Second tranche of F-35’s confirmed
 

Details here

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-c...ore-f-35-jets/

Call me a cynic but the Sir Humphrey double speak doesn't fill me with a great deal of certainty

"we are undertaking a period of further analysis to evaluate the scale and optimum delivery profile of our second tranche of F-35Bs as well as associated infrastructure and support equipment. Once complete, this activity will inform procurement timelines.”"

Scale, optimum delivery, inform..... not the same as "we're buying another 48 over 5 years" is it? Enough wriggle room to drive an A380 through it

will inform procurement timelines? Doesn't anyone in such positions speak English anymore, How about 'will determine procurement timelines!'

FB

No dates or timescales, no aircraft numbers, no logistics, no support, no contract and no money allocated.

There is nothing in the article to justify the 'Second tranche of F-35s confirmed' title of this clickbait thread or indeed any supporting commentary offered by the OP.

Pointless thread.

There will be three things going on here.

1. LFE from CSG21 - how many cabs do we need at sea? What does the Lighting Force structure to deliver that look like?
2. Mosquito / Vixen - can UAS credibly supplement F35B in a CAG?.
3. Waiting for F35 FRP contracts.

Ideal world, it would be quicker, but we're not in an ideal world. We've got under half the first tranche delivered through finance constraints, early days yet.

What's been confirmed here is the intention to procure further F35Bs beyond the current planned 48. It isn't confirmation of numbers and timeframes because that hasn't been decided yet and nor does it need to be. It's a step forward in that it's further confirmation of what was said in the review and appears to confirm that the additional aircraft will be Bs. It is what it is, a positive nudge forward and I'm glad enough to hear it. Of course nothing is ever definite, as with any other procurement - some on here were 100% confident that the carriers wouldn't happen and the P8s wouldn't happen. On balance as positive news goes it's probably as good as it was ever going to be at this stage.

"we are undertaking a period of further analysis to evaluate the scale and optimum delivery profile of our second tranche of F-35Bs as well as associated infrastructure and support equipment. Once complete, this activity will inform procurement timelines.”

Makes perfect sense to me. I clearly spent too long in Whitehall offices! ... "We are going buy some more, but haven't yet decided how many, or when."

So what is?

let alone the linked thread

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-l...80-f-35b-jets/

UK Defence Journal "confirms" something that was already previously announced by the MoD and well reported in the press.

Indeed. The 'second tranche' could well be one aircraft for all the detail the government has provided in this and previous announcements.

Could the UK F35s stand QRA, as some other countries do?

Not from the Mediterranean!

I guess anything is possible but that will be a hell of an expensive operation

Analysis and staff work don’t determine anything. They inform political determinations, the outcome of which may or may not bear resemblance to the recommendation. Sometimes the analysis is re-done with additional constraints to spare everyone from embarrassment. This is Whitehall we are talking about…