The F-35 is often described as the most expensive weapons system in history, but that’s not really accurate. The B-2 bomber, for instance, cost around $1 billion per plane to develop and manufacture. At $600 million each, the F-35 is still the most expensive fighter jet ever built—and it has to be: it’s not just a plane but an integrated weapons system.
This particular aircraft is not cheap. The Air Force can’t afford to buy as many of them as they’d like. But the good news is that there’s hope for the price tag. As more planes are being built, the cost of each one decreases. For example, in 2018 it was estimated that each new F-35 would cost $90 million less than those produced in 2016. The goal is to keep lowering this figure until Lockheed Martin’s production line can churn out an F-35 at a fixed rate of under $80 million apiece. This would be a significant drop from its original projected average price per plane: $137 million.
While the Pentagon is eager to start selling the F-35 to US allies, some lawmakers are concerned that doing so could endanger US security. Foreign governments could use the planes against the US and steal information about sensitive technologies used in the planes and then use it against the US or sell it to bad actors.
To protect national security, there are restrictions on who can buy these jets and what they’re allowed to do with them once they have them. However, there are concerns that not all countries will abide by these export controls and some may even share this technology.
Nonetheless, the F-35 will likely be an important part of the Russian Air Force’s modernization. Moscow is in talks with Washington for a potential purchase of up to 100 fifth-generation aircraft, which would make Russia the second largest user of F-35s after the United States. In addition to its use in Russia, Israeli neighbors (and their allies) are considering buying the F-35, which could make things very interesting in the Middle East. The F-35 was developed by Lockheed Martin with help from Israeli engineers and defense contractors.
The US can’t afford to maintain its current fleet of warplanes much longer, so the F-35 is a huge part of its plans for the future.
The F-35 is a single-seat stealth fighter that combines the functions of a fighter plane, bomber, and surveillance aircraft. It is the most expensive weapons system ever built, and its $1 trillion price tag makes it one of the largest contributors to our national debt. To put that expense into perspective, an individual F-35 costs more than three times as much as the average home in the United States.
Why are they willing to invest so much money into one single aircraft?
Because as far as we’re concerned, it’s worth it—and if you want to know why here’s what you should know about America’s newest (and most fearsome) warplane:
The F-35 is the cornerstone of U.S. air power—for now, and for years to come. If anything can bring us back from our recent decline in military power on a global scale, this is it. Our aging fleet of warplanes means that they just don’t have any time left—the F-16s have been around since 1976! We can’t keep using these outdated pieces of equipment; they’re dying on their own time regardless of whether or not they’ve been shot down by an enemy. The F-35 gives us another chance at a modernized air force with state-of-the-art technology backing up our pilots on all fronts: radar jamming capabilities, advanced targeting systems for engaging multiple targets at once (including those hidden by terrain), integrated ammunition tracking that helps maintain supply levels when bombs run low. You get where I’m going with this thing goes above and beyond anything else currently available in today’s market!
Despite all of the F-35’s problems, the Air Force is still confident that it’s going to be a crucial asset in future conflicts. The service plans on spending upwards of $1 trillion for an entire invasion force for the next 60 years.
Understandably, critics have pounced on this figure, especially considering that the F-35 can’t even fly consistently yet. But Lockheed Martin believes that with a few improvements and updates to its software, the plane will become a reliable workhorse for years to come.
As mentioned above, the high cost of the planes has also been attacked as prohibitively expensive, but defense contractors point out that costs are falling every year as orders rise and production increases steadily. The USAF is also working with other countries and offering them big discounts in order to cement relations with allies around the world. Some have criticized this move because they believe there could be potential security risks down the road if allies turn against Washington in some distant future conflict among themselves or with other powers such as China or Russia—but military officials say they’re ready to deal with those scenarios when they arise.
The F-35’s impact on the USAF is undeniable and will remain so for some time to come. Its diverse capabilities, vast range, stealth ability, and extra features that other planes do not have are amazing. They will be able to stay longer in battle with reduced fatigue, and their stealth abilities will give them the necessary edge against opponents.
The F-35 truly is a revolutionary fighter jet, but with that comes the potential for shortcomings. When this does arise, we can only hope that the US Armed Forces and Lockheed Martin can work efficiently together to remedy design flaws. The money has been spent, and there may not be much room for error when it comes to producing a product that helps keep military security. Bottom line: as with any new technology, there will be definite upsides and downsides regardless of how amazing the product is—it’s just a matter of minimizing them. I believe we will find out sooner than later if this “fifth-generation” jet lives up to its hype, and if it does then it will have proven itself time and time again in situations where we need it the most.