Since 2025, F-35 fighters were supposed to start arriving with state-of-the-art AN/APG-85 radars, but due to delays and technical nuances, they are currently being delivered without radars at all.
New fifth-generation F-35 fighters are entering service with the U.S. Air Force without radars and are even being operated in this configuration. The reason for this is yet another project delay and component supply issues.
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According to Avionics International, the old AN/APG-81 radars, which are currently installed for export orders and were previously mounted on domestic aircraft, require completely different mounting systems than the newest AN/APG-85. And the latter are significantly delayed, so delivery had to proceed as is.
Thus, since June 2025, new F-35s have been supplied with updated mounting systems, which is why they lack radars altogether. At the same time, additional ballast is installed in the nose section to maintain balance.
It is claimed that a fighter without radar can still function and fly as a fully operational aircraft. For this to work, it must be used alongside others with full equipment and the ability to transmit data.
Defense Express notes that the latter is indeed theoretically possible, given the extensive infrastructure around the F-35 for information exchange. However, this is a peacetime solution that would clearly lead to problems in the event of armed conflict.
Overall, delivery of new AN/APG-85 radars was supposed to begin in 2025 within the Lot 17 batch, but was subsequently postponed to Lot 20. Initially, there was no mention of what would happen with already planned aircraft, and there were theories about delays. Still, as we can see, a simpler solution was found with delivery without radars.
To avoid such problems, Lockheed Martin has already proposed developing a new fuselage that could accommodate both new and old radars. And while this has its advantages, implementing such a project, re-certification, and launching production would take time.
Overall, the F-35 program has numerous problems, including low combat readiness, with only half the aircraft able to fly. At the same time, the aircraft itself remains the most numerous in the fifth generation and is still chosen by many countries.
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