Key Points and Summary – Lockheed Martin is proposing a “Ferrari F-35” upgrade, a plan to infuse the existing jet with technology from its unsuccessful 6th-generation NGAD bid.
-This ambitious proposal could include pilot-optional capability, new stealth coatings, structural changes to improve its rear radar signature, and next-gen weapons.
Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Demonstration Team commander and pilot performs a dedication pass in an F-35A Lightning II during the 2019 Wings Over Wayne Airshow April 27, 2019, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. The WOW Airshow marks the third public performance of the F-35 Demo Team’s new aerial demonstration during 2019 airshow season.
-Lockheed claims this could deliver 80% of a 6th-gen fighter’s capability for half the cost.
-The upgrade is pitched as a vital bridge to keep the F-35 relevant against advancing threats like China’s J-20 until the Air Force’s new F-47 is fully operational.
What Exactly Is This “Ferrari F-35” That Lockheed Martin Keeps Talking About?
Ferrari is one of the most famous and prestigious names in sports cars.
Fittingly enough, it has also come to be used as a slang term; as noted by the Fast Slang website, “[I]t can be seen as a symbol of success and achievement, representing hard work and dedication that has allowed someone to attain a high level of financial success. In this context, being called a ‘Ferrari’ can be a compliment, suggesting that someone has worked hard to achieve their goals and should be proud of their accomplishments.”
Accordingly, the fine folks at Lockheed Martin have lately been talking about a “Ferrari” version of one of their already plenty prestigious products, the Skunk Works division’s F-35 Lightning II 5th-generation stealth fighter. But what exactly does the Ferrari F-35 have that the standard edition Lightning II doesn’t already have?
And does it make the Lockheed Martin product more competitive against aerospace industry rival Boeing’s F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) 6th-generation fighter program?
The Basics
One of the most recent and handy resources of information comes to us from the ever-savvy Thomas Newdick of TWZ, in a May 29, 2025, article titled “What We Just Learned A More Advanced ‘Ferrari’ F-35 Could Include.”
To wit: “Pilot-optional F-35 Joint Strike Fighters could be coming in the future as Lockheed Martin looks for ways to ensure the jets remain relevant for decades to come. Technology from the company’s unsuccessful bid for the US Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) sixth-generation fighter competition, along with new coatings and other modifications, could also go into what it has previously called a ‘Ferrari’ or ‘NASCAR upgrade’ to the F-35’s core ‘chassis.’
U.S. Air Force Maj. Kristen “Beo” Wolfe, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team Commander with the 388th Fighter Wing, flies over the crowd during the Warriors Over the Wasatch Air and Space Show on June 25, 2022 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Erica Webster)
“The feasibility of this proposal, as well as the huge claim that it could produce a jet with 80 percent of the capability of a sixth-generation design at 50 percent of the cost, remains very much in question. In the meantime, Lockheed Martin says overall demand for the F-35 remains strong and that new customers, potentially including Saudi Arabia and India, could be on the horizon.”
NOTE: Mr. Newdick’s reference to India as a potential foreign military sales (FMS) customer for the F-35 was written before the current trade war between the United States and India began.
Meanwhile, the prospect of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) purchasing the Lightning II remains up in the air (metaphorically speaking, of course.) (As it stands currently, the Royal Saudi Air Force [RSAF] has already been a longtime foreign customer of America’s F-15 Eagle).
As for the comparative costs, the initial contract for the F-47 is worth an estimated $20 billion USD to produce at least 185 airframes (which matches the number of Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors currently in the USAF fleet; meanwhile, the F-35 program in its current form has an estimated lifetime price tag of $2 trillion.
Digging Deeper
According to Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet, the Gucci features of the Ferrari (yes, we’re mixing fashion and automotive metaphors here) fighter potentially include:
-New infrared and radar coatings applied on the surface of the aircraft; this would improve the warbird’s low-observable qualities, and likely also its maintainability.
-More invasive design changes that would address parts of the fighter’s core structure; “There have been some adjustments or learnings, I’ll say, on outer mold line, which is the actual shape of the aircraft itself, especially about engine inlets and outflow nozzles that we might be able to again improve on the F-35 without redesigning it,” as Mr. Taiclet elaborated.
These would presumably improve upon the Lightning II’s most salient weak spots, that being its rear aspect radar signature.
-Unspecified improvements in the arenas of electronic warfare (EW), networking (data-linking), and autonomy.
-Last but not least, the possibility of introducing unspecified weapons that have been developed, or which are in development, for the F-47.
Why the “Ferrari F-35” Matters
In its current, “Non-Ferrari” (so to speak) form, the Lightning II has a ferry range of 1,500 nautical miles (1,700 statute miles, 2,800 kilometers) and a combat range of 669 nautical miles (770 statute miles, 1,239 kilometers) on internal fuel.
By contrast, the People’s Republic of China’s Chengdu J-20 Wēilóng (“Mighty Dragon;” NATO reporting name “Fagin”) 5th-generation stealth fighter has a respective ferry range and combat range of 3,000 nautical miles (3,400 statute miles, 5,500 kilometers) and 1,100 nautical miles (1,200 statute miles, 2,000 kilometers).
In addition, the “Mighty Dragon” has a max airspeed advantage over the Lightning II, to the tune of Mach 2.0 versus Mach 1.6. This is obviously more than a trifle concerning.
Meanwhile, although the NGAD program is already well underway, it realistically may not go operational until 2029. Ergo, the F-35 is going to need to be every little bitty upgrade it can get in the meantime, lest Beijing choose to invade Taiwan before the NGAD gets ready to rumble.
Shown is a graphical artist rendering of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform. The rendering highlights the Air Force’s sixth generation fighter, the F-47. The NGAD Platform will bring lethal, next-generation technologies to ensure air superiority for the Joint Force in any conflict. (U.S. Air Force graphic)
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU).
More Military
F-22 Super: The ‘New’ Stealth Fighter Is Coming
SSN(X) – The Navy’s new $8,000,000,000 Attack Submarine?
J-20 Stealth Fighter: The Secret Is Out
