THE F-35 IS GETTING A $15 BILLION UPGRADE THAT’LL MAKE IT A WHOLE NEW BEAST
Alex Hollings | March 8, 2023
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II, also commonly known as the Joint Strike Fighter, is about to undergo a largely classified upgrade that promises to turn the technologically advanced aircraft into a far more capable fighter. New improvements include 17 new weapon systems, powerful new radar, expanded electronic warfare capabilities, powerful propulsion upgrades, and more — much of which remains tucked nearly behind a veil of vast quantities of classified funding.
Throughout its service life, the F-35 has been plagued by technical setbacks and cost overruns so egregious that they often overshadow the platform itself, which has been touted by pilots and Defense officials alike as a revolution in tactical airpower. Now, with this new slew of enhancements cruising toward service, the F-35 program may finally produce a data-fusing aerial powerhouse that silences the platform’s most vocal critics… that is, if everything goes according to plan.
The F-35 program, now more than two decades old, has long been viewed through two very disparate lenses. For some, the boondoggle that has been the F-35’s acquisition process has come to define the aircraft itself, with repeated technical setbacks, budgetary overruns, and the immense costs associated with F-35 sustainment overshadowing any capability the aircraft might bring to the fight.
https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/the-f-35-is-getting-a-15-billion-upgrade-thatll-make-it-a-whole-new-beast/
