The Pentagon cuts the F-35 procurement by half: is it due to funding shortages or poor aircraft performance?

Pentagon Cuts F-35 Procurement in Half: Is It Due to Funding Shortage or Poor Aircraft Performance?

June 12, 2025, 17:41

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, with the multirole fighter F-35. Image.

The U.S. Department of Defense has cut the procurement of the multirole fighter F-35 in half in the fiscal year 2026 budget. "Military Observers Magazine" (MWM) analyzed the reasons for this project adjustment in an article, and Pravda.Ru translated it.

The U.S. Department of Defense reduced the procurement application of the new F-35A fighter jet of the U.S. Air Force by 50% - from 48 units in fiscal year 2026 directly down to only 24 units. Local media reported that this decision raised serious doubts about the future of the project. This reduction continues the trend of annual reductions in the F-35A procurement plan over many years: from the initial 110 units, then 80 units, then 60 units, and finally down to 48 units.

This procurement reduction occurred against the backdrop of a worsening budget crisis for the U.S. Air Force, especially due to the huge costs of developing, procuring, and operating the next-generation sixth-generation fighter F-47. Many analysts believe that such expenditures cannot be sustained without large-scale cuts to other projects. It is reported that the Department of Defense is considering cutting funds for the F/A-XX fighter of the U.S. Navy to redirect resources to the F-47 program.

The reduction in F-35 procurement not only saves procurement costs but also avoids operational expenses - as the maintenance costs of this aircraft are much higher than those of the F-16 and A-10 fighters it was planned to replace. A significant portion of the savings may be invested in the development of F-47.

With the advent of the F-47 fighter, the effectiveness of F-35 has been increasingly questioned - especially in possible military operations in the Pacific region, where the new aircraft is more adaptable. Another key factor affecting the reduction in procurement is the threat from related countries. The progress of deploying self-developed sixth-generation fighters by related countries has cast doubt on the long-term survivability of F-35.

In December 2024, related countries unveiled two new sixth-generation fighters in the flight prototype stage. This sparked serious concerns among the U.S. about the prospects of air combat in the region and worries that F-35 might fall technologically behind the latest fighters of related countries. The debut of the new fighters of related countries also had a direct impact on the stock price of Lockheed Martin Corporation - the main contractor for F-35.

A sharp reduction in F-35A procurement by the U.S. Air Force will shift production capacity toward foreign customers. However, this will also cause trouble for the U.S. Air Force itself: they will have to continue using outdated Cold War-era aircraft like F-15, F-16, and A-10.

The future of the F-35 program remains highly uncertain. The prospects for subsequent procurement depend directly on the development progress of sixth-generation fighters between the U.S. and related countries.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7515233393874059839/

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