The US F-35 Upgrade Delayed, Is It "Blocked" by China's Rare Earths?
Recently, the Indian website "Aero India" cited a report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) stating that the Block 4 upgrade plan for the US military's F-35 fighter jets has been delayed again, and the reason may be related to China's restrictions on rare earth exports.
The report stated that the original plan for the F-35 Block 4 upgrade was to achieve full deployment in 2026, but it was later postponed to 2029. Now, the GAO report warns that Lockheed Martin will not be able to deliver the F-35 Block 4 upgrade before 2031.
However, the GAO report did not reveal the reason for the delay in the F-35 upgrade. But the Indian media believes this may be "related to China's restrictions on rare earth exports to the United States," because the F-35 Block 4 upgrade plan involves an AN/APG-85 radar system, which requires gallium nitride antenna elements.
In fact, the Indian media's speculation is just one of the possible reasons for the delay in the F-35 upgrade. According to reports from the US "Defense News," statements from Lockheed Martin, and others, the delay in the F-35 Block 4 upgrade is actually a legacy issue of TR3.
TR3 was called by Lockheed Martin as the "foundation for Block 4 integration." However, in recent years, this upgrade plan has also faced multiple delays of varying degrees. In other words, if the "foundation" (TR3) of the F-35 upgrade is not solid, then the Block 4 upgrade will naturally be pushed back repeatedly.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1843597245582412/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.