The nine non-US countries signed up as partners on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program have a combined airframe requirement of 600 to 800—basically equivalent to the whole Navy/Marine Corps planned buy. Those export aircraft are worth some $60 billion. And, Lockheed officials expect there will be additional, non-partner countries interested in purchasing the JSF. More than 30 countries eventually bought—and are buying—the F-35’s predecessor, the F-16. Lockheed has built about 4,500 F-16 fighters.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…