GDB wrote:

Initial Italian Navy trials at sea earlier this month;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POyb4dEXDq0

Ulmer said that the downward trend in F-35 unit costs will be hard to continue, given reduced quantities in Lots 15 to17, and the more advanced Block 4 configuration.

The F-35’s sustainment problems tend to boil down to one general issue: early on, the program set optimistic predictions for the availability of parts, depots, and trained maintenance personnel. Shortages of all three have contributed to reducing mission availability for units in garrison, because parts and technicians must be prioritized for deployed units.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) pegged low mission capable rates to parts shortages in April 2019 and progress continues to be slow. With suppliers producing multiple versions of parts—not just for the A, B and C models, but also for different configurations of each—it has proven difficult to get enough spares. Adding to the complexity, available parts must be shared among the 16 partner countries of the F-35. The GAO faulted the U.S. military services for not having a comprehensive tally of the F-35 parts they owned and where they were. It reported that parts taken along for Marine Corps F-35 deployments sometimes proved incompatible with the planes that deployed.

Faster parts turnaround at the depots could help, but so far gains in aircraft availability have come because jets increasingly come in a common configuration, program officials reported.

Lockheed F-35 sustainability Vice President Ken Merchant said in February that parts availability is improving. Parts that were at a “fill rate” of 47 percent are now at 97 percent, he said, and things should continue to improve, as this is now just two years into a five-year, get-well plan.

It’s the first time 5th generation aircraft take part in BAP mission.

On Apr. 30, 2021, four Italian Air Force F-35A Lightning II jets landed at Amari Air Base, Estonia, to take over the NATO’s BAP (Baltic Air Policing) mission. It’s the first time the Italian stealth jets deploy to Estonia (even though the Italian Eurofighter Typhoons operated there for BAP in 2018) and also the first time that 5th generation aircraft support NATO’s mission in the Baltic States.

CRJockey wrote:

Am I right in guessing that means Russian radar sites and airborne early warning trying hard to map out detection chances and tactics? Or is that a layman's understanding of Russia jumping on an opportunity?

mxaxai wrote:

CRJockey wrote:

Am I right in guessing that means Russian radar sites and airborne early warning trying hard to map out detection chances and tactics? Or is that a layman's understanding of Russia jumping on an opportunity?

I assume that they'll be flying with radar reflectors to improve visibility and hide the "true" F-35 radar signature. There's no need for secrecy on this mission.

Buckeyetech wrote:

USAF chief of staff’s plan for future fighter fleet does not include F-22s, with the F-35 as the cornerstone of only four different types.

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/usaf-wi ... taff-said/

Max Q wrote:

Buckeyetech wrote:

USAF chief of staff’s plan for future fighter fleet does not include F-22s, with the F-35 as the cornerstone of only four different types.

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/usaf-wi ... taff-said/

Thats pretty incredible isn’t it ?


They plan to retire the pre-eminent air superiority fighter ?

Buckeyetech wrote:

Not sure if this has been posted in this thread, but ROK has a concept to build an aircraft carrier equipped with F-35s.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/4 ... L5NOcOc214

GDB wrote:

Nice find 777, I also noticed this in the sidebar;
https://theaviationist.com/2021/06/10/i ... ntelleria/

Here in the UK, any article about the F-35 is still, three years after they started doing it, full of below the line comments about the RN carriers with no aircraft.

747SPX, while the size of the ROK proposed carrier is a surprise, I think it is not about countering their neighbour from hell the DPRK, rather it is about the regional superpower bully China and their illegal activities aimed at turning a large swathe of the Pacific into their lake.
The same reason Japan is to put F-35B's on their carriers, the same reasons for the recent French deployment to the region and the upcoming group led by HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Aesma wrote:

A bit of a controversial question.

Is there somewhere a serious discussion/summary/article about export F-35s having a "kill switch" installed so that the US can, well, prevent their use, if it wants to ?

Any information either way would be of interest.

Thanks

Aesma wrote:

A google search turns interesting results. For example India was assured that the US could disable Pakistani AMRAAMs : http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... eport.html

bajs11 wrote:

They are increasing cooperation with their former enemy because some other nation decided to become the new Empire of Japan.
kind of ironic isn't it?

GDB wrote:

bajs11 wrote:

They are increasing cooperation with their former enemy because some other nation decided to become the new Empire of Japan.
kind of ironic isn't it?

Japan has been a formal US ally for 70 years. Japan's post WW2 Constitution (drawn up by the Allies, principally the US who occupied it after the surrender), allowed the retention of the Emperor but with a parliamentary democracy, with it's armed forces being for self defence only.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Self-Defense_Forces

bajs11 wrote:

because some other nation decided to become the new Empire of Japan.
kind of ironic isn't it?

bajs11 wrote:

Yes, that's what I was saying...

As a liberal democracy it allies itself with other liberal democracies like India, USA, Australia and UK against a certain powerful totalitarian regime which has more or less become the new Empire of Japan.

c933103 wrote:

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/obiekt/20211024-00264727
Leader of Japan's opposition party question JSDF's decision to purchase F-35, claim they're spending money buying outdated aircraft, and need to review their budget.

747classic wrote:

A ROKAF F-35A belly landed Seosan air base at January 4th 2022 after a complete systems failure.
All systems malfunctioned except flight controls and the engine. Unable to lower the landing gear, the pilot chose to land with the gear up instead of ditching the aircraft.
The incident prompted ROKAF to ground its F-35A fleet.

See : https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/ ... t-grounded?

Flyglobal wrote:

According some German news the F35 is now in the run for the Tornado replacement.

Italian F-35s Will Get AIM-9X Block II Air-To-Air Missiles
Italy already operates two types of short-range air-to-air missiles: the AIM-9L (for Tornado, AMX and AV-8B+) and the IRIS-T (for the Eurofighter Typhoon). However neither of those could be used with the 5th gen aircraft. This left the Italian F-35s with only one air-to-air weapon, the AIM-120, available for the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duty. [...]

The signing of the LOA will allow Italy to equip its aircraft with both the AIM-120 in the internal weapon bays and the AIM-9X under the wingtips’ rails, like other international F-35 users. Italy is not the only user who had to resort to this solution, with a very similar situation happening also to Norway some years ago. Norway, like Italy, used the IRIS-T on its recently retired F-16s, however in 2015 a deal to acquire the AIM-9X was signed as the European missile was not available for the F-35.

The IRIS-T was initially scheduled for integration on the F-35, with Norway sponsoring an initial study preparatory for the works, but for unknown reason the integration did not go ahead. A future integration might still be on the table however, as Greece is another IRIS-T user that will receive F-35s. Moreover, Germany and Spain, two other IRIS-T users, are still reportedly interested in the acquisition of the F-35, taking the total to five nations possibly interested in the continuation of the integration of the IRIS-T on the 5th gen. aircraft.

mxaxai wrote:

Italy procures AIM-9X blk. II for F-35, foregoing IRIS-T integration.

Italian F-35s Will Get AIM-9X Block II Air-To-Air Missiles
Italy already operates two types of short-range air-to-air missiles: the AIM-9L (for Tornado, AMX and AV-8B+) and the IRIS-T (for the Eurofighter Typhoon). However neither of those could be used with the 5th gen aircraft. This left the Italian F-35s with only one air-to-air weapon, the AIM-120, available for the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duty. [...]

The signing of the LOA will allow Italy to equip its aircraft with both the AIM-120 in the internal weapon bays and the AIM-9X under the wingtips’ rails, like other international F-35 users. Italy is not the only user who had to resort to this solution, with a very similar situation happening also to Norway some years ago. Norway, like Italy, used the IRIS-T on its recently retired F-16s, however in 2015 a deal to acquire the AIM-9X was signed as the European missile was not available for the F-35.

The IRIS-T was initially scheduled for integration on the F-35, with Norway sponsoring an initial study preparatory for the works, but for unknown reason the integration did not go ahead. A future integration might still be on the table however, as Greece is another IRIS-T user that will receive F-35s. Moreover, Germany and Spain, two other IRIS-T users, are still reportedly interested in the acquisition of the F-35, taking the total to five nations possibly interested in the continuation of the integration of the IRIS-T on the 5th gen. aircraft.

https://theaviationist.com/2022/02/04/i ... -missiles/

I realize that this has been known for some time but still, I'm surprised how much trouble the F-35 is having with IR missile integration. No IRIS-T or legacy AIM-9, and ASRAAM and new AIM-9X only on the wingtip pylons instead of the internal bay.

as Greece is another IRIS-T user that will receive F-35s.

bajs11 wrote:

as Greece is another IRIS-T user that will receive F-35s.

When did Greece order the F-35?
didnt they recently purchase a bunch of Rafael?

Greece progresses F-35 procurement plans

“Let me start with the most important point, which is, Greece will be part of the F-35 programme. I think that's clearly understood by the government, by the Hellenic Air Force, but also by the US government. You've heard expressions to that effect not just from me but from senior officials of the State Department,” Ambassador Pyatt said.

“We will have a team from the US Air Force, from the F-35 programme office, coming to Athens next month precisely to provide the Greek government with informational briefings on the requirements for moving forward with the F-35 programme,” he added.

BERLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - Germany will buy 35 U.S. F-35 fighter jets to replace its ageing Tornado, it said on Monday, announcing a first big defence deal since Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged a 100-billion-euro upgrade to the military in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The move appeared to be part of a tectonic shift in German security policy, including a pledge to reach NATO's 2% target for defence spending, after years of accusations that Germany was too dovish towards Moscow in compensation for its Nazi past. read more

"After looking thoroughly into all available options, I decided to initiate the purchase of F-35 aircraft as replacement for the Tornado in the role of nuclear sharing," Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said in a statement.