Words can't describe my amusement at yet another rant by the man 'Sharkey' himself - aka 'Angry from Grenada'... perhaps too much sun, rum and Patrick O'Brian like his colleagues-in-arms at the Phoenix Think Tank.
If we don't place an order for the F 35 this year, we shall no longer be a Tier 1 partner
Yeah right...given the recent changes in the JSF Programme of Record we could be absolutely forgiven for waiting until certain in-roads are made. We are a Tier 1 partner based on a number of things and having to place an order this year is certainly not it.
What say you to the insider information that the Eurofighter radomes are now cracking up and falling off in the air during manoeuvre?
So what if this is true? Yes, sometimes design engineers do get things wrong on fatigue predictions and such things; however, if this tale is true the fleet would be certainly have been grounded (which it isn't
AFAIK) and a full Eng invest would be underway. A fix would be identified and put into action ASAP, esp with the Olympic commitment on the doorstep. Mountains out of molehills; yet another desperate attempt to bolster a bitter underlying arguments about the demise of SHar and the SDSR 10 fallout.
The aircraft in question is part of the development programme. It does not in any sense represent an operational aircraft
No, perhaps not 100% but not far off. These jets are the most operationally representative test and evaluation platforms that have likely EVER existed and the UK have bought two with another hopefully inbound in two years or so. There are plethora of reasons why as well.
On paper, it belongs to the UK because the UK has had to put money into the project
Again, no: The aircraft belong to the UK because we bought them with money and, as is customary in such financial exchanges, really do own them. It has nothing to do with 'on paper' at all.
THEY ARE NOW LOOKING AT HOW THEY CAN ADAPT THEIR AMPHIBIOUS CARRIERS WHICH OPERATE THE HARRIER AND WOULD OPERATE THE STOVL AIRCRAFT FOR THE OPERATION OF NON-STOVL AIRCRAFT
If you mean F-35C or another non-STOVL F/A-type then, unless technology has produced the ability to add operating 'acreage' to these amphibious ships, you can't adapt them to operate off an LHD, or even the new LHX.
Widger,
I agree that if we were just buying a Carrier Strike asset here then a total weapon system approach to the training, ownership and operation would favour the RN, however I fear that isn't the way its going to go now. The future desire for JSF for UK will likely need a 'carrier capable' platform that won't break the bank in the near-term and that will replace an ageing jet fleet (i.e. GR4) In terms of range and payload this puts favour back in the operating flexibility and basing availability of the F-35B (assuming EMALS on QE is too much ££) and I agree with SSSETOWTF's points that back up the STOVL variant's strengths. The money isn't there to really leap to F-35C now. We've just gone back into recession. Tewkesbury has the RN's only serviceable SSN conducting 'aid to the Civil Authorities' as we speak and the Govt has more important issues to hand than the rantings of bitter old Admirals and authors of 'I alone saved The Falklands' books.
Just sayin'
Oh, by the way:
I'm sure I have read somewhere that we do have Fleet Air Arm pilots qualified in both types and should these be the folks we should be listening to PURELY from the operational aspect of this decision
We have a fair number of RAF pilots qualified in both types that also have a voice as well.