Lockheed Martin plans to integrate technologies from its unsuccessful bid for the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform into its existing F-35 and F-22 Raptor fighters. Company executives described this initiative as creating a “supercharged” fifth-generation fighter.
During a Tuesday earnings call, Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet announced that the company will not contest the Air Force’s decision made on March 21, 2023, to award the F-47 contract to Boeing. Instead, he emphasized Lockheed’s focus on upgrading the F-35 and F-22 Raptor with sixth-generation technology.
Taiclet highlighted that “techniques and capabilities” developed for the NGAD bid could be repurposed for enhancing existing fighters. He stated, “We’re basically going to take the [F-35’s] chassis and turn it into a Ferrari,” illustrating the company’s ambition to significantly elevate the performance of its existing aircraft.
The upgrades are expected to deliver about “80% of the capability, potentially, at 50% of the cost per unit aircraft,” according to Taiclet. He estimated that there will eventually be 3,500 F-35 chassis in various technological stages worldwide, indicating a significant potential for cost-effective modernization.
Lockheed is already working on some advanced technologies for the F-35’s Block 4 upgrades, including capabilities for controlling autonomous drone wingmen. This effort aligns with the Air Force’s development of collaborative combat aircraft.
The concept of upgrading an aircraft model with next-generation technologies is not new; for example, Boeing’s F-15EX represents a modernized version of the F-15, equipped with enhanced fifth-generation systems.
Taiclet referred to the enhanced F-35s as “fifth-generation-plus,” paralleling how F-15EXs are considered 4.5-generation aircraft. He also mentioned that some sixth-generation technologies planned for the F-35 have been funded by the government as part of the NGAD research, while others have been self-funded by Lockheed.
One of the advanced technologies in consideration is improved passive infrared sensors, which would enhance enemy detection without compromising the jet’s stealth. Taiclet noted that stealth technologies from Lockheed’s NGAD bid—including low-observable materials and advanced countermeasures—would also contribute to these upgrades, making the aircraft harder to detect.
Additionally, sixth-generation tracking technologies and extended-range weapons would make the F-35 increasingly lethal. The U.S. government will have the first look at any technologies that Lockheed may add, and while the company aims to export these technologies to allied nations, the final approval on exportability will lie with the U.S. government.
Taiclet conceded that the Air Force provided feedback on Lockheed Martin’s NGAD proposal, which the company is currently analyzing; however, he did not disclose specifics due to confidentiality.
This report was covered by Stephen Losey, an air warfare reporter for Defense News, who has experience reporting on U.S. Air Force operations and various military topics.
