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Boeing’s evolution of the venerable F/A-18 Hornet into the Super Hornet sought to breathe fresh life into a legacy platform. Now it appears that the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II family is set for its own reimagining, but what that looks like is still up for debate.
Beginning life in the mid‑1990s’ Joint Strike Fighter competition, which sought a single, affordable platform to replace a host of legacy fighters. Lockheed Martin’s X‑35 prototype first took to the skies on 24 October 2000, with the conventional take-off of F‑35A following on 15 December 2006.
Three variants emerged, the F‑35A for land‑based operations, the short take‑off and vertical landing F‑35B and the carrier‑capable F‑35C, each sharing a common stealthy airframe, advanced sensors and network‑centric systems. Full‑rate production began in 2021, cementing the F‑35 as the backbone of multiple allied air forces.
The first operational F‑35B joined the US Marine Corps in July 2015, just ahead of the F‑35A’s entry to the US Air Force in August 2016 and the Navy’s F‑35C in February 2019. International partners queued to receive their jets: the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands and Australia, among them.
Australia’s foray began on 10 December 2018, when the RAAF welcomed its first two F‑35A Lightning IIs at Williamtown, NSW. By December 2024, the RAAF had completed delivery of all 72 aircraft, making it the second nation after South Korea to fulfil its initial F‑35 contract.
Within the RAAF, the F‑35A now operates across three squadrons, including No. 3 Squadron and No. 75 Squadron, alongside the EA‑18G Growler and F/A‑18F Super Hornet. Together, these platforms form Australia’s premier air defence and strike capability, underpinned by stealth, sensor fusion and allied interoperability.
The Lightning II’s advanced electronic‑warfare suite and secure datalinks allow Australian pilots to achieve unprecedented situational awareness and rapidly share information in joint operations.
Looking ahead, the F‑35 fleet will undergo the Block 4 modernisation, incorporating Technical Refresh-3 (TR‑3) and a suite of hardware and software enhancements. Meanwhile the proposed Block 4 upgrades promises over 17 new weapons, upgraded sensors, expanded datalinks and improved cockpit systems designed to transform the jet into an even more lethal, networked combat aircraft.
Although TR‑3 testing has slipped several months, completion is slated for the mid‑2020s, ensuring Australia’s Lightnings remain cutting‑edge. Beyond Block 4, future evolution may leverage adaptive engines for greater range and efficiency, as well as integration with unmanned “loyal wingman” drones under programs like AIR 6500.
From its inception as a next‑generation strike fighter to its central role in the RAAF and its ongoing upgrades, the F‑35 family exemplifies a platform built for continuous evolution. As Australia faces an increasingly complex Indo‑Pacific security environment, the Lightning II will remain a cornerstone of deterrence and allied interoperability for decades to come.
Evolution plans already in the works
But the evolution of Lightning II as a platform doesn’t stop there, with the potential for it to undergo a similar treatment to the evolution of Boeing’s classic F/A-18 A–D series of Hornet fighter aircraft, which ultimately would result in the F/A-18 E–F family of Super Hornets and, of course, the specialised E/A-18G Growler platform.
Hinting at this, Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet recently elaborated on early-stage plans to integrate sixth-generation technologies developed by the company for its failed bid for the multibillion-dollar US Air Force Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, with an eye on future development.
Taiclet detailed the company’s plans, telling listeners on the company’s latest earnings call, “Our next-generation air dominance efforts advance many classified technologies that were aligned to this strategy and we plan on applying those technologies to our current systems, making our already proven products even more relevant to the future as well as enhancing the capabilities we provide in ongoing and future development.
“For example, the knowledge and technology development gained from our investments in the NGAD competition strengthened our conviction to enhance the F-35 to a fifth generation plus capability ... I challenged the team to deliver 80 per cent of sixth-gen capability at 50 per cent of the cost. In support of this vision, we’re also committing to drive disruptive innovation and building upon our recent established internal capabilities in AI, autonomy, crewed-uncrewed teaming and command and control systems across the whole company.
He added, “We’ve aligned these technology investments with our customer priorities and demonstrating meaningful increases in capabilities at relatively low cost. We’ve already shown the networking and teaming ability of the F-35 and the F-22 to control uncrewed vehicle systems like drone wingmen through onboard deployments of our autonomy solutions on real aircraft.”
Beyond this is a suite of technologies developed to support the company’s NGAD bid, including advances in low observable materials (stealth coatings), related geometries, countermeasures, propulsion systems and a host of other technologies whose development was paid for by the US government as part of the NGAD program.
But what else could we expect to see in the development of a Super Lightning II in the vein of the evolution program that transformed the Classic Hornet into the lethal, leading edge 4.5 generation fighter aircraft slated to remain in Australian and American service until at least the mid-2040s?
Towards ’Super Lightning II’
In a transformative step echoing the evolution of the Classic Hornet into the Super Hornet, the proposed “Super Lightning II” program represents a comprehensive modernisation of the F-35 fighter family.
With Australia already heavily invested in the F-35A platform, the program offers a compelling pathway to future-proofing air combat capability in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific.
At the heart of the program is a structural redesign, the Super Lightning II would feature an enlarged fuselage, extended wingspan and increased internal volume to carry more fuel and weapons, translating directly into greater range and payload. While retaining the stealth shaping and low observability of the original aircraft, the updated design subtly reworks the airframe for improved internal cooling, access for maintainers and aerodynamic efficiency.
Propulsion would also receive a generational leap through the integration of adaptive cycle engines, such as the General Electric XA100 or the Pratt & Whitney XA101 from the US Adaptive Engine Transition Program. These power plants promise up to 30 per cent greater range, 20 per cent faster acceleration and vastly increased power generation and thermal capacity – essential for directed energy weapons and advanced sensors.
This would be particularly impactful for the F-35B+ variant, whose vertical lift fan system would be refined to handle heavier loads without compromising the short take-off and vertical landing flexibility, although I personally am partial to providing the F-35B+ with the landing gear and folding wings of the evolved F-35C to facilitate catapult assisted take-off, vertical landing for operation off modified large deck amphibious warfare ships.
Mission systems would be overhauled under a new open architecture framework, enabling rapid plug-and-play upgrades across avionics, electronic warfare and sensor fusion. Australia would benefit from this through quicker integration of sovereign or allied technology and a smoother transition to collaborative systems, including Loyal Wingman-type unmanned assets.
The Super Lightning II is envisioned as a key node in the broader Joint All-Domain Command and Control network, capable of fusing air, maritime, cyber and space data into a single operating picture for both Australian and allied command and control requirements.
Armament enhancements are also central, the increasing proliferation of advanced air defence systems, coupled with the enlarged weapons bays, would accommodate longer-range missiles like the AIM-260 JATM and small diameter bombs such as the GBU-53/B. Additional external hardpoints allow for increased non-stealth payload carriage in permissive environments, while future compatibility with hypersonic glide vehicles and advanced cruise missiles is anticipated.
The B+ variant introduces even more flexibility for naval and expeditionary air forces, with the aforementioned structural and engine advances providing greater thrust and structural durability. It would offer expanded options for operations from Canberra Class LHDs or forward austere airstrips – a valuable consideration in the Pacific’s island geography.
For Australia, participation in a Super Lightning II program could serve as strategic hedge against emerging threats such as China’s J-20, the recently unveiled J-36 “sixth-generation” fighter and long-range missile systems. By aligning with US upgrade timelines and feeding into the Block 4 and beyond roadmap, the RAAF ensures its fifth-generation fleet doesn’t stagnate while sixth-generation platforms remain years away.
In sum, the Super Lightning II is less a replacement and more a reinvention, expanding the F-35’s strategic utility into the 2030s and beyond, building on the pedigree of Lockheed Martin’s cutting-edge innovation and an established precedent of platform evolution developed through the Hornet-to-Super Hornet development pipeline.
But it is important to understand that all of this remains hypothetical and well and truly in the ether, but it is fruit for thought.
Get involved with the discussion and let us know your thoughts on Australia’s future role and position in the Indo-Pacific region and what you would like to see from Australia’s political leaders in terms of partisan and bipartisan agenda setting in the comments section below, or get in touch at
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
