The cost of Block 4 upgrades for the F-35 fighter jet has increased by another $1.4bn to $16.5bn

The cost of the development programme for the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter continues to rise. In particular, the Block 4 upgrade will cost $1.4 billion more than planned.

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The Government Accountability Office has made a statement to this effect. The annual report states that the cost of Block 4 upgrades increased by another $1.4 billion to $16.5 billion.

The Chamber of Accountability Office focused on the need to improve the engine. For this, the U.S. Department of Defense will have to allocate about $38 billion.

The power system, based on specifications that were developed several years ago, is unable to meet the cooling needs of the F-35 Lightning II's complex avionics. Nor does it have enough power to meet the new capabilities that will appear in the Block 4 upgrade.

At the end of the first quarter, the US Air Force said the Block 4 upgrade would determine the aircraft's role in future combat. All three versions of the fifth-generation fighter (F-35A, F-35B and F-35C) will undergo the upgrade.

The Block 4 jets will feature an AN/APG-85 radar with an active phased array antenna. The radar, developed by Northrop Grumman, will replace the AN/APG-81 AESA and will be compatible exclusively with the F-35.

Block 4 also brings an electro-optical targeting system, a new situational awareness system and the GBU-53 StormBreaker launch capability. The full list of upgrades is being kept secret by the US Air Force.

Block 4 will be based on Technology Refresh 3. The Air Force promises to prepare the upgrade, which will improve the aircraft's computing electronics, in December 2023, but it may be delayed until next spring. Testing of the F-35 TR-3 began in January this year.

Source: Bloomberg