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

[strehl]

Norwegian participation in F35 production and continued process improvements to drive down costs.

 

[Air Force Brat]

Norwegian participation in F35 production and continued process improvements to drive down costs.

I'll watch this shortly kids, but for now this is just "beautiful", I never realized how happy I would be for "partners and Pork" two things that have kept the BHO team from killing this beautiful important little airplane. Never thought I would say that, but I am thankful for our partners, and the jobs and pork have kept even the dumbest of the dumb politicians off this birds back.

 

[Bernard]

Pakistan Air Force To Acquire 5th Generation Fighters

By

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on December 4, 2015 4:05 am in

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According to reports Pakistan will buy 5th generation fighter jets from abroad while also updating its existing JF-17 warplane.

Pakistan is in the market for the latest fifth-generation fighter jets, as other

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also look to upgrade their air force capabilities, writes Muhammad Saleh Zaafir for The News.

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U.S. Navy photo courtesy Lockheed Martin/Released
Pakistan to keep up with regional rivals in modernizing air force
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman told The News that Pakistan would keep up with other regional powers that are buying

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, and that negotiations have begun with the U.S. about buying single engine multi-role F-35 fighters. The plane is widely regarded as the fighter jet of the next decade.

Aman said that three options are being explored and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) could have 5th generation jets within 5 years. Historic rival India has been negotiating the acquisition of 126 Rafale fighter jets from France for years, but the deal has proven difficult to complete.

India maintains that the Rafale is a 5th generation jet, but New Delhi will now only buy 36 planes.

Air Force chief criticizes Indian purchase of Rafale jets
Aman was scathing in his assessment of the

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. “I am not prepared to acknowledge Rafale as a plane of the fifth generation since its features are confined to the fourth generation’s planes,” the CAS said.

Although the Indian Air Force (IAF) has more planes than its Pakistani counterpart, Aman claims that it does not boast superior firepower due to careful planning from Pakistani officials. He claimed that the PAF is second to none in terms of devotion and skill, affording it a good reputation.

“We will never let the nation down in any eventuality or test. People have faith in their armed forces and they are very rightly doing so,” he added.

Pakistan selling Thunder JF-17 fighter jets to other countries
Aman later detailed that the Pakistani Thunder JF-17 jet is being sold to 4 different countries. He did not reveal details about who the buyers were nor the number of planes being sold. Despite problems with supplying parts for the planes, Aman said that orders would be fulfilled and that there would be no compromise on the quality of the planes.

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The CAS then addressed the ongoing operation against militants in the tribal areas of north-west Pakistan. The border with

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has proven a haven for Islamist militants because its rugged terrain provides ample opportunity for them to hide from authorities.

Despite the challenges presented by the operation Aman said that the entire area would soon be cleared of terrorists and their facilitators. However he did not specify when the campaign would end.

“No deadline for declaring the end of the operation can be given in such operations since you never know what could sneak in from across the borders,” said Aman. “The operation has gone in an excellent way and the PAF did its duty in an exemplary manner.”

PAF involved in anti-terror operations
In addition to the air campaign in the tribal areas, Aman revealed that the PAF is also active in the Karachi area. Government troops have been cracking down on militant activities in the turbulent port city of 20 million.

As previously reported by

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, two military police were shot dead by militants in a targeted attack this week. The incident was a rare attack on military personnel in a city where the police are usually targeted.

It is thought that the militants may be pushing back against the intensifying anti-terror campaign, which is designed to reduce the activities of militant and criminal groups in the area. Last month 4 Rangers soldiers were shot dead as they guarded a mosque in Karachi.

The security situation in Pakistan has been steadily improving but militants maintain a frightening presence. At the same time Pakistan is confronting delicate situations in the geopolitical sphere, where relations with India are even more tense than usual.

High levels of defense spending by both of the nuclear-armed neighbors is fueling fears of an Asian arms race, with neither side willing to put aside historic enmity in order to concentrate on economic growth. Both India and Pakistan blame the other for ongoing tensions, and high-level dialogue is needed to prevent the escalation of the arms race and a potential descent into conflict.

Politicians in New Delhi and Islamabad are pursuing regional alliances in order to strengthen their hand, but bilateral discussions have been sorely lacking. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has offered to engage in talks with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, but no progress has been made.

Is this for real?

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[Brumby]

vs

 

[Jeff Head]

...negotiations have begun with the U.S. about buying single engine multi-role F-35 fighters.

...three options are being explored and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) could have 5th generation jets within 5 years

Hmmm.

Well, they named one option, the F-35.

I have to believe that the JF-31 is a second option.

I wonder what the 3rd would be?

Russia? Japan? Those are about the only other two options.

 

[Air Force Brat]

Hmmm.

Well, they named one option, the F-35.

I have to believe that the JF-31 is a second option.

I wonder what the 3rd would be?

Russia? Japan? Those are about the only other two options.

I believe the BHO team has done nearly ir-repairable damage to our professional relationship with Pakistan, to be honest, he has pushed them away, rather than deepen our relationship, I just don't see the F-35 being offered to Pakistan. Mostly due to the caustic relationship that BHO has created with his "drone strikes?".

 

[Brumby]

I believe the BHO team has done nearly ir-repairable damage to our professional relationship with Pakistan, to be honest, he has pushed them away, rather than deepen our relationship, I just don't see the F-35 being offered to Pakistan. Mostly due to the caustic relationship that BHO has created with his "drone strikes?".

Regardless of what BHO might have done to the relationship, I think it is improbable that the US will sell the F-35 to Pakistan given its relationship with China. I think it is wishful thinking to even talk about the possibility of getting hold of a 5th gen plane by 2019. The only country that has a production line on a 5th gen. plane is the US and even if Pakistan was to ink a deal with the US today, there is a long queue. The other options are frankly unproven on deliverables. There is a big difference between hand made prototypes and production line offerings.

 

[Equation]

The only country that has a production line on a 5th gen. plane is the US

Leaving out the production line of the J-20 already? Not to mention the potential sale of the J-31. Like I said, it's all about the program...and China and the US has a very active stealth production and development program.

 

[Brumby]

Leaving out the production line of the J-20 already?

I wasn't aware that the J-20 has gone into at least LRIP, has it?

Not to mention the potential sale of the J-31.

As you said "potential" but before that they need to have a product offering and one that at least has gone to LRIP.

Have any of these programs achieved this milestone? Having an ongoing active program and actually getting them into active production can mean a long time coming. Unproven means exactly that until it actually happens.

 

[Equation]

I wasn't aware that the J-20 has gone into at least LRIP, has it?


As you said "potential" but before that they need to have a product offering and one that at least has gone to LRIP.

Have any of these programs achieved this milestone? Having an ongoing active program and actually getting them into active production can mean a long time coming. Unproven means exactly that until it actually happens.

Has it stopped China's program yet? "Unproven" is just an excuse for naysayers to use to down play China's program.

Of course China has other programs that's going on right now that no one couldn't match as well (HGV and ASBM), but I will spare the details otherwise it would derail the topic.