More militaries are turning to F-35s for their air forces, a former Lockheed Martin exec said. Tom Burbage told Newsweek that the adoption of F-35s frees up F-16s for air forces like Ukraine's. It says the aircraft would boost its air force, which is currently made up of Soviet-era jets. Experts say that Ukraine receiving advanced jets could help to deter Russia's air force, which hasn't played a notable role in the invasion due to Ukraine's advanced air defense systems. Retired Air Marshal Greg Bagwell, a former senior commander in the UK's air force, told Newsweek that F-16s are "slowly becoming 'surplus' because of the F-35 orders."

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Persons: Lockheed Martin, Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin's, Ukraine's, Burbage, hasn't, Greg Bagwell, John Kirby, Kirby Organizations: Lockheed, Newsweek, Service, Privacy, Air, US National Security, Fox News, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine's, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Finland, NATO