Key Points and Summary on F-35 and UK – The United Kingdom’s F-35 stealth fighter program is facing a “sticker shock” crisis, with a new report from the National Audit Office revealing that the total lifetime cost could exceed $96 billion.
Those Carrier Problems -The watchdog’s report also highlights severe performance issues, particularly with the Royal Navy’s F-35s, which have been plagued by a lack of spare parts and were unavailable for carrier deployment for several months.
-Despite these significant cost overruns and readiness problems, the F-35 remains a cornerstone of Britain’s defense and nuclear deterrence strategy, leaving the Ministry of Defence with no choice but to absorb the costs and fix the problems.
The New F-35 Stealth Fighter Problem in the UK
A British spending watchdog has taken a bite out of the military’s F-35 Lightning II program. The entire stealth fighter project is going to cost the country more than initially projected, and it is giving people sticker shock.
The lifespan of the F-35 program will now cost over $96 billion. The National Audit Office went public with this determination on July 11.
The 48 stealth fighters that will be serving the military until 2048 will set the country back $25.5 billion. If the F-35s fly until 2069 and Britain purchases 138, the price will be another $77 billion. This includes most life cycle costs, with the acquisition and the maintenance of the fifth-generation airplanes.
More Pounds Need to Be Invested in F-35
However, these cost estimates do not include the paying and training of pilots and ground crews or buying fuel, weapons, and other requirements to keep the warbirds flying regularly.
The National Audit Office estimated the government would need to spend another $19 billion on these additional needs.
Dual Conventional-Nuclear Use Is Imperative
The United Kingdom has high hopes for the F-35. The Royal Air Force purchased 12 F-35As in June. Since these are capable of nuclear weapons delivery, the British were excited that the capability would put them in an exclusive club of NATO members that are able to fight a nuclear war with bombers and fighter jets. The British have 37 other F-35s.
The F-35 is a highly stealthy, fast, and maneuverable “flying computer” that 20 countries fly – many of them NATO members. European allies often operate less impressive fourth-generation jets, but the F-35 is the only available fifth-generation model. So if customers are looking for the extra edge in stealth flight, they must opt for the F-35 and deal with the United States and Lockheed Martin.
Is NATO Too Dependent on the United States?
This makes NATO members that fly F-35s dependent on the Americans to provide training, spare parts, components, and weapons. There have been alarming but false reports that the United States could somehow “turn off” the F-35 with a “kill switch” remotely operated from the Pentagon. For example, some believe there could be a kind of fail-safe operation in a software update that could keep the airplane from flying.
While this is not true, some NATO members are wary of the United States’ expansion of power and influence with the F-35, especially when President Donald Trump criticizes the alliance. Trump has no plans to pull out of NATO, but fears persist, and members are left wondering if they made the right choice with the Lightning II.
The British experience with the F-35 has been mediocre. The program has been filled with delays and now has cost overruns. The military will have 48 F-35s by April 2026, but they would like the Americans to provide these units quickly. The defense ministry has already spent $15 billion on the program so far.
F-35 Is Experiencing Difficulties with the Royal Navy
The National Audit Office had bad news for F-35 performance as well. The naval variant has been plagued by a lack of spare parts, technicians, and corrosion on the airframe. The watchdog considers this a “poor performance rate” compared to American-operated F-35s.
Gareth Davies, head of the National Audit Office, told Sky News that “the F-35 program offers significantly improved capability and considerable economic benefits to the UK. But the capability benefits are not being fully realized due to delays, infrastructure gaps and personnel shortages. The MoD now needs to decide where to prioritize its resources to improve capability in a way that maximizes the full benefits of the F-35 program to the UK.”
From October 2024 to January 2025, the airplanes were not available to fly on carriers due to maintenance problems. The Royal Navy will also have to deal with missile integration, which the National Audit Office believes has been hampered by faulty networking. The F-35s need stand-off missiles to integrate with their precision-guided bombs to fully take advantage of their stealth capabilities and reduce time over target.
However, the conditions are better now, and the carrier HMS Prince of Wales is in East Asia conducting aviation operations with F-35s.
Time to Focus on Working Out the Kinks
Britain will have to continue to muddle through with its F-35 program. They are in for a penny and in for a pound. These developments are frustrating since the government has placed so much emphasis on the jet. The British will be forced to swallow these costs and fix the problems associated with the F-35.
Having this watchdog report will allow British lawmakers in parliament better oversight of what the military is doing on a day-to-day basis, which gives value to the taxpayer, but no one wants cost overruns, schedule slips, and mission-ineffective airplanes that cost this much.
However, the British military now knows that it must tighten its belt and muddle through this challenging period. The F-35 is still the best airplane in the British fleet. It has much upside and gives the Royal Air Force and Navy a modern warplane that is interoperable with allies. Maintainers, pilots, and technicians must just work harder with stiff upper lips to cut costs and keep the airplanes in the air to recoup the substantial investment.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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