Overview
- An Air Force spokesperson said Lot 17 F-35A aircraft are delivering with APG-81 radars, directly contradicting recent media reports of radar-less jets.
- The Joint Program Office says airframes are being built to accommodate Northrop Grumman’s APG-85, with initial fielding planned for some aircraft in Lot 17, but further details remain classified.
- Multiple outlets have reported that since June 2025 some U.S. jets arrived without radars and with nose ballast due to mounting incompatibilities between APG-85 and the older APG-81 hardware, a claim the Air Force disputes.
- Program sources and prior reporting describe options under consideration, including a dual-mount or forward-fuselage redesign to accept both radar types, which could take years to develop and retrofit.
- The APG-85 and broader Block 4 upgrades face intertwined schedule pressures that include added power and cooling demands and engine upgrade delays, with GAO projecting full Block 4 completion no earlier than 2031.