American defense giant Lockheed Martin, which lost the closely-contested Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) contract to Boeing, could now upgrade its existing fifth-generation fighter—the F-35 Lightning II—with sixth-generation technology it developed for NGAD.
Lockheed Martin received a rude shock on March 21 when US President Donald Trump announced that the sixth-generation crewed air-superiority fighter jet, dubbed the ‘F-47,’ would be developed by Boeing.
The announcement marked the biggest milestone in US aviation in two decades. However, it came as a big upset to Lockheed, which had also withdrawn from the US Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation fighter jet contract just a few days earlier.
Instead of protesting or mourning the NGAD loss, Lockheed has come up with a new plan: devoting resources to upgrade its flagship F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter to lure the Pentagon with a much cheaper substitute to the sixth-generation fighter.
Speaking at an earnings call, Lockheed Martin Chief Executive Jim Taiclet claimed that the company can integrate 80% of sixth-generation NGAD technology into its fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II, which is already in production (with more than 1,100 produced so far), at half the cost. This upgrade will create what will be known as the “fifth-generation plus” variant of the F-35.
This is the same approach that Boeing took when it developed the F-15EX, which was based on the F-15, outfitted it with the latest cutting-edge technology, and branded it as a 4.5th-generation fighter jet. Lockheed Martin’s claims, however, are more ambitious and intriguing, given the novelty associated with sixth-generation technology.
“We’re basically going to take the [F-35] chassis and turn it into a Ferrari,” Taiclet asserted. “It’s like a NASCAR upgrade, so to speak, where we would take the F-35 [and] apply some of those co-funded technologies both from NGAD and the F-35 program. Eventually, there’ll be 3,500 of those [F-35] chassis out there at various stages of technology and capability [worldwide]. We think we can get most of the way to sixth-generation at half the cost.”
The claims regarding enhanced capability at a reduced cost are significant, given that the NGAD was paused last year only due to high costs and budgetary constraints. The sixth-generation aircraft was previously expected to cost three times as much as an F-35, potentially up to $ 300 million per aircraft.
Lockheed seems to be capitalising on that.
Notably, the claims come as Lockheed is already working on upgrading the F-35 to Block 4 standard, which has been plagued by delays and software-related troubles.
The specific features of the Block 4 upgrade have not been disclosed, and the F-35 TF3 configuration, which forms the basis of Block 4, remains backlogged for delivery. Lockheed is also analysing what would make up Block 5 and subsequent upgrades.
Speaking of the sixth-generation technology, Taiclet noted that Lockheed self-financed some of the sixth-generation technology it has in mind for the F-35, while the government funded others as part of NGAD research. Lockheed developed its own sixth-generation demonstrator for NGAD, like other competitors, and likely flew it in secrecy.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time we have heard of something similar. In December 2024, a high-ranking official from the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), Russia’s state-owned aircraft manufacturer, stated that the fifth-generation Su-57 is being equipped with sixth-generation fighter technology, as previously reported by the EurAsian Times.
But which one of these technologies will be added to the F-35? Taiclet has withheld that information, marking it as classified. But he does give us a rough idea.
What New Tech Will The F-35 Get?
Taiclet listed many possible technologies that could be included in Lockheed’s upgraded F-35, including a new sophisticated passive infrared radar. However, he declined to go into specifics about all of the upgrades, citing classification.
The CEO said he implored his team to work on disruptive innovation and build upon the recently established internal capabilities, including AI autonomy, crewed-uncrewed teaming, and command and control systems, across the entire company. He further noted that Lockheed has received feedback from the USAF on its NGAD decision, which is being duly addressed.
Taiclet stated that future fighters will require technology such as improved passive infrared sensors, which might enable the jet to identify foes farther away without revealing its location to them.
The other significant upgrade would pertain to stealth. “I explained this at a meeting at the White House to the president,” Taiclet said. “Dogfights are not what we want anymore. In air-to-air combat, we want to shoot the other guys, I said, before he even knows we’re there. And you do that, first of all, with the critical sensors to find them. Then you make sure they can’t find you, and that’s the stealth technology.”
Taiclet said the low-observable materials, geometries, and countermeasures used in the stealth technology created for Lockheed’s NGAD bid may make it much more difficult for an adversary to locate the aircraft.
Additionally, he noted that the F-35 may become even more lethal with the addition of tracking systems and longer-range weaponry designed for the sixth generation.
“We use these digital technologies. We apply something from one system… to another, and we actually try to create that best value equation. It’s a little kind of not uncomfortable, but novel for our industry to think that way. But we are thinking that way. And value is important and maybe as or more important than the highest technology available,” he noted while elaborating on the technology. “It’s got to be scalable, it’s got to be affordable, it’s got to work every time. And so that’s what we’re after.”
The above was the limited insight the Lockheed CEO gave to the media. However, we understand that the sixth-generation fighter jet concept represents a new era of aerial warfare, which will largely focus on enhanced air-to-air combat performance and the capability to breach restricted airspace to establish air superiority.
The possible sixth-generation elements may include multi-spectral stealth, combat networking, manned-unmanned teaming (M-UMT) or loyal wingman flying with a manned fighter, integration of hypersonic missiles, directed energy weapons (DEWs), integrated sensor suite, and cyber-security resilience, as listed by Indian Air Force veteran and expert Air Marshal Anil Khosla (retd) to the EurAsian Times.
Another IAF veteran and expert, Squadron Leader Vijainder K. Thakur (retd), mentioned broad-spectrum stealth, next-generation power plant, directed energy weapons, a unified electronic warfare system, and optional manning depending on the nature of the mission, as some significant sixth-generation technologies to be added to the F-47. A detailed article by the expert, written for the EurAsian Times, can be read here.
Currently, there is no way to ascertain what specific upgrades the fifth-generation F-35 will carry. However, plans are in place to integrate the F-35 with loyal wingman drones in the future for manned-unmanned teaming. The aircraft could also likely be equipped with laser weapons.
It is pertinent to note that some experts believe the sixth-generation technology represents a significant leap over fifth-generation aircraft. For instance, IAF Group Capt MJ Augustine Vinod earlier said, “Unlike incremental upgrades, the sixth-generation transition is transformative.”
Taiclet said that any sixth-generation technologies Lockheed might incorporate into the F-35 would first be shown to the US government. He added that the firm hopes to export those technologies to friendly countries that also purchase the F-35, but the U.S. would ultimately decide what might be exported.
This is significant because 20 countries have purchased the F-35, and enhanced F-35 technology is likely to find many additional buyers.
“Our goal is to make as much of this capability as we can, exportable to allies,” Taiclet said. “We try to design [technology] in a way that’s hopeful.”
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