Lockheed Martin may need to upgrade the F135 engines of the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter. The overhaul will meet the growing cooling needs of radars and other aircraft components.
What is known
The Government Accountability Office said in a statement that “the cooling system is overloaded.” It requires the power plant to operate beyond design specifications. The extra heat is detrimental to the operation of the engine, shortening its life.
The problem with power concerns the “power and temperature control system” of the fifth generation fighter. It deals with the transfer of pressure from a single engine, directing the flow to cool other components. The more intensively the system works, the more the F135 heats up.
It is possible that the F135 will have to undergo a major overhaul earlier than planned. For this, the US Department of Defense will have to allocate an additional $38 billion. Now the total cost of all aircraft, including development and maintenance, is $412 billion. However, it will continue to grow. The total cost of the F-35 program over 77 years of operation is expected to exceed $1.3 trillion.
Another problem is that the system is not able to meet the cooling needs of avionics, which are constantly improving. This becomes a problem when it comes to the critical upgrade of the F-35 Lightning II to the Block 4 level.
Source: Bloomberg
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