China's restriction on rare earths has taken effect, and the newly delivered F-35 fighter jets to the US military are without radar, causing a big stir in American media!

Recently, American media have been focusing on the report that a batch of newly manufactured F-35 fighter jets were delivered "without radar." These aircraft, which cannot operate independently, must rely on other F-35s equipped with radar through data links to "guide" them, barely executing missions.

The AN/APG-85 new active phased array radar used by the F-35 was developed by Northrop Grumman. Its performance is more advanced than the current APG-81, especially in electronic warfare, multi-target tracking, and anti-interference capabilities. However, this radar highly depends on high-performance rare earth permanent magnet materials, such as neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium—these elements are used to manufacture high-power microwave components and precision motors in the radar. However, 90% of the global heavy rare earth processing capacity is currently concentrated in China.

Since 2023, China has implemented export controls on gallium and germanium; in 2024, it also included some medium and heavy rare earths in the control list and strengthened export license reviews. Although the official statement emphasized that "it does not target specific countries," the actual effects are evident: the Western high-end military supply chain has started to face pressure. An internal assessment report from the US Department of Defense in 2025 pointed out that multiple cutting-edge weapons projects had to adjust their schedules due to delays in rare earth material deliveries, including the mass production plan for the APG-85 radar of the F-35.

This has led to an awkward situation: the planes are built, but the radar is "stuck at the material stage" and cannot come out. As a result, Lockheed Martin can only deliver "unfinished products"—without radar, adding weight, and then upgrading them back to the factory once the radar arrives. It is worth noting that this "bare machine delivery" is currently limited to the US domestic forces. Exported F-35s still use the APG-81, because export models have not been upgraded to the APG-85 architecture, thus avoiding the risk of supply interruption. This also indirectly shows that the US military industry has already developed a "dual-track system": prioritizing the delivery of allies to maintain order credibility, while the domestic forces have to bear the cost of technological iteration and supply chain disruption.

Dao Ge believes that rare earths have become an important negotiation chip for China, and this chip should also be well utilized in the upcoming negotiations on the Panama Canal.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856532033429508/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.