6 Reasons Why The F-35 Is So Expensive To Operate

The F-35, particularly the F-35A variant, is not very expensive to buy, but it is expensive to maintain and operate. The flyaway cost of an F-35A can be as low as $82 million, which is lower than many of the world’s 4th-generation fighter jets like the Boeing F-15EX, Dassault Rafale, and Eurofighter Typhoon. But the total ownership costs can be far larger than those of legacy jets. It is largely nonsensical to compare the cost of an F-35 with the cost of a lower-end, lighter fighter like the Saab Gripen. They are different machines built for different missions.