F-35 Stealth Fighter Will Cost $2,000,000,000,000: Is It Worth It?

Summary and Key Points: The F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, considered the most advanced fifth-generation platform, is set to cost the U.S. $2 trillion over its lifespan. This high price is driven by ongoing modernization efforts, including enhanced engines, weapons, and technology.

-Despite the hefty cost, the F-35 is deemed essential for U.S. national security, particularly as global tensions rise. The jet's unmatched stealth capabilities, cutting-edge avionics, and powerful armament make it a critical asset in any potential conflict.

-Cost-reduction efforts are underway, but the platform's comprehensive capabilities justify the investment.

F-35 will now cost $2 trillion: still worth the cost?

Widely considered to represent the most dominant fifth-generation platform globally, the F-35 Lightning II fighter is here for the long run. The American-made platform features the most cutting-edge technology and has already proven to be a market favorite in its short service history.

Based on the platform’s success in the skies and advantage over adversarial near peers, the Pentagon is ready to fork over $2 trillion over its entire life span. According to the Government Accountability Office, the rising costs associated with the Lightning II are influenced by ongoing modernization efforts that aim to equip the fighters with enhanced engines, weapons and other technology updates as they emerge.

Despite this hefty price tag, operating F-35 fleets for longer is in the best interest of U.S. national security. Geopolitical tensions across the board are only ramping up and if a potential kinetic conflict arises, the Lightning II platform would undoubtedly lead any aerial strategy the U.S. military employs.

While the $2 trillion estimate was divulged this spring, the total cost of the F-35 program could increase over time. In order to combat rising costs, the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Forces are all scaling back their planned flight hours for the platform.

The F-35 Program Office (JPO) Russ Goemaere stated that the services were reducing other costs through “better alignment of US Services requirements and budgets; and an active cost reduction initiative pipeline; resulting in 34% improvement in the DoD F-35 Cost per Tail per Year (CPTPY) between 2014-22 from $9.4M to $6.2M and a 61% improvement in the DoD F-35 Cost per Flying Hour (CPFH) between 2014-22, from $86.8K to $33.6K, all in Constant Year 2012 [dollars].” F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin mirrored this rhetoric, adding that they were ready to partner with the Pentagon in order to maintain mission readiness and deterrence for the fighter platform.

What makes the Lightning II worth its $2 trillion price tag?

Perhaps the F-35’s greatest quality is its stealth. In fact, the platform is designed from top to bottom to prioritize low observability. Like its F-22 Raptor predecessor, the Lightning II was designed with a minimal radar-cross section coated in radar-absorbent materials to reduce the chance of being detected by enemy aircraft.

The Pratt & Whitney F135 engine powers the fighter, enabling it to fly at speeds in excess of Mach-1.6 (times the speed of sound). Avionics-wise, the F-35 is also unparalleled. The jet features the most cutting-edge sensor suite ever realized in history, including the Distributed Aperture System (DAS), the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS and advanced electronic warfare capabilities.

The F-35’s armament power is also notable. While in its “stealth” configuration, the fighter can carry four Aim-120 AMRAAM missiles for air-to-air missions or a combination of four AIM-120/GBU-31 JDAM smart bombs for air-to-ground missions. The fifth-generation jet can also enter “beast mode,” which allows the platform to sport up to fourteen AIM-120 missiles for ground operations, two AIM-9x missiles for air-to-air missions or four Aim-120/9X missions coupled with six GBU-31s.

Considering the depth of its attributes, the F-35 Lightning II is well worth its staggering price tag.

About the Author: Maya Carlin, Defense Expert 

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. 

Image Credit: Creative Commons.