F-35 Joint Strike Fighter News, Videos and pics Thread

[Jeff Head]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Great list Jeff, but now the second F35 for the Dutch has just been delivered at start of the last month, I think it was 8th March 2013

Production is fast!

Great! I will add that one in there in my original quote.

By the end of this year the numbers will be approaching 150 aircraft...and by the end of 2014, you will see total numbers of the F-35 surpass the total F-22 inventory.

It appears that the South Koreans are nearing a decision; DSCA notice for F-35 was just published and is below:

Outstanding. If it goes through, another 60 aircraft to Korea will be a great expansion of the program and may open the door for some later, F-35B sales to equip their Dokdo LHD, should they ever want a Naval Air arm operating off of that 1st Dokdo and perhaps the second one should they ever build it.

 

[Franklin]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

The Netherlands has taken delivery of the first F-35 in march and is expected to take delivery of the second plane in the summer. But the training and testing fase of the program for the Netherlands has been stalled untill the Dutch government has made the final decision on the replacement of the F-16 Fighting Falcon's. Untill then the planes will be kept air worthy by American pilots.

 

[Jeff Head]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

The Netherlands has taken delivery of the first F-35 in march and is expected to take delivery of the second plane in the summer. But the training and testing fase of the program for the Netherlands has been stalled untill the Dutch government has made the final decision on the replacement of the F-16 Fighting Falcon's. Untill then the planes will be kept air worthy by American pilots.

Well, Asif indicated that the second was delivered last month, and that is correct because I have now seen news reports about it on March 2, 2013.

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The first Dutch F-35 was deliverd in April 2012.

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[Franklin]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Well, Asif indicated that the second was delivered last month, and that is correct because I have now seen news reports about it on March 2, 2013.

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The first Dutch F-35 was deliverd in April 2012.

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The following is a very basic production schedule approved for release by Lockheed and the US Government inlate 2011 and 2012.

I don't know the article i read says that the second plane will come to the Netherlands this summer.

 

[Jeff Head]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

I don't know the article i read says that the second plane will come to the Netherlands this summer.

I don't know what to tell you. It has been reported in both the US and Dutch press. I can show you pictures of both.

Here's the first, AN-1 being rolled out of the Lockheed factory on April 5, 2012:

Read about it

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...and here's the second, AN-2 being rolled out of the factory on March 2, 2013:

Read about that

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The Dutch now have two aircraft. Whether they take advantage of them and test them is their call...but they have been delivered according to contract.

 

[Franklin]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

I don't know what to tell you. It has been reported in both the US and Dutch press. I can show you pictures of both.

Here's the first, AN-1 being rolled out of the Lockheed factory on April 5, 2012:

Read about it

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...and here's the second, AN-2 being rolled out of the factory on March 2, 2013:

Read about that

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The Dutch now have two aircraft. Whether they take advantage of them and test them is their call...but they have been delivered according to contract.

If you say that the Netherlands already got 2 F-35's then i'll believe you. It won't be the first time that the press has got something wrong. In the Netherlands the F-35 or the JSF is quite a controversial issue. The air force wants the F-35 and the largest political parties have already given their fiat for it in principle. The Netherlands have already invested about 1,5 billion $ into the JSF program. But some of the smaller parties in the parliament and a few rebels in the large political parties are against it. They feel that the F-35 is too expensive and that the Dutch F-16's still has more than a decade life left in them so there is no need to take a decision on the purchase of a new fighter jet now. Especially now during these hard economic times. And other sections of the armed forces are opposed to the F-35 as well. Because of the high cost for the F-35 both in terms of acquisition and maintenance, they fear that the F-35 might eat into their part of the budget. And this is especially true for the ground forces. The alternative for the F-35 that's most often mentioned is the Saab Gripen NG.

 

[kwaigonegin]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

If you say that the Netherlands already got 2 F-35's then i'll believe you. It won't be the first time that the press has got something wrong. In the Netherlands the F-35 or the JSF is quite a controversial issue. The air force wants the F-35 and the largest political parties have already given their fiat for it in principle. The Netherlands have already invested about 1,5 billion $ into the JSF program. But some of the smaller parties in the parliament and a few rebels in the large political parties are against it. They feel that the F-35 is too expensive and that the Dutch F-16's still has more than a decade life left in them so there is no need to take a decision on the purchase of a new fighter jet now. Especially now during these hard economic times. And other sections of the armed forces are opposed to the F-35 as well. Because of the high cost for the F-35 both in terms of acquisition and maintenance, they fear that the F-35 might eat into their part of the budget. And this is especially true for the ground forces. The alternative for the F-35 that's most often mentioned is the Saab Gripen NG.

I think both of you are confusing semantics. Rolled out (of a factory) and taken delivery by another country's air force are completely different things. These birds are NOT physically in the Netherlands. They may not be for many more months.

 

[Jeff Head]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

I think both of you are confusing semantics. Rolled out (of a factory) and taken delivery by another country's air force are completely different things. These birds are NOT physically in the Netherlands. They may not be for many more months.

No, there was a pretty simple statement that started this conversation that contradicted asif's statement that the second aircraft had just been delivered. In that statement it was indicated that the 1st aircraft had been delivered in March and that the second would be delivered in the summer. But, the fact is, the 1st was delivered last April (2012)...there are no semantic misunderstandings there.

Now, as you say, it is true that they are not physically in the Netherlands...but they were never intended to be in the Netherlands at this point. Like the three the English have, although they are now a part of an "English" Squadron, they are being tested here and English personnel are a part of that and are learning the aircraft.

That was always the plan at this stage of the game for all of the partner nations. The dutch know this, Lockheed knows this and there is no controversy or mistake about it. It may be that some here on the forum or out in the public who are not famliar with the program do not know this, and that is fine and is also why I have taken the time to find the links and document what has actually happened.

So, Lockheed has rolled out two Dutch aircraft and delivered them per the contract as I stated. Those airecraft now belong to the Dutch, just like the three the British have belong to them...but they are being tested here, per the contract.

Hope that helps everyone understand what is going on.

I know there are financial and political issues associated with the ongoing procurement of the F-35 by some countries...and as I have stated, they will have to make their decisions based on their economic realities. But, IMHO, it would be short sighted to drop out of the program now, when the price is beginning to come down as we all knew it eventually would. Better to delay procurement until that particular nation comes out of the economic slump, and then pick back up, than to cancel. Particularly a nation like the Netherlands who has already invested so much money helping get the program where it is today.

 

[kwaigonegin]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

No, there was a pretty simple statement that started this conversation that contradicted asif's statement that the second aircraft had just been delivered. In that statement it was indicated that the 1st aircraft had been delivered in March and that the second would be delivered in the summer. But, the fact is, the 1st was delivered last April (2012)...there are no semantic misunderstandings there.

Now, as you say, it is true that they are not physically in the Netherlands...but they were never intended to be in the Netherlands at this point. Like the three the English have, although they are now a part of an "English" Squadron, they are being tested here and English personnel are a part of that and are learning the aircraft.

That was always the plan at this stage of the game for all of the partner nations. The dutch know this, Lockheed knows this and there is no controversy or mistake about it. It may be that some here on the forum or out in the public who are not famliar with the program do not know this, and that is fine and is also why I have taken the time to find the links and document what has actually happened.

So, Lockheed has rolled out two Dutch aircraft and delivered them per the contract as I stated. Those airecraft now belong to the Dutch, just like the three the British have belong to them...but they are being tested here, per the contract.

Hope that helps everyone understand what is going on.

I know there are financial and political issues associated with the ongoing procurement of the F-35 by some countries...and as I have stated, they will have to make their decisions based on their economic realities. But, IMHO, it would be short sighted to drop out of the program now, when the price is beginning to come down as we all knew it eventually would. Better to delay procurement until that particular nation comes out of the economic slump, and then pick back up, than to cancel. Particularly a nation like the Netherlands who has already invested so much money helping get the program where it is today.

no arguments there Jeff.. I was refering more to Franklin whom I thought said 'roll-out/taken delivery etc meant that they were flown to Netherlands in the Summer.

 

[Air Force Brat]

re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

I don't know what to tell you. It has been reported in both the US and Dutch press. I can show you pictures of both.

Here's the first, AN-1 being rolled out of the Lockheed factory on April 5, 2012:

Read about it

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

...and here's the second, AN-2 being rolled out of the factory on March 2, 2013:

Read about that

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

The Dutch now have two aircraft. Whether they take advantage of them and test them is their call...but they have been delivered according to contract.

I don't know that I have ever seen a night "roll out" photo, cool, but a little "surreal". Brat