Pentagon to spend $38bn on F135 engine upgrades for F-35 fighter jets - total cost of programme to exceed $1.3 trillion

Lockheed Martin may need to upgrade the F135 engines of its fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jets. The overhaul would address the growing need to cool radar and other aircraft components.

Here's What We Know

The Government Accountability Office said in a statement that the "the cooling system is over-tasked". It requires the propulsion system to operate beyond its design specifications. The extra heat is bad for engine performance, reducing engine life.

The problem with the propulsion system concerns the "power and temperature control system" of the fifth-generation fighter. It deals with pressure transfer from a single engine, directing the flow to cool other components. The harder the system works, the hotter the F135 gets.

It is possible that the F135 will have to undergo an overhaul earlier than planned. For this, the U.S. Department of Defense will have to allocate an additional $38 billion. Now the total cost of all aircraft including development and maintenance is $412 billion. However, it will continue to grow. The total cost of the F-35 program over 77 years of operation is expected to exceed $1.3 trillion.

Another problem is that the system is unable to meet the cooling needs of the avionics, which are constantly improving. This becomes a problem when it comes to the critical upgrade of the F-35 Lightning II to Block 4 level.

Source: Bloomberg