Who Builds the F-35? Factories, Partners and Suppliers

Lockheed Martin builds the F-35 as prime contractor, with Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and Pratt & Whitney as its three principal partners. Behind them stand more than 1,900 suppliers in the United States and a dozen other countries, according to Lockheed Martin.

The aircraft was set up from the start as an international programme. Eight countries paid into its development and received a share of the manufacturing in return, which is why a jet assembled in Texas has a British tail, a Californian fuselage section and an Italian wing. This guide explains who builds the F-35, where, and how the work is divided.

Who makes the main parts of the F-35?

The airframe arrives at the final assembly line in four large sections that are joined, fitted out and painted. Each comes from a different place.

The systems named here are covered in our guides to the F-35 engine, the F-35 radar, F-35 electronic warfare and the F-35 helmet.

Where is the F-35 assembled?

Almost all aircraft come from Lockheed Martin’s plant at Fort Worth, Texas, a government-owned factory with an assembly hall about a mile long. It also builds every F-35B and F-35C.

Two other lines exist. At Cameri in northern Italy, a plant owned by the Italian government and run by Leonardo assembles F-35As and F-35Bs for Italy and F-35As for the Netherlands; it also builds complete wings and is Europe’s heavy maintenance centre for the airframe. At Nagoya, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries assembles Japanese F-35As. Output figures are in how many F-35s have been built.

Which countries are partners in the F-35?

Eight countries joined the United States in funding development in the early 2000s. How much each paid set its level, and its level set its influence and its claim on industrial work.

Partners do not get guaranteed work. Their companies bid for contracts on what the programme calls best value. In practice most have done well: firms such as Kongsberg in Norway, Terma in Denmark, Fokker in the Netherlands, Magellan in Canada and Marand in Australia make parts for every jet built, not only their own country’s.

How is the supply chain changing?

Turkey’s removal in 2019 forced the largest change. Turkish Aerospace had been the second source for centre fuselages and Turkish firms made around 900 different parts. That work was moved, mostly to US suppliers, over the following three years.

More recently work has spread to new customers. Rheinmetall opened a plant at Weeze in Germany in 2025 to build centre fuselages for Northrop Grumman, tied to Germany’s order for 35 aircraft. Finland, Switzerland and Poland have negotiated industrial packages of their own. Which countries have bought the jet is set out in which countries have the F-35.

Why is the F-35 built this way?

Spreading the work spread the cost and tied buyers to the programme. A government whose factories depend on F-35 production is less likely to cancel its order. Lockheed Martin says the programme supports more than 290,000 jobs in the United States.

The drawback is fragility. A single supplier in trouble can stop the line, and sole sources are common: one engine, one ejection seat, one lift system. Sustainment is harder still, because spare parts are held in a global pool that the Government Accountability Office has repeatedly found to be poorly tracked. The manufacturer is described in our Lockheed Martin company profile, and the aircraft in what the F-35 is.

Frequently asked questions

Who makes the F-35?

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor. Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and Pratt & Whitney are the principal partners.

Where is the F-35 made?

Final assembly is at Fort Worth, Texas, with further lines at Cameri in Italy and Nagoya in Japan. Parts come from more than a dozen countries.

What does BAE Systems make for the F-35?

The aft fuselage and tails, built in England, and the electronic warfare suite, built in New Hampshire.

What does Northrop Grumman make for the F-35?

The centre fuselage, the radar and the communications, navigation and identification suite.

Is the F-35 built outside the United States?

Yes. Italy and Japan assemble complete aircraft, and partner countries make major components.

Did Turkey make parts for the F-35?

Yes, until its removal from the programme in 2019. Turkish companies made centre fuselages and about 900 parts.