Fourth F-35 squadron to come under Royal Navy – fifth 'yet to be designated'

It is yet to be confirmed whether the UK's fifth F-35 squadron will come under the Royal Navy or Royal Air Force, a defence minister has said.

In a written question, Baroness Goldie was asked by Labour life peer Lord West of Spithead, who served as First Sea Lord from 2002-06, whether there had been a change to the agreement that two F-35 squadrons would come under the Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm.

In response, she said: "Three F-35 Squadrons are designated as Royal Air Force.

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"A fourth, 809 Naval Air Squadron will carry Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm designs," she added.

"The fifth Lighting Force squadron has yet to be designated, with a timeline on identity and ownership yet to be established."

The F-35 is Britain's most advanced aircraft ever, costing about £88.8m each – according to figures from 2020.

The Lightning Force, made up of RAF and Royal Navy personnel, is based at RAF Marham in Norfolk and oversees operations involving the UK's F-35B aircraft.