Assessing the Importance of Aviation Technological Advancements for the United States

Since the end of World War II, a key tenant of the United States’ foreign policy has been investment in the military and research and development into military technology, with the aim being to facilitate foreign military sales (FMS) and maintain air superiority. A major part of this research and development of FMS falls within aviation technology and the development of modern aircraft. The United States is the global leader in military aviation, having already fielded two fighter jets that fall within the ‘fifth generation’ of fighter aircraft. Both aircraft feature low-observable stealth techniques, including the use of Radar-absorbant materials, internalizing storage of the weapons and fuel, and the external shape of the aircraft. The stealth capabilities of both aircraft are combined with self-protection and radar jamming technologies, and integrated avionics offering a live and accurate operations picture for the pilot providing situational awareness. One of these fifth generation fighters, the F-35 Lightning II, was developed by Lockheed Martin starting in 2001 at the request of the United States to replace aging fighter and attack aircraft inventories for the Air Force, the Marine Corps, and the Navy. The Joint Strike Fighter Program (JSF) was the title used to describe the development for the suite of F-35 fighter jets, the F-35A for the Air Force, F-35B for the Marine Corps, and the F-35C for the Navy. The JSF program was invested in by a coalition of governments, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Australia. The development of the F-35 suite of fighter jets was used by the United States to form an international coalition for security and cooperation. While the United States remained the primary funder for the JSF, the other coalition nations would invest in the development of the program to receive F-35 fighters upon completion of development. Israel and Singapore were included in the program as ‘security cooperation participants’ which put them in a lower tier of influence within the program but allowed them access to the F-35. 

Diplomacy With Turkey

One nation that stands out on the list of cooperative governments in the JSF program is Turkey. The United States removed Turkey from the JSF program due to their purchase and the delivery of the Russian S-400 air defense system. This would compromise the technological aspects of the F-35 wich the United States would  not want in the hands of non-allied nations, including Russia. Additionally, the United States has yet to return the $1.4 billion payment made by Turkey for purchasing the F-35A fighters. Turkey has since requested to purchase new Lockheed Martin F-16 fourth generation fighter jets in 2021 which the United States has yet to approve. The ban on exports of the F-35 to Turkey and the seizure of eight F-35A fighters bound for Turkey in 2020 shows how the United States uses the sale of aviation technology and aircraft to conduct diplomacy, punishing Turkey for purchasing military hardware from Russia.

Military Preparedness and Deterrence

United States fifth generation fighters not only represent a strategic asset in military sales and coalition-building but also a threat to foreign nations intending to enter armed conflict with the United States and her allies. The F-35 Lightning II and the F-22 Raptor represent the most advanced fighter platforms in the world and add to the United States’ strategy of deterrence against China, which represented a significant part of the U.S. 2022 National Defense Strategy. China and Russia have developed their own fifth generation fighters, the Chinese Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon and the Russian Sukhoi SU-57 Felon, which poses a clear challenge to the United States for air dominance. As maintaining air dominance would be essential in any future conflict, the importance of fielding more advanced aircraft cannot be understated. In addition, the F-35 fighter has been cited by the Department of Defense as an essential component of modernizing the United States’ nuclear arsenal to further strengthen regional deterrence, as it is capable of carrying B-61-12 nuclear bombs within its weapons bay.

Conclusion

The F-35 Lightning II and the F-22 Raptor are the United States’ premier fighter jets and the most technologically advanced fighter aircraft in operation today. The United States enjoys air dominance due to the advancements in U.S. aviation technology that has allowed them to field these jets. Additionally, the F-35 program gives the United States the opportunity to conduct aerospace diplomacy with both allies and adversaries through cooperative development and deterrence. As the rest of the world develops fifth generation fighters to rival the United States, we see the sustained necessity for United States and its allies to develop aviation assets in order to strengthen security coalitions and maintain dominance in the skies.