February 13, 2026 at 12:35 AM
Air Force Now Denies Receiving F-35s Without Radars
The F-35 Joint Program Office had declined just earlier this week to confirm or deny a report that jets without radars were being delivered. The post Air Force Now Denies Receiving F-35s Without Radars appeared first on...
The U.S. Air Force has now denied taking delivery of any F-35A Joint Strike Fighters from the latest Lot 17 production batch without radars installed. This comes a day after TWZ published a detailed piece examining a recent unconfirmed report that the U.S.
military has been receiving radar-less F-35s since last June due to issues tied to the new AN/APG-85 radar. Earlier this week, the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) had declined to confirm or deny whether that was the case, citing “enhanced security measures.” “USAF F-35A lot 17 aircraft are delivering with APG-81 radars,” an Air Force spokesperson told TWZ today in an unprompted statement. “The Air Force is working with the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office to deliver F-35s with APG-85 radars, and actual modernization plans, capabilities, and schedules remain classified to maintain program security.” A row of US Air Force F-35As at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada in January 2026.