{"id":290609,"date":"2026-04-10T09:53:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T07:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/what-an-hour-of-f-35-time-actually-costs\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T10:38:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:38:42","slug":"what-an-hour-of-f-35-time-actually-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/what-an-hour-of-f-35-time-actually-costs\/","title":{"rendered":"Quanto costa realmente un&#039;ora di volo su un F-35?"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n\nEvery time an <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-35-lightning-ii\">F-35<\/a> Lightning II takes off, a clock starts running. Not just the mission clock \u2014 the cost clock. At approximately $42,000 per flight hour, the F-35 is the most expensive fighter to operate in the history of aviation. A single one-hour training sortie costs more than many Americans earn in a year.\n\nThat number \u2014 $42,000 \u2014 has haunted the F-35 program since its earliest days. It has been cited by critics as proof the aircraft is unaffordable, by defenders as a figure that is steadily declining, and by Pentagon officials as a problem that must be solved before the Air Force can fly the jet as often as it needs to. But what does that number actually include? Where does the money go? And is it as bad as it sounds?\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f4f4f4;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0 28px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Quick Facts<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;color:#444\">\n<li><strong>F-35A cost per flight hour:<\/strong> ~$42,000 (CPFH)<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-16-fighting-falcon\">F-16<\/a> CPFH:<\/strong> ~$27,000<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-15e-strike-eagle\">F-15E<\/a> CPFH:<\/strong> ~$42,000<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-22-raptor\">F-22<\/a> CPFH:<\/strong> ~$68,000<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/a-10-warthog\">A-10<\/a> CPFH:<\/strong> ~$20,000<\/li>\n<li><strong>Target:<\/strong> Pentagon wants F-35A below $30,000\/hr<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fleet size:<\/strong> 900+ delivered worldwide (as of 2026)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Breaking Down the Bill<\/h2>\n\nThe cost per flight hour (CPFH) is not just fuel. It is everything required to keep the aircraft flying, divided by the number of hours flown. The major components include fuel and consumables, which account for roughly 15\u201320 percent of the total. The F-35's Pratt & Whitney F135 engine burns approximately 1,350 gallons of JP-8 fuel per hour, depending on the mission profile. At current military fuel prices, that is roughly $5,000\u20137,000 per flight hour in fuel alone.\n\nDepot-level maintenance and parts replacement make up the largest share \u2014 roughly 40\u201350 percent. The F-35 requires regular inspections, component replacements, and software updates. Its stealth coatings need periodic repair. High-temperature engine components wear out and must be replaced. Each of these actions draws from a supply chain that spans thousands of parts sourced from hundreds of suppliers worldwide.\n\nContractor logistics support is another major cost driver. Unlike older fighters where military maintainers handle most repairs, the F-35 relies heavily on Lockheed Martin's sustainment organization for depot maintenance, parts provisioning, and technical support. This contractor dependency adds cost but also ensures access to specialized expertise for a technologically complex aircraft.\n\nPersonnel costs \u2014 pilot salaries, maintainer wages, support staff \u2014 round out the total. An F-35 squadron requires a small army of people to keep its jets in the air, and their compensation is baked into the per-hour figure.\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Context Matters<\/h2>\n\nThe raw $42,000 figure can be misleading without context. The F-15E Strike Eagle \u2014 a fourth-generation fighter that the F-35 is partially replacing \u2014 costs roughly the same per flight hour. The F-22 Raptor, the Air Force's other stealth fighter, costs about $68,000 per hour. Compared to these aircraft, the F-35A is not uniquely expensive.\n\nWhere the F-35 differs is in fleet size. The Air Force plans to operate over 1,700 F-35As \u2014 far more than any other fighter in its inventory. When you multiply $42,000 by the tens of thousands of flight hours the fleet will generate annually, the total sustainment bill becomes enormous. Even small reductions in the per-hour cost translate into billions of dollars in savings over the life of the program.\n\nThis is why the Pentagon has set an aggressive target of reducing the F-35A's CPFH to below $30,000. Achieving that goal would require improvements in supply chain efficiency, reduced dependency on contractor support, longer-lasting components, and better predictive maintenance \u2014 all of which Lockheed Martin and the Joint Program Office are actively pursuing.\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Readiness Trap<\/h2>\n\nThere is a vicious cycle embedded in the cost problem. Because the F-35 is expensive to fly, squadrons fly fewer hours than they need to maintain full readiness. Because they fly fewer hours, pilots get less training. Because pilots get less training, combat readiness suffers. And because readiness suffers, the Air Force must find ways to get more training into fewer hours \u2014 which often means more intensive flights that accelerate wear on the aircraft, driving costs back up.\n\nThe mission-capable rate \u2014 the percentage of aircraft available to fly on any given day \u2014 has been another persistent challenge. The F-35 fleet has hovered around 55\u201365 percent mission capability, below the 80 percent target the Pentagon sets for its fighter fleets. Every jet sitting in a maintenance hangar instead of on the flightline represents sunk cost without operational return.\n\nDespite these challenges, the trajectory is improving. The CPFH has declined from over $50,000 in early operational years, and Lockheed Martin claims it is on track to push the number below $35,000 by the end of the decade. Whether they get there \u2014 and whether the Air Force can afford to fly the fleet hard enough to keep pilots sharp \u2014 will determine whether the F-35 fulfills its promise as an affordable workhorse fighter or remains a technological marvel that costs too much to use.\n\n<em>Sources: Government Accountability Office, Department of Defense Selected Acquisition Reports, Air Force Magazine<\/em>\n\n<!-- mf-faq -->\n\n<div class=\"mf-faq-block\"><style>.mf-faq-block{margin:34px 0}.mf-faq-item:not([open]) .mf-faq-answer{display:none !important}.mf-faq-block h2.mf-faq-h{padding-top:22px;margin-bottom:14px}.mf-faq-item{border:1px solid #e2e8f5;border-radius:8px;margin:0 0 10px;background:#fff}.mf-faq-item summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;padding:15px 50px 15px 18px;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;position:relative;line-height:1.45;user-select:none}.mf-faq-item summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mf-faq-item summary::after{content:\"+\";position:absolute;right:18px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);font-size:1.5em;font-weight:400;color:#5C91FF;line-height:1}.mf-faq-item[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mf-faq-item[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f8}.mf-faq-item summary:hover{background:#f5f8ff}.mf-faq-answer{padding:14px 18px;color:#333;line-height:1.6}.mf-faq-answer p{margin:0}.mf-faq-answer a{color:#5C91FF}<\/style><h2 class=\"mf-faq-h\">Related Questions<\/h2><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>How much does it cost to fly an F-35 per hour?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Operating an F-35A costs roughly 42,000 dollars per flight hour, among the highest of any fighter in history. That figure, known as cost per flight hour (CPFH), covers fuel, maintenance, spare parts and support. The Pentagon has been pushing to bring it down so the jet can be flown as often as needed.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Why is the F-35 so expensive to operate?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The F-35's high running cost reflects its complex stealth coatings, advanced sensors and software, and the maintenance they demand. At about 42,000 dollars per flight hour it costs far more to fly than older jets, and reducing this figure has been a persistent challenge for the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/f-35-biggest-aviation-project-ever\/\">F-35<\/a> program since its early days.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>How does the F-35's cost per hour compare to other fighters?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The F-35A's roughly 42,000 dollars per hour sits between cheaper and pricier jets. The A-10 costs about 20,000 dollars per hour and the F-16 around 27,000, while the F-15E is similar to the F-35 at about 42,000 and the F-22 Raptor is far higher at roughly 68,000. Cost broadly tracks complexity.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What does cost per flight hour include?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Cost per flight hour (CPFH) bundles the recurring expenses of operating an aircraft: fuel, routine and depot maintenance, replacement parts, and support equipment and personnel. It does not include the jet's purchase price. CPFH is a key yardstick because it determines how affordably an air force can train and fly day to day.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is the Pentagon's target for F-35 operating cost?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The Pentagon has set a goal of cutting the F-35A's cost per flight hour below 30,000 dollars, down from around 42,000. Lowering it is considered essential before the Air Force can fly the jet as frequently as it wants. Defenders argue the figure is steadily declining as the fleet matures and processes improve.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Is the F-35 the most expensive fighter to operate?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>By cost per flight hour the F-35A is among the most expensive fighters ever fielded, though the stealthy <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/supercruise-the-f-22-outruns-everything-without-afterburner\/\">F-22 Raptor<\/a> is even costlier at about 68,000 dollars an hour. The F-35's expense, combined with the program's enormous development bill, has kept it central to debates over whether <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/5th-generation-fighter-jets-too-expensive\/\">fifth-generation jets are too expensive<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>How many F-35s have been built?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>More than 900 F-35s have been delivered worldwide across its three variants, equipping the US military and many allied nations. The large and growing fleet is one reason supporters expect operating costs to fall over time, as economies of scale and accumulated maintenance experience drive greater efficiency.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Does flying an F-35 really cost more than a year's salary?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Yes. A single one-hour F-35A training sortie, at about 42,000 dollars, costs more than many Americans earn in a year. That stark comparison has made the figure a lightning rod for critics, even as the Pentagon works to drive the per-hour cost down toward its sub-30,000-dollar target.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How much does it cost to fly an F-35 per hour?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Operating an F-35A costs roughly 42,000 dollars per flight hour, among the highest of any fighter in history. That figure, known as cost per flight hour (CPFH), covers fuel, maintenance, spare parts and support. The Pentagon has been pushing to bring it down so the jet can be flown as often as needed.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why is the F-35 so expensive to operate?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The F-35's high running cost reflects its complex stealth coatings, advanced sensors and software, and the maintenance they demand. At about 42,000 dollars per flight hour it costs far more to fly than older jets, and reducing this figure has been a persistent challenge for the <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/f-35-biggest-aviation-project-ever\/\\\">F-35<\/a> program since its early days.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How does the F-35's cost per hour compare to other fighters?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The F-35A's roughly 42,000 dollars per hour sits between cheaper and pricier jets. The A-10 costs about 20,000 dollars per hour and the F-16 around 27,000, while the F-15E is similar to the F-35 at about 42,000 and the F-22 Raptor is far higher at roughly 68,000. Cost broadly tracks complexity.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What does cost per flight hour include?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Cost per flight hour (CPFH) bundles the recurring expenses of operating an aircraft: fuel, routine and depot maintenance, replacement parts, and support equipment and personnel. It does not include the jet's purchase price. CPFH is a key yardstick because it determines how affordably an air force can train and fly day to day.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the Pentagon's target for F-35 operating cost?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Pentagon has set a goal of cutting the F-35A's cost per flight hour below 30,000 dollars, down from around 42,000. Lowering it is considered essential before the Air Force can fly the jet as frequently as it wants. Defenders argue the figure is steadily declining as the fleet matures and processes improve.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is the F-35 the most expensive fighter to operate?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"By cost per flight hour the F-35A is among the most expensive fighters ever fielded, though the stealthy <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/supercruise-the-f-22-outruns-everything-without-afterburner\/\\\">F-22 Raptor<\/a> is even costlier at about 68,000 dollars an hour. The F-35's expense, combined with the program's enormous development bill, has kept it central to debates over whether <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/5th-generation-fighter-jets-too-expensive\/\\\">fifth-generation jets are too expensive<\/a>.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many F-35s have been built?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"More than 900 F-35s have been delivered worldwide across its three variants, equipping the US military and many allied nations. The large and growing fleet is one reason supporters expect operating costs to fall over time, as economies of scale and accumulated maintenance experience drive greater efficiency.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Does flying an F-35 really cost more than a year's salary?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. A single one-hour F-35A training sortie, at about 42,000 dollars, costs more than many Americans earn in a year. That stark comparison has made the figure a lightning rod for critics, even as the Pentagon works to drive the per-hour cost down toward its sub-30,000-dollar target.\"}}]}<\/script><!-- \/mf-faq -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every time an F-35 Lightning II takes off, a clock starts running. Not just the mission clock \u2014 the cost clock. At approximately $42,000 per flight hour, the F-35 is the most expensive fighter to operate in the history of aviation. A single one-hour training sortie costs more than many Americans earn in a year. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":290625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-290609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What an Hour of F-35 Time Actually Costs | Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Every time an F-35 Lightning II takes off, a clock starts running. Not just the mission clock \u2014 the cost clock. 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