{"id":249503,"date":"2025-11-07T15:14:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T15:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/249503\/"},"modified":"2025-11-07T15:14:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T15:14:15","slug":"the-united-kingdom-has-a-message-for-the-f-35-stealth-fighter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/249503\/","title":{"rendered":"The United Kingdom Has a Message for the F-35 Stealth Fighter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Key Points and Summary \u2013 The UK\u2019s F-35 program is being \u201cundermined\u201d by \u201cdisastrous\u201d short-term budget decisions, according to a new report from Parliament\u2019s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).\n<\/p>\n

-These decisions have reportedly \u201ctripled\u201d the program\u2019s long-term cost to \u00a371 billion and left the fleet \u201cundercapable\u201d and \u201cunderstrength.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\"U.S.<\/p>\n

U.S. Air Force Maj. Melanie \u201cMach\u201d Kluesner, pilot of the F-35A Demonstration Team, performs aerial maneuvers at the Sun \u2018n Fun Airshow in Lakeland, Florida, April 1, 2025. The team travels across the country to demonstrate the unmatched capabilities of the F-35A Lightning II and highlight the skill of U.S. Air Force pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nicholas Rupiper)<\/p>\n

-The jets \u201clack essential capabilities,\u201d like the Spear missile, which is blocked by the F-35\u2019s Block 4 software update\u2014now delayed five years to 2031.\n<\/p>\n

-The report also found the UK \u201cfailed to anticipate\u201d the need for engineers, operating with \u201cnearly double\u201d the personnel gap of the U.S. Marines.<\/p>\n

The F-35 Is in Trouble in the United Kingdom\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s been a lot of attention paid lately to which countries are buying F-35 fighter jets, whether it\u2019s Canada<\/a> continuing to deliberate whether to go ahead with its purchase of jets, or the possibility that Saudi Arabia might become the latest<\/a>, unlikely country to get into the F-35 game<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

But what of the jet\u2019s place in the U.K.?\n<\/p>\n

According to the official F-35 website<\/a>, \u201cEvery time an F-35 takes flight anywhere in the world, the UK is part of the mission. As one of the original partners in the F-35 Lightning II programme, the UK plays a vital role in delivering the world\u2019s most advanced fighter jet.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 100 Tier 1 British suppliers, the website says, contribute to every F-35 that is built, with BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, and Martin-Baker among the suppliers.\n<\/p>\n

The jet<\/a> also, per the site, \u201cprovides the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy with 5th Generation capability to execute complex missions worldwide and deliver interoperability with NATO and allied forces.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

An aircraft from the U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II Demonstration Team arrives at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., April 19, 2023, in advance of the Thunder Over Louisville air show. The annual event, to be held along the banks of the Ohio River on April 22, will feature more than 20 military and civilian aircraft. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)<\/p>\n

The first F-35 was delivered to the U.K. in 2012, with its first UK vertical landing two years later. They arrived for permanent basing at RAF Marham in 2018, and in recent years, the jets have participated in such exercises as CSG 2021, Steadfast Defender, and CSG 2025.\n<\/p>\n

In June of this year, the government announced that it would be procuring F-35As, while also joining the NATO nuclear mission.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

The new jets, the announcement said, would be based at RAF Marham.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIn an era of radical uncertainty, we can no longer take peace for granted, which is why my government is investing in our national security, ensuring our Armed Forces have the equipment they need and communities up and down the country reap the benefits from our defence dividend,\u201d British\u00a0 Prime Minister Kier Starmer said when the procurement was announced.<\/p>\n

However, a new report hints that the role of that fighter jet<\/a> in the U.K. may be about to change.\n<\/p>\n

A Change in Posture<\/p>\n

According to a repor<\/a>t by the UK Defense Journal, which cited evidence shown to the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee, Britain\u2019s \u201cLevel one partnership\u201d is now closer to that of a \u201cspecialist ally.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Dr. Sophy Antrobus of King\u2019s College London told the House of Lords, per the report, that the \u201clevel one partnership was for the systems development and demonstration part of the programme,\u201d which is in the past. \u201cWe are now equal partners in the production and in-service phases.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\"F-35I<\/p>\n

F-35I Adir. Image Credit: Creative Commons.<\/p>\n

\"F-35<\/p>\n

A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II takes off for a mission during U.S. Air Force Weapons School Integration (WSINT) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, June 3, 2025. WSINT serves as the culminating exercise for U.S. Air Force Weapons School students, bringing together air, space, and cyber forces in realistic, mission-critical training scenarios that mirror the complexities of modern warfare. Conducted twice a year, the integration event tests multi-domain operations and strengthens joint force interoperability, enhancing combat readiness across the spectrum of military operations over the Nevada Test and Training Range. (U.S. Air Force photo by William R. Lewis)
Nellis AFB; ACC; Las Vegas; Nellis Air Force Base; contentcollectionweek; readiness; US Air Force Weapons School; WSINT<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough we do not have that status anymore, it still contributes to our standing,\u201d Dr. Antrobus told the House of Lords.\n<\/p>\n

Another witness, meanwhile, said that the U.K. is now ordering fewer F-35s than many other nations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cItaly, Japan, Norway and the Netherlands all operate more jets than we do,\u201d Dr Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute told the Lords. \u201cOur participation in many practical areas has fallen significantly short of where our initial commitments were.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The U.K., however, maintains access to the Australia Canada United Kingdom Reprogramming Laboratory, where it can \u201cmodify mission data and electronic warfare files, capabilities not granted to most other partners.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAustralia is increasingly competing with the UK for the most preferred partner spot,\u201d Bronk told the Lords, per UK Defence Journal. \u201cIt has more aircraft, flies them nearly twice as much, and is a constant presence in the Indo-Pacific.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

A Spending Blunder?<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, as reported by The Register, Britain\u2019s Ministry of Defence (MoD) is \u201cbeing criticized for undermining its F-35 stealth fighter program through years of short-term budget decisions that have increased long-term costs and left the fleet understrength and undercapable.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The report comes from<\/a> Parliament\u2019s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), and it follows a similar report this summer from the National Audit Office.\n<\/p>\n

The Audit Office report, per The Register, concluded that the \u201cF-35 stealth fighter is not meeting its potential in British service because of availability issues, a shortage of support personnel, and delays in integrating key weapons that are limiting the aircraft\u2019s effectiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n

It follows a report in the U.S., earlier this fall, finding that every single F-35<\/a> in 2024 was delivered late. And that has contributed to the problems in the U.K. program.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe UK\u2019s F-35 force lacks essential capabilities, including a stand-off weapon to attack ground targets from a safe distance,\u201d The Register reported, citing the PAC report. \u201cThe Spear missile is ready but awaits integration through Lockheed Martin\u2019s Block 4 software update<\/a> \u2014 now delayed until 2031<\/a>, five years behind schedule.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Whole-life cost estimates, meanwhile, \u201chave tripled to \u00a357 billion ($75 billion), excluding personnel, fuel, and infrastructure, which push the National Audit Office\u2019s estimate to \u00a371 billion ($93 billion).\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring our inquiry, the MoD told us that they viewed these kinds of decisions costing the taxpayer many millions more in the long-term than the money saved in the short term, as a \u2018conventional consequence\u2019 of budget management. This is exactly the sort of attitude that our committee exists to challenge,\u201d PAC\u2019s Chair, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, said in the Register report.\n<\/p>\n

The British F-35 program is also, per the report, low on engineers.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring a 2021 joint deployment, the US Marines operated with nearly double the personnel per aircraft compared to the Royal Navy \u2014 a gap the MoD failed to anticipate,\u201d the report said.\n<\/p>\n

The report was also critical of the F-35A<\/a> decision, announced earlier this year.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ministry has not disclosed its preferred mix of F-35A and carrier-capable F-35B<\/a> models, potentially impacting the Royal Navy\u2019s ability to field sufficient jets from its two aircraft carriers.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\"Queen<\/p>\n

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 8, 2017) The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth II sails in formation alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) during exercise Saxon Warrior 2017, Aug. 8. Saxon Warrior is a United States and United Kingdom co-hosted carrier strike group exercise that demonstrates interoperability and capability to respond to crises and deter potential threats. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Tristan B. Lotz\/Released)<\/p>\n

A big reason for the trouble, per the Register report, appears to be the considerable budget pressures on the U.K. government in recent years.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking short-term cost decisions is famously inadvisable if you\u2019re a homeowner with a leaky roof, let alone if one is running a complex fighter jet program \u2013 and yet such decisions have been rife in the management of the F-35,\u201d\n<\/p>\n

About the Author: Stephen Silver\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stephen Silver<\/a> is an award-winning journalist<\/a>, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver<\/a>, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

More Military\n<\/p>\n

The M113: America\u2019s \u201cForgotten\u201d APC That Just Won\u2019t Quit<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

How British Aircraft Carriers Keep Sinking in War Games<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Boeing F-47 NGAD Fighter: One Missing Fact Could Decide Its Fate<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Canada Knows How to Sink U.S. Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carriers<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Flying Lemons: NATO\u2019s 5 Worst Fighter Jets Ever<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\t\t\t