Delivering F-35 Affordability, Availability and Reliability
June 02, 2022
The F-35 is delivering a critical capability advantage for military services around the globe, and three keys to retaining and growing that advantage are availability, reliability and affordability.
Affordability: Delivering Cost-Efficient Performance
In 2021, Lockheed Martin achieved a 5% decrease in the Lockheed Martin portion of the F-35 cost per flight hour (CPFH), totaling a 50% reduction from 2015-2021. With the investments Lockheed Martin is making today and the fleet's scaling, an additional 35% reduction is expected over the next five years. Progress in areas such as accelerating depot activations and long-term supplier contracts across the life cycle will continue to help F-35 sustainment costs trend positively.
Availability: Ready for the Warfighter, Today
The F-35’s operational combat performance remains strong – recent F-35A deployments and exercises demonstrate a combined Mission Capable rate above 80% during the past 15 months. Mission Capable rates for combat operational F-35Bs and F-35Cs are trending positively. High mission capable rates are imperative for operators, enabling them to keep their 5th Gen airpower ready for the next mission, anytime and anywhere.
Reliability: You Can Count on the F-35
The F-35 is one of the most reliable aircraft in the U.S. fighter fleet with 93% of parts performing better than predicted. The average amount of flight hours between failure rate – the time that parts remain on the aircraft before failure – is more than twice that of a 4th Generation aircraft. In a Red Flag exercise earlier this year 12 F-35A Lightning IIs deployed from Nellis Air Force Base where maintainers generated nearly 250 F-35 sorties without losing one to a maintenance issue. This type of performance gives operators the flexibility required to meet the demands of their diverse missions.
The F-35 was designed as a multi-role, 5th Generation platform with integrated capabilities unlike any combination of 4th Generation aircraft. Today’s F-35 is combat-ready with unmatched flexibility, survivability and connectivity. The generational enhancements in stealth and aircraft design provide high reliability, maintainability and the best performance per dollar in the full spectrum of warfare.
