{"id":1856,"date":"2014-04-30T14:24:45","date_gmt":"2014-04-30T14:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.migflug.com\/jetflights\/?p=1856"},"modified":"2026-06-26T17:22:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:22:36","slug":"5th-generation-fighter-jets-too-expensive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/fr\/5th-generation-fighter-jets-too-expensive\/","title":{"rendered":"5th generation fighter jets too expensive?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Boeing promotes F-35C Exit Strategy<\/h2>\r\nWe have repeatedly covered the 5th-generation topic, asking whether these jets will be the last manned fighters before being replaced by UAVs. Articles about the topic can be found here<\/a>\u00a0(cost), here<\/a>\u00a0(UAVS vs jet fighters) or here<\/a>\u00a0(comparison of 5th generation fighter jets of different nations - the US, Russia and China. We have also covered the launch of two Chinese 5th gen fighters<\/a>, which came by many as a surprise.\r\n\r\nNow - what is also quite surprising, is that the richest of these 3 \"5th gen nations\" is not getting the programs under control - it seems very likely that the programs just gets another cut. Boeing, the world\u2019s largest aviation company, is offering an exit strategy to its competitor\u2019s product, the F-35C Lightning II, developed and produced by Lockheed Martin.\u00a0Lockheed Martin itself is one of the world's largest\u00a0defense contractors, and the US top defense contractor in 2008 and 2009. This is a clash of two industry giants.\r\n\r\nIt is also a fight between generation 4+, promoted by Beoing subsidiary\u00a0Boeing Defense, Space & Security\u00a0(BDS) vs. the very latest in technology, the 5th generation\u00a0Lockheed Martin\u00a0F-35C Lightning II.\r\n

Attack on F-35 cost and technology<\/h2>\r\nBoeing officials started promoting F\/A-18 Super Hornets\u00a0and EA-18G Growler\u00a0to the Navy at 2003\u00a0Paris Le Bourget Air Show -\u00a0as a hedge against the Joint Strike Fighter program, the most expensive military acquisition program in US history. But the attack is not only about exploding cost of the JSF program:\u00a0Recently, Boeing has gone a step further and questioned whether the F-35's stealth technology is still effective against the latest air defense systems being developed in Russia as well as in\u00a0China. At the recent Navy League's annual conference, Boeing officials held a presentation that questioned the \u00a0so called \"perishability of stealth\". Boeing also\u00a0said the F-35 is not as effective against the wide spectrum of air defense systems as the F-Growler.\r\n

Electronic warfare more important?<\/h2>\r\nEven though the Navy officially stays committed to the JSF program, it has ordered 22 more Growlers recently. These are so called airborne electronic attack platforms, based on the F\/A-18 platform. Boeing thinks that the Growler must be included in future strike packages in order to protect fifth generation fighters and other assets from air defense systems. Defense analyst\u00a0Loren Thompson\u00a0explained that\r\n
...the presence of a Growler nearby a stealthy aircraft such as an\u00a0F-22\u00a0or F-35 could alert an enemy that planes are nearby.\u00a0Although it is a jamming aircraft, the Growler is not stealthy. Knowing that the Growler is present, you would have to assume other aircraft are also nearby - so it could tip off the enemy as to the presence of other aircraft.<\/blockquote>\r\nThompson further criticized the decisions made so far:\r\n
If a jamming aircraft is needed to support stealthy planes like the F-22 or the F-35, then why isn't the Marine Corps or the Air Force developing a next-generation jamming aircraft? They seem to think that what they are getting in the F-35 will be survivable on its own.<\/blockquote>\r\nThe development of a next generation jamming aircraft will take a lot of time. And the F\/A-18 production will probably stop as early as 2019 of there are no follow-up orders coming. It will be interesting to see what comes next.\n\n\n\n