MarkW

That will happen when they connect the static discharge lines to it. All the electricity will drain out.

This had my mildly confused...I thought the Wasp was going to be the dedicated test platform?

I think you missed the larger point... Freedom isn't free And here's a semi cool F-35B rolling approach. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29569/check-out-this-f-35-helmet-display-video-of-a-rolling-landing-on-the-hms-queen-elizabeth?xid=emailshare

Freedom ain't free. It costs a buck O five

Well looks here...good news for the jarheads. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/seoul-to-receive-four-more-f-35as-as-tokyo-confirm-460364/?cmpid=NLC%7CFGFG%7CFGFDN-2019-0821-GLOBnews&sfid=70120000000taAm

I'm surprised they haven't already, unless we've gone back to letting them attack Kurds at will.

Without getting into too many specifics that would get me in trouble, that is a very lame response. equivocating and using the "what about them?" type arguments do not address the fundamental problem.There is one side that is clearly excelling at deconstructing civility, honor, and any semblance of allegiance to the truth, let alone the United States Constitution. I suspect many of us here have a one time or another sworn allegiance to that document. Saying all sides are bad does not absolve the one side that is truly, awfully terrible. that said, it's about time they got off the p

Look, the Navy only had 15 years to get ready for this jet. I'd be far more interested in seeing what the US Air Force mission-capable rates are as that should give a better indication of who has their act together logistics wise.

Aviation history.

Short of a Growler, what provides a better EW capability?

They clearly were going with a much cheaper alternative to replace a light attack aircraft...wait, THE TYPHOON?!

Germany knocks F-35 ot of Tornado replacement competition: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/01/31/germany-officially-knocks-f-35-out-of-competition-to-replace-tornado/

In the US, what Lockheed, Boeing and Northrop do is far more insidious and harder to overcome though. They don't sell to the public at large. You never saw that Boeing commercial with the two little kids talking about the f-35 and the f-18 on American TV. What they do is hire a bunch of ex-military guys, who come with a degree of built-in gravitas. Then they sell their program with all of its faster-than-light technology to some major who more likely than not may not even have an engineering degree. The next thing you know that major is all lathered up, and has sold the program to

Before anyone gets too holier-than-thou, I don't find Saab's claims to be any more or less outrageous than Boeing's, Airbus, Lockheed, Northrop, Hindustan, Dassault Mirage, Sukhoi, etc. This is a business where the moral imperative is selling units, not being remotely honest. And please, please don't hold up Lockheed as a paragon of honesty.

Depends on how they were queued, I suspect they are doing more than just testing gravity.

”And the US would have a new tanker in service now, If Airbus had gotten the contract for it ” Oh, puuuuuuuleeeeeeeeeeeeze. How's that A400M doing? How hard was it to copy an upscaled C-130? Airbus is not the standard I'd raise.

You know he's right, though? At least partially. Lockheed doesn't know how to manage a program. Could you imagine the train wreck-crashing into the Titanic-with a 747 full of school kids falling on all of it mess things would be with Boing?! Misspelling intentional.

So Navy gonna Navy... https://breakingdefense.com/2018/12/three-attack-subs-not-certified-to-dive-navy-f-35s-at-15-percent-readiness/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ebb 13.12.18&utm_term=Editorial - Early Bird Brief 15% readiness...at least they are firmly in double digits. Kidding aside, this is not terribly unpredictable. Spare management fleetwide will need time to mature for sure. Nice to see ALIS isn't the obvious bogeyman here.

Another first for BF-04.

Not exactly. First, you have to stop, relative to the ship, regardless. Second, the brits were the ones pushing a rolling landing approach at one time.

The black helicopters will be arriving at your location shortly.

Regarding the Brit ops--anyone notice they didn't pass over the stern? The sidle up along mid ship then lateral over. I know there was significant angst and hand wringing with the USN regarding the possible downwash effects passing over the stern of the LHDs, which like most of the Navy gross paranoia, turned out to be not an issue. From what I can see of the QE design, it seems to be a much cleaner deck edge than our ships, so It's curious to see the side approach.

Now that we know the pilot is safe, the important question: DID THEY SAVE THE HELMET?!

CNN reporting a F-35B went down near Beaufort SC. Pilot ejected, being evaluated.

Navy 2020 or 2045 or 3030 or whatever the hell their long term plan is called always envisioned Shornets and 35s working in the composite wing of the future. It makes more sense for them to practice now for how they will operate the next 20 years.