Yes I too do not believe the F-35 will be expendable. Depending on whom you listen to the cost is either in then year 2002 dollars of $40 or $50 million dollars or north of $100 million per aircraft. Serious amounts in anyone's language.
It is true that the technology in the F-22 is older than the F-35. However if what I have read about the computing modules in the F-22 they are swap out in design. I would assume that the F-35 will use similar technology. So depending on upgrades some F-22's in the future may very well have higher capacity computing power than some F-35's and of course vice versa. I would imagine that the F-22 is being built in blocks and thus would have design changes and upgrades incorporated as the build progresses.
As far as numbers go the F-22 line is going to produce South of 200 Raptors. No more have been authorised and the current US administration have not as yet authorized further numbers for the USAF or any foreign country. Interestingly the line has not had money set aside for closure with one article speculating that the current administration is leaving the decision whether to close it or not up to the next administration. Complicating matters is the grounding of some F-15 models due to a manufacturing fault that lead to a mid air break up of one F-15. Not the sort of thing that one would expect to occur in the worlds pre eminent air force. So politically their may be pressure building to order more Raptors to replace ageing F-15's?
Gordon England wants the F-35 to fill this roll and of course that may be a prudent course of action excepting the fact that the F-35 is still a long way off being ready for squadron service. Politically having to wait a further 5 or so years before the F-35 starts appearing in any numbers is an eternity in politics. So as the previous writer stated, their are no further orders for the Raptor but I wouldn't be entirely certain that this wont change.
The MAIN risks still for the F-35 and of course all previous modern fighter bomber projects and no doubt all future ones as well are...
- POLITICAL- will a new administration fully fund the continuing development of the project?
- TECHNICAL- the software codex is huge due to the complexity, integration and highly advanced nature of the on board systems in the F-35. The F-35 has allready had its fair share of problems as all procurements do. It will be quite simply unheralded if Lockheed Martin can get the F-35 to squadron service without their being all sorts of issues and problems to sort through. This is normal. For me it was really strange that that the F-35 was chosen so early in its development by defence?
I am sure the previous writers experience of the F-35 and his flight on the simulator are genuine. I would say however that until RAAF air crew can fly the F-35 for real, test the claims of the manufacturer and fly aircraft with fully useable and operational software suites will I have my concerns allayed.
As a note the CDF mentioned recently that a RAAF exchange pilot is about to transition onto the Raptor. The impressions of one of our highly trained and experienced flight crew is one of the kind's of impression that we should base our procurement decisions upon. Hopefully this pilot will be a little more politically correct than one Raptor pilot was when describing ACM with other legacy fighters. He described it as similar to "clubbing baby seals".
So should we have the Raptor. Well that is a decision for the strategic leaders. These leaders set the priorities for the war fighters. The war fighters and civilian experts then decide what system or weapon can do the job. Where possible a tender process is followed with full competition of bids. If it is restricted or unavailable for export than political pressure is applied. The paperwork is correctly filled out and submitted.
My take on things is that the RAAF with a couple of squadrons of Super Hornets and a couple of Raptor squadrons is a very nasty future fighting force. Plus we then have aircraft from both US manufacturers rather than just one. If the Americans wont sell the Raptor then my hope is that the new Australian government will put this massive acquisition out to full tender.
The complication for the new Defmin is that if he cancels the Super Hornet contract then he burns $400 million for termination fees. He may be in quite the grumpy mood considering that it would appear that nearly a billion dollars needs to be re spent to purchase helicopters to replace the Super Sea Sprite fleet. I'm glad, I'm just a blogger.