Key Points and Summary – Lockheed Martin’s “Ferrari” concept frames an F-35 5th-gen-plus: a software-first overhaul that adds AI-assisted sensor fusion, TR-3/Block 4 computing, and new weapons like AARGM-ER and StormBreaker.
-Rather than redesign the airframe, the plan pushes longer-range detection, faster targeting and deeper magazines while enabling manned-unmanned teaming with Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
-The result is a stealth fighter that acts as a networked quarterback—sharing tracks, cueing shooters and striking when needed.
-Timelines for Block 4 are phased, but the direction is clear: upgrade the jet into a scalable node that can grow with threats and complement future NGAD systems across the coming decade.
-The concept of an F-35 5th-generation “plus” is both intriguing and realistic given fast-emerging technological breakthroughs in the realm of AI, sensing, computing, avionics, software, and mission systems.
Coming Soon: F-35 ‘Ferrari’?
Lockheed’s F-35 “Ferrari” upgrade concept, now being considered by the Department of Defense (DoD), awaiting an ‘official’ name change to the Department of War, could potentially generate an entirely “new” aircraft in some respects without having to engineer and build an entirely new airframe.
Software upgrades, the integration of AI, and the addition of new long-range sensors and weapons could massively enhance the aircraft’s performance parameters without needing to change its external configuration.
There is precedent for this, as numerous legacy aircraft have been upgraded and transitioned from decades-old, potentially obsolete platforms into relevant, capable aircraft positioned to perform well in a modern threat environment.
Upgraded Air Force Platforms
Heavily upgraded platforms have shown great success in the case of the B-2, F-22, and F-15EX, as each of these aircraft has made generational leaps in performance due to upgrades and the integration of new avionics, weapons, sensors, and command and control technology.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Melanie “Mach” Kluesner, pilot of the F-35A Demonstration Team, performs aerial maneuvers at the Sun ‘n Fun Airshow in Lakeland, Florida, April 4, 2025. The demonstration team showcases the skill and precision U.S. Air Force pilots and aircraft are capable of. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nicholas Rupiper)
A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II from the 48th Fighter Wing approaches a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing during an aerial refueling mission as part of combat readiness inspection Skyway Chariot over the North Sea, May 8, 2025. Skyway Chariot was designed to assess how effectively the 100th ARW could operate under constrained conditions in the face of a potential threat. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aidan Martínez)
The F-15EX 4th-Gen “plus” aircraft demonstrates the extent to which an aircraft can achieve generational leaps in performance without needing to be fully replaced with a new airframe.
The re-engining of the B-52 is yet another instance of this kind of success, as the classic bomber has, in recent years, received a new internal weapons bay, communications equipment, weapons, and electronics.
Stealth aircraft such as the F-22 and B-2 have also undergone upgrades that essentially redefined the airframes with new coating materials, computer processing, thermal management technology, and weapons interfaces.
All of this would seem to indicate that there is no reason a similar effort could not successfully leap the F-35 forward a generation. Certainly, an F-35 “Ferrari”-plus might not have the advanced stealth fully horizontal configuration of an F-47, yet it could potentially integrate a wide sphere of 6th-generation technologies; this might include advanced applications of AI-enabled computing and sensing, heat signature reduction enhancements, the potential addition of lasers, and an entirely new arsenal of next-generation weapons.
Software Upgrades for F-35
In the case of the F-35, software upgrades have, for years, massively expanded the sensing, weapons, and computing.
The now-arriving Block 4 software drop, for example, will integrate paradigm-changing new weapons such as the Stormbreaker and AARGM-ER (Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range).
The AARGM-ER introduces new range and target sensing technology for attacking enemy air defenses.
At the same time, the Stormbreaker offers the capability to change course in flight via a datalink and track targets in all weather conditions at ranges of up to 40 nautical miles.
The F-35 is already known to operate with a tremendous advantage over 4th-generation platforms due to its sensing, computing, and targeting range.
Years ago, an Air Force wargame called Red Flag demonstrated that an F-35 can see and destroy groups of 4th-generation aircraft at distances where 4th-generation aircraft are unable to see the F-35.
Master Sgt. Tristan McIntire, 40th Flight Test Squadron, marshals the F-15EX, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, to a stop at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. March 11, 2021. The F-15EX will be the first Air Force aircraft to be tested and fielded from beginning to end through combined developmental and operational tests. (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.)
The F-35’s AI-enabled “sensor fusion” could potentially be brought to a new level of range, data integration, multi-domain networking, and fire control interface. An F-35 “Ferrari” could use software and fire control upgrades to create interfaces for an entirely new generation of weapons, so a 5th-gen “plus” F-35 might be positioned to fire lasers and detect and destroy targets from even greater ranges with increased lethality.
Manned-Unmanned Teaming
The F-35 has also been a pioneering aircraft in the realm of manned-unmanned teaming, as it has already shown in an Air Force Research Lab experiment that it can exchange data in flight with the emerging Valkyrie drone.
The concept of a “loyal wingman,” where drones or groups of drones are controlled from an aircraft’s cockpit, originated with the F-35 and F-22. It has since become a primary operational concept for 6th-generation Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs).
It seems there would be few barriers to upgrading or adjusting the F-35 such that it can not only network with the F-47 but also operate CCAs as well.
About the Author: Kris Osborn
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
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