The U.S. Marines Are Now Flying F-35 Stealth Fighters With No Radar

The U.S. Marine Corps has begun flying some new F-35B stealth fighters without their intended radar installed, according to testimony discussed in a Senate hearing. At least six aircraft are said to have been delivered with metal ballast bolted into the nose where the radar is normally placed, a disclosure confirmed by Marine Lt. Gen. Gregory Masiello, head of the F-35 Joint Program Office, on June 23. Asked by Sen. Mark Kelly whether such jets could be considered fully mission capable, Masiello said he would not count them as fully mission capable, and the aircraft have been limited to basic flight training rather than combat. The issue involves the Lot 17 aircraft designed around the AN/APG-85 radar, whose first units are not expected before 2028. The radar is estimated to cost about $9 million per unit, and program delays have been linked to Northrop Grumman, which supplies the radar, while the jets are built by Lockheed Martin. The article notes no Air Force or Navy jets have yet been delivered this way, though deliveries are expected later this year.