For decades the United States has produced high quality, cutting edge fighters that were fairly easy to maintain, had high mission ready status and were good sellers overseas. This seemed to change when it came to fifth generation aircraft. The F-22 did meet the requirements of the day, but were very expensive to operate and came with issues in terms of both aircraft and mission equipment. They were also ridiculously expensive to purchase. All of these factors combined to greatly reduce the number made and worked against the airplane in terms of operational life with the type already headed for retirement. The early retirement of the F-22 meant that the USAF had to add more F-15s to the fleet in the form of the F-15EX.

As the F-22 was to be the replacement for the F-15, the F-35 was to be the replacement for the F-16. Like the F-16, it was sold to many NATO countries and nations friendly to the US. However, the F-35 also has its litany of problems. It has some very advanced features for pilot awareness and it is also a stealthy aircraft. Where it runs into issues is that it is not very reliable with currently, at least half of US planes not meeting full mission capabilities. It also has problems with the software that is so important to the operation of the aircraft. In fact, it is this problem with the software that limits the full capabilities of the F-35.

Other problems with the airplane is that it has fairly short range, even with external tanks. It is also subsonic, which frankly, is not that much of an issue. Like the F-22, it is a very expensive airplane to buy and equally expensive to operate. It also does not carry that much in terms of ordnance compared to the F-16. it also requires special facilities so it cannot simply be operated out of any old airport. Another minus for the plane was its prolonged development. This meant that the USAF would run out of airframe life on older types before enough F-35s were available for replacement.

Now of course not all is 'bad' about the plane. Pilots love it and claim it is a level better in terms of its flying capabilities and ability to perform its mission compared to the F-16. All this advanced capabilities means that it is a fairly steep learning curve for pilots transitioning from other types. While the type is selling fairly well outside the nation, the policies of the current (2026) American government mean that orders have been cancelled and the ability to get parts has become an issue.

This isn't the first book on the F-35 that I have read in the last year or so. However, it is the first one I've read that goes into some detail on the aircraft's systems. It is also the first that goes into some detail of the reason for picking the aircraft, the viability of using the same basic airframe for all three main services. This commonality requirement is why the Navy has ordered so few of them and is putting its money into their own 6th generation aircraft. It also covers the various non-US operators and how they feel about the aircraft. This all makes a superb book that is fascinating to read. I am sure you will like it as much as did I. Highly recommended.

February 2026

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