Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) on Monday night celebrated the delivery of its 350th fighter jet wings to Lockheed Martin for production of the F-35 fighter jet.
On January 18, the IDF announced that three F-35i aircraft had landed at Nevatim Air Force Base, purchased from the major airline producer, which increased Israel’s inventory of F-35 aircraft to 48 out of 50 which are already fully purchased.
These three aircraft were part of a long-standing deal spaced out over a period of years to raise Israel’s inventory from 25 to 50 F-35s. Further, these aircraft were originally due in late 2025, but were delayed, with the last two still due to be delivered later in 2026.
But given the 48 F-35s in Israel’s possession, the 350 fighter jet wings means that IAI has played a much larger role in the development of the popular fighter jet, including for countries beyond Israel.
There are currently 1,300 F-35 jets being flown by 12 different countries worldwide. Lockheed Martin says that more than 600,000 sorties have been completed, and more than a million flight hours in the air.
Unique, innovative part of the wing
The wings manufacturing center of IAI’s aviation division has manufactured and assembled wings for a variety of Lockheed Martin aircraft since the 1980s including the F-16 and T-38. The production line for F-35 wings was established in November 2014 and aims to manufacture 800 wings for the stealth fighter by 2034, for a potential value of over $2 billion. It delivered the 100th wing in 2019 and 200th wing in 2022.
In December 2018, IAI inaugurated another line for production of F-35 wing skins. The F-35 wings' upper and lower skins are made of composite materials and Automatic Fiber Placement (AFP) technology, what IAI says is "a unique, innovative composite part" that are unique to the F-35.
Defense Minister Israel Katz hinted that just as the F-35 aircraft were critical for attacking Iran’s nuclear program in June 2025, they could be used by Israel and the US against the Islamic Republic again soon.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said, “The delivery of the 350th wing of an F-35 symbolizes the power of the eternal partnership between the US and Israel... When Israeli innovation and American industry act together, the results are capabilities which no one can compete with.”
IAI CEO Boaz Levy stated, “This foundation stone exemplifies dozens of years of close cooperation with American industry, based on common values, advanced technological capabilities, and reciprocal commitment to support critical security programs.”
Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report