Which country has the most F-35s outside America?

While the United States operates the vast majority of the global fleet, Japan has secured its position as the largest F-35 operator outside America. Tokyo has officially ordered a staggering 147 fifth-generation stealth fighters to thoroughly modernise its Air Self-Defense Force.

To address distinct operational requirements, Japan's massive procurement is split between two specific variants. The order comprises 105 conventional take-off F-35As for traditional runway operations and 42 short take-off and vertical landing F-35Bs.

Rather than simply importing every completed airframe, Japan negotiated a highly advantageous industrial agreement. Tokyo established a domestic Final Assembly and Check-Out facility in Nagoya, allowing the Japanese aerospace industry to physically construct its own stealth aircraft locally.

The massive influx of cutting-edge stealth technology is desperately needed to replace outdated legacy airframes. The conventional F-35A fleet is actively replacing Japan's aging F-4EJ Phantom fighters while operating alongside heavily upgraded F-15J interceptors.

The acquisition of 42 F-35B variants represents a historic shift in Japanese maritime strategy. These vertical-landing jets will operate from specially modified Izumo-class warships, marking Japan's first shipborne fixed-wing fighter fleet since the Second World War.

Japan's aggressive F-35 expansion is directly motivated by escalating geopolitical urgency in the Indo-Pacific. The advanced sensor fusion and stealth profiles are vital for conducting high-stakes surveillance missions around disputed maritime territories.

While Japan leads the foreign pack, the United Kingdom originally committed to a planned fleet of 138 jets. Meanwhile, Israel is heavily expanding its own Middle Eastern stealth forces, recently approving purchases to push its total arsenal to 100 custom-built aircraft.