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The United States Marine Corps is the second-largest operator of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, following the United States Air Force. The Marines are planning to replace their legacy F/A-18 Hornets and AV-8B Harrier II jump jets with new F-35B and F-35C models by 2030. This transition has been affected by delays in production.
The Marine Corps aims to acquire 353 short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) F-35Bs and 67 carrier-variant F-35Cs. "It's not gonna happen all overnight, but right now, I think the forecast still has us completing it (the transition) in 2030," stated Col. William Mitchell of Marine Aircraft Group 11.
The program faced complications due to a pause in deliveries from Lockheed Martin related to the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) upgrade. Deliveries resumed after a mid-2024 agreement, allowing progress towards transitioning to the new jets without further delay.
