F35. How come we aren't getting this version?

[effortless]

Just been reading the presidents description.

“Amazing job,” Trump said then. “So amazing we are ordering hundreds of millions of dollars of new airplanes for the air force, especially the F-35. You like the F-35? ... You can’t see it. You literally can’t see it. It’s hard to fight a plane you can’t see.”
We fled genocide and America welcomed us. Still, Thanksgiving this year is hard
He also said: “That’s an expensive plane you can’t see. As you heard, we cut the price very substantially. Something that other administrations would never have done – that I can tell you.”

Is it that the Spams get the good one but they sell a lower spec one to everyone else?:E

[melmothtw]

We are. They're the one's you (don't) see flying off the QE2 right now.

[andytug]

They can't see their way to selling us any?

[pasta]

Story I heard was that they sent us an early prototype, but it got lost in the post...

[Ian Corrigible]

"We are ordering hundreds of millions of dollars of...F-35s."

So...two? :E

[Davef68]

Thought he was cancelling them and buying Boeing?

[Obi Wan Russell]

We are. They're the one's you (don't) see flying off the QE2 right now.

I'd be surprised to see anything flying off the QE2. It hasn't got a flight deck and it's a rusting old hulk moored in one of the Gulf States right now. Even in her prime she wasn't known for air operations. They did put a couple of temporary heli decks on her for the Falklands War but they were removed after she came back.

[melmothtw]

Yes, I spotted that shortly after posting. Did consider correcting it, but knew that someone would be along shortly to delight in pointing it out, and I didn't want to spoil their fun.

Kudos for getting an entire paragraph out of it, Obi.

[wub]

Lockheed Martin could really score here, open the doors of a huge empty hangar and tell Trump: “Here are 50 new F-35s straight off the production line, that will be hundreds of millions of dollars please”

[Lima Juliet]

rusting old hulk moored in one of the Gulf States right now

Hardly! She is undergoing refit to become a luxury floating hotel...:rolleyes:

[gums]

Salute!

With all respect to the Motherland, figure out what defensive systems you need and pay for all of it yourself.

I have the ultimate respect and admiration for the RAF and one of my early instructors was a Lightning pilot. Then had a RAF exchange officer 6 or 7 years later in a "tactical fighter" squad.

Listen to the Harrier pilots!! If they want to keep those relics going, then I'll rest my case.

The U.S. defense procurement process is very expensive and political. Ya think? The good deal for other countries is that nost of the development $$$ are paid by U.S. taxpayers. So the unit price is somewhat reduced, and in most cases the jet would not be able to be developed and fielded at all. Just imagine the Saudi folks designing, testing and developing an F-15 40 years ago.

Once the PACT "threat" was extremely reduced, the attack version of the Tornado became moot, and we saw the losses in Desert Storm versus an IAD lots less capable as the PACT had back then. I feel the Tiffie has a good role for defense of the homeland. Not so sure/informed about all missions. But where does the U.K. go from here?

Just some musings by this old Yank.

Gums sends...