F-35 Risks Falling Behind China, Russia Threats, Panel Warns
By Anthony Capaccio
September 15, 2021, 10:00 AM EDT Updated on September 15, 2021, 7:53 PM EDT
It’s uncertain the F-35 can ‘evolve’ to keep up, lawmakers say
Fighter jet’s ‘extraordinary costs’ are cited as impediment
Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35, the world’s costliest weapons system, may fail to keep pace with Chinese and Russian air defense improvements given its “extraordinary costs” so far, the U.S. House defense policy committee has warned.
The House Armed Services Committee supported the F-35’s $398 billion acquisition program in the report accompanying its version of the fiscal 2022 defense policy bill. It said the sophisticated fighter “can be used against advanced integrated air defense systems operating against the United States or its foreign partners and allies during high-end, very contested contingencies” once it finally receives key software upgrades.
But the committee called into question “overly aggressive development and production schedules” that for more than 20 years have resulted “in longer schedules and much higher costs than planned to realize less than full warfighting capabilities required by the Department of Defense.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-15/f-35-risks-falling-behind-china-and-russia-defenses-panel-warns
