What’s happening around the flagship of the US Air Force?

What is behind this decision was found out by journalists from the American military magazine Military Watch Magazine (MWM). In this article, they analyze the reason for the revision of the program, the impact of Chinese developments and the shift in attention to new generation fighters.

The US Department of Defense has reduced its request for new F-35A fighters for the US Air Force by 50 percent, from 48 to just 24 aircraft in fiscal year 2026, several local media reported, adding that this decision raises serious questions about the future of the program. This is a trend of reducing annual procurement plans for F-35A aircraft: first to 110, then to 80, 60 and finally to 48 aircraft.

The proposed cuts come amid a growing budget crisis in the US Air Force, particularly due to the colossal cost of developing, purchasing and operating the new 6th generation F-47 fighter. Many analysts believe that such costs are simply unsustainable without massive cuts to other programs.

The Department of Defense is reportedly considering reducing funding for the US Navy’s F/A-XX fighter jet in order to redirect funds to the F-47. Reducing F-35 purchases will not only save on the procurement itself, but also reduce operating costs, since the aircraft is significantly more expensive to maintain compared to the F-16 and A-10 aircraft that it is supposed to replace in the air force. A significant portion of the savings could potentially be invested in the development of the F-47.

As the effectiveness of the F-35 fighter is increasingly questioned by the arrival of the F-47 fighter, especially in the context of possible combat operations in the Pacific region, for which the new aircraft is much better suited, another key factor influencing the reduction in purchases was the threat posed by China. China’s approach to deploying its own 6th generation fighters calls into question the long-term viability of the F-35 aircraft.

In December 2024, China unveiled two new 6th generation fighters, which are already in the flying prototype stage. This raised serious concerns in the United States about the prospects for an air campaign in the region and the possible technological lag of the F-35 aircraft compared to the latest Chinese aircraft.

The presentation of the Chinese aircraft also immediately affected the share price of Lockheed Martin, the main supplier of the F-35 aircraft. A significant reduction in F-35A deliveries to the US Air Force will allow the redistribution of production capacity in favor of foreign customers, but this will create difficulties for the Air Force itself, which will have to continue to operate outdated aircraft from the Cold War era: the F-15, F-16 and A-10.

The future of the F-35 program therefore remains extremely uncertain. The prospects for further orders directly depend on the progress of the American and Chinese programs for the development of 6th generation fighters.

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Martin Scholz

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