My Fifth-Generation Journey: 2004-2018

By: Robbin Laird

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

This is a revised version of the book first published in 2023 and includes updates from 2024 and 2025, including with regard to Israel operations with the aircraft.

It is a book about the coming of the F-35. It tells the story of those in the military who worked to introduce the aircraft into the combat force. Visits throughout the world accompanied the standing up the aircraft and this book tells the story of those visits and the work of the warriors who made the F-35 global enterprise possible.

As LtGen George Trautman, USMC (Ret), Former USMC Deputy Commandant for Aviation, writes in the forward to the book: “Robbin’s ability to capture the perspectives of the key players, from pilots to maintainers and logisticians, provides a comprehensive and insightful account of this revolutionary aircraft. Moreover, the book uncovers the geopolitical implications of Fifth-Generation warfighting capabilities. As nations seek to assert their dominance and secure their interests, the strategic implications of these technologies ripple across the global stage. Through a series of personal essays and skilled interviews with those who understand the aircraft, My Fifth-Generation Journey: 2004-2018 deftly navigates through this complex web, painting a vivid picture of how Fifth-Generation warfighting will shape the future geopolitical landscape.”

Unlike traditional aircraft that receive periodic major upgrades, the F-35 represents a "software-upgradeable aircraft" designed for continuous evolution. Each block represents a combat-ready variant with additive capabilities. As one military leader noted, the aircraft "never will be truly finished" — it's designed for constant improvement.

The F-35's future role extends beyond piloted operations. Military planners envision it serving as a command node for "man-robotic wolf packs," directing swarms of autonomous sensors, weapons, and support systems. This evolution toward sixth-generation concepts positions the F-35 as a bridge between traditional piloted aircraft and future autonomous operations.

The F-35 program demonstrates that military transformation requires more than new equipment — it demands new thinking. Nations that embrace networked, data-driven approaches to warfare gain decisive advantages. Those clinging to legacy processes risk finding themselves outmatched by adversaries who adapt more quickly.

The F-35 represents the first true Information Age flying combat system, comparable to how tanks revolutionized ground warfare a century ago. Its impact transcends aviation, demonstrating how technological capability, international cooperation, and operational innovation combine to create transformational military capability.

Critics who focused on early challenges missed the larger transformation underway. The F-35 program has created not just a new aircraft, but a new model for international defense cooperation, continuous capability development, and networked warfare operations.

The "fifth-generation journey" continues, but the destination has become clear: a future where integrated, software-defined capabilities enable rapid adaptation to evolving threats while strengthening the bonds between allied nations. In this transformation, the F-35 serves not as an end point, but as the beginning of a new era in global defense strategy.