Latest news with #F-35As
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maintenance costs will spike as militaries add advanced planes: Report
The costs of maintaining, repairing and overhauling military aircraft is likely to spike worldwide in years to come as advanced planes make up a growing portion of fleets, according to a new study from consulting firm Oliver Wyman. In the report, analysts Doug Berenson, Livia Hayes and Ian Ferguson said the global market for maintenance, repairs and overhauls of military aircraft — or MRO — totaled about $97 billion in 2025, and remained roughly flat over the preceding six years. That is likely to change over the next decade, as MRO costs grow and spending rises at about 1.4% per year. That means militaries could be spending more than $111 billion on MRO by 2035. The report, titled 'The Military's Mounting Cost for Cutting-Edge Technology: Why Global Air Forces Will Spend More on their Fleet MRO,' was provided to Defense News by Oliver Wyman. A key factor driving these higher MRO costs, the report said, is the growing number of advanced aircraft such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Such jets bring dramatically more sophisticated capabilities, such as stealth, than older jets. But their complex software, advanced propulsion systems, exotic materials and other technologies require more service hours to sustain and higher operating costs. Lockheed Martin says it has delivered more than 1,170 F-35s around the world. The U.S. Air Force now has about 471 F-35As and eventually plans to buy 1,763 of the jets. The report said that of the roughly 310 fighter jets bought each year by militaries worldwide, about half are F-35s. They make up 2.2% of the global fleet now, and over the next decade F-35s are projected to grow to 4.7% of the global fleet. 'By 2035, the F-35 alone will account for 9.5% of the global total MRO spending — more than twice the aircraft's share today,' the report said. But F-35s aren't the only advanced aircraft swelling militaries' fleets. The Air Force is also working on two sixth-generation aircraft, the B-21 Raider stealth bomber and the F-47 fighter, also known as Next Generation Air Dominance. The Air Force also wants a fleet of more than 1,000 semi-autonomous drone wingmen, known as collaborative combat aircraft, to fly alongside its piloted fighters, and is working with General Atomics and Anduril Industries on the first iteration of CCAs. The U.S. Navy, as well as European and Asian militaries, are also looking hard at their own sixth-generation fighters. The report said those nations' governments should take MRO costs' effect on budgets into account as those planes are designed. The report also cited European aircraft such as the Airbus A400M Atlas, an advanced heavy transport plane, and the NHIndustries NH90 helicopter as examples of complex aircraft headed for military fleets. Complex aircraft worldwide now make up about 11% of military fleets, the report said, but a decade from now that will be up to 17%. NATO fleets now spend about 16% of their MRO budgets on complex aircraft, the report added. By 2035 that share will have risen to 26%. The increasing importance of drones in warfare, particularly in Ukraine, is also causing MRO spending to grow. Over the last five years, major air forces around the world added 350 unmanned aerial vehicles to their fleets, bringing the total to more than 1,400. That is expected to more than double over the next decade, to 3,460 worldwide. 'MRO spending [on drones] has started to grow faster than the global fleet,' the report said. 'Besides the increased sophistication of newer platforms, the supercharged demand has been driven by aircraft needs related to the three-year-old conflict in Ukraine. For governments operating these aircraft, the coming period of higher growth will bring significant challenges and questions about how ready is ready enough.' Governments will need to strike the right balance between multiple priorities, the report noted, including determining how valuable high aircraft readiness is compared to the rising maintenance costs that would require. The report said air forces will need to expand their supply chains for spare parts, so they are not dependent on sources that are diminishing or even going out of business. That issue of parts sources drying up has, over time, become an acute problem for decades-old planes like the B-52 Stratofortress. Air forces also need to figure out whether they want to have the original manufacturer of planes or drones conduct the necessary MRO work, which may be simpler but come with a higher price tag. If air forces cannot adequately budget for growing MRO expenses, the report said, other aspects of those forces' airpower can suffer. The report pointed to the U.S. Air Force's decision in recent years to dial back the number of flying hours budgeted for its planes, and its inability to turn around declining mission-capable rates, as it focused instead on bringing on new technologies and aircraft it hopes will plug those gaps. 'As it prioritizes modernization, the Air Force is betting that it can manage these readiness risks,' the report stated.
Business Insider
17-05-2025
- Business Insider
The F-35's advanced stealth doesn't make it invisible, just hard to kill
A Houthi surface-to-air missile reportedly forced a US F-35 to take evasive action. The highly advanced F-35 is considered one of the top stealth fighter jets in the world. The aircraft, however, is not invisible or invincible. What does it mean for a jet to be a "stealth fighter?" It means it's hard to detect and tough to strike, but it doesn't mean the jet is invisible or invulnerable. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, a top US stealth fighter, has been flying combat missions against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. During an intense two-month bombing campaign, both US Air Force F-35As and Navy F-35Cs were in the Middle East. This week, multiple news reports citing anonymous US officials indicated an F-35 took evasive action during Operation Rough Rider to avoid being struck by a Houthi surface-to-air missile. It's unclear if the F-35 was the target or to what extent the fighter was at risk. Neither the Pentagon nor US Central Command, which oversees Middle East operations, has responded to Business Insider's queries on this incident. The incident is notable because the F-35, a fifth-generation fighter jet with advanced stealth capabilities built by US defense contractor Lockheed Martin, was made to pierce contested airspace defended by sophisticated air defenses and advanced enemy aircraftand suppress enemy capabilities or feed targeting data to other assets. Last year, Israeli F-35s demonstrated the fighter jet's ability to fulfill this role by striking inside Iran. Though capable, Houthi air defenses fall short of the kind of threats the jet was made to confront. What, exactly, this means for the jet, if anything, is unclear considering the unknowns in this story. But there are aspects of the F-35 and stealth aircraft in general that are worth keeping in mind when thinking about these reports. Thinking about stealth aircraft Billie Flynn, a former Royal Canadian Air Force combat commander and Lockheed employee who was involved with the F-35 program for around 20 years, said that one aspect of stealth, the part most commonly looked at, is an aircraft's radar cross-section — something the size of a ping pong ball or a golf ball or smaller for a fighter aircraft like the F-35. "We can imagine how impossible that would be to detect high up in the air, many, many miles away," Flynn told BI. The F-35 — along with the F-22 Raptor, the B-2 Spirit bomber, and its eventual successor, the B-21 Raider — are defined as "very low observable" aircraft, and that capability comes from a combination of factors. The F-35 was designed with stealth in mind. According to Lockheed, the signature gray paint the jet is coated in at the end of the production line is intended to reduce and absorb radar signals. The aircraft's design also contributes to its low observability by eliminating flat surfaces and right angles, using composite materials, and allowing for the storage of weapons and fuel internally. The engine design also limits emissions. Those passive capabilities enhance the F-35's stealth, but it also features active systems like an advanced electronic warfare suite that can jam or inhibit enemy radars to prevent detection. President Donald Trump, who said this week he's not a big believer in stealth, said repeatedly during his first term that the F-35 is "invisible." It is not. These aren't cloaked Klingon warbirds from Star Trek, but they are tough to detect and difficult to hit. But no system is infallible. The US learned this lesson during the Kosovo War in the late 1990s, when the Yugoslav Army shot down a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, marking the loss of one of America's first operational stealth planes. Nothing is invincible "Everything is spotable. The idea that you've got a cloaking device is very dangerous," said Richard Aboulafia, an aviation expert and the managing director of the US consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory. "The most important asset of the F-35 is not its low observability," Aboulafia told BI, "it is its extremely advanced mission equipment package that allows it to spot dangers and targets, threats and targets." He said that's the real capability. Aboulafia said that being a low-observable aircraft means that there is less of a risk of being spotted and tracked, not that the plane is entirely stealthy all of the time. The way a jet is employed, such as if munitions are carried externally in what has been described for F-35s as "beast mode," can compromise stealth. Adversary air defenses can turn on their system at the right place at the right time and get lucky as well. In the case of the recent media reports, the US F-35 avoided the Houthi missile. But it's unclear whether the jet was actually targeted or if the rebels just fired in that general direction and happened to get somewhat close to the aircraft, forcing evasive maneuvers. Houthi air defenses are "a significant threat to military and civilian aircraft and platforms operating in the vicinity of Yemen," Gordon Davis, a retired US Army major general and NATO's former deputy assistant secretary-general for its Defense Investment Division, told BI. Davis, now a non-resident senior fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis' Transatlantic Defense and Security Program, said that the rebels have the "most capable and sophisticated" air defense array of any non-state actor in the Middle East, thanks to Iranian training, equipping, and assistance. Houthi air defenses include surface-to-air missile systems of varying ranges, and these have reportedly shot down a number of US military MQ-9 Reaper drones, though not any crewed aircraft. Davis said that although it is theoretically possible that a Houthi air defense system could have locked onto an F-35 and fired at the aircraft, it's "highly improbable" that a properly operating jet would be struck. That's because the jet is equipped with advanced electronic warfare and self-protection capabilities, like its AN/ASQ-239 system, that can detect and defeat threats. Also, the pilot would appropriately maneuver in response. "An F-35 would've had to go to great lengths to expose itself enough that any system — whether it be Houthi, or Russian, or Chinese — could actually see it in the air," explained Flynn, the former Canadian commander. "That's almost inconceivable to me."
Scottish Sun
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
US military stages biggest EVER ‘elephant walk' with supersonic jets, helicopters & drones in show of force to China
STRENGTH & STEEL US military stages biggest EVER 'elephant walk' with supersonic jets, helicopters & drones in show of force to China Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE US has staged its biggest military attack formation ever in the South China Sea region - showcasing supersonic stealth jets, attack helicopters and military drones. The show of power, dubbed "Elephant Walk", was formed using 53 US military aircraft and was put up in a display at the US military base in Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps, along with U.S. Army Patriot missile batteries line up on the runway for an elephant walk Credit: Public Affairs Journeyman / Snr Airman Tyley Meyer 8 The show of power, dubbed "Elephant Walk", was formed using 53 US military aircraft Credit: Public Affairs Journeyman / Snr Airman Tyley Meyer 8 Pictures of the formation, which was put up just 400miles off the coast of China, captured multiple US fighter jets in a tight formation. They were put behind advanced military choppers and were flanked by air defence systems on both sides. Attack drones and naval aircraft were a part of the formation, while larger aircraft were staged behind the fighter jets' formation. The military spectacle featured a wide array of advanced military aircraft, including 24 US Air Force F-35As, eight U.S. Air Force F-15Es, six HH-60 Jolly Green IIs choppers. Two MQ-9 Reapers, two MC-130J Commando IIS and six KC-135 Stratotankers were also present. The formation was guarded by two US Army MIM-104 Patriot air defence systems. US military's 18th Wing Command Chief Master Sergeant Brandon Wolfgang said: An elephant walk like this sends a message you can't ignore—it shows our Airmen, allies, and adversaries that we're united, capable, and ready. Meanwhile, 18th Wing Commander Brigadier General Nicholas Evans said the Air Force's ability to 'project airpower' alongside its allies 'demonstrates our commitment to the alliance with Japan and to maintaining stability across the Indo-Pacific.' The military formation is understood to be one of the largest in recent history. In 2020, a 52-aircraft formation was put up for display at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. China's Taiwan invasion plan could trigger WW3 if US gets involved, expert warns It comes after a top US admiral has warned that China will soon be able to defeat the US in a war over Taiwan. The chilling warning comes amid fears that China is preparing for a full-scale invasion of the island as it masses warships and submarines. Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, raised the alarm at the McCain Institute's annual Sedona Forum in Arizona on Friday. The admiral said that while the US would defeat China in a war over Taiwan now, it may soon lose its advantage, as reported by the Financial Times. Paparo said: 'The United States will prevail in the conflict as it stands now, with the force that we have right now.' But he added: 'Our trajectory on . . . really every force element that is salient is a bad trajectory.' China has ramped up its production of weapons including warships and submarines - and the US doesn't seem to be able to keep up. According to Paparo, for every 1.8 warships made in the US each year China builds an impressive six. 8 China's aircraft carrier Liaoning takes part in a military drill Credit: Reuters 8 China's Nanchang Q-5 'Fantans' fighter jets Credit: Alamy 8 And for every 1.4 submarines made in the US, it builds two. The warning comes as China continues to expand its military exercises around Taiwan, as fears of an invasion mount. Paparo fuelled fears of an attack, saying that Beijing is rehearsing "the full spectrum of military operations" - from a direct invasion of the island to a naval blockade. This comes as Taiwan reported at least 19 Chinese warships as well as the large Shandong aircraft carrier patrolling nearby last month. When asked whether the US would support military intervention in Taiwan, he responded: 'A lesson in history is that people are always saying America will never get in a fight, but it's not the track record.' But if China continues to ramp up its weapons production the US may not be able to protect the island. Why does China want to invade Taiwan? TAIWAN insists it is an independent nation after splitting from mainland China amid civil war in 1949. But China claims Taiwan remains a part of its territory with which it must eventually be reunified - and has not ruled out the use of force to take the island and place it under Beijing's control. The island, which is roughly 100 miles from the coast of south-east China, sees itself as distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders. Taiwan sits in the so-called "first island chain", which includes a list of US-friendly territories that are crucial to Washington's foreign policy in the region. This also puts it in an ideal situation to slow a Chinese attack on the West. And with tensions between the two nations high, Taiwan is likely to aid China's enemy if it means keeping its independence. Taiwan's economy is another factor in China's desperation to reclaim the land. If China takes the island, it could be freer to project power in the western Pacific and rival the US, thanks to much of the world's electronics being made in Taiwan. This would allow Beijing to have control over an industry that drives the global economy. China insists that its intentions are peaceful, but President Xi Jinping has also used threats towards the small island nation. And China may have more weapons than previously thought. Google Maps images exposed China's secret submarine fleet back in April. The shocking pictures showed six nuke boats massed at a Chinese base. These included two of the deadly Type 091 submarines, two Type 093A and one chillingly unidentified submarine. The base - dubbed the First Submarine Base - is located 18km east of Qingdao in the Yellow Sea, meaning there's easy access to the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan. Australian independent naval analyst Alex Luck posted the shocking images to X. In the post, he said that five nuclear-powered subs seen on the base were conventionally armed. 8 Tensions between China and neighbouring Taiwan have soared in recent years as the threat of war looms Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
US military stages biggest EVER ‘elephant walk' with supersonic jets, helicopters & drones in show of force to China
THE US has staged its biggest military attack formation ever in the South China Sea region - showcasing supersonic stealth jets, attack helicopters and military drones. The show of power, dubbed "Elephant Walk", was formed using 53 US military aircraft and was put up in a display at th e US military base in Kadena Air Base in Okinawa , Japan. Advertisement 8 U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps, along with U.S. Army Patriot missile batteries line up on the runway for an elephant walk Credit: Public Affairs Journeyman / Snr Airman Tyley Meyer 8 The show of power, dubbed "Elephant Walk", was formed using 53 US military aircraft Credit: Public Affairs Journeyman / Snr Airman Tyley Meyer 8 Pictures of the formation, which was put up just 400miles off the coast of China, captured multiple They were put behind Attack drones and naval aircraft were a part of the formation, while larger aircraft were staged behind the fighter jets' formation. The military spectacle featured a wide array of advanced military aircraft, including 24 US Air Force F-35As, eight U.S. Air Force F-15Es, six HH-60 Jolly Green IIs choppers. Advertisement Two MQ-9 Reapers, two MC-130J Commando IIS and six KC-135 Stratotankers were also present. The formation was guarded by two US Army MIM-104 Patriot air defence systems. US military's 18th Wing Command Chief Master Sergeant Brandon Wolfgang said: An elephant walk like this sends a message you can't ignore—it shows our Airmen, allies, and adversaries that we're united, capable, and ready. Meanwhile, 18th Wing Commander Brigadier General Nicholas Evans said the Air Force's ability to 'project airpower' alongside its allies 'demonstrates our commitment to the alliance with Japan and to maintaining stability across the Indo-Pacific.' Advertisement Most read in The US Sun The military formation is understood to be one of the largest in recent history. In 2020, a 52-aircraft formation was put up for display at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. China's Taiwan invasion plan could trigger WW3 if US gets involved, expert warns It comes after a top US admiral has warned that The chilling warning comes amid fears that Advertisement Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, raised the alarm at the McCain Institute's annual Sedona Forum in The admiral said that while the US would defeat Paparo said: 'The But he added: 'Our trajectory on . . . really every force element that is salient is a bad trajectory.' Advertisement China has ramped up its production of weapons including warships and submarines - and the US doesn't seem to be able to keep up. According to Paparo, for every 1.8 warships made in the US each year China builds an impressive six. 8 China's aircraft carrier Liaoning takes part in a military drill Credit: Reuters 8 China's Nanchang Q-5 'Fantans' fighter jets Credit: Alamy Advertisement 8 And for every 1.4 submarines made in the US, it builds two. The warning comes as China continues to expand its military exercises around Taiwan, as fears of an invasion mount. Paparo fuelled fears of an attack, saying that Advertisement This comes as Taiwan reported at least 19 Chinese warships as well as the large Shandong aircraft carrier patrolling nearby last month. When asked whether the US would support military intervention in Taiwan, he responded: 'A lesson in But if China continues to ramp up its weapons production the US may not be able to protect the island. Why does China want to invade Taiwan? TAIWAN insists it is an independent nation after splitting from mainland China amid civil war in 1949. But China claims Taiwan remains a part of its territory with which it must eventually be reunified - and has not ruled out the use of force to take the island and place it under Beijing's control. The island, which is roughly 100 miles from the coast of south-east China, sees itself as distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders. Taiwan sits in the so-called "first island chain", which includes a list of US-friendly territories that are crucial to Washington's foreign policy in the region. This also puts it in an ideal situation to slow a Chinese attack on the West. And with tensions between the two nations high, Taiwan is likely to aid China's enemy if it means keeping its independence. Taiwan's economy is another factor in China's desperation to reclaim the land. If China takes the island, it could be freer to project power in the western Pacific and rival the US, thanks to much of the world's electronics being made in Taiwan. This would allow Beijing to have control over an industry that drives the global economy. China insists that its intentions are peaceful, but President Xi Jinping has also used threats towards the small island nation. And China may have more weapons than previously thought. Advertisement The shocking pictures showed six nuke boats massed at a Chinese base. These included two of the deadly Type 091 submarines, two Type 093A and one chillingly unidentified submarine. The base - dubbed the First Submarine Base - is located 18km east of Qingdao in the Yellow Sea, meaning there's easy access to the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan. Advertisement Read more on the Irish Sun Australian independent naval analyst Alex Luck posted the shocking images to X. In the post, he said that five nuclear-powered subs seen on the base were conventionally armed. 8 Tensions between China and neighbouring Taiwan have soared in recent years as the threat of war looms Credit: Getty 8 Taiwanese tanks parade the streets in Taipei Credit: AFP Advertisement
Asahi Shimbun
28-04-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Sea of Japan defense bolstered with F-35A jets at Komatsu base
An F-35A fighter jet deployed at the Komatsu Air Base in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on April 26 (Mizuki Sato) A ceremony was held at the Air Self-Defense Force's Komatsu Air Base in Ishikawa Prefecture on April 26 for the deployment of three F-35A stealth fighter jets there. The F-35A is the latest stealth aircraft manufactured by the United States, and the Komatsu Air Base is considered 'the key to air defense in front of the Sea of Japan' with China, Russia and North Korea in mind. 'As the only combat air wing on the Sea of Japan side, the Komatsu Air Base plays an even greater role,' Masahito Monma, commander of the ASDF's Central Air Defense Force, said at the ceremony. Before the aircraft deployment to Komatsu earlier in April, only the Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture had F-35A fighters, 39 of them. To further strengthen air defenses on the Sea of Japan side, eight F-35Bs are scheduled to be deployed at Nyutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture by the end of fiscal 2025. 'The deployment in two locations will enhance the air defense capability on the Sea of Japan side,' a senior official of Defense Ministry said. The Japanese government plans to acquire 105 conventional F-35As and 42 F-35Bs, which can be mounted on large destroyers, aiming for a system with a total of 147 aircraft. A Defense Ministry official described the F-35 as 'difficult to be detected by an opponent and capable of easily finding the opponent first.' It also has strong information processing capabilities. The Komatsu Air Base plans to replace all of its F-15 fighters with F-35As and deploy four additional F-35As by the end of fiscal 2025, bringing the total to seven. The F-35 'exchanges highly confidential operational information and requires special maintenance facilities,' a senior ASDF official said. Therefore, the F-35s were first deployed at the Misawa Air Base, where the airfield is managed by the U.S. military and maintenance facilities were already in place. (This article was written by Mizuki Sato and Daisuke Yajima.)
