At Least 15 F-35s Delivered Without Required Equipment Since May 2025

Since May 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense has accepted at least 15 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters that lack required equipment, according to a Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) list obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. These aircraft have been placed in a status known as DD-250ed, indicating they were accepted but not fully delivered operationally due to material shortfalls. This status leaves them in non-operational ready supply (NORS) until the missing components are installed and tested.

The DD-250 form represents a formal inspection and receipt of material, marking the transfer of ownership from contractor to government. However, when equipment deficiencies prevent full acceptance, the aircraft are signed off as DD-250ed but are not considered mission capable. Nine of these deficient F-35s are detailed in the DCMA data released in July 2026, including variants destined for the Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force.

Specifically, these DD-250ed fighters include one F-35B assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 533 at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, three F-35Cs intended for Naval Fighter Attack Squadron 125 at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, and five F-35As allocated to Air Force units including the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and the 125th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard. The exact nature of the missing equipment on these nine aircraft has not been publicly detailed by the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), which cited program security for withholding specifics.

In addition to these nine jets, six Marine Corps F-35s remain in NORS status lacking radars. The JPO director, Marine Lieutenant General Gregory Masiello, recently confirmed acceptance of six Marine F-35s without the Northrop Grumman APG-85 radars installed. These radars are critical components of the Block 4 modernization program planned to introduce 55 upgrades over several years. The APG-85 radar is expected to be fielded starting in the first half of 2028, significantly enhancing combat capabilities compared to the current APG-81 radar installed on earlier F-35s.

These radar-less aircraft require nose ballast to maintain proper flight balance until their radars are installed, a practice with historical precedent. The U.S. Navy faced a similar situation in the late 1960s when F-4J Phantoms flew with lead ballast in the nose due to Westinghouse radar delivery delays. Similarly, the Panavia Tornado F2 interceptor from the 1980s operated temporarily with concrete ballast while awaiting its Foxhunter radar. These past examples demonstrate the logistical and operational challenges of fielding advanced radar systems in fighter aircraft programs.

The APG-85 radar introduces increased power and cooling demands, requiring 62 to 80 kilowatts of cooling capacity compared to the existing 32 kilowatts on the F-35. The physical mounting differences between the APG-81 and APG-85 radars create integration challenges, complicating efforts to retrofit or dual-mount these systems in the current fleet. The U.S. Air Force has considered a dual-mount bulkhead solution but expects a two-year timeline to develop and field this upgrade.

Financially, the retrofit of F-35s with APG-85 radars is a significant investment. The Air Force's fiscal 2027 future years defense plan allocates $133 million in 2031 to upgrade 14 F-35As, reflecting a unit radar cost of approximately $9.5 million. Plans also include spending roughly $1.6 billion outside the FYDP to retrofit another 167 F-35s with APG-85 radars. These investments highlight the priority placed on delivering the full capabilities associated with the Block 4 modernization efforts.

Mission capability rates for the F-35 remain an ongoing concern. Presently, the overall mission capable rate is around 56 percent, while the full mission capable rate, which includes aircraft fully ready for all intended missions, stands at just 25 percent. The presence of DD-250ed aircraft, lacking critical components like advanced radars, contributes to these lower operational readiness levels, emphasizing the importance of addressing these shortfalls to meet combat readiness goals.

The earliest known Lot 17 F-35 delivery under this arrangement occurred on July 8, 2025, when an F-35A was DD-250ed and ferried to the 125th Fighter Wing in Jacksonville, Florida. Until the equipment shortages are resolved, these aircraft remain grounded operationally despite their transfer to military units, highlighting the complexities of integrating next-generation technology in a high-tempo production and deployment cycle.