The F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter program of the US Armed Forces recently got an unwelcome update. Lot 18 and 19 contracts for the F-35’s F135 engines have been delayed six months to early 2026.
The fifth-generation fighter developed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division has revolutionized the air power of the US Air Force, US Navy, US Marines, and a growing list of 19 allied nations. However, its bloated cost combined with performance below promise has brought harsh criticism.
Over Budget & Behind Schedule
Raytheon-owned Pratt & Whitney makes the immensely powerful F135 afterburning turbofan engine that powers the three variants of the F-35 series fighters. The engines produce an awesome 43,000 pounds of thrust. The recent news regarding the delay in engine deliveries did not include any explanatory details to lend context to the issue. The F-35 is a major leap forward in defense technology for the US and its allies, but it isn’t without fault.
Indeed, the program has ballooned in cost and scope to become the single most costly procurement program in military history, eclipsing even the atomic bomb and Boeing B-29 Superfortress of World War II. The assembly line is even housed at the USAF’s ‘Bomber Plant’ that was established to deliver tens of thousands of Second World War planes.
Unfortunately, this is an unsurprising pattern of behavior from not only Lockheed Martin but any US defense contractor. Another two lots for 300 airframes worth a combined $24 billion were even finalized just over a week ago. Air & Space Forces Magazine quotes the Joint Program Office as saying that “we plan to definitize Lot 18 and award the Lot 19 contract for engines in spring 2026.”
Peace Through Superior Stealth
The optics on the F-35 program from a fiscal point of view are heavily skewed without the context provided by both the technology that it delivers and the importance that a common airframe has for strategic implications. The widespread deployment of stealth fighters shifts the advantage on the battlefield of the future in favor of the US and its allies to an almost insurmountable degree.
A joint-service airframe dramatically streamlines the logistics for the US Armed Forces, and with an “exquisite” system like a fifth-generation fighter, that is all the more important. Adding to that investment and shared resources by a multinational, global fleet empowers the alliance of Western Bloc air forces in a way that no near-peer adversary can even begin to imagine, that’s Russia and China.
The limited fleet of F-22 Raptors was, and still is, the ultimate fighter force. The Russian Su-57 Felon has only been made in negligible numbers, and while the J-20 Mighty Dragon of China may be reaching the same count as the F-22, it is completely blown out of the water (or sky) by the almost 1,300-strong global F-35 fleet.
The Enduring Importance Of Air Power
The F-35 may have its shortcomings, but it represents a credible defense and deterrent against increasingly aggressive regional hegemons like the People’s Republic of China and the openly aggressive Federation of Russia. The raw performance of the F-35 is debatable against aircraft like the J20 and Su-57 that outperform it one-on-one, but the strategic application of the F-35 negates that advantage.
A global alliance with partner air forces in every corner of the globe that share systems, resources, battlefield data, and experience provides a defensive shield against any enemy in the air, on the land, or at sea. The Lightning II honors Kelly Johnson’s legacy as the founder of Skunk Works, not only by bearing the name of his first design (the P-38 Lightning), but by once again redefining what air power is.
The criticism of the F-35 procurement process is well justified for its obvious and public shortcomings. All the same, “Fat Amy” (the F-35’s unofficial nickname) is still one of the most potent weapons against the rise of totalitarian regimes in the modern era that threaten to undermine democratic civilization or openly attack peaceful nations, like Russia in Ukraine.
