 | $92.0M | $121.4M | $110.8M |
| Change, Lots 15-17 to 18-19 | +11.5% | +11.4% | +8.5% |
The price fell for a decade and bottomed out at $77.9 million for an F-35A in Lot 14. It has risen since. Inflation, higher material and labour costs and the newer TR-3 hardware all push the figure up, and quantities per lot are no longer growing. The F-35B costs most because of its lift fan and swivelling nozzle; the F-35C needs a larger wing and stronger landing gear.
How much does an F-35 cost per flight hour?
About $42,000 for the F-35A, according to figures compiled by MiGFlug from Government Accountability Office and Pentagon reports. The long-standing goal was to bring that close to the cost of an F-16. It has not happened.
| Aircraft | Cost per flight hour |
|---|---|
| A-10 Thunderbolt II | About $20,000 |
| F-16 Fighting Falcon | About $27,000 |
| F-35A Lightning II | About $42,000 |
| F-15E Strike Eagle | About $42,000 |
| F-22 Raptor | About $68,000 |
The Air Force also tracks cost per aircraft per year. It originally aimed to spend $4.1 million a year to operate each F-35A, and raised that target to $6.8 million in 2023, the GAO has reported. Engine overhauls, spare parts and contractor-run maintenance are the main drivers.
What is the lifetime cost of the F-35 programme?
The Pentagon’s estimate passed $2 trillion in 2024. Buying about 2,456 US aircraft accounts for the smaller share. Operating and sustaining them through 2088 is put at about $1.6 trillion, the GAO said in a report published in June 2026.
Extending the planned service life from 2077 to 2088 added years of bills, and inflation makes up roughly half the total. The same GAO report found a $1.2 billion annual gap between projected sustainment costs and what the services say they can afford in the mid-2030s. The Pentagon has asked for $13.7 billion in extra sustainment funding from fiscal 2026 to 2031 to reset the support system.
How much do export customers pay?
More than the flyaway price, because foreign sales are packages. They include engines, simulators, training, spare parts, support equipment and often weapons and infrastructure. Dividing a package by the number of jets gives a figure several times the factory price.
| Country | Aircraft | Reported value | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 32 F-35A | $4.6 billion | Signed January 2020 |
| Canada | 88 F-35A | C$27.7 billion budget, up from C$19 billion | Under review since March 2025 |
| Switzerland | 36 F-35A | CHF 6 billion approved; US says the price is not fixed | Deliveries planned 2027-2030 |
| Saudi Arabia | 48 F-35 | $24.3 billion | Approved by US State Department, September 2026 |
The Swiss case shows the risk. Bern believed it had a fixed price; Washington said in 2025 that it did not, and put the extra cost at up to CHF 1.3 billion. For what buyers get for the money, see what the F-35 is and our guide to F-35 weapons.
Why is the F-35 so expensive?
Three reasons. It is three aircraft in one programme, with a vertical-landing version that forced compromises on the others. It was put into production while still in testing, so hundreds of early jets needed costly retrofits. And much of the support system, from spare parts to software, is run by contractors and has proved more expensive than planned.
Against that, the unit price is in line with new fourth-generation jets. An F-15EX or a Rafale costs a similar amount to buy. The F-35’s cost problem is what comes after delivery.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an F-35 in 2026?
About $92.0 million for an F-35A, $121.4 million for an F-35B and $110.8 million for an F-35C in Lots 18 and 19, engine included.
Which F-35 variant is the most expensive?
The F-35B, because of its short takeoff and vertical landing system.
How much does it cost to fly an F-35 for an hour?
About $42,000 for the F-35A, according to figures drawn from GAO and Pentagon reports.
What is the total cost of the F-35 programme?
More than $2 trillion through 2088, of which about $1.6 trillion is sustainment.
Is the F-35 more expensive than the F-22?
No. The F-22 cost more to buy and costs about $68,000 an hour to fly. Its production ended in 2011.
Why do export deals cost more per jet?
They include training, spares, simulators, support and often weapons, not just the aircraft.
- Air & Space Forces Magazine – What an F-35 costs right now (3 September 2026): airandspaceforces.com
- US Government Accountability Office – F-35 sustainment report GAO-26-108113 (June 2026): files.gao.gov
- MiGFlug – What an hour of F-35 time actually costs: migflug.com
- Breaking Defense – Lockheed, Pentagon finalize deal for 296 F-35s: breakingdefense.com
- Al-Monitor – US approves $24 billion sale of F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia: al-monitor.com
- 19FortyFive – Canada’s F-35 debate (August 2026): 19fortyfive.com
