UK Inquiry Tracker

The UK’s F-35 stealth fighter capability

Public Accounts Committee Open Inquiry

Opened: 10 Jul 2025 Parliament page

The F-35 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft, which is able to enter contested environments undetected. As part of a US-led programme, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) purchased and is using the F-35b variant, which can operate from land and aircraft carriers. The UK publicly committed to purchasing 138 F-35 … Read more The F-35 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft, which is able to enter contested environments undetected. As part of a US-led programme, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) purchased and is using the F-35b variant, which can operate from land and aircraft carriers. The UK publicly committed to purchasing 138 F-35 aircraft from the global F-35 programme in 2006, and currently expects to have received 48 aircraft by the end of 2025. Of the eight international partners under US-led global programme, the UK has the biggest commitment to the F-35 outside of the US’ own services. The MoD estimates that the F-35 fleet will cost more than £18bn over its life. The PAC reported in June 2025 that defence scrutiny was being obstructed, with the unacceptable continuing lack of a Equipment Plan meaning that the public still lacked a reliable assessment of whether government’s defence spending plans were affordable. The PAC found in 2021 that the defence procurement system was “broken,” following which the MoD created the new role of National Armaments Director (NAD) as part of the biggest reforms in fifty years. In June 2025, the PAC led a House of Commons debate on the NAD’s remit. The National Audit Office (NAO) reports in 2025 on the UK’s F-35 aircraft programme, examining whether the MoD is delivering its F-35 capability aims in a way which maximises value for money. Following the NAO’s report, the PAC will take evidence from senior MoD officials and military leaders on subjects including current and future programme costs, MoD’s management of the UK’s participation in the global programme, and the resources in place to support the UK’s F-35 capability. As part of the session, the Committee will also question officials from the Ministry of Defence about the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) and associated data breaches. The ARR was set up by the MoD to mitigate the security risks arising from a data protection breach and the unauthorised disclosure of personal information about Afghan citizens which occurred in February 2022. The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a report on the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) to support the Committee’s scrutiny. If you have evidence on these issues, please submit it here by 23:59 on Monday 25 August 2025. Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. You can request anonymity or confidentiality when you send evidence, but it is the Committee which decides what information to publish and how. It may treat submissions confidentially, even where you have not requested this. Please note that the Committee’s inquiry cannot assist with individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, you may wish to read the information on Parliament’s website about who you can contact with different issues . Show less

7 Recommendations

23 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

4 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 8 events

14 May
2026

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence relating to The UK’s Stealth Fighter Capability (recommendations 2a ,2b, 4 a…

20 Apr
2026

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee relating to The UK’s F-35 stea…

26 Mar
2026

Correspondence

Letter to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence relating to Treasury Minute response – The UK’s F-35 stealth fighter capability

19 Jan
2026

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifty-first report from Session 2024-26

31 Oct
2025

Report published

51st Report - The UK’s F-35 stealth fighter capability

16 Oct
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence relating to the oral evidence session on 08 September 2025 on the UK’s F-35 …

8 Sep
2025

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

8 Sep
2025

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Committee event

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

8 Sep 2025

View on parliament.uk

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton KCB · Ministry of Defence Air Commodore Nick Lowe · Ministry of Defence David Williams · Daily Mail Dominic Wilson · Ministry of Defence

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
51st Report - The UK’s F-35 stealth fighter capability	HC 1232	31 Oct 2025	30	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

8 results

3 Conclusion Rejected

51st Report - The UK’s F-35 stealt…

Produce radical plan to recruit and retain highly skilled F-35 personnel, including accommodation and pay.

The F-35 programme faces an unacceptable shortage of several types of personnel, including engineers, cyber specialists, pilots and qualified flying instructors. The Department acknowledges that there are significant shortages of engineers in the F-35 programme, and that this is an … Read more

Government Response

The government rejected the recommendation for a specific F-35 workforce plan, stating it will address recruitment and retention challenges through the ongoing RAF People Campaign and by continuing existing initiatives like financial incentives and recruitment policy adjustments.

HM Treasury

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6 Conclusion Rejected

51st Report - The UK’s F-35 stealt…

Update committee on whole-life costs and preparation time for F-35A Dual Capable Aircraft.

The Department has not set out its preferred mix of F-35As and Bs, nor forecast the costs of introducing the F-35As in their nuclear weapons role. The 48 aircraft that the Department has contracted for so far are all F-35Bs, … Read more

Government Response

The government rejected the recommendation to provide an update on additional whole-life costs and timescales for operating Dual Capable Aircraft, stating that this information is classified Secret but offered a classified briefing to the Committee.

HM Treasury

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15 Recommendation Rejected

51st Report - The UK’s F-35 stealt…

F-35 programme plagued by critical shortages of engineers, pilots, and flying instructors

The F-35 programme suffers from personnel shortages across a range of occupations. A 2024 review of the programme, by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA, formerly the Infrastructure and Projects Authority), stated that shortages of suitably qualified engineers … Read more

Government Response

The government disagrees with the recommendation to produce a plan specifically focused on the F-35 workforce, and will address the issue through the ongoing RAF People Campaign.

HM Treasury

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16 Conclusion Rejected

51st Report - The UK’s F-35 stealt…

Resolving F-35 engineering personnel shortages will take three to four years

The Department acknowledged that the shortages across all these roles were very important, with the Chief of the Defence Staff stating that personnel had been one of his top two priorities in his previous role as Chief of the Air … Read more

Government Response

The government disagrees with the recommendation to produce a plan specifically focused on the F-35 workforce, and will address the issue through the ongoing RAF People Campaign.

HM Treasury

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17 Conclusion Rejected

51st Report - The UK’s F-35 stealt…

Department plans to fix F-35 personnel recruitment and retention, but full recovery takes time

The Department told us that it has plans in place to fix its recruitment and retention problems. The Department also told us that it has increased its recruitment of engineers significantly in the last two years. It has offered joining … Read more

Government Response

The government disagrees with the recommendation to produce a plan specifically focused on the F-35 workforce, and will instead address recruitment and retention challenges through the ongoing RAF People Campaign. They also outlined a range of measures already introduced to address immediate pressures, particularly for some specialist areas, including financial retention incentives and increased opportunities for Extensions of Service.

HM Treasury

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28 Conclusion Rejected

51st Report - The UK’s F-35 stealt…

Future mix of F-35 variants for procurement remains undecided beyond next phase

The Department is deciding what mix of the two F-35 variants to buy in its procurement process. In Phase 1 the UK has contracted for 48 F-35Bs, which can fly from land bases and aircraft carriers. In June 2025 the … Read more

Government Response

The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Costs and timescales associated with the UK's Dual Capable Aircraft nuclear mission are classified Secret.

HM Treasury

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29 Conclusion Rejected

51st Report - The UK’s F-35 stealt…

Department details strategic rationale for F-35A variant purchases

The Department told us why it had decided to purchase some A variants. The A variant can fly further for longer than the B variant, because it does not have the weight limitations that come with the ability of the … Read more

Government Response

The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Costs and timescales associated with the UK's Dual Capable Aircraft nuclear mission are classified Secret.

HM Treasury

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30 Conclusion Rejected

51st Report - The UK’s F-35 stealt…

NATO nuclear mission certification expected to be more costly

The Department explained that it is starting to understand the practical requirements of becoming certified for the NATO nuclear mission. The Department needs to meet standards for handling, loading and using nuclear weapons. These standards are set by the United … Read more

Government Response

The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation, but offers a briefing at Secret level following the Defence Investment Plan publication.

HM Treasury

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Government Response AI assessment · 30 of 7 classified

Accepted 2

Acknowledged 6

Deferred 14

Rejected 8

Total 7 recs + 23 conclusions

Correspondence 4 letters

14 May 2026 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence relating to The UK’s Stealth Fighter Capability (recommendations 2a ,2b, 4 and 5a), 30 April 2026

Parliament page

20 Apr 2026 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee relating to The UK’s F-35 stealth fighter capability, 10 April 2026

Parliament page

26 Mar 2026 From committee Letter to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence relating to Treasury Minute response – The UK’s F-35 stealth fighter capability

Parliament page

16 Oct 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence relating to the oral evidence session on 08 September 2025 on the UK’s F-35 Stealth Fighter Capability, 25 September 2025

Parliament page