The F-35 Lightning II stands as a testament to modern engineering, a multirole fifth-generation fighter jet that has claimed its place in the skies as the pinnacle of airborne combat technology.

With its three distinct variants—the conventional F-35A, the short take-off and vertical landing F-35B, and the carrier-capable F-35C—this aircraft caters to a range of operational environments and demands.

However, behind the sheen of advanced capability and international demand lies a struggle with readiness and performance.

The F-35 has become a subject of concern as its reliability, maintainability, and availability (RMA) fall short of expectations. In the fiscal year 2023, the U.S. fleet’s availability for operations lingered at a mere 51 percent, notably below the targeted goal of 65 percent.

This shortfall stems from a combination of slow production, ongoing delays in essential software and hardware updates, and maintenance challenges that impact the fleet’s mission capability.

Depot-level maintenance activities are significantly behind schedule, leading to extensive repair times for components—a bottleneck evidenced by a backlog of over 10,000 components awaiting repair. Organizational maintenance is similarly hampered by issues such as inadequate technical data and training.

Notably, the F-35A variant faced a significant shortage of fully functional F135 engines, contributing to reduced aircraft availability, while “other degraders such as canopy and egress system issues have contributed to stagnant, or slightly declining, availability.”

As the F-35 program navigates these challenges, the Department of Defense (DOD) is contemplating an expanded governmental control over sustainment efforts. To date, the DOD has neither solidified the desired mix of government and contractor roles nor acquired the necessary technical data to support this transition.

This has implications for the global queue of nations awaiting these advanced jets, with countries like Greece and Romania among those in line. Greece, for instance, anticipates its first F-35s only by 2027 or 2028, with full delivery expected in the early 2030s.

The F-35’s operational suitability remains below service expectations, with newer aircraft performing better than their older counterparts. While combat-coded aircraft, which receive priority for spare parts and maintenance, achieve better availability, they still fall short of the 65 percent target.

Across all variants, no F-35 is meeting all the maintainability requirements, and the fleet isn’t reaching the reliability standards established in the Operational Requirements Document. The F-35A only achieved a rate of 10.5 Mean Flight Hours Between Critical Failures in 2023, despite having surpassed 288,000 total flight hours since its service entry.

Moreover, the communication limitations between the F-35 and other assets such as the F-22 Raptor highlight another layer of complexity in air combat operations.

The Air Force’s intent to enable seamless and secure data sharing is yet to be realized, with potential solutions like the Talon HATE pod and the Freedom 550 radio still under consideration. In this era of information warfare, the capability to interlink sensors and platforms across different generations of fighter jets remains pivotal.

Addressing the highlighted issues is crucial as the F-35 continues to form an increasing portion of the DOD’s tactical aviation fleet. With an estimated life cycle cost exceeding $1.7 trillion, the implications of these challenges are not only operational but also financial.

As the DOD plans for nearly 2,500 F-35s, reassessing maintenance, sustainment, and communication systems will be imperative in securing the operational readiness and long-term viability of this esteemed fleet.

Relevant articles:
– F-35: The Fighter Jet Every Air Force Wants (But with Flaws), The National Interest
– Report: F-35 Struggled With Reliability, Maintainability, Availability in 2023, airandspaceforces.com
– The F-22 and the F-35 Are Struggling to Talk to Each Other … And to the Rest of USAF, Air & Space Forces Magazine
– F-35 Aircraft: DOD and the Military Services Need to Reassess the Future Sustainment Strategy, Government Accountability Office (GAO) (.gov)