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https://a855196877272cb14560-2a4fa819a63ddcc0c289f9457bc3ebab.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/18217/f-35_lightning_ii_program_fast_facts_-_november_2020.pdf

 

 

2021 in about 41 days and nearly 600 produced, all 3 variants in service. Japan ordering more, in the running in 3 more nations...

 

 

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1 hour ago, Darren Roberts said:

Of all these produced, is there still only one Navy fleet squadron (VFA-147) with them?

 

NAS Lemoore is currently home to 16 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter squadrons and is the only home to U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II Fleet squadrons: VFA-147 “Argonauts,”  VFA-125 “Rough Raiders,” the F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) and the most recent addition, VFA-97 “Warhawks,” who will begin their transition to the Lightning II next year.

 

from a puff piece about building a hanger a couple weeks back:

 

https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/nas-lemoore-s-newest-f-35c-hangar-tops-out-major-milestone-during-construction/article_b9948ffa-c433-5f9e-9fb4-fe543bd544a9.html

 

hope this helps. 

 

 

https://www.f35.com/news/detail/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-f-35c1

 

More cool F-35C stuff including animated gifs on what is probably the prettiest F-35 variant 

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20 hours ago, Darren Roberts said:

I don't consider the Marines part of NavAir. 😄

 

bec2cb837847bead8f7547e895f714614ad93947

 

 

Greece is making noise that they would be more than happy to take those formerly Turkish F-35s. 

 

 

https://theaviationist.com/2020/11/22/greece-officially-requests-urgent-purchase-of-second-hand-f-35s/

Quote


 And they get schooled by every other Navy squadron as well. Sorry, I couldn't resist a little inter-service rivalry humor. 😀

 

 

its just great to have them finally onboard the 5th generation club, it only took 14 years past the USAF and 4 years later than the Marines. Who knows, they may even go on a deployment someday with them. 

 

 

 

Edited by TaiidanTomcat
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2 hours ago, TaiidanTomcat said:

 

bec2cb837847bead8f7547e895f714614ad93947

 

 

Greece is making noise that they would be more than happy to take those formerly Turkish F-35s. 

 

 

https://theaviationist.com/2020/11/22/greece-officially-requests-urgent-purchase-of-second-hand-f-35s/

 

its just great to have them finally onboard the 5th generation club, it only took 14 years past the USAF and 4 years later than the Marines. Who knows, they may even go on a deployment someday with them. 

 

 

 

😂

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Joe Biden will call time on the JSF

ROBERT GOTTLIEBSEN

11:04AM NOVEMBER 9, 2020

For Australia the biggest legacy of the Donald Trump presidency, apart from the China change, has been his appointment of clear thinking rational defence chiefs. They replaced a group of US defence public servants that had made serious mistakes and so were in constant denial. They let the US fall behind in many aspects of defence technology – particularly air power.

I have no doubt that under President Biden there will be no going back to the old days and, although he will never admit it, he will be thankful for the Trump administration change.

And of course it’s no surprise to anyone who has been studying defence over the last decade or two that an early decision of the new US defence administration has been to gradually limit the role of the joint strike fighter or F-35 as it has come to be known.

On the surface that’s a disaster for Australia because our air defence is based on the F-35/joint strike fighter. But the US is merely facing realty and it’s a decision that should have been made six years ago. There has been no announcement that actually ends the F-35/joint strike fighter. It will be a slow demise. But it’s started. According to Times of Israel reports, Israel has been in principle offered the brilliant but out of production aircraft, the F-22. The F-22 will be enhanced with some of the very clever and advanced software that has been developed for the JSF. That offer to Israel of the F-22 has to be approved by Congress which will be a significant decision for the new Biden administration. We need to urgently get in the queue.

But the JSF’s slow death will proceed anyway.

In Australia the Wentworth Report has revealed that the Pentagon 2020 budget includes buying 80 F-15s over the next three years with the potential to go to 400. Every F-15 bought means that one less F-35 will be built.

The F-15 can carry up to 22 air-to-air missiles, while the JSF/F-35 is limited to four. The F-15 can reliably be expected to get in the air every day of the week, while the JSF/F-35 might be able to fly every second day. But the F-15 is an old aircraft and does not deliver air superiority. It is a stop gap.

The second part of the JSF/F-35 long term death warrant is a $62 billion ten-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity fixed-price-incentive contract for new production of F-16 fighter aircraft.

I gain no satisfaction from being right in predicting the JSF/F-35 disaster. But it’s important to set out just how long our defence chiefs have been in denial because, to retain US respect, Australia will have to go through the same defence management revolution as the US.

And that will require us to also re-evaluate the submarine mess which horrifies the Americans.

I describe my coverage of the JSF/F-35 disaster not to brag but to show how out of touch our defence chiefs have been for the last 12 years. We have had a long succession of defence ministers but none of them came to grips with the fundamental errors that were being made in Australia’s air defence.

I am no defence expert but I chose the right advisor: AirPower Australia lead by Peter Goon. Their work was far in advance of the defence department.

I started on the subject around 2008 when writing for businessspectator.com.au which was later purchased by News, publisher of The Australian.

The early articles showed how there was no way JSF could be delivered by 2012 — one of the first silly claims by defence chiefs. But their most stupid claim was to quote the cost of the JSF aircraft without the engine.

With Air Power’s help I was able to explain to readers why the JSF/F-35 would not deliver its promise – a low cost highly manoeuvrable aircraft that would deliver air superiority for Australia in the region. I made a submission in April 2014 to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade but the politicians believed the defence chiefs rather than the journalist.

But as each year went by the situation got worse. I got no satisfaction from being right and, in fact I failed, because Australian defence chiefs kept their heads in the sand.
 The change came from the US and we have to thank President Trump for that. The Wentworth report neatly summarises some of the failings which have been concealed from the Australian parliament and public.

The ability to supercruise a criterion for an aircraft to be labelled as ‘5th generation’. America’s F-22 and the Russia’s Su-35 can supercruise as can Sweden’s Gripen E. The JSF/F-35 cannot.

A high instantaneous turn rate improves a fighter’s chance of dodging an incoming missile. The F-16 actually out turns the JSF/F-35

A nail in the JSF/F-35 coffin was hammered in two weeks ago when its ‘Joint Simulation Test” was delayed yet again. The aircraft has to pass this test to be declared for full rate production. Otherwise the project is killed off and no more JSF/F-35’s are produced. The test should have been completed by 2017.

ROBERT GOTTLIEBSEN BUSINESS COLUMNIST

 

 

 

 

 

Well folks this it. Might as well close the thread down. F-35 dead, F-22 returns from the dead to serve Australia. I got too cocky bros. 

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5 hours ago, TaiidanTomcat said:

 

 

Well folks this it. Might as well close the thread down. F-35 dead, F-22 returns from the dead to serve Australia. I got too cocky bros. 

Don’t believe all those negative naysayers TT.   I, for one, have always been a staunch supporter of The Program and find talk like that disturbing.
 

Haters gonna hate, right?  

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7 hours ago, TaiidanTomcat said:

Joe Biden will call time on the JSF

ROBERT GOTTLIEBSEN

11:04AM NOVEMBER 9, 2020

For Australia the biggest legacy of the Donald Trump presidency, apart from the China change, has been his appointment of clear thinking rational defence chiefs. They replaced a group of US defence public servants that had made serious mistakes and so were in constant denial. They let the US fall behind in many aspects of defence technology – particularly air power.

I have no doubt that under President Biden there will be no going back to the old days and, although he will never admit it, he will be thankful for the Trump administration change.

And of course it’s no surprise to anyone who has been studying defence over the last decade or two that an early decision of the new US defence administration has been to gradually limit the role of the joint strike fighter or F-35 as it has come to be known.

On the surface that’s a disaster for Australia because our air defence is based on the F-35/joint strike fighter. But the US is merely facing realty and it’s a decision that should have been made six years ago. There has been no announcement that actually ends the F-35/joint strike fighter. It will be a slow demise. But it’s started. According to Times of Israel reports, Israel has been in principle offered the brilliant but out of production aircraft, the F-22. The F-22 will be enhanced with some of the very clever and advanced software that has been developed for the JSF. That offer to Israel of the F-22 has to be approved by Congress which will be a significant decision for the new Biden administration. We need to urgently get in the queue.

But the JSF’s slow death will proceed anyway.

In Australia the Wentworth Report has revealed that the Pentagon 2020 budget includes buying 80 F-15s over the next three years with the potential to go to 400. Every F-15 bought means that one less F-35 will be built.

The F-15 can carry up to 22 air-to-air missiles, while the JSF/F-35 is limited to four. The F-15 can reliably be expected to get in the air every day of the week, while the JSF/F-35 might be able to fly every second day. But the F-15 is an old aircraft and does not deliver air superiority. It is a stop gap.

The second part of the JSF/F-35 long term death warrant is a $62 billion ten-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity fixed-price-incentive contract for new production of F-16 fighter aircraft.

I gain no satisfaction from being right in predicting the JSF/F-35 disaster. But it’s important to set out just how long our defence chiefs have been in denial because, to retain US respect, Australia will have to go through the same defence management revolution as the US.

And that will require us to also re-evaluate the submarine mess which horrifies the Americans.

I describe my coverage of the JSF/F-35 disaster not to brag but to show how out of touch our defence chiefs have been for the last 12 years. We have had a long succession of defence ministers but none of them came to grips with the fundamental errors that were being made in Australia’s air defence.

I am no defence expert but I chose the right advisor: AirPower Australia lead by Peter Goon. Their work was far in advance of the defence department.

I started on the subject around 2008 when writing for businessspectator.com.au which was later purchased by News, publisher of The Australian.

The early articles showed how there was no way JSF could be delivered by 2012 — one of the first silly claims by defence chiefs. But their most stupid claim was to quote the cost of the JSF aircraft without the engine.

With Air Power’s help I was able to explain to readers why the JSF/F-35 would not deliver its promise – a low cost highly manoeuvrable aircraft that would deliver air superiority for Australia in the region. I made a submission in April 2014 to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade but the politicians believed the defence chiefs rather than the journalist.

But as each year went by the situation got worse. I got no satisfaction from being right and, in fact I failed, because Australian defence chiefs kept their heads in the sand.
 The change came from the US and we have to thank President Trump for that. The Wentworth report neatly summarises some of the failings which have been concealed from the Australian parliament and public.

The ability to supercruise a criterion for an aircraft to be labelled as ‘5th generation’. America’s F-22 and the Russia’s Su-35 can supercruise as can Sweden’s Gripen E. The JSF/F-35 cannot.

A high instantaneous turn rate improves a fighter’s chance of dodging an incoming missile. The F-16 actually out turns the JSF/F-35

A nail in the JSF/F-35 coffin was hammered in two weeks ago when its ‘Joint Simulation Test” was delayed yet again. The aircraft has to pass this test to be declared for full rate production. Otherwise the project is killed off and no more JSF/F-35’s are produced. The test should have been completed by 2017.

ROBERT GOTTLIEBSEN BUSINESS COLUMNIST

 

 

 

 

 

Well folks this it. Might as well close the thread down. F-35 dead, F-22 returns from the dead to serve Australia. I got too cocky bros. 

Journalists don't usually have access to classified data.

There isn't a single ship or aircraft in service that didn't receive "journalistic" criticism.

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  • 2 months later...

Just stumbled up on this article.   Recently departed SECDEF Chris Miller referred to the F-35 as a "Piece of Sh*t" and the AF is looking at capping F-35A numbers at ~ 1,000, down 700 from the previous plan.    

 

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/us-air-force-talks-new-f-16-orders-latest-acquisition-shake

 

Things were going so well, what went wrong?

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6 hours ago, 11bee said:

Just stumbled up on this article.   Recently departed SECDEF Chris Miller referred to the F-35 as a "Piece of Sh*t" and the AF is looking at capping F-35A numbers at ~ 1,000, down 700 from the previous plan.    

 

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/us-air-force-talks-new-f-16-orders-latest-acquisition-shake

 

Things were going so well, what went wrong?

 

 

In a press gaggle transcript released by the Department of Defense, Miller responds to a question about the F-35 program, but not before throwing some serious shade at his job:

I so…I mean, I cannot wait to leave this job, believe me. But part of me is like, I would have loved to have gotten involved in the acquisition process and try…and you know, talk about wicked problem. I wanted to take that one on….F-35s, the case study.
Although, I gotta tell you, yesterday we were talking to some guy, some lieutenant colonel, or colonel, said ‘what are you flying?’ Said ‘F-35,’ I was like that’s a piece of…and he was like…and he laughed, and I was like, ‘no seriously, tell me about it,’ and he was…an F-16 guy, F-35, he said…‘unbelievable aircraft,’ I’m not…I…that investment, for…that capability, that we’re never supposed to use, ‘well, we have to deter, blah blah bluh blah…Are we fifth generation?
You know we…I think it’s hilarious, you know, right now, you know, ‘well we need to invest in the sixth generation,’ I’m like, we have created a monster
but you know that.

 

 

Sounds like a real bright, articulate guy, sad to lose our last pentagon whizkid like this. Can't believe they didn't keep him. 

 

as for the think tank F-35A cap for the USAF even if it was implemented it wouldn't take place until 2031-2033 in keeping with 48-60 airframes per year. Not really worried about that at all. beyond not being able to predict the future, the Super hornet line was supposed to be closed 5 years ago, and theres a special kind of irony talking about buying more teen fighters unexpectedly while talking about how we somehow will cap and curtail F-35s in only 10 years... 

 

people laughed at General Dynamics when they said the F-16 would hit 2000 units. its at nearly 5000 when the latest orders are fulfilled. 

 

I would bet very heavily on F-35 production stretching into the 2040s even if the USAF stopped playing, and I've seen this movie so many times --they won't stop playing.  if I'm wrong people can point it out to me when F-35 production line shutdown.

 

"One day the last F-35 in production will roll off the production line and that will be the end of F-35 production"

-- John Madden

 

Its shiny kit syndrome: What we have now is loaded and bloated and delayed, but the next project won't have that. it will avoid all those pitfalls of last project. I know we promised that with current project and it didn't' work out, but this project will be different, not like all those other times we said it. This time we mean it. Whatever would take the place of the F-35 in production will be on time, on budget, and not delayed. Magic? no computers. We have computers now. and a plethora of new buzzwords and acronyms.

 

I bet we are only 10 years away from an F-35 competitor that will be better in every way. all I need is a few billion dollars to develop it. and a few billion for my partner here. 

Edited by TaiidanTomcat
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1 hour ago, Da SWO said:

Part of the problem is an unwillingness to improve what we have.  2-4 versions of a jet and it's off the Jets R Us for the newest toy.

 

kinda looks like we are starting to get sucked into that again...

 

I know we never really full replaced the F-16 or F-15 with the F-35, and F-22... but hear me out, I've got something that will replace the F-15 and F-16...

 

and this time its gonna work! 

 

it needs to be remembered that the F-35 would not be killed off if production ended, the F-35 "follow on" would continue to replace the teen series and the other last gen jets before tackling any of the newer F-22 or F-35 jets. one also finds themselves with the same problem we started with "how will we replace all these teen fighters?" welcome to 1996

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