Today, the US military is locked into a fifth-generation warplane that is overpriced, underperforms, and periodically falls out of the sky without ever meeting the enemy in combat.
In what is becoming a far too common occurrence, it would appear that the United States military has lost yet another of its vaunted F-35 Lighting II fifth-generation warplanes in a serious accident. This time, the variant in question is the F-35C, the US Navy’s plane that is capable of conducting aircraft carrier flight operations.
Reports remain sketchy at this point, but it is known that the plane involved was an F-35C, and it crashed at Naval Air Station Lemoore in Central California. Fortunately, the naval aviator ejected to safety before the plane—which, remember, costs around $102 million per unit—exploded after crashing to the ground below.
Communications officers at NAS Lemoore issued a press release detailing the incident: “At 1830 [6:30 pm PST], an F-35C attached to the VFA-125 “Rough Raiders” went down not far from NAS Lemoore. NAS Lemoore can confirm the pilot successfully ejected and is safe. There are no additional affected personnel. The cause of the incident is under investigation.”
What Is the F-35C?
The F-35C Lightning II is the carrier-based variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 family, a fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter jet designed primarily for the US Navy and Marine Corps. It represents the Navy’s first stealth aircraft, optimized for catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) operations on aircraft carriers.
As part of the broader F-35 program—the Department of Defense’s largest procurement effort in history—the F-35C integrates advanced stealth, sensor fusion, and networked warfare capabilities to dominate contested environments.
An F-35C features the largest wingspan of all the F-35 variants and possesses foldable wings to fit in the cramped quarters of aircraft carrier hangar bays. There are larger control surfaces for better low-speed handling during landings, reinforced landing gear, and a stronger tailhook for arrested recoveries.
The F-35C has an empty takeoff weight of around 34,581 pounds and a maximum takeoff weight of 70,000 pounds. It has an internal fuel capacity of nearly 19,750 pounds, enabling a combat radius exceeding 670 nautical miles and a range of over 1,200 nautical miles without external fuel tanks.
Powered by a single Pratt & Whitney F135 afterburning turbofan engine delivering up to 43,000 pounds of thrust, it achieves supersonic speeds of Mach 1.6 even with a full internal weapons load. Armaments includes an external pod-mounted 25mm GAU-22/A cannon with 220 rounds, plus internal bays for stealthy carriage of over 5,000 pounds of weapons (or more than 18,000 pounds total internally and externally), such as air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, and anti-ship weapons.
Even If It Worked, the F-35 Wouldn’t Be Worth the Money
Despite its features and the buzz surrounding it, the F-35C—along with the F-35 Lightning II program writ large—has been beset with controversies. The crash of the F-35C at NAS Lemoore is only the most recent in a string of seemingly countless failures and controversies plaguing the program. As a whole, the F-35 program is about a decade behind schedule and 80 percent over budget, with a current estimated cost of $1.7 trillion over the course of its lifetime—far higher than initial estimates from the 1990s. And, as seen from the recent crash, readiness remains low, with a 61.9 percent mission-capable rate in 2023 due to spare parts shortages, contractor reliance, and sustainment challenges.
The cause of the latest crash is still unknown, of course, and an investigation is underway. But it is important to note that F-35s have been falling out of the sky for years, with no apparent rhyme or reason. The crashes are not specific to any single variant, but instead are dispersed across all three variants operated by the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.
Further, these birds have not truly proved their worth in combat. They have seen some action, but nothing like what they were designed to fight.
America’s F-35 catastrophe is yet another example of how far its once mighty defense industrial base has fallen. Today, the US military is locked into a fifth-generation warplane that is overpriced, underperforms, and periodically falls out of the sky without ever meeting the enemy in combat.
With debates raging about the need for the sixth-generation F-47 warplane rage in Washington, remember that that warplane will be far more complex—and therefore expensive—than the F-35. And the Pentagon will likely be unable to produce these planes in any meaningful number.
As the recent spate of crashes and other failures in the F-35 program have shown, perhaps the Pentagon should focus on getting its procurement house in order before deciding to spend trillions in tax dollars on planes that cannot fly.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
