Pentagon Ships ‘Blind’ F‑35s — Why?

America’s most advanced fighter jets are now rolling off the line with weights in their nose instead of radar, and the Pentagon insists this is “the least bad option” for your security.

Story Snapshot

The U.S. Marine Corps has accepted six new F-35B jets with no radar, only ballast weights in the nose.
Officials say the jets will be used only for basic flight training until a new AN/APG-85 radar arrives around 2028.
The Pentagon chose to keep the giant F-35 production line running rather than pause deliveries until the radar is ready.
Critics across the spectrum see the move as another “buy now, fix later” decision that wastes money and weakens readiness.

Six F-35s Delivered Without Radar: What That Really Means

The U.S. Marine Corps has quietly taken delivery of six F-35B Lightning II fighters that have no working radar installed, only ballast weights in the nose to mimic the missing system’s mass. These jets come from production Lot 17 and were built with a new internal frame designed to fit the future AN/APG-85 radar, not the older AN/APG-81 used in earlier aircraft. Because the new radar is delayed, the nose mounts cannot accept the old unit, leaving the planes effectively “blind” for now.

Marine Corps Lieutenant General Gregory Masiello, who leads the F-35 Joint Program Office, confirmed during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the service had accepted six aircraft with no radar installed. He also admitted these jets are not “fully mission capable,” meaning they cannot fly combat missions or even full combat training scenarios. For the time being, the Marines plan to use them only for basic flight training and procedure practice, where radar is not required.

Why The Pentagon Says This Is A “Necessary” Tradeoff

Pentagon officials say the odd decision is tied to a long-running modernization effort known as Block 4, which includes the new AN/APG-85 radar. That radar, built by Northrop Grumman, is years behind schedule; serial deliveries are not expected until around 2028. Instead of stopping F-35 production, the Department of Defense chose what it calls a “highly concurrent” approach, building radar-ready jets now and planning to add the radars later. This avoids building older Block 3 aircraft that would need years of costly retrofits.

Supporters inside the defense world argue that pausing the world’s largest fighter production line would risk layoffs, loss of skills, and even higher long-term costs. They claim using radarless jets for training is “the least bad option” compared to shutting down factories or rolling out planes that will soon be outdated. Pentagon spokespeople stress that keeping production moving protects the industrial base and will make it easier to field fully upgraded F-35s once Block 4 systems, including the radar, finally catch up.

How A “Blind” Stealth Jet Fuels Public Distrust

Outside the Pentagon, the reaction has been harsh. Air and Space Forces reporting notes these aircraft can fly but cannot perform combat missions, raising obvious questions about paying more than $100 million for planes that cannot fight. Responsible Statecraft describes them as “unfit for combat” and warns this is another example of defense contractors delivering incomplete systems while taxpayers and troops wait for promised capabilities. This fits a long pattern where production schedules beat real readiness, and the public feels misled.

For many Americans, both conservative and liberal, the story hits a nerve. People who already see a “deep state” serving big contractors more than citizens view radarless F-35s as proof that Washington protects corporate pipelines first and warfighters second. The government is effectively stockpiling high-tech airframes that depend on future fixes, even as it faces real-world threats from nations like China and Iran. That gap between glossy promises and present-day performance feeds the sense that elites get paid now while ordinary Americans carry the risk later.

Strategic Risk: Training Asset Or Expensive Shell?

Technically, a F-35 without its own radar can still fly and practice takeoffs, landings, and some basic maneuvers. In theory, it could also receive targeting data from other aircraft or airborne warning planes, acting like a “shooter” guided by someone else’s sensors. But those workarounds depend on safe skies, strong networks, and plenty of fully equipped wingmen. In a serious conflict, relying on blind jets that need others to “see” for them adds complexity and risk that many pilots and analysts find troubling.

Expect to see a lot of US Marines ashore. There are 1500 of them and aircraft including F-35s aboard Kersarge which is just under 900’ in length.

— Richard Fayce (@msu_pgd) July 1, 2026

The deeper concern is time. Analysts warn that radar deliveries may lag for years, leaving a growing number of jets sitting in a half-ready state. Each year of delay means more aircraft that must later be pulled from service, modified, and retested to install their missing radars. That retrofit burden will fall on the same taxpayers who already paid to build the planes once. Both skeptics and supporters agree on one point: this is not how a modern military should field its “crown jewel” fighter if the goal is reliable, ready power instead of paper strength.