Russia Can’t Stop Making Things Up About the F-35
There is no indication that the Arctic conditions had anything to do with the recent F-35 crash in Alaska—but Russia has said so anyway.
The crash of a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II at Eielson Air Force Base (AFB), Alaska, on Tuesday afternoon is still under investigation, but a Russian “expert” has weighed in—suggesting the fifth-generation all-weather multirole stealth fighter isn’t ideally suited to operations in the Arctic region.
“F-35s tend to fail. And not just anywhere, but in Alaska. There are a total of 54 fighter jets stationed at the base. The average price of one new F-35 is about $81 million,” Alexander Stepanov, program director for the Academy of Political Sciences, told Russian state media outlet Tass. “This illustrates the operational capabilities of the world’s most expensive fighter in the Arctic zone and the number of units delivered to the countries of Northern Europe and Canada.”
Stepanov went on to note that Canada is on track to acquire at least 88 of the F-35A models, the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, while Nordic nations Finland and Norway are both operating the fighter already. This would seem to counter the very argument the Russian analyst was trying to make.
However, Stepanov suggested the recent crash needs to be considered, and whether the Lightning II is up to operations in the far north.
“Clearly, Lockheed Martin’s multi-billion dollar strategy of expansion into the Arctic states is facing the challenge of harsh climatic conditions,” he continued.
All of these comments should be chalked up to Russian disinformation, however. Let’s set the record straight.
The F-35’s Cold Weather Experience
The F-35 has indeed struggled with maintenance issues and budgetary concerns. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned in 2023 that maintenance delays continue to plague the program—with the aircraft only able to perform 55% of the time, while the goal is 85 to 90% of the time.
However, there is no indication that “Arctic” conditions had anything to do with Tuesday’s mishap.
NATO member Norway has operated the F-35 from its Ørland Air Station since 2017, and the fifth-generation fighters have been employed by the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) in NATO air policing missions since 2020. The Nordic NATO country has about forty of the aircraft in service, used in the NATO Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission.
Unique about the RNoAF’s Lightning IIs is that they are equipped with a drag chute to help slow the aircraft during landings on short, wet, and even icy runways. To date, no RNoAF F-35s have been lost to crashes or serious mishaps.
Earlier this month, the RNoAF also tested a new “greener fuel blend” that contained 40% biofuel, which is not only better for the environment but can also help ensure the F-35 can remain combat-ready even when traditional aviation fuel supplies might be compromised.
Finland Highlights the Plane’s Ruggedness
Russia’s neighbor Finland—and, to the Kremlin’s chagrin, now the second-newest NATO member after Sweden—has also adopted the F-35. Last September, the Finnish Air Force conducted operations that not only highlighted that it can operate just fine in the Nordic region, but also that it was able to take off and land from austere locations during the annual BAANA exercise.
In fact, it was U.S. Air Force F-35s—from the 48th Fighter Wing, based at Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath, United Kingdom—that conducted the landing on a highway during the road-base exercise that is carried out by the Finnish Air Force to ensure the readiness of pilots and maintainers to operate from remote locations. Norway’s F-35s had taken part in the annual drills the year prior, and according to past reports, didn’t even need to employ the aforementioned drag chutes.
It is also absolutely true that the F-35 has some issues to resolve, including addressing its poor availability rate. But the ability to operate from the Arctic isn’t the problem—even if Russian propaganda efforts suggest otherwise.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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