See the recent articles on the Helicopter/fastjet training disaster sorry program for reference. Can take 7 years now to train pilots.
F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Yet another reason to transfer the F-35's to the Navy.
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
And the UK will most likely be all the better for it too
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Apparently the latest batch of 3 F-35B flew into RAF Marham last night.
That means the UK has now had 30 F-35B delivered. With the 3 test aircraft at Edwards AFB in the US and 1 total loss that means that there are 26 F-35B in the UK/onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Thats it for this year. We should see 7 F-35B in 2023, 4 in 2024 and a final 7 in 2025. Suspect nexts years deliveries will be split into the usual early Spring/late Autumn deliveries of 3 and 4.
After that the intention is to order an additional 26 a/c. When they will arrive (or if they'll even get ordered at all) is unclear at present with another Integrated Review on the way...speculation is that they will be delivered between 2026 and 2030, so could be split into 6 each year with 2 at the end, with the usual spring/autumn delivery cycle. You never know....we might even have enough pilots by then...
That means the UK has now had 30 F-35B delivered. With the 3 test aircraft at Edwards AFB in the US and 1 total loss that means that there are 26 F-35B in the UK/onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Thats it for this year. We should see 7 F-35B in 2023, 4 in 2024 and a final 7 in 2025. Suspect nexts years deliveries will be split into the usual early Spring/late Autumn deliveries of 3 and 4.
After that the intention is to order an additional 26 a/c. When they will arrive (or if they'll even get ordered at all) is unclear at present with another Integrated Review on the way...speculation is that they will be delivered between 2026 and 2030, so could be split into 6 each year with 2 at the end, with the usual spring/autumn delivery cycle. You never know....we might even have enough pilots by then...
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
ZM162 (BK28) First flight: July 2022. Delivered: RAF Marham 18th November 2022
ZM163 (BK29) First flight: August 2022. Delivered: RAF Marham 18th November 2022
ZM164 (BK30) First flight: 13th September 2022. Delivered: RAF Marham 18th November 2022
ZM163 (BK29) First flight: August 2022. Delivered: RAF Marham 18th November 2022
ZM164 (BK30) First flight: 13th September 2022. Delivered: RAF Marham 18th November 2022
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
A useful diagram showing F-35 weapons integration to date/planned and users of those weapons...its not perfect however (see below post). I think the author of it has added some munitions in that I believe will never be integrated (Derby for example..) and not recorded some nations existing stocks.
From: COMBAT AIRCRAFT JOURNAL Volume 24 No 01 JAN 2023 - Not from the programme (see post below).
From: COMBAT AIRCRAFT JOURNAL Volume 24 No 01 JAN 2023 - Not from the programme (see post below).
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Some interesting points from the above:
N.B. - This isn't a list from the programme, so should be treated with some degree of scepticism for future developments. I have some questions and corrections to it...
- The recent announcement around Poland air weapons for F-35 presumably missed the deadline. They are getting SDB2 and AIM-9X as well.
- Denmark and Japan have yet to select a WVR for F-35? Both have ordered AIM-9X2. There are no plans to integrate AAM-5 for Japan
- Israeli weapons on the list are Python 5, Derby, Spice 1000lb and Spice 2,000lb.
- Israel will mainly use its US compatible weapons on F-35. No Delilah (understandable), Rampage, Gabriel V etc.
- IRIS-T, Python 5 and Derby are listed, not sure why, no indications any IRIS-T user will pay for integration, in fact Norway and Germany have both opted for AIM-9X instead of paying for integration. With Norway moving theirs to ground mounts as a SHORAD. Can't imagine anyone will want Derby, not even Israel...its takes up a pylon and is inferior to AIM-120. Same thing with Python 5 which is looking rather old at present. Big RCS on it as well...
- Switzerland and Finland yet to select a BVR missile? - Both are Amraam users, but I guess their existing missiles might need replacement. LM's bid to Finland included new AIM-120...
- JNAAM is not listed. It should be as Japan (and probably the UK) will acquire. Far more credible than Derby/IRIS-T being on the list..
- JSM user list will probably grow. Australia is not listed...they've gone rather quiet recently, even though they're developing the RF seeker for it, they're getting LRASM as well...they may have cooled on JSM.
- LRASM is not listed? It is planned for integration c2027.
- UK munitions have, lets be honest, not sold well to F-35 users. No surprise on PWIV as many users already have JDAM and GBU-12 in stock. But Spear, Meteor and ASRAAM do appear to have missed the boat for a lot of users, with only Meteor's JNAAM derivative possibly getting traction (South Korea has ordered Meteor for KF-21 so it could get used by them as well). Hopefully Spear-EW, if it arrives, might turn that around. Slow integration might make things difficult though...
- The list doesn't always take into account nations munitions for other platforms, or legacy munitions that have been purchased, for example Germany and Italy for Meteor...which will be compatible with their aircraft (and arguably Australia and Asraam).
N.B. - This isn't a list from the programme, so should be treated with some degree of scepticism for future developments. I have some questions and corrections to it...
- The recent announcement around Poland air weapons for F-35 presumably missed the deadline. They are getting SDB2 and AIM-9X as well.
- Denmark and Japan have yet to select a WVR for F-35? Both have ordered AIM-9X2. There are no plans to integrate AAM-5 for Japan
- Israeli weapons on the list are Python 5, Derby, Spice 1000lb and Spice 2,000lb.
- Israel will mainly use its US compatible weapons on F-35. No Delilah (understandable), Rampage, Gabriel V etc.
- IRIS-T, Python 5 and Derby are listed, not sure why, no indications any IRIS-T user will pay for integration, in fact Norway and Germany have both opted for AIM-9X instead of paying for integration. With Norway moving theirs to ground mounts as a SHORAD. Can't imagine anyone will want Derby, not even Israel...its takes up a pylon and is inferior to AIM-120. Same thing with Python 5 which is looking rather old at present. Big RCS on it as well...
- Switzerland and Finland yet to select a BVR missile? - Both are Amraam users, but I guess their existing missiles might need replacement. LM's bid to Finland included new AIM-120...
- JNAAM is not listed. It should be as Japan (and probably the UK) will acquire. Far more credible than Derby/IRIS-T being on the list..
- JSM user list will probably grow. Australia is not listed...they've gone rather quiet recently, even though they're developing the RF seeker for it, they're getting LRASM as well...they may have cooled on JSM.
- LRASM is not listed? It is planned for integration c2027.
- UK munitions have, lets be honest, not sold well to F-35 users. No surprise on PWIV as many users already have JDAM and GBU-12 in stock. But Spear, Meteor and ASRAAM do appear to have missed the boat for a lot of users, with only Meteor's JNAAM derivative possibly getting traction (South Korea has ordered Meteor for KF-21 so it could get used by them as well). Hopefully Spear-EW, if it arrives, might turn that around. Slow integration might make things difficult though...
- The list doesn't always take into account nations munitions for other platforms, or legacy munitions that have been purchased, for example Germany and Italy for Meteor...which will be compatible with their aircraft (and arguably Australia and Asraam).
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
I'm afraid not. They went for US missiles. Including AIM-9X (which to be fair they do make a really tiny part of...). But...they also have Meteor already for Typhoon, if its already integrated with F-35A then they could load it. They need AIM-120 initially for the same reason we do...Meteor isn't integrated yet.
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Hopefully the RAF/RN does a better job of looking after the F35B then the Marines !
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/m ... n-in-japan
Ouch !!!!!!!!!!
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/m ... n-in-japan
Ouch !!!!!!!!!!
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
It looks like they were towing it with a brake on...why would they do that?
Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Looks like there weren't any ground locks fitted, which is fairly unusual.
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
Some news that may have been missed. For the UK this is good news as it was unlikely that the B variant will have been able to benefit from the alternate engines. But it can benefit from the developments on F-135.
https://newsroom.prattwhitney.com/2022- ... e-Contract
https://newsroom.prattwhitney.com/2022- ... e-Contract
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
False alarm..thought it looked a little low for an entire engine...but it does mean some of the enhancements to F-135 are being funded. They come in 2 waves of complexity. Presumably this is the first.
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Re: F-35B Lightning (RAF & RN)
It's bound to happen every now and then...hopefully this isn't one of the UK ones....not our problem if it is, its not been accepted yet as its the contractors problem until handover.
EDIT - It appears to be a USMC pre-delivery aircraft, so no issue for the UK.
We've been lulled into a false sense of security by Typhoon's incredible safety record in RAF service over the years (easily the safest combat aircraft we've ever operated, by a colossal margin)...only 1 aircraft lost, and that was repairable if we could have been bothered, after the pilot forgot to put the gear down when landing at White Sands...
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