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

[Ananamus]

Lame excuse, the Russians has similar level of corruption, but manage to avoid any fancy, "doing more damage than good" procurement strategies.

Respectfully, Russian Armed Forces are nowhere near as ridiculously corrupt as the US armed forces.
In America, ex-lieutenants getting cushy retirement jobs for 500K+ a year in the MIC while doing nothing, and billions randomly disappearing from the budget is a meme. Lobbying, etc.
There is no such thing in Russia.

 

[Temstar]

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Womp womp

I have a very bold suggestion: one F-35 for one FC-31 trade. Seems like a fair trade to me, US need an air combat focused stealth fighter and PLAN could use some VTOL stealth attack aircraft for 075/076, it's win win!

 

[siegecrossbow]

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Womp womp

I have a very bold suggestion: one F-35 for one FC-31 trade. Seems like a fair trade to me, US need an air combat focused stealth fighter and PLAN could use some VTOL stealth attack aircraft for 075/076, it's win win!

Don't quote David Axe here please. He has a hate-boner for the F-35.

 

[stan hyd]

Don't quote David Axe here please. He has a hate-boner for the F-35.

Even with a piece like this though, the Boeing execs must be doing a little happy dance.

 

[siegecrossbow]

Even with a piece like this though, the Boeing execs must be doing a little happy dance.

Boeing execs should worry about basic QA first.

 

[Bhurki]

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Womp womp

I have a very bold suggestion: one F-35 for one FC-31 trade. Seems like a fair trade to me, US need an air combat focused stealth fighter and PLAN could use some VTOL stealth attack aircraft for 075/076, it's win win!

Its much better to directly read what USAF chief has said, which is what David opined on.

According to him, there is necessity of a newer fighter *not* because of a deficiency in F35 (capability vis-a-vis platform), but because of the deficiency of numbers of F35 due to its slower production on-ramp (about 6 years), as well as the F16 units in ANG that need a replacement or costly MLU within next 5-10 years.

That's why he also talks about rationing the flight hours of the existent and upcoming F35 airframes, using his 'ferrari' analogy.

One could argue they could just increase the intake of F35 in upcoming years to make up for the shortfall, but the cost penalties stand against them, since there's an upper limit on basing, training and maintenance capabilities of underlying program structure.

What they want to buy is not something that replaces the F35, but something that is a notch lower in terms of capabilities to cover all the missions that don't necessarily require cutting edge tech.(Middle east comes to mind), while still having the quick adaptability that is inherent in the newer digitally maintained jets.(in terms of weapon, subsystem integration and various comms, syatem upgrades)

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

Even with a piece like this though, the Boeing execs must be doing a little happy dance.

The most likely winner of this would be Lockheed Martin with the F16 block 70. This is as Boeing has nothing in the right class and the whole push to a “Clean sheet” is just a study. Hell the whole deal is just a study.
Because the F16 Block 70 line is slated to reopen in South Carolina this gives them a cost and production capacity advantage assuming that the USAF goes through with this. The rest is just the same old bull been spouted by Critics and dick measuring.

 

[siegecrossbow]

The most likely winner of this would be Lockheed Martin with the F16 block 70. This is as Boeing has nothing in the right class and the whole push to a “Clean sheet” is just a study. Hell the whole deal is just a study.
Because the F16 Block 70 line is slated to reopen in South Carolina this gives them a cost and production capacity advantage assuming that the USAF goes through with this. The rest is just the same old bull been spouted by Critics and dick measuring.

Do you think that the F-16XL could be resurrected? It is faster than the F-16A and has far greater multi role capabilities.

 

[stan hyd]

The most likely winner of this would be Lockheed Martin with the F16 block 70. This is as Boeing has nothing in the right class and the whole push to a “Clean sheet” is just a study. Hell the whole deal is just a study.
Because the F16 Block 70 line is slated to reopen in South Carolina this gives them a cost and production capacity advantage assuming that the USAF goes through with this. The rest is just the same old bull been spouted by Critics and dick measuring.

I was just going off the quote in the piece that said

‘The 17-ton, non-stealthy F-16 is too difficult to upgrade with the latest software, Brown explained. Instead of ordering fresh F-16s, he said, the Air Force should initiate a “clean-sheet design” for a new low-end fighter.’

The turn around time on the T-7 was impressive and given its open architecture I am sure Boeing have a concept up their sleeve.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

Do you think that the F-16XL could be resurrected? It is faster than the F-16A and has far greater multi role capabilities.

No.
F16XL was pitched for the same program that created F15E. Though it offers interesting capacity it’s was made redundant by the F15E.
besides it would have a huge cost issue of trying to open a new production.
a solution in search of a problem.

I was just going off the quote in the piece that said

‘The 17-ton, non-stealthy F-16 is too difficult to upgrade with the latest software, Brown explained. Instead of ordering fresh F-16s, he said, the Air Force should initiate a “clean-sheet design” for a new low-end fighter.’

The turn around time on the T-7 was impressive and given its open architecture I am sure Boeing have a concept up their sleeve.

Concept but need?
T7 is a flight trainer with no where near the capability to match F16 or F35 in ability. As a China watcher it would be like pitching a never built variant of JF17 to replace J10. Or Russian trying to justify a new YAK 130 to replace Mig29.

Any clean sheet design is going to cost a ton of money to rush development on a platform that really is a problem posed as a solution searching for problems. Boeing got T7 congratulations but this is going to go off the shelf.
Off the shelf leaves Boeing FA18 or F15EX but a twin engine won’t fly for this. Cost would be to high to justify. I have seen some try and convince themselves of Grippen yet again not realistic for Boeing to pull a multi hit combo victory of buying Grippen off of SAAB, start US production and somehow make it cheap. The company doesn’t have the money, time or resources.

The main issue for F16 block 70 here is avionics. General Brown wants his new fighter to work like a Tesla. Plug and play with over the air updates. He really doesn’t care about the airframe. Of course I am pretty skeptical about everything here. But if the USAF has to buy F16 replacement fourth gens to supplement F35A buys then the only realistic option is F16.