Is the F-35 Fighter a Failure?

As a kid, my parents had certain rituals of summer to entertain my adolescent brain.

Monster trucks were always a highlight. Mechanical dirt monsters roared to life on a humid July night, in the midst of true rednecks (more than few dozen Confederate flags displayed; safety-always off). Days spent on paddle boats, at Belmont, or at a nearby water park were numerous.

But I always enjoyed the local airshow the most. A nearby airport would welcome antique planes and military warbirds, where spectators could see them up close and also perform low altitude fly-bys and demonstrations. I may have assembled one or two model fighters during these summer vacations. I was the only 10-year-old who had a favorite fighter jet. An A-10 Thunderbolt II strafing cardboard targets across an open field was truly mesmerizing.

Unfortunately that air show has been long discontinued, and it seems as though the A-10 will shortly follow that fate. The plane is designed solely for close support of ground troops, and the U.S. Air Force believes it can save $3.7 billion in the next four years by retiring the A-10 in favor of a multi-faceted fighter.

That fighter would be the F-35 Lightning II, currently under development as an air support, recon, and defense platform. But the F-35 is currently under considerable scrutiny; the plane is scheduled for full delivery in 2037 but has been in development for 30 years already, and the program has become another popular "defense program is excessively expensive" narrative. And right now, IHS Jane's reports all F-35 purchases are suspended until a presumed manufacturing defect is fixed.

Let me introduce some pros and cons of the F-35, and I'll let you make up your own mind about this plane's worth (in the comments, of course!).

First, the F-35 needs to have three combat roles, as well as three variants for different service branches. Operationally, the plane needs to provide close air support (CAS) to ground troops, it must be able to identify targets as a forward agent, and it must provide an air-to-ground strike capability. It needs to do this while meeting the needs of three branches: the Air Force; the Marines, who want vertical takeoff/landing capabilities; and the Navy, who need a carrier-based fighter. Simply put, there are too many compromises in the F-35 design for the plane to excel at any one aspect.

A lot of attention has also been paid to the plane's stealth designs. From materials selection to geometry cross sections, the F-35 is one of the stealthiest aircraft ever produced. However, this is only for radars that are positioned horizontally or a few degrees from horizontal. This also means that the F-35's weaponry and fuel tanks must be kept within the fuselage, which limits the capacity of both. While stealth is very important for reconnaissance and strike missions, it's virtually meaningless for CAS objectives, where the plane would typically be below radar detection and be fired upon visually. Finally, a leading USAF general noted that the F-35 is completely reliant on the F-22 Raptor to provide air cover in order to be used in contested airspace.

The F-35 will be the most technologically advanced plane built yet, but tying the best air-to-air radar ever, the best threat detection, incredible thrust-to-weight ratio, and many other developments together is going to take some trial-and-error. Integrating a remarkable number of new technologies into a sophisticated, but easy-to-use avionics operating system has ultimately impeded the F-35's development as well.

Lastly, there are the development costs. At current projections, the F-35 will cost $1.01 trillion when all is said and done. One of the leading arguments for scrapping the F-22 program was outlandish costs-but the F-22 is a considerably different plane, solely funded and operated by the U.S. Air Force. This $1.01 trillion is being shared by the U.S., Italy, the U.K, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Turkey. And unlike the F-22, export sales are allowed, opening the possibility for revenue.

All in all, the F-35 will likely be one of the best planes ever built, but as with any defense project it's efficiency is never considered.