By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
(Washington DC) Years ago, the Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office spelled out its long-term modernization plan to members of Congress, making the point that ongoing software updates, breakthrough innovations and common technical architecture will ensure the F-35 remains viable and able to compete for air supremacy for decades into the future.
For quite some time, weapons developers and Pentagon experts have said the current plan is to fly the F-35 all the way to 2070 and beyond. The Pentagon spelled this out in terms of a continuous modernization and development program involving ongoing computing, sensing and weapons improvements in coming years. Software upgrades have thus far demonstrated that the platform can integrate new generations of weapons attack capabilities. Many of the anticipated technological breakthroughs are likely to arrive in key areas such as sensing, AI, weapons application, targeting, electronics and networking, meaning the F-35 can continue to become an entirely different and more capable aircraft without there being a need to reconfigure or reconstruct a new airframe. Also, the fast-arriving 6th-gen aircraft is expected to bring a next-generation of stealth, speed, weapons and computing likely to greatly compliment and enhance F-35 attack capabilities.
With all these things in mind, some military, industry and academic proponents of the F-35, and likely some F-35 developers want the Pentagon to pursue the more expensive but technologically advanced Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) for future versions of the F-35 fighter. The program would replace the F135 Engine Core Upgrade the Air Force chose in its 2024 budget. The Pentagon might indeed be well served to ensure the F-35 receives the AETP, which would be a significant upgrade.
The breakthrough engine technologies woven into the AETP could vastly outperform the enhancements introduced through simple upgrades to the F-35’s existing engine.
A report from a former pilot arguing in favor of AETP offers significant detail regarding the performance improvements a new engine will introduce. Many assessments of the AETP argue the new technology will greatly improve fuel efficiency, thrust, and thermal management far beyond current capabilities. The AETP program, in development with the Air Force for many years, pits Pratt in competition with General Electric.
“While Pratt’s XA101 is still under development, GE’s XA100 has completed testing and has proven to increase fuel efficiency by 25 percent (enabling 30 percent greater range) and increase thrust by 10 percent to 20 percent (delivering 20 percent more acceleration than the F135),” John “JV” Venable writes in an article published by Breaking Defense. “The XA100 provides twice the cooling capacity, and its ceramic matrix composite turbine blades can withstand 500 degrees Fahrenheit—more heat than the F135 engine,”
AETP Supports New Equipment
Venable makes a series of arguments in favor of AETP. He points out the F-35’s need for more range, as well as concerns that the current F-35 engine is maxed for capacity. Further, the Joint Strike Fighter will require unprecedented amounts of onboard electrical power to support new technologies such as lasers, new avionics, breakthrough computing, mission systems, and new weapons. The report makes the case that a simple upgrade of the current F-35 engine cannot accommodate these new performance demands.
Venable’s most compelling argument, however, seems to emerge in his discussion of software. He argues that the AETP will align well with Block 4 software upgrades and continued modernization requirements.
Should the AETP be built and integrated with the technical architecture sufficient to ensure decades of continuing modernization, software enhancements, and electronics, it could allow the F-35 to remain competitive and even superior to rival platforms well into the future.
Producing the AETP for fifth-generation aircraft but also for sixth-generation projects such as Next Generation Air Dominance could streamline maintenance and logistics and lower production costs over time due to larger delivery orders.
Given all this, investing in the AETP program would represent a demonstrable effort to maintain the F-35’s superiority. The risk otherwise is that the F-35 is surpassed and becomes vulnerable to enemy fifth-generation airframes, quickly becoming obsolete. Given the pace of technological change and the current threat environment, it seems highly advisable to embrace a long-term strategic approach, especially given current plans to fly the F-35 into the 2070s.
Kris Osborn is the Military Affairs Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in /lComparative Literature from Columbia University.
