Bloomberg: American F-35 does not keep pace with Russian and Chinese air defense systems

The U.S. House of Representatives Defense Policy Committee warned that Lockheed's F-35 fighter jet

Martin Corp. has not kept pace with improvements in Chinese and Russian air defense systems.The situation is getting worse against the backdrop of the high cost of the project.

The Armed Services Committee of the US House of Representatives supported the F-35 acquisition program worth $398 billion.The amount is reflected in the report, which is attached to one of the versions of the defense policy bill for the 2022 fiscal year.According to the document, the fighter "can be used against modern integrated air defense systems."But only after it finally receives key software updates and promised combat capabilities.

At the same time, the "adversaries of the United States" are developing air defense systems faster than expected and the fighter simply does not keep up, they noteA House committee has already said that "it is unclear whether the F-35 will be able to evolve sufficiently to counter a future threat in combat zones."

The open committee did not name specific countries,which cause the concern of opponents. However, Bloomberg notes that today, Pentagon officials call China the main threat, and also note Russia's steps in military development and industry.

Congressmen are also dissatisfied with the fact that the F-35 is stillhas not demonstrated its capabilities in simulation against the most sophisticated Russian and Chinese air defense systems. 

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