F-35 Aircraft: Procurement
Commons · Question 115518 · Tabled 24 Feb 2026 · Ministry of Defence · Official record
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Question
Asked by Luke Akehurst
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of the announcement that 12 F-35As will be bought, beyond the £1.1 billion already announced, once weapons, simulators, and infrastructure are taken into account.
Answer
Answered by Luke Pollard, 4 Mar 2026
The whole-life cost estimate of £57 billion includes procurement and sustainment of 138 F-35 aircraft to 2069, including technical infrastructure, weapons integration, and aircraft upgrades. The procurement of 12 F-35A rather than 12 F-35B as part of the ...