A portion of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jets manufactured in the US are reportedly being delivered without their new radar systems. According to information, starting from June 2025, Lockheed Martin is installing ballast weights instead of the new Northrop Grumman AN/APG-85 radar on F-35s delivered to the US.
The editorial reports that because the AN/APG-85 radar system is not yet fully ready for serial production, ballast weights are temporarily being placed on the aircraft. A circulated photograph shows an F-35B Lightning II aircraft belonging to the US Marine Corps equipped with precisely this ballast weight.
It is noted that the previous Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 radar system was installed on previously manufactured F-35s, and all currently exported aircraft continue to be equipped with that radar. For this reason, no changes are being applied to the export versions.
According to the information, the acceptance of F-35 fighters equipped with the new AN/APG-85 radar system into the service of the US armed forces is expected to begin in 2028. Experts state that this transition phase is planned within the framework of the program's modernization.