EXCLUSIVE: US poised to accept new F-35s without radars, sources say [View all]

Source: Breaking Defense

Air Warfare
EXCLUSIVE: US poised to accept new F-35s without radars, sources say

Rep. Rob Wittman told Breaking Defense that while he expected issues with the new APG-85 radar to eventually be resolved, in the interim the US military will be left with “lots of aircraft out there, but not ones that are ready to go to the fight.”

By Michael Marrow, Valerie Insinna and Diana Stancy on March 19, 2026 2:32 pm


A U.S. Marine with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 225, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South, signals to a F-35B Lightning II pilot at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, March 10, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)

WASHINGTON — Starting this fall, all new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters delivered to the American military will come without radars, an issue that could stretch into the future and restrict the jets from participating in combat operations, Breaking Defense has learned.

In the best case, a new, redesigned radar could be ready as soon as next year, meaning only a handful of jets may be impacted. But if delays for the sensor stretch on, over a hundred jets may be delivered with a ballast where the new radar is supposed to be.

Any aircraft delivered without a radar are expected to remain airworthy, but will have to be reserved for training and cannot be used in combat, two sources familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Breaking Defense. ... “They can still take delivery of the jet. They can still use it as a flyable asset, [but] obviously not a combat-coded asset. So they can still do limited training with it,” one of the sources told Breaking Defense.

At issue is an upgraded radar called the APG-85. It’s a different size than the current APG-81, so planes meant to carry it have a redesigned bulkhead. The Pentagon attempted to time the radar’s entry into an ongoing production batch of jets dubbed Lot 17, but delays with the radar mean those planes will be ready before the APG-85. Due to the different bulkhead, the APG-81 radar can’t be wedged into the spot for the APG-85.

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Read more: https://breakingdefense.com/2026/03/exclusive-us-poised-to-accept-new-f-35s-without-radars-sources-say/