Lost Race: Did The US Spend Too Much Time Developing The F-35?

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II was meant to be the jet that redefined modern air combat: fast, stealthy, and networked, capable of replacing several legacy fighters at once. Yet more than twenty years after its first flight, the F-35 remains a paradox. It dominates Western inventories but still struggles with cost, readiness, and upgrade timelines. Meanwhile, the world has moved toward sixth-generation programs and unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs). So the question arises: Did the United States spend too much time developing the F-35 and, as a result, lose the race toward the future?

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