The Forgotten Reason the F-35 Fighter Will Never Be Cancelled

The U.S. Economy Would Suffer Without the F-35

You may know that the F-35 Lightning II is manufactured in Fort Worth, Texas, by Lockheed Martin. This creates numerous high-paying jobs at that production facility in the Lone Star State. However, you may not know that there are secondary positions in various types of advanced manufacturing.

An estimated 250,000 people work on some aspect of the F-35. This creates $72 billion in economic impact each year. The F-35 has been popular in the export market, which means an even more improved value for economic development.

So, when you hear talk about the F-35 somehow getting tossed, think again. It means jobs and lots of cash for the U.S. economy. 

Critics Want to Say Goodbye to the F-35

However, there are always the naysayers, who believe that the F-35 has been a waste of billions of dollars and since it is a crewed aircraft, it is out of step with the times that call for drone fighters like the Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

The F-35 detractors who have pestered President Donald Trump to cancel the stealth jet carry much influence, especially Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. Musk and DOGE who are no fans of the F-35.

We Are Talking About 250,000 Jobs

However, due to the nationwide and even worldwide economic impact, proponents of the Lightning II point toward all the jobs lost if Trump were to cancel the program. This would spike the U.S. unemployment rate.

Trump promised that he would have a healthier economy than President Joe Biden, and laying off more than 250,000 workers would be a negative jolt with significant political repercussions.

Potential Battle on Capitol Hill

Congress would then get involved. The F-35 has jobs in nearly all states in the union. The House of Representatives could take a bullwhip to the White House to keep the F-35 in business. Senators who represent states in the “Gun Belt” of the defense industry would assuredly complain vociferously to Trump.

These Are the Kind of Jobs That Sustain a 21st Century Economy

The F-35 will also be upgraded over the coming decades. That means there will be high-tech jobs in additive manufacturing, software development, cyber security, artificial intelligence, and advanced electronics. These will be difficult to replicate in other areas of the defense industrial base.

Take Georgia as an example. There are an estimated 5,000 F-35 related jobs at 37 plants in the Peach State. The annual economic impact for the F-35 manufacturing in Georgia is $866 million. Plus, Moody Air Force Base in Georgia may get a new squadron of Lightning IIs. This means greater economic impact around the cities near the base.  

Unions Have a Vote

Then there are the unions. Many of these workers are represented by powerful and well-funded unions that have long contracts in the future to develop the F-35.

“Machinists Union members take great pride in building the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for three U.S. military services. The F-35 program creates a powerful economic impact for our nation and it produces a game-changing aircraft that keeps our fighter pilots safe. Now is the time to invest in the best air-to-air fighter by ramping up the production line to reduce unit costs and continue to handle the world’s current and emerging threats,” according to Robert Martinez Jr., President, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).

Unions are typically a Democrat constituency, but Trump has made many in-roads to attract working class voters who are labor guild members. Losing these people could affect the performance of the Republican Party during midterm elections in 2026. Trump would also be criticized for hurting the working class.

F-35s from the 62nd Fighter Squadron visit Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, October 21, 2021. F-35 Lightning II aircraft traveled to JBSA-Lackland for a two week stay to train and fly with multiple different aircraft from the surrounding area to include the 149th Fighter Wing’s F-16 Vipers. (Air National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Mancuso)

Therefore, it will be difficult to kill the F-35 program, most likely impossible. This airplane is just too intertwined with the entire defense industrial base in America. The economic impact of the stealth fighter is just too extensive to lose. These are high-paying jobs using future technologies that are critical to the nation’s national security. This affects many labor unions who vote in numbers and are likely to turn on Trump should he cancel the program and lose those jobs.

Plus, the F-35 will be supported in the future with more spare parts and new components to upgrade. More countries around the world are ordering the airplane. Even Canada wants to buy 88 F-35s. The Lightning II production line will likely stay in business for years. The economic impact is extensive, and Congress would surely squeal in pain should the Department of Defense cancel the orders to build more F-35s.

An F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 421st Fighter Squadron prepares to launch during Red Flag 20-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Feb. 3, 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by R. Nial Bradshaw)

This is an example of how defense spending affects local economies. There is an economic aspect to building large-scale projects, and since the U.S. economy depends on military projects as part of the “maker” economy, the public needs to feel good about the production of such an important tool of international security.

For these reasons, the F-35 will be around for several decades.

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.