US Military Faces Limited Combat Readiness For New Jets
The US military will start receiving new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters without radars due to delays in the delivery of the APG-85 radar system. The aircraft will still be airworthy but cannot be used in combat operations, according to sources familiar with the situation. The issue is expected to impact the F-35B and F-35C fleets, with the Marine Corps set to accept new jets without radars in the coming months. The problem stems from the APG-85’s different size and bulkhead requirements, which cannot be accommodated by the current APG-81 radar. This was first reported by Breaking Defense.