Key Points: The F-35A is the centerpiece of the U.S. Air Force’s modernization, designed for versatility in air superiority, ground attack, and reconnaissance.
-With over 1,000 jets delivered globally, the aircraft is integral to 19 allied nations. Equipped with unparalleled stealth, advanced avionics, and a multi-role mission suite, the F-35 replaces legacy aircraft like the F-15 and A-10.
-Despite its operational promise, critics cite its $2 trillion lifecycle cost and unproven combat record. However, its widespread adoption and multi-decade lifespan make it indispensable.
-The F-35 represents a high-stakes investment in airpower that U.S. and allied forces must optimize for future conflicts.
Why the F-35 Is the Backbone of Modern Air Forces
We have covered the eye-watering price tag of the F-35 that is going to cost $2 trillion to keep in the air over the next several decades – maybe until the 2080s. The U.S. Air Force has made a significant bet on the F-35A, and time will tell if the expenditure is worth it.
The biggest test will be aerial combat. Can the F-35A be an excellent dogfighter?
Can it sneak close to enemy territory and fire stand-off missiles or conduct a successful bomb run? Will the flying computer live up to its potential?
Let’s look at the F-35A to see if its future is truly bright.
F-35: So Many Countries Are Flying It or Ordering It
So many foreign militaries are flying the stealth aircraft that there is no looking back to trim production.
Lockheed Martin has been inundated with orders from U.S. allies. At least 19 countries are flying the F-35 or have ordered it for their fleets. The F-35A costs around $110 million per jet. Lockheed Martin makes at least 110 F-35s each year of all models. The United States has 553 F-35s with another 1,855 on order.
Other top customers are Australia with 63 currently in use, South Korea with 40, Norway with 40, and Israel with 39 F-35s.
The Statistics Can Floor You
Lockheed Martin has delivered over 1,000 F-35s. Over 2,500 pilots have flown more than 889,000 hours with 535,000 sorties. F-35s populate 44 bases around the globe. There are nearly 17,000 maintainers.
F-35C on Static Display. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
So, you can see that the F-35 is here to stay. The F-35 replaces the F-15, The F/A-18 E/F, and the A-10.
The F-35 Is a Multi-Mission Beast
The best attribute of the F-35 is its multi-role capability. It can attack with nuclear weapons, so it is strategic. It has air superiority characteristics. The F-35 can take on ground attack responsibilities. It can conduct electronic warfare missions or collect intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data. The stealth fighter can also suppress and destroy enemy air defenses.
Flying Computer Has No Comparisons
The fifth-generation fighter has a sensor and avionics package that is second to none. The onboard hardware and software can process and distribute a vast amount of real-time information. The airplane can identify friends or foes rapidly at night or in bad weather.
F-35 Stealth Fighter. Image Credit: Lockheed Martin.
According to an F-35 profile in the National Interest, “The fighter has the most advanced sensor suite of any jet in history, including the Distributed Aperture System (DAS), the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) and advanced electronic warfare capabilities.”
Aviator Friendly
Pilots love the helmet-mounted display system on its visor. Aviators can use this targeting information in combat without taking their eyes off the horizon.
The F-35’s Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 turbofan engine produces an impressive 43,000 pounds of thrust and MACH 1.6 speed. The wingspan is 35 feet and the length is 51 feet. The payload is 18,000 pounds.
The F-35: It Is Here to Stay
This is a great airplane, and since it has been so ingrained in the air forces of so many countries, it isn’t easy to foresee a scenario in which the F-35 takes a back seat. U.S. allies have ordered too many to quit now, and the U.S. Air Force has no choice but to continue buying the stealth fighter.
Was It All a Mistake?
Maybe the Pentagon and Congress have made a big mistake with the F-35. It has been a considerable taxpayer burden, and more must be spent to keep it flying. It is hard to wrap your brain around $2 trillion for a fighter, but, of course, that cost is spread out over many decades. However, if it serves until 2088, it will be worth it. There is just no turning back now. The U.S. and its allies are in for a penny and in for a pound.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Kristin Wolfe performs a demonstration in the F-35A Lightning II during at the Reno Air Races in Reno, Nevada, September 19, 2021. The F-35 Lightning II Demonstration Team is based out of Hill Air Force Base, Utah. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicolas Myers)
There are still naysayers who believe that the F-35 has been a boondoggle, including criticism from President Donald Trump in 2016. The airplanes have a significant amount of downtime, and they are not proven in aerial combat. We are just going to have to live with the F-35.
It is here to stay, and we must make the best of it.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
