F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

[asianobserve]

It's very different.

The first 270 x F35 are unable to fight. It's not a upgrade : it's a kind of bill for first IOC...

The upgrade of Rafale is just to increase capacity (ie AESA) or reduce cost (pack ECO on M88) on a war proven plane.

You're showing again your lack of knowledge. There are varying levels of maturity of the 270 F-35s produced yet. Out of that number only 108 are not combat capable without significant software upgrades while the rest only need minor software patches to bring them to current levels.

As I said earlier the $16B estimate for software upgrades is only that, an estimate, and most certainly will be lower during implementation since most of the F-35's do not need extensive upgrades.

 

[asianobserve]

The nearly $16 billion figure represented the outer limit of the modernization costs to bring all of the jets to their maximum potential currently known as “Block 4,” Winter told reporters after the hearing. The Pentagon was uncertain all F-35s would necessarily need to undergo this level of modernization.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ld-cost-16-billion-through-2024-idUSKCN1GK02M

 

[BON PLAN]

You're showing again your lack of knowledge. There are varying levels of maturity of the 270 F-35s produced yet. Out of that number only 108 are not combat capable without significant software upgrades while the rest only need minor software patches to bring them to current levels.

As I said earlier the $16B estimate for software upgrades is only that, an estimate, and most certainly will be lower during implementation since most of the F-35's do not need extensive upgrades.

Too easy to say the other lacks of knowledge.... Probably to hide its own weakness.

The truth is that LM is lost in the concurrency process. LM is producing the max plane possible so as to make the F35 program just impossible to close.
Minor software patchs after 10 yeaars of developpments and $billions ? This plane will never be ready.

 

[BON PLAN]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ld-cost-16-billion-through-2024-idUSKCN1GK02M

outer limit....
Not the first time we heard that about the stealthy turkey... just one more time.

 

[BON PLAN]

ONCE AGAIN :

Absolutely not affordable, and unable to fight.

Congrats LM !!!

 

[BON PLAN]

Finally, each Rafale Aircraft Costs Approximately Rs 670 Crore, Says Government

ie 84 € million each. (just compare with the figure above with the stealthy fat turkey)

far, far from the 200+ €millions said or say by some Rafale haters....


http://indiandefencenews.info/t-5/

 

[Sancho]

F-35 Parts Shortage Threatens To Hold Up Pilot Training, my latest @AviationWeek #F35

 

[Immanuel]

When a greek magic 2 missile fired from a Mirage 2000 shoot down the sole F16 (turkish) lost in air to air combat, my dear !

Compare that to the F-16's over 75 A2A kill history including many Sidewinder and Amraam kills, it's silly to bring up this measly number.

 

[asianobserve]

F-35 Parts Shortage Threatens To Hold Up Pilot Training, my latest @AviationWeek #F35

The Turkish F-16 was on training flight when it was shot down by a trigger-happy Greek pilot. It was piloted by an Israeli pilot with Turkish co-pilot.

 

[asianobserve]

F-35 Parts Shortage Threatens To Hold Up Pilot Training, my latest @AviationWeek #F35

And yet despite parts shortage the F-35 still has better availability rate than Rafale with the French Air Force at 51% for the F-35 versus 48% for Rafale. Not bad for an aircraft that is still under development.

 

[asianobserve]

Lockheed F-35 Cost Stabilizes at $406 Billion, Pentagon Says

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-cost-stabilizes-at-406-billion-pentagon-says

 

[BON PLAN]

Compare that to the F-16's over 75 A2A kill history including many Sidewinder and Amraam kills, it's silly to bring up this measly number.

Tss Tss Tss.....

You asked me when a french AAM destroyed something (if ever)
I gave you the answer.

End of the story. No need to add off topic comments.

 

[BON PLAN]

Lockheed F-35 Cost Stabilizes at $406 Billion, Pentagon Says

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-cost-stabilizes-at-406-billion-pentagon-says

Affordable, indeed.

 

[BON PLAN]

Length of US #F35 development program to date: 21 years and counting

Length of US #F35 development program inc Block 4: probably 24 years (or more?) https://t.co/r54m9AiZRf

 

[asianobserve]

Israel keeps quiet over F-35I's combat debut

Israel’s Lockheed Martin F-35I "Adir" is reported to have made its combat debut during strikes conducted against Syrian air defence systems last month. The action was mounted following a border clash that culminated in an Israeli air force Lockheed F-16 being shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

The F-35I's suggested offensive debut has not been confirmed officially, with Israeli air force commander Maj Gen Amikam Norkin having classified all operations with the type.

Air force officials have described the stealth fighter as a "super-intelligence collector" and a "game-changer", pointing to its ability to acquire and distribute data to other assets in the air and on the ground.

The Israeli air force's "Golden Eagle" squadron currently operates nine F-35Is, and is due to receive another six examples this year.

Israel has so far committed to acquiring 50 conventional take-off and landing F-35s, with its aircraft to be equipped with locally developed electronic warfare equipment and weapons.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/israel-keeps-quiet-over-f-35is-combat-debut-446817/

 

[asianobserve]

U.S. Pacific Command Boss Mentions Potential Sale Of F-35 To India

Just as India's once again hits the reset button on its premier fighter aircraft procurement program and becomes ever more disillusioned with Russia's 5th generation fighter offering, the head of U.S. Pacific Command has supposedly stated that he supports the sale of F-35s to India. This would be the first official admission that such a possibility is even on the table, although The War Zone has long suspected this would be the case.

First reported on by Stratpost.com, during a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing USPACOM boss Admiral Harry Harris Jr. is quotes as stating the following:

“At the moment, India is considering a number of U.S. systems for purchase, all of which USPACOM fully supports: the F-16 for India’s large single-engine, multi-role fighter acquisition program; the F/A-18E for India’s multi-engine, carrier-based fighter purchase; a reorder of 12-15 P-8Is; a potential purchase of SeaGuardian UAS; MH-60R multi-role sea-based helicopter; and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter...

...India will be among the U.S.’s most significant partners in the years to come due to its growing influence and expanding military. As a new generation of political leaders emerge, India has shown that it is more open to strengthening security ties with the U.S. and adjusting its historic policy of non-alignment to address common strategic interests. The U.S. seeks an enduring, regular, routine, and institutionalized strategic partnership with India. USPACOM identifies a security relationship with India as a major command line-of-effort...

...USPACOM will sustain the momentum of the strategic relationship generated by the POTUS-Prime Minister-level and the emerging 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue through strengthening our military-to-military relationship and working toward additional enabling agreements to enhance interoperability...

...Over the past year, U.S. and Indian militaries participated together in three major exercises, executed more than 50 other military exchanges, and operationalized the 2016 Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA). Defense sales are at an all-time high with India operating U.S.-sourced airframes, such as P-8s, C-130Js, C-17s, AH-64s, and CH-47s, and M777 howitzers.”


http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...ntions-potential-sale-of-f-35-to-india-report

 

[asianobserve]

This is a nice of pic of F-35B firing an ASRAAM:

 

[asianobserve]

A sexy photo of Dutch F-35

 

[asianobserve]

Luftwaffe chief dismissed over F-35 support

The Chief of the Luftwaffe is to leave his position in large part due to his support for a German procurement of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), Jane’s has learned.

The Chief of the Luftwaffe’s active support of the JSF clashes with current Ministry of Defence planning, which prefers a successor solution involving the Eurofighter Typhoon.

http://www.janes.com/article/78644/luftwaffe-chief-dismissed-over-f-35-support

Ouch!

 

[BON PLAN]

US seeks 400 GBU-49 PGMs as interim moving target munition for F-35

"As noted in the 2016 Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) report on the F-35, the GBU-12 has limited moving target capability. “Block 3i [initial combat capability] does not have an automated targeting function with lead-laser guidance (i.e. automatically computing and positioning the laser spot proportionately in front of the moving target to increase the likelihood of hitting the target) to engage moving targets with the GBU-12, like most legacy aircraft have that currently fly close air support (CAS) missions”, the report noted."

10+ years of dev for a so poor result....

http://www.janes.com/article/78599/...ms-as-interim-moving-target-munition-for-f-35