Aerospace Group:

Air Force

Whither the F-35’s AN/APG-85?

Frank Wolfe

Friday, February 13th, 2026

SHARE:

Whither the F-35’s AN/APG-85?

Pictured is a U.S. Air Force photo of airmen with the 56th Fighter Wing loading missiles on an F-35A before a sortie during a Phase 2 Aircraft Generation exercise on Oct. 3, 2025 at Luke AFB, Ariz.

With a radar or without, F-35A iron on the ramp is what some are voicing as a major Air Force need. A 24-page Long Term U.S. Air Fighter Force Structure plan signed by Air Force Secretary Troy Meink and delivered to Congress last October lays out a service need to have 1,558 combat-coded fighters at the end of 2035—at least 600 more than the service now has. The service has over 2,000 fighters—the most numerous being 862 F-16s, yet at…

Unmanned Systems

Counter-Drone Needs Will Be Addressed In Next NDAA Based On Iran War Lessons, Banks Says

A Republican senator on Armed Services Committee on Thursday said that defending against Iranian drones has been challenge for U.S. warfighters and will be an area of focus in the […]

Pentagon

Pentagon ‘Working Options’ On Iran Supplemental, May Seek Funds For New Capabilities

The Pentagon is “working options” for a potential supplemental spending request to fund the operation against Iran and replenish munitions used in the strike campaign, with a senior official noting […]

Congress

Wicker Backs “Crash Program” To Supply Ukraine With Low-Cost Weapons

Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) on Thursday proposed a rapid effort to supply Ukraine with low-cost weapons to aid that country in turning back Russia. “We […]

Congress

Dem Lawmakers Want To Codify Trump’s Push For More Defense Contractor Accountability

A group of four Congressional Democrats want to codify President Donald Trump’s push to hold defense firms accountable for prioritizing production investments over paying out stock buybacks, and are seeking […]