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Less than 30% of fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighters in the US are fully operational

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Less than 30% of fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighters in the US are fully operational

The Department of Defense is once again experiencing problems with the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter. Less than a third of the aircraft are fully prepared for combat missions.

What is known

Lockheed Martin has handed over more than 540 aircraft to the US military, while the total deliveries to all customers are more than 900 units. US Air Force Lieutenant General Michael Schmidt stated that only 53.1% of the F-35s could perform combat missions, as of February 2023. He called this indicator unsatisfactory. In the coming months, it should be increased by 10%.


At the same time, Schmidt emphasized that we are talking about fulfilling only part of the tasks, including combat / demonstration sorties, tests and training. The F-35 Lightning II readiness target is 65%. However, less than 30% of the fifth generation fighters are fully ready to perform any tasks.

The reasons for the reduction in the combat readiness of fighters in 2023 are not specified. From 2020 to 2022, the figure fell from 69% to 65% due to a shortage of spare parts for the F-35 Lightning II. Another problem was the frequent failure of individual components of the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine.

Source: Bloomberg





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