During the visit, Hegseth toured the F-35 assembly line, met company leadership and addressed more than 600 employees at the site, which employs around 19,000 people. “I’m looking out into an incredible audience of Americans here who are committed to an incredible company that’s building incredible platforms,” Hegseth said.
“Thank you for accepting and grasping the challenge of President Trump as well as our department,” he added. “Thank you all so much for what you do, for why you’re doing it. We are shoulder to shoulder with you because we can’t deter the next conflict without the skills and capabilities you have.”
Lockheed Martin said more than 1,900 suppliers across the United States support the F-35 programme, with more than half classified as small businesses. The company said annual production of the aircraft is running at a pace five times faster than any other allied fighter currently in production.
“The F-35 is the most advanced multi-mission fighter jet in the world as clearly shown in many recent and successful military engagements around the world,” said Jim Taiclet, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin. “Our U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine F-35 pilots, along with those of our allies, ensure air superiority when they take to the skies, and are critical contributors to President Trump’s strategy of peace through strength.”
“It was an honor to host Secretary of War Hegseth during his visit to our F-35 production operation in Fort Worth, Texas, and introduce him to members of our amazing workforce who in 2025 delivered a record number of 191 fighter jets,” Taiclet said. He added that employees across Lockheed Martin and its suppliers were dedicated to building aircraft faster and more efficiently.
Beyond aircraft production, the company said it had announced a framework agreement with the U.S. Department of War to accelerate production and delivery of PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptors. Lockheed Martin said the agreement marked the first implementation of the department’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy.
Lockheed Martin said more than 1,290 F-35 aircraft are currently operational worldwide and that the fleet surpassed one million flight hours in 2025. The company said the aircraft operates from 50 bases globally, including 11 nations flying the aircraft from their home territory.
