F-35, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
It’s clear to Americans that a major shift is underway as the second Trump administration reshapes national priorities and spending controls. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, aims to cut wasteful spending, fraud, and abuse across all federal agencies, including the Department of Defense.
Kyle Smith
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has voiced clear support for this effort, calling for significant budget cuts in his Feb. 18 memo to fit an “America First” approach. We expect these cuts, targeting excess bureaucracy, administrative layers, paperwork costs, and outdated systems, will free up funds for programs that deliver peace through strength. Hegseth has made it clear he wants to scale back engagement in forever wars and prevent new ones, stressing deterrence over active combat.
The F-35 Lightning II is the key to that goal.
The F-35 Lightning II has proven repeatedly its worth as a real-world deterrent. F-35s patrol Europe’s eastern border to check Russian fronts, while Israel uses the jet’s stealth to slip past Iranian radar on recon missions. Recently, F-35s did what no other fighter has — stopped live-fire missiles aimed at Israel by its enemies. If India decides to buy F-35s, 19 allied nations will fly them alongside the United States. Unlike antiquated jets, the F-35 is built for interoperability, links allied forces into a joint network of real-time data and analysis. This group, flying an American-built fifth-generation fighter, embodies deterrence with proven strength.
Arming our allies with advanced technology strengthens their defenses, reducing the constant need to put U.S. soldiers in harm’s way. The United States must support an increasing rate of F-35s to meet allied needs and our own military demands. The Air Force badly needs an upgrade, as laid out in The Mitchell Institute’s 2023 report, “The Dire State of the U.S. Air Force,” which highlights a significant and increasing obsolescence risk to our fleet. Older fighter jets struggle to keep pace and suit only niche missions, but the F-35 is built to ensure superiority and evolve with tech upgrades. Recent updates with Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) outfitted the fighter with improved hardware that, paired with Block 4 upgrades, further enhance its lethality and capability. Ramping up F-35 production and improving the current fleet is a challenge — one the American industrial base is ready to meet.
Goff Aerospace is one of over 1,600 American businesses in the F-35’s supply chain, poised to ramp up production. Our four Texas facilities — two in Euless and two in Decatur — alongside one in Oregon, employ hundreds of skilled workers crafting components of this fighter, from the bulkhead and wing segments that define the jet’s iconic look to equally vital but less visible parts of the fluid and air-handling systems that feed the F135 engine.
We look forward to scaling up for the F-35 under an administration set on cutting waste to give America’s warfighters the best tools. Goff Aerospace businesses are among well over 100 Texas companies integral to the F-35 program, collectively employing more than 43,000 people and driving an $8.9 billion economic impact in this state. Born and raised in Texas, I know this community takes pride in supporting the U.S. military and stamping the Lone Star on the world’s most advanced fighter jet.
The supply chain can’t do it alone, though. We look to our leaders in the DoD and Congress for support. The Biden administration cut funding for the F-35 — a move that defied logic for a military in need of modernization. We expect the Trump administration to reverse course, with Hegseth and DOGE prioritizing funding for a program like the F-35 — slashing the world’s most advanced fighter hardly fits a focus on cutting waste, not capability.
Our members of Congress must then step up to secure that funding. Only with the right tools can we achieve peace through strength while bolstering our economy. The F-35 Lightning II stands ready as the proven, in-production tool for this job and must be prioritized.
Kyle Smith is president and CEO of Goff Aerospace