Air Force Targets 1,509 Combat-Coded Fighters by 2035

The U.S. Air Force has told Congress it needs 1,509 combat-coded fighters by 2035 to meet operational requirements at a medium level of risk. The target comes from a force-structure report sent to Congress on Oct. 16, 2026, and described by Lt. Gen. David Tabor, the service’s deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, during an Oct. 20 Pentagon roundtable. A separate low-risk posture would require 1,723 fighters, according to the FY2026 assessment summarized in the procurement signal. The figures define a long-range planning objective rather than a guaranteed procurement quantity; Tabor cautioned that world events, changing requirements, and new technology could alter the number over time.

The planned fleet mix has direct implications for the fighter industrial base. By 2035, the F-35 is expected to represent about 40% of the combat-coded fleet, up from roughly 30% today. The F-22 and its planned replacement, the F-47, would account for about 20%, with the Air Force intending to replace the F-22s with approximately the same number of F-47s. F-15s and F-16s would divide the remaining 40% about evenly. The assessment excludes the A-10, which is not part of the service’s current 2035 fighter plans. The reported analysis began before the war with Iran in 2026 and, Tabor said, was not driven by that conflict.

Near-term budget plans show a gap between the Air Force’s longstanding goal of buying 72 fighters annually and the FY2027 request described in the source reporting. The service plans to request 24 F-15EXs and 24 F-35s in its base budget, while a further 14 F-35s depend on reconciliation funding. The source article identifies $2.34 billion as the amount tied to those 14 aircraft; the supplied procurement signal separately cites a $2.38 billion F-15EX Lot 7 award. These are distinct reported figures and should not be conflated. If reconciliation funding does not materialize, the Air Force could seek money from other programs or defer the aircraft to 2028, creating uncertainty for suppliers and subcontractors planning labor, materials, and production slots.

The service is also pursuing proposed multiyear procurement agreements for the F-35 and F-15EX, with congressional approval pending. Such agreements could improve demand visibility for Lockheed Martin and Boeing, respectively, and help the government and industry align production schedules, workforce investments, and sustainment planning. They would not remove execution risk: the Air Force says reaching the fleet target depends both on Congress funding the aircraft and on contractors delivering them on time. Tabor reported that industry had “assured us that they can, and we believe them,” while emphasizing that funding and production capacity remain constraints. The parallel objective to field at least 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) by 2032 also points to a substantial unmanned-aircraft procurement pathway alongside crewed fighters.

• 2035 medium-risk requirement: 1,509 combat-coded fighters; the low-risk planning figure is 1,723.
• Fleet mix projection: F-35s at about 40%; F-22/F-47 at about 20%; F-15s and F-16s split the remaining share approximately evenly.
• FY2027 base request: 24 F-15EXs and 24 F-35s; 14 additional F-35s depend on reconciliation funding.
• Funding exposure: The source reports $2.34 billion for the 14 reconciliation-dependent F-35s; if funding fails, the service may shift resources or delay buys to 2028.
• Separate F-15EX signal: The procurement information cites a $2.38 billion F-15EX Lot 7 award; treat it separately from the FY2027 request figures.
• Annual buying ambition: Air Force officials have long cited a goal of 72 fighters per year, above the 62 aircraft in the stated FY2027 request figures.
• Multiyear agreements: Proposed F-35 and F-15EX deals are pending in Congress and could support steadier demand, subject to approval and negotiated schedules.
• Industrial-base constraint: Contractors and suppliers should track congressional funding, production capacity, delivery timelines, and sustainment requirements together.
• Adjacent opportunity: The target of at least 500 CCAs by 2032 signals a parallel unmanned-aircraft market for firms able to complement crewed-fighter operations.
• Planning caveat: The assessment reflects medium-risk operational needs and may change with global events, evolving requirements, or new technology; A-10s are excluded from the 2035 plan.