F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

BON PLAN

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Obviously, but 90% of r&d was already bundled with the previous procurement batches.. Thats why F35 costed $150m for first few batches. Also there were additiinal r&d budgets..
Oh no....
The R&D effort is far more than only 50 $million each for the first ones.
 

BON PLAN

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Total number of procured units of rafale for the time this program budget was announced ( in 2013)
No.

The total ordered planes for France only is 180 so far. Another batch is waiting in the last 2 or 3 years for at least 30 planes (30 to 45).
Add the 36 for India, 36 for Qatar, 24 for Egypt.
 

Bhurki

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No.

The total ordered planes for France only is 180 so far. Another batch is waiting in the last 2 or 3 years for at least 30 planes (30 to 45).
Add the 36 for India, 36 for Qatar, 24 for Egypt.
Program cost only includes jets ordered for french forces..
Why the hell would a french program pay for other country's jets.
 

Bhurki

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Oh no....
The R&D effort is far more than only 50 $million each for the first ones.
I said 'additional r&d' too.. Which includes subsystems research. Cost additions to batches reflect r&d in production systems which is then bundled with the overall r&d head while mentioning total program cost
 

BON PLAN

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Program cost only includes jets ordered for french forces..
Why the hell would a french program pay for other country's jets.
As all the Rafale international GIE has financed 25% of the R&D effort, it is to be payed by export deals.
 

Bhurki

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As all the Rafale international GIE has financed 25% of the R&D effort, it is to be payed by export deals.
Yes but that again will not be reflected in the program cost compiled by the MoD, France as $63B in 2013 (expecting it to be over $75B today inflation adjusted)
 

Bhurki

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US Navy wants Sidekick internal weapons rack for F-35C to carry 6 AIM-120 air-to-air missiles



The Pentagon’s Fiscal Year 2021 Unfunded Priorities List has put in a request to equip low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 15 F-35C fighters with the Sidekick internal weapons rack.

The Sidekick is a modification from Lockheed Martin to allow the A and C variants to carry up to six AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles (instead of four) in its internal weapons bay.

With the introduction of missiles like CUDA, this could mean a future payload of 4 full length medium-long range weapons ( aim 260, meteor) + 4 half length short-medium range weapons (CUDA, peregrine).
'Sidekick' deployment confirmed for all Lot 14/15 F35 enabling them to carry 6 Aim-120D by Aug'2022. Earlier lot backfit modif contract expected over the present - Aug'22 timeframe.
Including the new SiAW (Aargm-Er mod)

DoD launches F-35A DEAD/SEAD retrofit


The DoD has awarded the manufacturer USD36.78 million to support non-recurring engineering efforts to develop and certify a retrofit solution to support the structural requirements for full-up DEAD/SEAD capabilities for Lot 14 and Lot 15 F-35A aircraft.

The award, which covers USAF and international F-35A operators, will run through to August 2022.

DEAD/SEAD is one of the core missions of the F-35, alongside defensive counter-air (DCA); close air support (CAS); air interdiction (AI); strike, co-ordination, and reconnaissance (SCAR); and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (NTISR).
 

airtel

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Japan cleared to buy 105 Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters for $23bn


Japan has been cleared by the US State Department to buy 105 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters as part of a package worth an estimated $23.11 billion.

The potential F-35 deal is the second largest foreign military sale approved by Washington in history, behind a $29.4 billion sale of Boeing F-15SA fighters and associated weapons to Saudi Arabia in 2010.



Source: Lockheed Martin

Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35A

Tokyo requested 63 examples of the F-35A conventional take-off-and-landing variant and 42 examples of the F-35B short-take-off-and-vertical-landing variant (STVOL), the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency says as part of a notice delivered to the US Congress on 9 July.

Also, part of the sale are 110 Pratt and Whitney F135 engines, including five spare turbines.



The fighters will come with an electronic warfare and command system; control, communications, computers and intelligence, navigation and identification system; the F-35 Autonomic Logistics Global Support System; the F-35 Autonomic Logistics Information System; a flight mission trainer; and F-35 unique infrared flares, among other undisclosed subsystems and features.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia-Pacific region,” says the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency. ”It is vital to U.S. national interest to assist Japan in developing and maintaining a strong and effective self-defence capability.”

Japan is ordering F-35Bs to populate its two aircraft carriers of the Izumo-class. Originally built as helicopter carriers, the Izumo and Kaga are to be retrofitted with reinforced and heat-resistant decks to handle the fixed-wing aircraft.

Though Japan has a Final Assembly and Check-Out facility for the F-35, aircraft from this prospective order are to be built in Fort Worth, Texas. There are no known offset agreements as part of the deal, says the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The sale of F-35s to Japan is not finalised and still requires acceptance by Tokyo.


 
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Sanglamorre

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China is the biggest producer of rare Earth materials but that doesn't mean that USA wouldn't be able to arrange it from somewhere else.
If there's a war, and Tibet and Xinjiang is freed. They'll be relying on their natural resources, as well as the new smaller China would need to do that too to survive. So, breaking them up and getting them to sell is n option.
 

BON PLAN

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Again and again....

ttps://aviationweek.com/ad-week/lengthy-f-35-upgrade-list-transform-strike-fighters-future-role

I don't know if F35 will be fully operationnal one day, but it is a milk cow for LM.
 

Manticore

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Again and again....

ttps://aviationweek.com/ad-week/lengthy-f-35-upgrade-list-transform-strike-fighters-future-role

I don't know if F35 will be fully operationnal one day, but it is a milk cow for LM.
Im sorry. It's operational now. Were they not supposed to upgrade it like they're doing to just about every fighter aircraft flying now?
 

BON PLAN

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Im sorry. It's operational now. Were they not supposed to upgrade it like they're doing to just about every fighter aircraft flying now?
Not really.
As for now, F35 is only IOC. And every body knows that it's a political IOC.
 

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