Reports suggest some F‑35A jets built since mid‑2025 may be delivered without their radars installed

 

Several defense-focused outlets have reported that F‑35A aircraft built since mid‑2025 may have been delivered to the U.S. Air Force without their radars installed, due to delays in developing the next-generation AN/APG‑85 radar under the Block 4 modernization program. In some cases, ballast weights have reportedly been placed in the nose to maintain balance during flight.

According to these reports, the affected aircraft are US-service jets configured for the future AN/APG‑85, not export models equipped with the existing AN/APG‑81 radar. While neither the USAF nor the F‑35 Joint Program Office has officially confirmed radar-less deliveries, statements note that the aircraft are built to accommodate the advanced radar once it becomes available.

Radar-less jets have reportedly flown or been accepted into inventory using added nose ballast and relying on networked data sharing from radar-equipped wingmen. This configuration is technically feasible for training and support flights, though it would significantly limit independent combat capability in high-intensity scenarios.

Delays in APG‑85 development and Block 4 updates are well documented, with known integration challenges compared to original schedules and multiple defense news and industry sources have reported technical incompatibilities between the APG‑81 and the new radar, providing context for why interim deliveries might occur.

However, no official confirmation from the Pentagon, USAF, Lockheed Martin, or Northrop Grumman exists that radar-less aircraft are being accepted as standard.

The most likely scenario is that these aircraft are delivered with radar installation deferred, not permanently removed. This mirrors past F‑35 practices, where aircraft were sometimes accepted with incomplete mission systems pending later retrofits.

F‑35s may indeed be arriving at U.S. units without their next-gen radars, but the jets are not “blind” in operational terms—they are placeholders awaiting full sensor integration, capable of limited networked operations until the AN/APG‑85 is installed.

UK Welcomes Second F-35 Squadron, 809 NAS 'Inmortals

The arrival of the first F-35 Lightning II at RAF Marham, Norfolk, in 2018, marked a significant milestone as it was allocated to the historic Squadron 617 "Dambusters". The arrival of the first F-35 Lightning II at RAF Marham, Norfolk, in 2018, marked a significant milestone as it was allocated to the historic Squadron 617 "Dambusters". This squadron, renowned for its rich legacy, became the pioneering unit to be equipped with this cutting-edge fifth-generation aircraft. Now, further bolstering the United Kingdom's aerial prowess, a second squadron, the 809 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) known as the "Inmortals," has been activated to operate the F-35 Lightning II. The return of the Fleet Air Arm's 809 NAS comes after a hiatus spanning over 40 years, following its disbandment in late 1982.

Dating back to 1941, the 809 NAS saw its initial combat involvement operating the Fairey Fulmar in the Arctic. Its missions extended to engagements in Malta, North Africa, and various theaters of war until its decommissioning in 1982 while operating the Sea Harrier. The rebirth of this squadron was commemorated with a parade and display at RAF Marham.

Air Marshal Harvey Smyth, RAF Air and Space Commander, unveiled the strategic vision, aiming to have "two front-line squadrons of Lightnings at sea, totaling up to 24 aircraft" readily deployable by late 2025. This planning aligns with the slated readiness of the 809 NAS to deploy aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in 2025. 

U.S. Air Force F-35As conduct first combat employment

Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft conducted an air strike at Wadi Ashai, Iraq, in support of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, April 30.
This strike marked the F-35A’s first combat employment.
The F-35As conducted the airstrike using a Joint Direct Attack Munition to strike an entrenched Daesh tunnel network and weapons cache deep in the Hamrin Mountains, a location able to threaten friendly forces.
The F-35As, recently deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, joined the Combined Forces Air Component team in the U.S. Central Command area of operations on April 15.
af.mil

Italy F-35s reach initial operating capability

Italian Air Force F-35 fighter jets have reached initial operating capability, Gen. Alberto Rosso, the country’s Air Force chief, said Nov. 30. The announcement marks the first time the aircraft has achieved the milestone in Europe.
Officials broke the news at Italy’s Amendola Air Base in southern Italy, where eight Italian F-35s are stationed, and the announcement coincided with the staging of the latest edition of the 10-nation Tactical Leadership Program — a course for mission commanders. The course is regularly held in Spain, but was moved to Amendola to help with the debut of the Italian F-35s in the program. That program involved 50 aircraft and the participation of Italy, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Belgium, France, Holland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
defensenews

Turkey’s first F-35 officially to be delivered in ceremony June 21 despite US Senate opposition

A highly anticipated ceremony for the delivery of Turkey’s first two F-35 fighter jets from the United States will take place at the defense contractor Lockheed Martin’s headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas on June 21, despite successive attempts by the U.S. Congress to block the supply of the new generation fighters to its NATO ally.
Lockheed Martin will conduct a rollout ceremony in Fort Worth and the jets will move on to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona where Turkish F-35 pilots and technicians will receive training.
Turkey has been a partner of the active development program of the U.S.-led multinational Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program since the early 2000s and plans to upgrade its air defense with around 100 F-35s in the next decade.
June 21’s ceremony will mark an historic milestone in this regard for the delivery of the first batch of F-35s to Turkey.
hurriyetdailynews

Dutch Air Force Assembling Their F-35 in Italy

Assembly is underway in Italy on a F-35 Joint Strike Fighter destined for the Netherlands Air Force.
The Netherlands is planning to assemble most of its F-35s at the line at Cameri in northern Italy, where Italian Air Force and Navy F-35s are already being assembled.
Dutch secretary of state for defense, Barbara Visser, attended a ceremony at Cameri on Thursday to mark the start of the work on Dutch aircraft.
The aircraft is the ninth of the Netherlands’ order of 37 F-35As. The first eight are being assembled at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility in the U.S.
The first Dutch F-35 assembled in the U.S. will roll off the Fort Worth line in January 2019 and will head to Luke Air Base for pilot training, said Plankman. “Six or seven of those assembled in the U.S. will go to Luke,” he added.
Under a deal struck with the Italian government, the remaining 29 Dutch aircraft will all be assembled at Cameri, which is owned by the Italian government and operated by Italian state-controled defense firm Leonardo in partnership with Lockheed Martin.
AN9 will be completed in February 2019 before undertaking test flights in Italy and heading to the Netherlands around October 2019. “It will be the first F-35 to arrive in the Netherlands,” said Plankman.
Cameri has already delivered F-35As to the Italian Air Force, which are flying from Italy’s Amendola Air Base.
In January, the first F-35B to be assembled outside the U.S., which is destined to fly with the Italian Navy, was handed over to Italy at Cameri.
Italy is currently due to purchase 60 F-35 As and 30 F-35Bs.
defensenews

Turkey to take delivery of first F-35 on Jun. 21 at Fort Worth

Turkish authorities have received an official invitation to receive the country's first next-generation F-35 Lightning II jet on June 21 at Fort Worth.
Turkey's first F-35A will enter service in November 2019 after the completion of a pilot training program. The other jets will start coming at regular intervals.
dailysabah

First operational JASDF F-35A makes its debut at Misawa AB

Japan Air Self-Defense welcomed the first operational Force F-35A Lightning II during an arrival ceremony at Misawa Air Base, Jan. 26.
In the upcoming Japanese fiscal year, nine more aircraft will join this one to incept the first fifth-generation fighter squadron as part of the JASDF’s 3rd Air Wing.
In total, JASDF plans to acquire 42 F-35As as successors to its F-4s. A commemorative ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 24 at Misawa AB to celebrate the official initial deployment of a JASDF F-35A.
"The F-35A will bring transformation in air defense power and significantly contribute to the peace for citizens and ensure security,” said JASDF Maj. Gen. Kenichi Samejima, the 3rd AW commander.
misawa.af.mil

U.S. State Department clears potential sale of F-35s to Belgium

The U.S. State Department on Friday pre-emptively approved a sale of F-35s to Belgium, opening the door to an expedited purchase once the country selects its future fighter.
The proposed deal, worth an estimated $6.53 billion, would cover 34 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing models made by Lockheed Martin and 38 F-135 engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney.
It also includes electronic warfare systems, communications gear, a full mission trainer and Lockheed’s Autonomic Logistics Information System — which facilitates maintenance, mission planning and logistics — as well as other equipment, the Defense Security Agency stated.
The F-35 is overwhelmingly considered the favorite for the Belgian fighter competition, which will replace the country’s 54 F-16s with 34 new jets. Should Belgium select the joint strike fighter, the total value of the deal will likely change after negotiations, as DSCA often puts forward a high contract estimate.
Competing against the joint strike fighter are the Dassault Rafale ,and the Eurofighter Typhoon,
defensenews

South Korea plans to buy 20 additional F-35

South Korea plans to buy an additional 20 F-35A stealth fighter aircraft from the United States,less than two months after U.S. President Donald Trump announced Seoul would be purchasing billions of dollars in new military equipment.
In 2014 South Korea formally announced a plan to buy 40 F-35As.
reuters

Third RAAF F-35 makes first flight

The Royal Australian Air Force’s third F-35A Lightning II, A35-003, has completed its first flight.
Photographer Carl Richards captured these images of A35-003 taking off on its first flight, from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, on December 1.
The aircraft is due to be delivered to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona in early 2018 to be used for pilot and maintainer training, before being permanently relocated to Australia in 2020.
A35-003, known to its manufacturer Lockheed Martin as AU-3, had its RAAF markings, including its 3 Squadron tail flashes, applied in early November, the final phase of the aircraft’s production process.
australianaviation

UK military chief ‘sympathetic’ to cut in F-35 fighter jet order

Deputy chief of UK defence staff says move would reflect ‘reality of world we are living in’
One of the UK’s most senior military chiefs has suggested that Britain may cut the number of F-35 combat jets it buys in the future as pressure grows on its defence budget.
Despite a commitment to buy 138 F-35B Lightning II fighter jets from the US manufacturer Lockheed Martin, Lieutenant General Mark Poffley, deputy chief of the UK defence staff, told MPs on Tuesday that he was “sympathetic” to the idea that the overall number could eventually fall.
“That’s the reality of the world we are living in,” added Lt Gn Poffley.
Earlier Stephen Lovegrove, the most senior civil servant at the Ministry of Defence, revealed that the cost of an initial tranche of 48 F-35s could rise from £9.1bn in 2025 to £13bn in 2048.
The MoD said the extra £4bn was to cover the “whole life costs” of the planes including support costs, training and maintenance. It insisted that the UK was still committed to buying its full quota. “Our plan to buy 138 F-35 jets over the life of the programme has not changed, with only the US planning to buy more aircraft,” it said.
The F-35 jets will provide the main strike force for Britain’s two new aircraft carriers, the first of which, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is due to be officially commissioned into the Royal Navy on December 7.
ft

1st Norway's F-35 Set To Arrive in country This Week

Norway can finally expect delivery of the first of its new F35 fighter jets from the US later this week. Three of the F35s are due to arrive on Thursday.
The new jets, ordered after years of political debate to replace Norway’s ageing fleet of F16s, make up what the Norwegian defense ministy describes as the country’s largest single acquisition ever made. They’re now expected to cost a whopping NOK 73 billion by the time all are delivered over the next seven years.
Plans call for six new F35s to be delivered every year until 2024. “This is all about the defense department’s ability to ensure Norsk sovereignty, also against future threats,” Gen Maj Morten Klever told news bureau NTB.
Norway’s defense minister and defense chief are due to be on hand at a formal takeover ceremony to be held at the fighter jets’ new base at Ørland next Friday, November 10.
newsinenglish

USAF set to activate its first fully combat capable F-35 squadron

The first squadron of fully combat capable F-35 Lightning II fighter jets is set to be activated this September, reports UPI. The fighter jets will be ready following the completion of software upgrades that will allow the full utilization of its weapons and sensor systems, according to the report.
F-35s that have not yet been upgraded to the Block 3F software have some combat capability, but won’t be able to use the full range of weapons and sensors until the new software is installed. The 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, will receive the first F-35s equipped with the software, followed by a training squadron at Luke AFB, also in September.
The US Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35As ready for battle in August 2016, 15 years after Lockheed Martin won the contract to build the fighter jet.
airforcetimes

Israel’s newly received F-35A Adir stealth fighters have already seen combat-Source

According to a French journalist, Israel’s newly received F-35A Adir stealth fighters have already seen combat. Reportedly, a first air strike was flown against targets in Syria in January – less than a month after the jets first touched down in Israel.
Georges Malbrunot, who writes for French newspaper Le Figaro, cited French intelligence sources. He posted on Twitter that examples of the Israeli F-35 took part in a raid over Syrian territory on the night of January 12-13. The mission saw them strike objectives around the capital, Damascus.
According to Malbrunot, the F-35s targeted warehouses containing Russian-made Pantsir-S1 mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems that Israel feared could be delivered from Syria to Hezbollah forces operating in Lebanon.
During the same attack, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) also reportedly destroyed an S-300 SAM battery deployed near the Syrian presidential palace, on Mount Qassioun. According to the same unnamed French intelligence source quoted by Malbrunot, the F-35 aircraft finally overflew the palace of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, before returning to Israel.
Malbrunot provided a final quote from an unnamed soldier, explaining that: ‘With the Pantsir, Hezbollah ensures that the Israeli Air Force is almost totally unable to operate over Lebanon.’
Providing the account is true, it seems unlikely that Israel would admit the use of F-35s at this stage. However, in the past the IAF has been quick to put new assets into combat if required for specific missions – and the continued effort to prevent advanced weapons landing in Hezbollah hands may fit that remit.
Certainly, there was an air strike against Mezzeh airfield on the date specified. At the time, Syrian authorities put the blame for the attack on the Israel Defense Forces.
The first two F-35 Adirs for the IAF arrived at Nevatim air base on December 12 last year. The first two aircraft — AS-1 (serial 901) and AS-2 (serial 902) — received their Star of David national markings in an official ceremony after landing. The aircraft will equip 140 ‘Golden Eagle’ Squadron, previously an F-16A/B operator.
The first F-35, AS-1, performed a maiden flight at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, on July 25, 2016. The second jet, AS-2, followed it into the air on August 8.
The two F-35s flew to Nevatim via Lajes in the Azores and Cameri in Italy, but their arrival in Israel was delayed by around 24 hours due to heavy fog in Italy and the need to recognise American safety protocols.
To date, Israel has ordered 50 F-35A conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft via the US government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) channels. The first 19 F-35s were ordered in 2010, at a cost of $2.7 billion. This includes the first two F-35s that are part of the eighth batch of low-rate initial production aircraft. Delivery of the first 19 aircraft is due to be completed by the end of 2018.
In November 2014 Israel authorised the purchase of another 14 F-35s, to which were added 17 options, in a deal valued at around $2.8 billion. The 14 aircraft in the second batch include a single test example and 13 intended to populate a second front-line squadron. Deliveries of the second batch of aircraft will take place between 2019 and 2021.
With a view to acquiring the full 50 aircraft required to field its first two 24-aircraft Adir squadrons, Israel approved the purchase of its 17 options in November 2016. This deal is likely to cost over $2.5 billion.

Beyond the 50 F-35s currently contracted, the US administration has approved Israel’s purchase of as many as 75 F-35s.
thedrive
airforcesmonthly

US Air Force must retrofit 108 F-35As

The US Air Force’s number of F-35As in need of hardware or software retrofits has grown to 108 aircraft, and the service could deliver more fighters without Block 3F capabilities.
The air force is now facing a fleet of 108 F-35As that must be retrofitted from the Block 2B or 3i configuration, Lt Gen Jerry Harris, USAF deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, states in a 16 February testimony to Congress. The USAF and the F-35 Joint Programme Office are working together on a Block 3F upgrade plan.
When the USAF declared its F-35A variant ready for limited combat last August, the service’s chief of Air Combat Command noted the aircraft still needed significant and would gain greater capabilities with impending software and hardware upgrades. Block 3F and 4, which the USAF expects will be available in 2018 and 2021, will increase the F-35’s weapons capacity and improve targeting.
Twenty-six of those 108 aircraft will require a software-only upgrade, according to Harris. In addition to software modifications, 19 aircraft will also require new signal processor cards which the service says will take an average of three days to install and test. The service must install 18 aircraft with a newer helmet mounted display system, in addition to the processor cards and software, which will take 15 days to install.
“The remaining forty-five aircraft will require significant hardware modifications in the form of a Tech Refresh 2 modification,” Harris states. “This modification consists of twenty-six major components and takes approximately 30 days per aircraft to install and checkout.”
The USAF’s operational test aircraft also require Block 3F hardware modifications. But with availability of the full fleet of 23 aircraft projected in 2018, those modifications have fallen behind.
flightglobal

Norway requests 12 F-35As in proposed block buy

Norway could buy 12 more Lockheed Martin F-35As for delivery in 2021 and 2022 under a new spending plan submitted to Parliament.
The proposal, if approved, would raise the total number of authorised F-35A purchases to 40 aircraft, or only 12 short of the Norwegian air force’s requirement.
The requested authorisation also would allow Norway to participate in a proposed “block buy” for the F-35’s US and international partners.
The F-35 Joint Programme Office is working to package purchases of hundreds of F-35s spread over two or three years from 2018 to 2020 into a single order commitment.
flightglobal

USAF F-35A Catches Fire at Mountain Home Air Force Base

An F-35A caught fire during an exercise at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, the Air Force confirmed to Defense News.
The incident took place at around noon and involved an F-35A aircraft from the 61st Fighter Squadron located at Luke Air Force Base, the service said in a statement. No serious injuries seem to have been sustained by the pilot or nearby crew.
"The pilot had to egress the aircraft during engine start due to a fire from the aft section of the aircraft," Air Force spokesman Capt. Mark Graff said in an email. "The fire was extinguished quickly. As a precautionary measure, four 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit Airmen, three Airmen from the 366th Maintenance Group and the 61st Fighter Squadron pilot were transported to the base medical center for standard evaluation."
Seven F-35As from Luke AFB, which is one of the bases responsible for joint strike fighter pilot instruction, had deployed to Mountain Home to conduct surface-to-air training from Sept. 10 to 24.
The root cause of the event is under investigation.
defensenews

15 F-35 Models Grounded Due to Wiring Issue

The US Air Force has ordered the grounding of 13 F-35A models, as well as a pair of Norwegian F-35As, following the discovery of "peeling and crumbling" coolant tube insulation.
The issue appears to have been with a supplier of coolant lines, which are installed in the wings of the jet. During a routine maintenance check, it was discovered that the insulation on the lines were in some cases decomposing, which left residue in the fuel itself, according to a release from the Norwegian government on the grounding.
The issue has been traced back to the insulated coolant tubes manufactured by one particular provider that have only been installed in the wing fuel tanks of the 15 aircraft — 10 from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, two US and two Norwegian F-35As at Luke AFB, Ariz., and one plane at Nellis AFB, Nev.
The problem was first discovered this summer during depot maintenance of an F-35A being prepared for initial operational capability.
defensenews

Luke AFB receives Air Force’s 100th F-35 on heels of IOC announcement, unit activation

The F-35 Lightning II program took another huge step forward Aug. 26 when the Air Force’s 100th F-35, designated AF-100, arrived here following the recent announcement of the fifth-generation jet fighter’s initial operational capability.
“This marks a milestone and shows the fact that the F-35 program has continued to grow, progress and support initial operational capability,” said Brig. Gen. Brook Leonard, the 56th Fighter Wing commander. “It is also a ‘scare factor’ for our enemies that we are able to produce such an incredible platform at such a high production rate and that it’s getting out in the field in larger and larger numbers.”
Luke Air Force Base received its first F-35 in March 2014 and developed the training and tactics for the program. The fleet has since grown to more than 40 F-35s at the base, including those of partner nations such as Australia and Norway. The base also recently activated its third F-35 unit -- the 63rd Fighter Squadron.
af.mil