Record F-35 deliveries muscle up American allies in the Asia-Pacific region

SCMP | Feb. 4, 2026, 12:32 a.m. | Original
Lockheed Martin expects to have around 300 of its fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets operating in the Asia-Pacific by 2035, one of the US aerospace giant’s senior executives said at the Singapore Airshow on Tuesday.

Steve Sheehy, aeronautics vice-president of international business development, made the prediction during a media briefing in which he cited the “emergence of threat” in the region and the “game-changing” interoperability achieved by US allies.

Lockheed Martin’s appearance at the Singapore Airshow came against a backdrop of China’s rapid expansion of its own fifth-generation fighter force.

Sheehy said there was a “very strong” partnership with the four major US regional allies that are operating the F-35 – Australia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

Japan and Singapore have ordered both the F-35A, a conventional take-off and landing variant that uses traditional runways, and F-35B vertical landing variants designed for amphibious ships and austere sites, he said.

According to Sheehy, Tokyo is projected to become the second-largest operator of the F-35 in the world after the US. That position was held last year by Australia, with 72 units, while South Korea is operating 40 F-35As and looking to add five to 20 more jets.

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