Quote:
Originally Posted by sandiego89
seems it is only fashionable to bash the F-35 delays now
You'll have to do better than that, sandie. The Typhoon entered service doing it's primary role (A2A) roughly 10 years back! As, CM has already pointed out, Typhoon's A2G role was always going to be added at a later date, quite a bit later i'll admit! The F-35 hasn't entered service in ANY significant role yet!
-RP
I can try harder if you want,
yes I get the Typhoon tranches, and the initial roll out as an air to air platform. I won't go into dates of the original programs that led to Typhoon or F-35 as it is too depressing, but perhaps first flights dates are worth the banter:
(EAP first flight 1986), Typhoon prototype 1994, dropping Paveway IV 2014, and some basic precision weapons a few years before that. So about 15 years from prototype first flight to some air to ground, maybe 20 years to state of the art air to ground.
No matter how it is spun, I do think the lack of demonstrated multi/swing role capabilty has cost the Typhoon in multiple competitions. A few selected Typhoon, some chose proven designs (Rafale, Grippen, F-18, F-15), some chose to wait and see, some chose to chase the promises of the F-35 and it remains to be seen how that will play out. Typhoon was always pitched as multi-role, but has only recently been able to prove it. If it had proven it a few years earlier I can't but help think more orders would have come in.
(X-35 first flight 2000), F-35A first flight 2006. Paveway IV trials in 2014. So perhaps 8 years.
RAF successfully tests Paveway IV from Typhoon and F-35 - UPI.com
Yes I get the F-35 is not yet in front line service.
I doubt we will agree on much, but perhaps we can both agree that both programs have had troubling, nearly criminal, delays.