Here’s Why The Royal Navy May Never Fill Its Aircraft Carriers With F-35s

The United Kingdom’s fighter jet fleet modernization program is said to be aiming for a long-term goal of 138 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters. That number includes the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, but as of this year, only 48 examples of the F-35B jump jet variant have been procured. That said, there is an order for 12 of the F-35A model, and one of the F-35Bs was lost in a mishap, leaving the actual force strength at 47 jets.