A naked F-35C?
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter News, Videos and pics Thread
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
A nice comparison of the production figures of 5th gen fighters:
antiterror13
Brigadier
Read some of the comments there ... hilarous
Well, just the expansion at Chengdu over the last few years is larger in floor area than USAF Plant 4, so starting point of J-20 production rate is F-35
And then there's J-35 and associated expansion at Shenyang coming soon.
China's also mass producing J-16, while US is only doing one F-15EX per month.
J-20 was designed with knowledge and explicit requirements targeting F-35, F-35 was not designed with knowledge of J-20.
As a general rule of thumb, if you find yourself comparing quantity with China, you already lost.
US has accepted delivery of 36 F-35s, from mid July to mid September. Early July is when the deliveries resumed after a lengthy hiatus. Of course, 36 planes per approximately 60 days is not indicative of future delivery pace, as it's sure that part of those were backlog planes.
Because of the backlog and development issues, the 2025 procurement plan (that is, planes to be delivered in 2027 or so) calls for just 42 f35a for USAF. SAR document from December 2023 suggests longer term procurement for DoD to be 42 for USAF for the few years then 48 per year until end of program. And some 25 or so for DoN and then under 40 per year until end of program. (2035 for DoN)
The document also states that USAF in 2024 is projected to have 467 F-35A in its inventory. DoN will have 169 B models and 121 C models. So the US is currently at roughly 760 airframes. Including the F-22, that's roughly 940 stealthy fighter jets.
China is currently at, what, 250 or 300 ?
And is adding some 100+ per year while US is adding some 70 or so per year?
And will plausibly be adding 120+ per year soon while US currently plans to top out at 80 or so per year?
Because of the backlog and development issues, the 2025 procurement plan (that is, planes to be delivered in 2027 or so) calls for just 42 f35a for USAF. SAR document from December 2023 suggests longer term procurement for DoD to be 42 for USAF for the few years then 48 per year until end of program. And some 25 or so for DoN and then under 40 per year until end of program. (2035 for DoN)
The document also states that USAF in 2024 is projected to have 467 F-35A in its inventory. DoN will have 169 B models and 121 C models. So the US is currently at roughly 760 airframes. Including the F-22, that's roughly 940 stealthy fighter jets.
China is currently at, what, 250 or 300 ?
And is adding some 100+ per year while US is adding some 70 or so per year?
And will plausibly be adding 120+ per year soon while US currently plans to top out at 80 or so per year?
I still don't see the point of the original post. Seems like a bunch of cope "Oh look, we have more F-35's than everybody else's has 5th gen" and?. Want a prize?.
Well, it means that it means - US has more 5th gen right now.
Force ratio doesn't favour equal air combat again US and allies in Westpac. Not yet.