On Thursday, February 5, 2026, the U.S. industry outlet Avionics International reported that since June 2025, the American company Lockheed Martin has been delivering F-35 Lightning II multirole aircraft to the U.S. Department of Defense without the new Northrop Grumman AN/APG-85 radars.
Photo: DVIDS
Due to the redesigned nose section of the aircraft, particularly the internal structural layout, bulkhead geometry, and onboard systems integration tailored for the new radars, it is not possible to temporarily install the older AN/APG-81 radars. As a result, F-35s, including all conventional F-35A variants, are being fitted with ballast weights (dimension-and-mass equivalents) weighing approximately 80 kg (about 176 pounds) to ensure precise aircraft balance.
The delay in deliveries of the new AN/APG-85 radars stems from technical and production issues. Consequently, integration has been postponed from Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 17 to Lot 20, amounting to a delay of up to two years. Despite this, Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor and manufacturer of the F-35, continues delivering aircraft from these production lots to the customer in order to fulfill contractual obligations. The result is aircraft without radar systems installed in their noses, but importantly, this applies only to U.S. armed forces, as none of the export customers have opted to replace the AN/APG-81 radars with the AN/APG-85.
Despite lacking the primary sensor, the delivered aircraft are airworthy. However, they can operate only alongside other fully equipped F-35s capable of sharing all necessary data via the aircraft’s advanced communications architecture and transmitting sensor imagery to their displays. This is a peacetime and training-only solution; in combat conditions, such an arrangement would be risky. Therefore, the delivered aircraft will not achieve Initial Operational Capability (IOC) without the radars installed.
Lockheed Martin proposed developing a universal mounting interface on the radar bulkhead, allowing installation at the appropriate angle and configuration for both radar types. However, the required development work and subsequent certification could take up to two years. As a result, the Department of Defense agreed to accept the aircraft without radars, which will be installed at a later date.
Plans to integrate the new AN/APG-85 radar into F-35 Block 4 aircraft, featuring the new Technical Refresh 3 (TR-3) systems architecture, were included in the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) defense budget. The intended operators are the U.S. Air Force (F-35A), the U.S. Navy (F-35C), and the U.S. Marine Corps (F-35B and F-35C).
As Avionics International notes, the F-35 program continues to face numerous challenges, including relatively low aircraft readiness rates of around 50%. At the same time, the aircraft remains the most numerous fifth-generation fighter in service and continues to be selected by many countries.
According to Lockheed Martin, in a record last year for the F-35 Lightning II program, the company delivered 191 multirole aircraft, surpassing the previous delivery record of 142 units. Currently, 12 countries operate nearly 1,300 aircraft in service, and Northrop Grumman has recently produced its 1,500th center fuselage.
Here's the photo of the "radar" installed on F 35s as described below… https://t.co/PtjHgj3ArQ pic.twitter.com/bBAY3dTqso
— TVG (@TheVirginiaGen1) February 11, 2026