The F-35 has its fair share of critics and proponents. There seems to be no middle ground; people either love it (the pilots) or hate it (most notably Elon Musk). However, both parties agree that the F-35 is an expensive aircraft.
Critics point to the lifetime price tag of $2 trillion (with a T) and say the aircraft is far too expensive, with cost overruns, constant software challenges, and maintenance issues.
However, the F-35 is the most advanced aircraft in the world and is unmatched in modern stealth fighter technology. It offers air superiority, strike capabilities, and electronic warfare systems that are second to none.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Melanie “MACH” Kluesner, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team pilot and commander, flies an aerial demonstration certification flight at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Feb. 22, 2024. Upon the 388th Fighter Wing commander certification, the F-35 Demo Team pilot is required to complete the Air Combat Command Heritage Flight Training Course. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kaitlyn Ergish)
The two trillion dollar question is: is the F-35 Lightning II worth it?
The Price Might Rise Again Due to Inflation
Greg Ulmer, head of Lockheed Aeronautics, told Audrey Decker of Defense One at the Farnborough Air Show last year that “Inflation is real. The cost of raw materials has gone up. The cost of everything has gone up, so there is just inflation pressure in the system.”
With Lockheed Martin receiving large orders from the United States, its partners, and allies, the F-35’s costs have receded for several years. Improvements Lockheed made in its production line also aided in the cost reduction.
However, the Pentagon wants to reduce the number of F-35s from 68 to 58 in 2025, and inflation may push the aircraft’s cost even higher.
Here Are The Fly-Away Costs For Each F-35 Variant
What are the fly-away costs? Fly-away cost represents the expense directly related to producing a single, fully equipped aircraft, including the cost of the airframe, propulsion, avionics, electronics, armament, other installed government-furnished equipment, and nonrecurring production costs.
The fly-away costs for each variant are as follows:
F-35A: $82.5 million
F-35B: $109 million
F-35C: $102.1 million
The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) model. The F-35B, the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft, is used by the US Marine Corps, the UK, and the Italian Air Force. The F-35C is the carrier version of the aircraft. It has the largest wingspan and most robust landing gear of all F-35 variants, allowing it to launch from catapults and land via the arrestor wire on aircraft carriers. The F-35C can travel at Mach 1.6 even with a full internal weapons load.
Flight Costs Soar, Then Come Down
When the F-35 was originally built, the manufacturers and the Air Force estimated a cost of $25,000 per flight hour. The F-35 proved more expensive to operate than initially planned; the cost-per-flight-hour had surged to an incredible $88,000 per hour. This expense caused the Air Force to cut flight hours to hold down these exorbitant costs. However, the cost-per-hour came down to about $33,600, which is probably pretty close to the original $25,000 an hour, taking inflation into account.
F-35 Is One of the Safest US Fighters Ever
So many people want to see this aircraft fail that sometimes it defies description. And many of the self-described “aviation experts” jumped out of the woodwork after the recent F-35 crash in Alaska that someone caught on video.
Thankfully, and most importantly, the pilot was able to eject safely. This recent unfortunate event was the 12th crash of the F-35 since it entered the US military. Alex Hollings of “Air Power” posted a video explaining how comparing flight hours to other US aircraft, the F-35 averages just 1.6 crashes for every 100,000 hours these jets spend in the sky – less than half of the F-16’s lifetime average of 3.55 crashes per 100,000 flight hours. That comes out to nearly one crash for 81,000 hours flown.
Yet, headlines about F-35 crashes drive lots of traffic, and today, most people don’t recall the F-16’s troubled early years between 1975 and 1993, when the legendary Viper suffered more than double the branch average for aircraft losses.
In fact, between fiscal years 1988 and 1994, an average of 17 F-16 airframes were lost per year, for an average of 4.21 airframes lost per 100,000 flight hours.
In 1972, the F-15 suffered 12 crashes in just that year. In the early years of the F-14 Tomcat, the Navy lost one aircraft per 11,273 hours. The Air Force F-15 Eagle fleet has experienced one major accident for every 43,917 flight hours, with 54 aircrew killed. The Air Force F-16 fleet experienced one major accident for every 30,838 hours.
F-35: Soon To Be The Most Successful Fighter Ever
Despite all the negative press surrounding the aircraft, 20 countries besides the US have adopted it. Over 1,100 aircraft have already been produced; manufacturers plan to produce up to 20 aircraft a month.
And our enemies? Chinese espionage is well known, and they copied the F-35 to a tee and named it the J-35. The Russians have announced the Sukhoi Su-75 “Checkmate,” a similar low-cost fighter meant to augment the heavier, twin-engine, more capable, and more expensive Su-57 “Felon.” These aircraft by our enemies were produced as an answer to the F-35.
Is The F-35 Worth The Price Tag?
There is no arguing that the F-35 comes with a very high price tag. But all the technology crammed into this aircraft is not cheap. It is the most technologically advanced fighter in the world.
Look no further than last October. The Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes in Iran after Tehran launched about 1,000 ballistic missiles at Israel. The Israelis fly a version of the F-35 named the F-35I. They destroyed Iran’s missile defenses, missile factories, and a nuclear research facility without any losses to their aircraft.
The Iranians had modern Russian air defenses, and they were knocked out. This sent a clear message to Tehran of what Israel can do whenever it pleases.
The price tag isn’t attractive, but it is worth the cost. Those costs will come down further as more and more allies buy the F-35.
Author Information and Expertise
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense issues, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
