F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
Dog Tired
[…] adding two 600-gal. external tanks on an F-35A […]
UK F35
UK stealth fighter jets join fight against Islamic State https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48745027
Used on Ops already. Not bad for a jet that we’ve only had in the UK for a few months.
BV
Used on Ops already. Not bad for a jet that we’ve only had in the UK for a few months.
BV
The not-so-subliminal message of the BBC's clip above is quite different from the claimed objective of 'going after IS remnants'.
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She added: "It obviously has some incredible capabilities which are really putting us in the lead."
Excellent. Heart warming that IS is proving to be a real test of it's capabilities.
Excellent. Heart warming that IS is proving to be a real test of it's capabilities.
External tanks on pylons would obviously be highly adverse to the radar signature - but properly designed conformal tanks could have a minimal impact.
I wonder if it would be practical to design conformal tanks that could be jettisoned if combat was imminent?
I wonder if it would be practical to design conformal tanks that could be jettisoned if combat was imminent?
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs, center, lead a formation of Israeli Air Force F-35I, right, and Royal Air Force F-35B, left, during Exercise Tri-Lightning over the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, June 25, 2019. Tri-Lightning is a defensive counter air exercise involving the U.S., U.K. and Israel. The exercise is designed to improve interoperability and coordination in air operations among the U.S. and its partners. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Keifer Bowes)
https://www.afcent.af.mil/News/article/1886852/
https://www.afcent.af.mil/News/article/1886852/
Can someone please point me to a balanced article on F35?
I see a lot of bashing about stealth, costs and snags, but little with an overall balanced view.
I’m wondering at $100m a pop this is not much more than an F18E now (and when in full prod), but has proper LO which can be maintained, has brilliant SA and sensor suite. Do the speed and agility compromises need to be seen in that context? Would anyone really want an F18 instead? Also from a Uk perspective we make the back end (?) so much of our £bn investment will be seen again in Salmesbury? etc. through the 3000 production run.
I realise it is not all roses but struggle to find articles that bring out some of these positives.
PS What would you - today - rather go and drop some paveway with - Typhoon/F18 or F35?
I see a lot of bashing about stealth, costs and snags, but little with an overall balanced view.
I’m wondering at $100m a pop this is not much more than an F18E now (and when in full prod), but has proper LO which can be maintained, has brilliant SA and sensor suite. Do the speed and agility compromises need to be seen in that context? Would anyone really want an F18 instead? Also from a Uk perspective we make the back end (?) so much of our £bn investment will be seen again in Salmesbury? etc. through the 3000 production run.
I realise it is not all roses but struggle to find articles that bring out some of these positives.
PS What would you - today - rather go and drop some paveway with - Typhoon/F18 or F35?
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
has brilliant SA and sensor suite. Do the speed and agility compromises need to be seen in that context? Would anyone really want an F18 instead?
Ohhh! And the new Ford class carriers won’t be able to operate them till their mid life updates....
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/bu...ve-f-35s-64051
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The sensor suite is old, because of the protracted delay, and far from modern standards and already contracted to be replaced, the same or better is already planned for other airframes. Yes. Ask the USN......
Ohhh! And the new Ford class carriers won’t be able to operate them till their mid life updates....
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/bu...ve-f-35s-64051
Same old same old. RAF Typhoon targeting [lightning 5?] pods 3+ gen ahead of geriatric F35 standard fit. No Raptor pod, uplinking, brite cloud etc, etc.
Yeah everything's good.
The sensor suite is old, because of the protracted delay, and far from modern standards and already contracted to be replaced, the same or better is already planned for other airframes. Yes. Ask the USN......
Ohhh! And the new Ford class carriers won’t be able to operate them till their mid life updates....
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/bu...ve-f-35s-64051
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Nice shot indeed.
Many thanks.
I guess the UK NAO might shed some light, but I’ve never found the NAO very balanced - too busy trying to find some issue, blow it out if proportion and big themselves up as having found something and provided direction and hence saved the day. As a result they often fail to comment on positives or see the bigger picture.
Is the GAO similar?
I guess the UK NAO might shed some light, but I’ve never found the NAO very balanced - too busy trying to find some issue, blow it out if proportion and big themselves up as having found something and provided direction and hence saved the day. As a result they often fail to comment on positives or see the bigger picture.
Is the GAO similar?
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What would have been the alternative? If you ignore the vstol variant for a moment and focussed on what you needed to replace F16 and F18 etc. Would their replacements have been very different to F35?
Or would the requirements driving stealth, SA sensors and networking etc. have resulted in very similar - if not the same - technical risks and delays that F35 saw? But possibly duplicated in two very expensive programmes?
And if you argue to just upgrade F16 and F18 instead, you can’t bolt on stealth so you’re abandoning that as a requirement?
Is the cost of stealth a price worth paying?
I assume no one is pretending a stealthy pure F16 (and parallel programmes for F18 etc) would have been any cheaper than F35?
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Is it really so simple to mock?
What would have been the alternative? If you ignore the vstol variant for a moment and focussed on what you needed to replace F16 and F18 etc. Would their replacements have been very different to F35?
Or would the requirements driving stealth, SA sensors and networking etc. have resulted in very similar - if not the same - technical risks and delays that F35 saw? But possibly duplicated in two very expensive programmes?
And if you argue to just upgrade F16 and F18 instead, you can’t bolt on stealth so you’re abandoning that as a requirement?
Is the cost of stealth a price worth paying?
I assume no one is pretending a stealthy pure F16 (and parallel programmes for F18 etc) would have been any cheaper than F35?
I guess if you don't want to read the facts presented in the annual NAO report[s] and internally digest the failings, or read this thread, that's up to you.
Cheers.
"I guess the UK NAO might shed some light, but I’ve never found the NAO very balanced - too busy trying to find some issue, blow it out if proportion and big themselves up as having found something and provided direction and hence saved the day. As a result they often fail to comment on positives or see the bigger picture. "
Care to list some positives from recent UK military procurement?
They are the National AUDIT Office - it's their job to find out what is over budget, where the money is short and where illogical optimism rules - and heaven knows they're not short of examples............
Care to list some positives from recent UK military procurement?
They are the National AUDIT Office - it's their job to find out what is over budget, where the money is short and where illogical optimism rules - and heaven knows they're not short of examples............