The United States of Lockheed Martin charges $100 million...

Editor's note: ...basically for their F-35 aircraft. The "flyaway cost" or basic unit cost of a Lockheed Martin F-35 varies depending on the specific variant. As of the latest production lots (Lots 15-17), the average flyaway costs per plane are: F-35A: approximately $82.5 million; F-35B (Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing): approximately $109 million; F-35C (Carrier-based): approximately $102.1 million. These costs are considerably higher when figuring in "total packages." The F-35 has never flown in combat unless of course delivering munitions on Gaza can be considered "combat." What the United States of Lockheed Martin does is to charge $109 million for one jet for example, then skims off maybe a quarter of that for their black projects. Wouldn't be surprising in the least. This explains why India has rejected the US offer to buy this expensive glamor aircraft and go with Russia's SU-57 (estimated at between $35 and $70 million per aircraft).

News update for 10 August 2025: Second F-35B fighter jet from aircraft carrier Prince of Wales makes emergency landing.