F-35 Fighter’s Tires Wear Out Too Soon, Pentagon Finds

Tires that wear out too soon are adding to the troubles facing Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35, the Pentagon’s costliest weapons system.

Landing-gear tires made by Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd. for the Marine Corps version of the fighter have “been experiencing an unacceptable wear rate when operating as a conventional aircraft,” according to Joe DellaVedova, spokesman for the Defense Department’s F-35 program office.

He said the tire, which costs about $1,500 apiece, demonstrates “adequate wear” when the aircraft performs short takeoffs and vertical landings intended for amphibious warfare vessels and improvised runways.

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