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U.S. accepting F-35B deliveries without AN/APG-85 radar as sensor program delays hit Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy

The U.S. military has accepted six F-35 fighters without their primary radars, with the Marine Corps receiving six F-35B jets using ballast pending delivery of Northrop Grumman’s AN/APG-85. Air Force and Navy radar-less acceptance is expected later this year as the radar replacement for the AN/APG-81 runs behind schedule.

Discovered 2026-06-25T11:07:51.416078-07:00 | 2026-06-25T11:07:51.416078-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

Radar-less acceptance reduces near-term combat capability for newly delivered F-35s and pushes capability restoration to the later AN/APG-85 delivery timeline.
The situation adds another sustainment and readiness variable at the same time the program’s availability is already under scrutiny, including reporting on F-35 readiness declines and the sustainment bill identified by GAO (GAO: F-35 readiness slips; Pentagon faces $13.7B extra sustainment bill through 2031).
It highlights schedule risk in fifth-generation sensor modernization—specifically the transition to the AN/APG-85 radar planned to replace the AN/APG-81—affecting delivery planning across the services.

Reported By

Aviation A2Z savunmasanayist.com The War Zone Air Data News defence-industry.eu Air & Space Forces Mag