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| Ability of the US F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet |
International Military - The F-35 stealth fighter jet seems to have an undeniable charm. Her charm is able to make many countries vying for her hand. Inevitably if the production of this stealth fighter jet is increasing.
Given the increasing demand from the international community. The US Air Force will call in more F-35A stealth fighters over the next 15 years if the service branch secretary succeeds. Air Force civilian chief Frank Kendall said he had not "changed the goal" of buying 1,763 F-35s.
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Before Congress got the defense budget, the Biden administration's defense proposal called for $11 billion for a total of 61 F-35s for the Department of Defense, 33 for the Air Force, 13 for the Navy, and 15 for the Marine Corps. The Air Force's request is down from 48 F-35s to divert some funds to the Next Generation Air Dominance program for fifth-generation fighters. But will 61 F-35s be enough because of threats from Russia and China?
These adversaries can prevent the United States from penetrating its stealth fighters through contested airspace and operating when and where top Pentagon officials want them to fly.
This is known as anti-access/denial area (A2/AD) and Moscow and Beijing have plans to use A2/AD against American aircraft to keep friendly air assets from flying where they want.
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Thirty-three F-35s are a low ball number down from the 48 Air Force purchased in FY22 and 27 fewer than those received in FY21. At least some members of Congress are listening to supporters calling for more F-35s.
The Senate Armed Services Committee announced on June 16 that it would certify seven more F-35As. But that's still not enough to complete a mission that's changed because of Russian aggression and Chinese ambitions.
Lt. Gen. David S. Nahom, Air Force deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, stated that the service branch was dissatisfied with current levels. “Would we buy more F-35s if we had more resources? Yes, of course,” Nahom told Air Force Magazine.
The Air Force deals with old planes. The F-15 C/D needs to be retired and the new F-15EX may not be able to replace all of them. The savings from the F-15EX program could be used for more F-35s.
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The A-10 is once again on the cutting block, with many defense practitioners believing the F-35 could take over from close air support missions. The F-35 has multi-role capabilities that its fans love. It can intercept and destroy enemy fighters, evade air defenses, bomb, launch stand-off missiles, serve as an intelligence and reconnaissance aircraft, and can even "restore" drone flight.
It just shows how it was able to feed targeting data into the Patriot missile defense system in its recent test destroying drones that flew as test cruise missiles. It's a bonus capability that the F-35's detractors never imagined executing.
The F-35 is selling well in the international market. Finland ordered 64 F-35s in December. Canada recently selected the F-35 as a fighter in its competition for a new fighter.
The F-35 also has many friends in Congress. One hundred and thirty-two bipartisan members support the F-35 in its 2021 funding request. There are 1,800 program suppliers in 48 states supporting thousands of jobs.
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We'll see if the House Armed Services Committee, like the Senate, can increase the number of F-35s. Now is the time to make a statement about his future. The aircraft can handle more missions than any other fighter in the fleet. It is the future of the US military and a supporting asset to allies around the world.