The US Marine Corps has accepted 6 F-35B jets without radars, fitting ballast in the nose cones to maintain weight and balance. A delayed Northrop Grumman AN/APG-85 radar is the cause, and the Air Force and Navy will face the same situation later this year.
Lockheed Martin
The difference becomes especially clear when comparing the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress.
Lockheed Martin wins $35 billion seven-year THAAD contract to quadruple interceptor production for U.S. missile defense.
The US Air Force’s F-35A recorded the highest full mission-capable rate among all F-35 variants in fiscal 2025, yet only 28.5 percent of the jets could perform all assigned missions at any given time, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
A recent demonstration at Edwards Air Force Base (EDW), California, showed the method could update an F-22 Raptor in minutes rather than the months legacy aircraft often wait.
From stealth technology and artificial intelligence-powered sensors to massive weapons payloads and supercruise capabilities, modern fighter aircraft represent the pinnacle of military engineering.
Switzerland’s first F-35A enters major assembly at Lockheed Martin Marietta, with delivery to Arkansas set for mid-2027.
Earlier this year, the F-35 Joint Program Office and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence completed the first test flight of 4 Selective Precision Effects At Range Capability 3 (SPEAR 3) missiles aboard a fifth-generation F-35B Lightning II test aircraft, marking a major milestone for Britain’s next-generation precision strike capability.
The Pentagon’s latest operational assessment found that the F-35 Lightning II modernization program has failed to deliver the combat improvements originally expected from its Technology Refresh 3 upgrade package.
he United Kingdom will equip its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters with Boeing Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB-II) weapons as an interim capability while integration delays continue to affect Europe’s MBDA Spear 3 missile program.