Full rate production for the F-35 fighter jet has been approved by the US Department of Defense after delivering 990 units of the aircraft.

William LaPlante, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, approved Milestone C/Full rate Production after meeting with the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB).

The DAB, which met on 7^th March, was chaired by LaPlante, and is the department's senior-level forum for critical decisions concerning acquisition programmes at the Department of Defense.

“Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) conducted analysis of the results from Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) and Live Fire Test and Evaluation and delivered a comprehensive, combined report as required by statute to inform the Milestone C / Full Rate Production decision. DOT&E also provided a separate annex that assessed post-IOT&E Block 4 operational testing of the 30P06 and 30P07 software.” said Raymond O’Toole, acting director, Operational Test & Evaluation. “The programme is working to address DOT&E’s findings and recommendations contained in the report. One of DOT&E’s concerns is to continue to improve test infrastructure for support development and to ensure readiness to test of the upcoming Block 4 capabilities. This includes timely deliveries of the next iterations of F-35-In-A-Box for integration into the JSE.”

“This is a major achievement for the F-35 programme,” LaPlante said. “This decision – backed by my colleagues in the Department – highlights to the Services, F-35 Cooperative Program Partners, and Foreign Military Sales customers that the F-35 is stable and agile, and that all statutory and regulatory requirements have been appropriately addressed. The F-35 programme is the premier system that drives interoperability with our allies and partners while contributing to the integrated deterrence component of our National Defense Strategy.”

With this milestone, the programme is now positioned to efficiently produce and deliver the next generation of aircraft to meet the evolving needs of US services, partners, and FMS customers.

In September 2023, a key gateway for the milestone was achieved when F-35 Runs for Score in the Joint Simulation Environment (JSE) and initial trial validation were completed.

Achieving full rate production helps validate the aircraft's capabilities for present and future partners of the F-35 enterprise. To date, over 990 F-35 aircraft have been delivered to the US Services, F-35 Cooperative Program Partners, and Foreign Military Sales customers.

The F-35 offers multi-mission capability, including strategic attack, suppression/destruction of enemy air defenses (SEAD/DEAD), offensive/defensive counter air, anti-surface warfare, strike coordination and reconnaissance, and close air support. It brings stealth, sensor fusion, and interoperability to enable access in contested environments and enhances situational awareness.

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