F-35‭ ‬Repeated crashes‭ & ‬consequences

On May 29‭, ‬2024‭, ‬an F-35‭ ‬aircraft crashed and caught fire shortly after takeoff near an airbase in Albuquerque‭, ‬New Mexico‭. ‬The‭ ‬pilot was hospitalised in critical condition after ejecting with a parachute‭.‬

Just a few days later‭, ‬on June 3‭, ‬2024‭, ‬Japanese media reported that two Japanese F-35A fighter jets made an emergency landing at a commercial airport in northern Japan due to an unspecified mechanical issue‭.‬

Prior to these incidents‭, ‬approximately 30‭ ‬F-35‭ ‬crashes had been recorded‭, ‬according to the American Aviation Safety Network‭, ‬with the first in February 2013‭ ‬and the latest in September 2023‭. ‬These incidents span all three fighter jet variants‭: ‬F-35A‭, ‬F-35B‭, ‬and F-35C‭. ‬

Another significant issue with the F-35‭ ‬is its high maintenance cost‭. ‬An independent congressional oversight body reported that‭ ‬the US Department of Defense could only use 51%‭ ‬of its F-35‭ ‬fleet due to significant maintenance problems‭, ‬despite the Pentagon‭’‬s target usage rate of 85%‭ ‬to 90%‭.‬

This analysis will highlight the major technical flaws of the latest American fighter jet and the ongoing debate about its effectiveness‭, ‬particularly in light of indications that the aircraft is not entirely stealthy against enemy air defence systems‭.‬

High Production Cost

The production cost of a single F-35‭ ‬is estimated at around‭ $‬100‭ ‬million‭, ‬which presents a significant problem‭. ‬The F-35‭ ‬program‭ ‬was initially developed in the 1990s to produce thousands of new fighters to replace all existing tactical aircraft in the Air‭ ‬Force‭, ‬Navy‭, ‬and Marine Corps inventories‭. ‬The US Air Force requires about 1,800‭ ‬of these fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F-16s and A-10s‭.‬

Fifteen years after the first flight of the F-35‭, ‬the Air Force only has 250‭ ‬of these fighters‭. ‬Notably‭, ‬the Air Force halted the production of the fifth-generation F-22‭ ‬after manufacturing only 195‭ ‬units‭. ‬One of the goals behind this was to produce a new‭ ‬fifth-generation fighter that was less expensive and lighter‭, ‬which was reflected in the F-35‭ ‬project‭. ‬However‭, ‬the F-35‭ ‬has failed to meet these goals due to the increasing complexity of its technology and high costs‭.‬

A report titled‭ “‬Defense Acquisitions‭: ‬Observations on the F-35‭ ‬Fighter Jet and the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System‭” ‬by the US Government Accountability Office noted that‭ “‬the F-35‭ ‬is the Department of Defense’s largest acquisition program in‭ ‬terms of cost in US military history‭, ‬with total acquisition costs expected to exceed‭ $‬406‭ ‬billion to develop and purchase more‭ ‬than 2,400‭ ‬aircraft through by 2044‭.”‬

Maintenance Costs

The US government does not control the data rights for the F-35‭ ‬fighter program‭, ‬and military branches cannot access the technical data required for many maintenance tasks‭. ‬Additionally‭, ‬the government cannot grant other companies access to this technical‭ ‬information‭. ‬

As a result‭, ‬Lockheed Martin monopolises the lucrative maintenance contracts‭. ‬This lack of data access was not an oversight but‭ ‬a deliberate decision based on a doctrine that places the company as the‭ “‬responsible party for overall system performance‭.” ‬Consequently‭, ‬the US government effectively relinquished its maintenance responsibilities to Lockheed Martin‭. ‬

This arrangement provided no incentive for the company to design simple‭, ‬easy-to-maintain weapons‭, ‬as their business model relies on long-term maintenance contracts for their products‭, ‬generating substantial profits‭. ‬

In 2021‭, ‬Pentagon officials awarded Lockheed Martin up to‭ $‬6.6‭ ‬billion to support the F-35‭ ‬fleet for two years‭, ‬until 2023‭. ‬These contracts will grow as more F-35s are produced for the US military‭. ‬The US government estimates that the‭ “‬sustainment costs for the F-35‭ ‬program to operate and maintain the fleet over the next 52‭ ‬years will amount to‭ $‬1.12‭ ‬trillion‭.”‬

Technical Issues Without Satisfactory Solutions

In a December 2019‭ ‬statement‭, ‬the F-35‭ ‬Joint Program Office confirmed that the fifth-generation American fighter jet has a problem that could damage its tail section if it continues to fly at supersonic speeds‭. ‬This limitation means that at very high altitudes‭, ‬the US Navy and Marine Corps versions of the F-35‭, ‬the F-35C‭, ‬can only fly at supersonic speeds for short periods before risking structural damage and losing their stealth capability‭. ‬

This problem makes supersonic interceptions potentially impossible for the aircraft‭. ‬This defect has been classified as one that‭ ‬will not be fixed‭; ‬instead‭, ‬operational parameters will be adjusted‭, ‬imposing a time limit on supersonic flight‭.‬

Consequently‭, ‬F-35B and F-35C fifth-generation fighter pilots must adhere to speed restrictions to avoid damaging the aircraft’s‭ ‬structure or stealth coating‭. ‬

The F-35C is limited to flying at Mach 1.3‭ ‬for no more than 50‭ ‬cumulative seconds‭, ‬while the F-35B is restricted to flying at Mach 1.2‭ ‬for 80‭ ‬cumulative seconds or 40‭ ‬seconds at Mach 1.3‭. ‬

This limitation prevents the F-35C from reaching its optimal speed of Mach 1.44‭, ‬needed to launch beyond-visual-range missiles with a range of over 37‭ ‬kilometres‭.‬

Prototype Under Development

The F-35‭ ‬fighter jet did not reach its full operational capability until early 2024‭, ‬as it still requires updates and modifications‭, ‬including a new engine‭. ‬

Some military experts believe that‭ “‬every F-35‭ ‬built so far is nothing more than an expensive prototype‭. ‬The units already produced will need costly updates in the future when the design is finalised to bring them closer to full combat standards‭.”‬

This view is supported by the manufacturer’s announcement that the number of critical technical deficiencies is slowly decreasing‭, ‬dropping from 11‭ ‬in January 2021‭ ‬to 7‭ ‬in July of the same year‭. ‬

These deficiencies have not been disclosed due to their operational sensitivity‭, ‬which could jeopardise the countries that own the fighter jet‭.‬

Some of the seven existing technical problems fall under category‭ “‬1B‭,” ‬which significantly impact mission readiness‭, ‬while others are classified as‭ “‬1A‭,” ‬potentially endangering the pilot’s life‭.‬

The report highlighted that the main causes of critical malfunctions were software performance instability‭, ‬technical issues with the aircraft‭, ‬the plane’s memory device‭, ‬the backup flight display‭, ‬and the refuelling door‭. ‬The repair times for‭ “‬critical malfunctions‭” ‬were double the operational requirements for the Air Force‭, ‬approximately triple the requirement for the Marine Corps‭, ‬and more than double that of the Navy‭.‬

There is little confidence that solving the software stability issue will be quick or easy‭. ‬General Schmidt informed the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces in December 2023‭ ‬that‭ “‬the data suggests a software fix by mid-spring‭ ‬2024‭.” ‬However‭, ‬this did not happen‭, ‬and Schmidt acknowledged possible delays‭, ‬stating that‭ “‬he could not guarantee the problem‭ ‬would be fully resolved by that date‭.” ‬

Updates were initially expected in June 2023‭ ‬but were postponed to March-June 2024‭, ‬yet the manufacturer failed to complete the‭ ‬software development by this new deadline‭.‬

In May 2024‭, ‬the Government Accountability Office reported that software issues with the F-35‭ ‬persisted‭, ‬with some pilots needing to reboot radar and electronic warfare systems mid-flight to restore functionality‭.‬

As of now‭, ‬60‭ ‬American F-35‭ “‬Block 15‭” ‬models manufactured in 2023‭, ‬along with those built in the first half of 2024‭, ‬have been‭ ‬put into storage‭, ‬awaiting the readiness of the‭ “‬third generation of technological updates‭” (‬TR-3‭), ‬which include upgrades to the fighter’s hardware and software‭. ‬Older fighters may be stored‭, ‬pending the third-generation updates‭, ‬expected to be implemented between July and September 2024‭. ‬However‭, ‬it should be noted that the third-generation technological updates will be released‭ ‬in two separate phases under the new plan‭. ‬

The first update is the trial version‭, ‬designated‭ (‬P0140‭), ‬intended for training aircraft only‭. ‬The final version with full combat capability‭ (‬P0240‭) ‬should be completed within a year to 18‭ ‬months‭, ‬assuming they receive a‭ “‬bug-free trial version from the first attempt‭” ‬without needing subsequent incremental software releases to test and implement critical fixes identified in the trial version‭. ‬

Consequently‭, ‬there is no‭ “‬fixed‭” ‬timeline‭, ‬as each additional trial version will introduce delays ranging from two to six weeks‭.‬

Decline in Operational Efficiency

The F-35‭ ‬Lightning II jets are mission-ready only slightly more than half the time due to maintenance and repair issues‭, ‬according to a report from the Government Accountability Office‭ (‬GAO‭), ‬an independent‭, ‬non-partisan agency working for Congress‭. ‬

The report stated that the‭ “‬mission-capable rate‭” ‬of the stealth fighter fleet‭, ‬or the percentage of time the aircraft can perform an assigned mission‭, ‬was around 55%‭ ‬in March 2023‭, ‬far below the target set for the aircraft‭. ‬

This shortfall is due to several reasons‭, ‬including heavy reliance on contractors‭, ‬insufficient funding‭, ‬inadequate training‭, ‬lack of technical repair data‭, ‬and shortages of spare parts‭, ‬all affecting the aircraft’s ability to meet expected performance‭.‬

The fighter jet only transitioned from partial to full production in March 2024‭, ‬nearly twenty years after development began‭, ‬doubling the initial ten-year development period‭. ‬This transition signifies‭, ‬from the Pentagon’s perspective‭, ‬that the aircraft now possesses stable technology and systems‭, ‬implying that older versions will receive updates to match newly produced models‭. ‬However‭, ‬previous reports of ongoing update issues may contradict this optimistic view held by the Pentagon‭.‬

Operational Performance Issues

According to US Air Force estimates‭, ‬a Russian-made S-400‭ ‬air defence system can detect the F-35‭ ‬at a distance of 20‭ ‬miles‭. ‬In May 2019‭, ‬acting US Assistant Secretary of Defense Catherine Wilbarger confirmed that the Russian S-400‭ ‬is designed to shoot down‭ ‬fighters like the F-35‭. ‬

In theory‭, ‬the range of the missiles carried by the American fighter allows it to destroy the S-400‭ ‬before being detected by the‭ ‬Russian air defence radar‭, ‬but this has not been tested‭.‬

Moreover‭, ‬Turkish forces have used their S-400‭ ‬system to detect American fifth-generation fighters‭, ‬the F-35‭ ‬and F-22‭, ‬with satisfactory results reported by Ankara‭. ‬The more advanced Russian air defence system‭, ‬the S-500‭, ‬can easily detect and track American fifth-generation fighters‭, ‬with a detection range of up to 600‭ ‬kilometres‭ (‬373‭ ‬miles‭).‬

This long-range capability allows the system to identify and track targets long before they enter the engagement zone‭, ‬providing‭ ‬a significant tactical advantage‭. ‬

Moreover‭, ‬the radar can operate in multiple modes‭, ‬including simultaneous tracking and engagement‭, ‬ensuring continuous coverage‭ ‬and rapid response to emerging threats‭.‬

In early 2024‭, ‬reports surfaced of an encounter over the Baltic Sea between an Italian pilot flying an F-35‭ ‬and a Russian pilot‭ ‬flying a Su-30SM‭, ‬where the latter managed to jam the American fighter’s electronic warfare systems using the Khibiny electronic‭ ‬warfare system‭, ‬requiring the Italian pilot to reboot the F-35‭’‬s electronic warfare system multiple times to restore functionality‭. ‬These examples reveal that the American fighter is not entirely stealthy and can be intercepted through air defence systems‭ ‬or electronic jamming‭.‬

Despite these challenges‭, ‬the United States is not expected to abandon the F-35‭ ‬due to several factors‭, ‬including the two decades invested in developing the fighter‭. ‬

Moreover‭, ‬despite its technical flaws and reduced stealth capabilities‭, ‬given the Russian military’s ability to detect it‭, ‬this‭ ‬aircraft‭, ‬like other fifth-generation fighters‭, ‬will be essential for developing sixth-generation fighters‭. ‬

This new generation of fighters will rely on fifth-generation jets to control and direct several drones for reconnaissance or intercepting enemy missiles to protect the primary fighter‭. ‬

Therefore‭, ‬Washington is expected to continue relying on this fighter‭, ‬even though it is arguably the most expensive American defence project and still faces significant technical challenges‭, ‬as evidenced by the numerous incidents involving the fighter‭.‬●

‬By‭: ‬Dr Shadi Abdelwahab‭  ‬‭(‬Associate Professor at the National Defence College‭)‬

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