What made Donald Trump change his mind regarding the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets?

In a move seen as a significant change of heart President Donald Trump offered to sell F-35 fighter jets to New Delhi which he once criticized as the “most expensive military weapon system in history” due to its extensive cost overruns as the president-elect in 2016. 

But the issue is why the USA wants to sell India the most expensive weapon system in human history being flown by the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps as well as NATO allies and close strategic partners like Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands and Israel?

The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a single-seat, single-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin. It has been the subject of much discussion, particularly regarding its cost, development, and operational history. The aircraft, once envisioned as a versatile, stealthy fighter capable of numerous tasks, including air-to-air combat, air-to-ground strikes, and reconnaissance, has faced numerous challenges.  

The nine major partner nations, including the U.S., plan to acquire over 3,100 F-35s through 2035, which, will make the F-35 one of the most numerous jet fighters. While the General Dynamics F-16E/F Fighting Falcon costs $50 million per export copy, the F-35 is likely to cost between $110–130 million.

The F-35s history dates back to the 1990s following research and development efforts to create a common platform to meet the needs of different branches of the U.S. military and allied nations.  

Lockheed Martin was selected as the prime contractor, and their X-35 prototype won the competition against Boeing’s X-32. Three variants of the F-35 were selected for development. These included the F-35A for conventional take-off and landing, the F-35B for short take-off and vertical landing, and the F-35C for carrier-based operations.  

The F-35 program faced numerous challenges during its development, including technical difficulties, cost overruns, and schedule delays. However, these hurdles were eventually overcome through extensive testing, redesigns, and collaboration among various stakeholders.  

The F-35B was the first variant to achieve initial operational capability in 2015, followed by the F-35A in 2016 and the F-35C in 2019. Since then, the F-35 has been deployed by several countries and has participated in various exercises and operations.  

The F-35 continues to evolve with software upgrades, weapon integrations, and enhancements to its sensors and systems. It is expected to remain a cornerstone of global air power for decades to come.  

The F-35’s history is a testament to the ambition and complexity of modern military aviation programs. It represents a significant investment in cutting-edge technologies and international cooperation, to maintain air superiority and ensure national security

The F-35 relies heavily on software for the operation of radar, weapons, flight controls and maintenance. However, none of the countries involved in the development of the jet has access to the software codes and all software upgrades are done in the U.S. This is the reason why Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Turkey have all expressed dissatisfaction with that unilateral U.S. decision.

The aircraft’s history includes several crashes during both development and operational use. These incidents, some resulting in fatalities, have raised concerns about the aircraft’s reliability.

The F-35 has been involved in at least 12 air crashes since September 2018. The first F-35 crash occurred in 2018 when a US Marine Corps F-35B crashed in South Carolina due to mechanical failure in the aircraft’s engine system and malfunction of the engine’s turbine blade, leading to loss of thrust. This led to a temporary grounding of the F-35 fleet. The investigation led to several design changes, particularly with the engine and its components.

In April 2019, a 41-year-old Japanese Air Force pilot Major Akinori Hosomi was killed when an F-35A stealth fighter on a night training mission disappeared from the radar screens and crashed into the Pacific Ocean 28 minutes after taking off from Misawa air base. The pilot who had about 60 flying hours of flying experience in the F-35A didn’t even try to eject from the aircraft which reportedly lost control and dropped down at a speed of about 1,100km/h. All communication with the pilot was lost thereafter.

In May 2020, an F-35A crashed while landing at Eglin Air Force Base. The aircraft belonging to the 58th Fighter Squadron was on a training flight and crashed during a landing attempt at the Florida air base. Though the pilot ejected safely, the aircraft was destroyed. The crash prompted an investigation by the U.S. Air Force which concluded that the incident was caused by a combination of issues, including malfunction in the aircraft’s flight control system as a result the pilot lost consciousness and was unable to control the aircraft during landing.

In November 2021 a British single-engine, short-take-off vertical landing variant of the US F-35 stealth fighter jet on a routine flight operation crashed into the Mediterranean Sea while operating off HMS Queen Elizabeth — one of the UK’s two aircraft carriers and the largest warship (weighing 65,000-ton) the UK has ever sent to sea since HMS Hermes in 1983.  

In January 2022, a South Korean Air Force F-35A made a belly landing after its landing gear malfunctioned due to electronic issues.

Finally, on Jan. 28, 2025, an F-35A fighter jet crashed at the Eielson US Air Force Base in Alaska due to an in-flight malfunction during a training session. However, the pilot ejected safely.

However, despite the safety concerns, the production and deployment of the F-35 jets continued to move forward and could not halt the aircraft’s integration into various air forces worldwide. Lockheed Martin has so far delivered over 1,000 F-35 aircraft to the US military and its global partners. The US military alone operates about 630 F-35 variants and plans to procure over 1,800 more jets for the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy by the mid-2040s.

The program has been plagued by delays and cost overruns, becoming one of the most expensive defence programs in history. The cost of acquiring, maintaining, and operating the F-35 is substantial, with per-hour flight costs significantly higher than other aircraft. Software issues, including delays in the Block 4 upgrade, have further impacted the aircraft’s capabilities and readiness.  

A key challenge has been the complexity of the F-35’s design. While features like advanced stealth capabilities, a sophisticated sensor suite, and a powerful engine were intended to make it a leading aircraft, these same features have contributed to integration difficulties, delays, and increased costs.

Maintenance has also proven problematic. The aircraft breaks down more frequently than anticipated, and repairs take an excessive amount of time. Spare parts shortages have grounded numerous F-35s. The reliance on Lockheed Martin contractors for maintenance, due to a lack of intellectual property transfer, has further hampered the program.

Concerns have been raised about the F-35’s range, payload capacity, performance in adverse weather, and overall agility compared to other aircraft. Even its stealth capabilities have limitations.

Despite these issues, Lockheed Martin maintains the F-35 is a highly capable aircraft. However, figures like Elon Musk have publicly criticized the F-35, citing its cost, maintenance issues, and perceived limited capabilities. Musk has suggested that manned fighter jets are becoming obsolete in the age of drones. These comments have fuelled debate about the program and its value.  

In conclusion, while the F-35 offers advanced capabilities, it has faced significant challenges. These include crashes, delays, cost overruns, technical issues, maintenance problems, and questions regarding its performance and reliability. The debate surrounding the aircraft’s value and future continues.

In April 2011, Winslow Wheeler, a former U.S. advisor to both Republican and Democratic senators, criticized the F-35’s price and performance. “This aeroplane is nothing to write home about,” he stated, it is “a gigantic performance disappointment”. “As an American, this program should be terminated immediately. It’s unaffordable and the performance is unacceptable,” Wheeler said.