New U.S. Defence Secretary Shanahan Slams the F-35; Fighter Program’s Opportunity Costs Remain High

Following the resignation of his predecessor Jim Mattis, U.S. Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan has reportedly slammed Lockheed Martin’s controversial F-35 single engine light fighter program - with the aircraft having frequently been criticised for its high cost and limited capabilities. While the F-35 was conceptualised as a lower cost counterpart to the F-22 Raptor - much as its predecessor the F-16 served as light low cost counterpart to the F-15, the fighter program has become by far the most expensive weapons program in world history - estimated at approximately $1.6 trillion. While the F-35A, the most widely produced variant designed for the U.S. Air Force, is considerably cheaper than rival next generation platforms - and even ‘4++ generation’ European jets such as the Gripen E and Eurofighter, its maintenance requirements and operational costs remain extremely high for a single engine light fighter. With several thousand F-35 jets set to be fielded by the U.S. military alone, the cost of operating these jets and the strain their extreme maintenance needs will place on the military’s budget and logistics both remain considerable. While the U.S. military has operated high maintenance aircraft in the past, including the F-22 Raptor, F-117 Nighthawk strike fighter and B-2 Spirit heavy bomber, these were elite combat platforms deployed in very small numbers for select high end missions - rather than being built in the thousands to comprise the bulk of the American air fleet.

F-35 Stealth Fighter

According to Secretary Shanahan, the F-35 program is “f****d up”and Lockheed Martin “doesn’t know how to run a program.” He further noted that the Boeing Company would have done a far better job had it been awarded the company. The expense of the F-35 program has raised a number of questions regarding its opportunity costs, with rival fighters including modernised variants of fourth generation designs able to carry out many of the same functions at a fraction of the cost. The Boeing F-15X recently ordered by the U.S. Air Force for example is considerably faster - the fastest modern fighter in the world where the F-35 is the slowest - flies and higher altitudes and carries 600% of the F-35’s air to air missile payload. Its sensors and electronic warfare systems are comparable and may well be superior. Boeing's fighter does so at a comparable cost to the F-35B, and with considerably lower maintenance requirements.

F-35B Stealth Fighter

A radar cross section reducing airframe appears to be the only strong point of the F-35 relative to rival platforms of the previous generation - though a number of experts have noted that the benefit of these stealth capabilities are limited and are not set to last indefinitely due to the considerable investments being made in counter stealth technologies. As a senior figure in the Israeli Air Force noted in this regard: “We think the stealth protection will be good for 5-10 years, but the aircraft will be in service for 30-40 years.” Though the F-35’s F135 engine retains considerable thrust - one of the most powerful engines in the world - the fighter’s speed and thrust/weight ratio remain average at best due to its bulky airframe. This airframe is considered necessary to accommodate both internal storage of munitions and a fan for vertical lift - which is deployed by the F-35B but has influenced the shape of all airframe variants.

F-35A and F-15E 

Acquisition of the F-15X represents a step away from heavy investment in stealth and towards an alternative policy long advocated by a number of influential figures to acquire high end ‘4++ generation’ jets based on Cold War era airframes which are both more reliable and considerably cheaper - with capabilities which surpass those of the F-35 in most fields. Whether the F-15X will represent the first of many similar orders with the new Defence Secretary assuming office, and how Lockheed Martin may respond, remain to be seen.