F-35A Fighter Jets Get 11.5% Pricier — Czech Order Affected Too

The price of the most widely used version of the fifth-generation F-35A fighter jet — the same model ordered by Czechia — has climbed to $92 million per aircraft (roughly 1.9 billion crowns), an increase of 11.5% over the $82.5 million price tag for jets from current deliveries. The figures apply to fully equipped fighters from production lots 18 and 19, which are due to reach customers over the next two years.

The price hike was first reported by the specialist US outlet Air & Space Forces Magazine. The increase isn't limited to the F-35A. The F-35B, the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant used by the US Marine Corps as well as the UK and Italy, rose from $109 million to $121.4 million — a nearly identical 11.4% jump. The carrier-based F-35C, flown only by the United States, went up 8.5% to $109 million.

What the manufacturer says

All three variants are built on a single production line at Lockheed Martin's plant in Fort Worth. The company itself declined to comment directly on the price increase when approached by Breaking Defense, instead pointing to an earlier statement noting that "the primary focus has shifted from validating the aircraft's baseline design to carrying out large-scale modernizations."

According to Pentagon data cited by Breaking Defense back in September 2025, the price growth has been driven by inflation, a sharp rise in global raw material costs, and supply chain disruptions — factors that noticeably pushed up the cost of jets from production lot 18. It was precisely because of these rising prices that Switzerland decided to cut its order from 36 to 30 aircraft.

What this means for Czechia

The price increase will inevitably affect deliveries to Czechia as well: the signed contract does not fix a firm price — the cost for foreign customers is pegged to whatever price the US armed forces themselves pay for the jets. Production of the Czech aircraft hasn't even begun yet, and Breaking Defense doesn't expect the final price to come down. If anything, future modernization upgrades could push it even higher.

Source: novinky.cz