Kyle Mizokami
Why the F-35 Lightning II Is Both a Huge Success and Controversial Fighter Jet
The F-35 Lightning II strike fighter is shaping up to be the most successful fighter aircraft ever. But it is also a lock to be the most controversial fighter of all time.
Over the past 20 years, the aircraft has seen repeated delays, endured repeated calls for it to be canceled, and moved through technical, cost, and supply-chain problems.
Now, more than two decades into the program, is the F-35 shaping up to be worth the $2 trillion (or more) it will cost over its lifetime?
There are many criteria to judge an airplane’s success or failure. The most important, its primacy in combat, is still unknown for the F-35, as the aircraft has not faced a peer opponent on the battlefield, and hopefully never will.
This short article will measure the F-35’s worth using other metrics.
The F-35 Is No Joke
The F-35 is on track to becoming a successful fighter, but air forces are having to live with some disappointments related to the fighter—chiefly involving money.
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