Giving F-35 “NASCAR Upgrade” Can Deliver 80% Of F-47 Capabilities At Half Cost: Lockheed
Lockheed doubles down on the Joint Strike Fighter after its F-47 loss with plans to inject 6th generation capabilities into the F-35's 'chassis.'
Tyler Rogoway
Updated Apr 22, 2025 4:02 PM EDT
A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II assigned to the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team performs a practice airshow performance at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Jan. 11, 2023. The F-35 Demo Team performs rehearsal flights regularly to maintain flying certifications and to uphold and maintain their mission and Air Force recruiting standards. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kaitlyn Ergish)
Lockheed Martin is making the pitch that its deep-in-production F-35 Joint Strike Fighter can provide 80% of the capabilities of the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance fighter at half the cost. This is a huge claim and one aimed at keeping the F-35 relevant for decades to come and potentially providing an alternative to the F-47. Achieving this would come by taking tech developed under the NGAD fighter program, which Lockheed lost to Boeing, and injecting it into the F-35. Going farther than just minor modifications, it would give the F-35 a “NASCAR upgrade” by leveraging its base “chassis.” This “5th generation plus” reworking could include new materials, geometries, and countermeasures developed under NGAD. We also now know that Lockheed will not formally protest Boeing’s winning of the NGAD combat jet competition.
An artist rendering of Boeing’s F-47. (USAF)
These details came directly from Jim Taiclet, CEO of Lockheed Martin, during an earnings call this morning, in which he stated:
“And we plan on applying those [NGAD] technologies to our current systems, making our already proven products even more relevant to the future, as well as enhancing the capabilities we provide in ongoing and future development. For example, the knowledge and technology development gained from our investments in the NGAD competition strengthened our conviction to enhance the F-35 to a ‘5th generation plus’ capability. And I challenged the team to deliver 80% of 6th gen capability at 50% of the cost. In support of this vision, we’re also committing to drive disruptive innovation and building upon our recent established internal capabilities and AI autonomy, crewed-uncrewed teaming, and command and control systems across the whole company. We have aligned these technology investments with our customer priorities and demonstrated meaningful increases in capabilities at relatively low cost.“
https://www.twz.com/air/f-35-chassis-can-deliver-80-of-6th-gen-capability-at-half-the-cost-lockheed-declares
