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Described as a fifth-generation fighter, its technologies include stealth coatings as well as advanced radar and sensors, according to the Congressional Research Service.<\/p>\n
“What makes the F-35 particularly formidable is the increased difficulty our adversaries have in detecting it,” Bowman said. “So if you can’t see it, you can’t kill it.”<\/p>\n
Bowman said the plane also has advanced sensors to better detect enemies as well as networking capabilities to communicate with allied planes and ground forces during combat.<\/p>\n
Each plane was supposed to be relatively cheap to build, with each variation constructed on the same assembly line. But as the first F-35 prepared for its inaugural flight in 2006, the program’s cost had grown substantially.<\/p>\n
High costs for the aircraft<\/h3>\n According to a September report from the Government Accountability Office, a Defense Department estimate said maintaining, operating and modernizing the planned 2,470 planes over a 77-year life cycle will exceed $2 trillion.<\/p>\n\n<\/aside>\nThe report also found that Lockheed delivered 110 aircraft last year, all of which “were late by an average of 238 days, up from 61 days in 2023.”<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, there have been concerns about readiness. In 2023, the rate at which the aircraft can perform one of its tasked missions was about 55%, far below program goals, the Government Accountability Office found. Part of the problem was delays in setting up maintenance facilities, inadequate equipment and supply issues.<\/p>\n
Dan Grazier, a senior fellow and director of the National Security Reform Program at the Stimson Center, said the F-35 program has ultimately been a failure.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the aircraft’s stealth coating to evade radar detection, which he said requires a lot of maintenance, while a camera system to provide situational awareness also has had problems.<\/p>\n
“It does not matter what kind of transformational combat capability an aircraft has if it cannot be relied upon,” he said,<\/p>\n
The F-35 was designed to replace several different older airplanes at once, Grazier said, noting that it does “a lot of things kind of well, but it doesn’t do anything great.”<\/p>\n
“It also costs a fortune,” he said. “So you pay a fortune for an aircraft that is actually in many cases less capable than what came before it.”<\/p>\n
Lockheed Martin pushed back on such criticisms.<\/p>\n
“The F-35 is the cornerstone of the battlespace for 20 allied nations, enabling peace through strength,” the company said in a statement. “It is combat proven and offers the most advanced capability and technology. With more than 1 million hours flown and more than 1,255 aircraft in service, the F-35 is an indispensable contributor to global security.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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