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There’s much talk in the press today about whether the F-35 Lightning program, America’s primary fifth-generation warplane, has been worth the cost. Indeed, the technologically advanced bird has run over budget and its original timeframe. Nevertheless, the Pentagon has remained committed to the Lockheed Martin-produced warplane—so much so that the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as a coterie of allied air forces, are now completely reliant on these planes.

Elon Musk has said the idea of manned warplanes in general is ridiculous in the age of drones and artificial intelligence. Rumors (denied by Lockheed Martin) have proliferated across social media networks that the incoming president, Donald Trump, has threatened to cancel all F-35 contracts because of the cost overruns and timeline delays. 

Yet, many F-35s are already in use today. 

And the Navy, which has wed itself to the aircraft carrier, needs these planes as Navy planners phase out existing, fourth-generation warplanes for its carriers.

In pursuit of efficiency and greater interoperability in the 1990s, the U.S. military chose the F-35 for three of the branches of the United States Armed Forces. Rather than every branch attempting to do its own thing, they would all be given variants of the F-35. Despite being from the same aircraft line, the Navy’s F-35 variant—the “C” model—is quite different from either the Air Force or even the Marine models. 

Some Specs

The F-35C was built with larger wings and foldable wingtips to accommodate the stresses of carrier landings, which also require a lower landing speed and enhanced payload capacity. Navy F-35s must withstand the harsh conditions of catapult launches and arrested landings on aircraft carriers, meaning that the F-35C is built with a much sturdier undercarriage than its Air Force and Marine Corps siblings. 

The F-35C’s airframe is designed to endure other rigors of carrier-based flight operations, such as resisting saltwater corrosion of critical components. Further modifications like an extended nose strut (which has been giving Navy pilots a real problem for almost a decade) and a larger wing area give the F-35C superior low-speed handling for carrier ops. 

Like the “A” and “B” models (the former belonging to the Air Force and the latter belonging to the Marines), the Navy’s F-35C is engineered for stealth, reducing its radar cross-section by having internal weapons bays, radar-absorbent materials, and a design that minimizes drag and heat signatures. The F-35C integrates an array of sensors, providing unparalleled situational awareness. What’s more, the bird’s Distributed Aperture System (DAS) offers a 360-degree infrared coverage range, allowing pilots to actually see through the airframe.

While retaining the ability to carry weapons internally for stealth, the F-35C can be loaded out with a significant external payload when stealth isn’t required—up to 17,000 pounds across ten hardpoints. Advanced systems like the AN/ASQ-239 Barracuda give it superior electronic warfare capabilities, jamming enemy radars and communications. Oh, and the warplane can travel at supersonic speeds—including supercruise (i.e., flying supersonically without using afterburners) for short periods, thereby enhancing its combat reach.

What’s the F-35C Good For? 

As a Navy plane, the F-35C is tasked with multiple roles. One of those roles is air superiority. These birds must engage and defeat enemy aircraft with its advanced avionics and weapons systems. The F-35C must be able to conduct strike missions, such as precision attacks on ground targets using its vast arsenal of guided munitions. 

Another function of the F-35C is to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The F-35C’s sensor suite is critical to its ability to achieve these complex ISR tasks. Lastly, the bird must engage in electronic attacks on enemy targets. Mission sets for electronic attacks for the F-35C include disrupting enemy radar and communications networks. 

The F-35C’s introduction into naval fleets signifies a shift toward multi-role capabilities being rolled into a single platform. Pentagon planners believe this reduces the logistical footprint, maintenance costs, and training requirements compared to managing multiple aircraft. While there are arguments against this form of acquisition, there is also a certain logic to it (even if it hasn’t yielded the intended results, especially in terms of keeping overall costs to the taxpayer down). 

Just think about what the F-35C can do, though. It can share data across a network with other assets, thereby enhancing battlefield coordination and response. Indeed, fifth-generation warplanes in the U.S. arsenal, whether they be of the F-35 family or the vaunted F-22A Raptor, are meant to be little more than flying sensors with missiles. In modern combat, situational awareness is one of the keys to victory. The F-35 imbues its users with that situational awareness (so long as its systems aren’t compromised, that is).

Punishing Enemies 

Meanwhile, the F-35C is meant to deter foreign adversaries. The advanced capabilities it offers to the U.S. Navy signal to adversaries that America’s naval service is not to be tested. And don’t forget about the operational flexibility produced by having a bird that seamlessly combines stealth, speed, and the electronic warfare components listed above. The F-35 can operate in highly contested airspace, providing options from conventional to stealth missions. 

So, whether the F-35 is ultimately worth the more than $1 trillion it will cost the taxpayer, the fact remains that the Navy has made a commitment to both its overpriced carriers and these planes. In the case of the F-35C, the Navy likely cannot go back. 

Plus, the F-35C variant, when you consider all the modifications the Navy made Lockheed Martin install on its version of the bird, is actually quite impressive. Until the Navy abandons its obsession with the aircraft carrier, it should probably continue producing the F-35C.

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon

Источник: nationalinterest.org