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

is it true
Just 2 Out of 23 U.S. F-35 Test Planes Are Fully Operational
The 23 U.S. military F-35 stealth fighters in the test fleet at Edwards Air Force Base in California achieved a “fully mission capable” rate of just 8.7 percent in June 2019, according to the F-35 program office.
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Anlsvrthng

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is it true
Just 2 Out of 23 U.S. F-35 Test Planes Are Fully Operational
The 23 U.S. military F-35 stealth fighters in the test fleet at Edwards Air Force Base in California achieved a “fully mission capable” rate of just 8.7 percent in June 2019, according to the F-35 program office.
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I think it is due to the definitions .

I presume the "mission capability rate" means the jet has to be able to fulfil at least one from the missions that its capable to do, the "fully operational"means the number of planes that actually can do all missions designated for.

I presume the Ford carrier is mission capable, because it can launch jets, but not fully operational because it can not land them : D
 

Air Force Brat

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is it true
Just 2 Out of 23 U.S. F-35 Test Planes Are Fully Operational
The 23 U.S. military F-35 stealth fighters in the test fleet at Edwards Air Force Base in California achieved a “fully mission capable” rate of just 8.7 percent in June 2019, according to the F-35 program office.
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Its David Axe my friend, someone who's even more caustic toward the F-35, (if that's even possible?) than you..... you really ought to be aware that the "test articles at Edwards are early birds, many are likely to never be fully mission capable", so if that makes you and David Axe happy?? whatever
 

Brumby

Major
is it true
Just 2 Out of 23 U.S. F-35 Test Planes Are Fully Operational
The 23 U.S. military F-35 stealth fighters in the test fleet at Edwards Air Force Base in California achieved a “fully mission capable” rate of just 8.7 percent in June 2019, according to the F-35 program office.
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This report is rubbish and totally wrong.

In my opinion, 0 % of the test fleet is mission capable. David Axe don't know how to count. Lol.

Since we are on the favourite subject of mission capable rates, here is another one.

Only One Of Iraq's Chinese CH-4B Drones Is Mission Capable As Other Buyers Give Up On Them
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Its David Axe my friend, someone who's even more caustic toward the F-35, (if that's even possible?) than you..... you really ought to be aware that the "test articles at Edwards are early birds, many are likely to never be fully mission capable", so if that makes you and David Axe happy?? whatever
OK so what should be an availability rate of testing aircraft according to you:
 
This report is rubbish and totally wrong.

In my opinion, 0 % of the test fleet is mission capable. David Axe don't know how to count. Lol.

Since we are on the favourite subject of mission capable rates, here is another one.

Only One Of Iraq's Chinese CH-4B Drones Is Mission Capable As Other Buyers Give Up On Them
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what an desperate "argumentation" by putting Chinese stuff into
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter News, Videos and pics Thread

to save the day, LOL!

Brumby it's whataboutery
 
Jul 29, 2019
quote of the day comes from inside of
Japan wants to be an official F-35 partner. The Pentagon plans to say no.
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:

“The F-35 cooperative Partnership closed on 15 July 2002,” stated Brandi Schiff, a spokesperson for the F-35 JPO.
related is
Lawmakers Urge DoD to Expand F-35 Foreign Military Sales
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Several Republican senators are making the case that the U.S.-led
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program should be expanded with additional foreign sales to create a stronger coalition of allies.

In a letter sent to Defense Secretary Mark Esper this week, Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said the U.S. would benefit by having more F-35s on flight lines around the world.

"The National Defense Strategy makes clear that the United States must strengthen its alliances and attract new partners in order to adapt to the long-term, strategic competition posed by China and Russia," the letter states. "We believe that expanding the F-35 program offers an important means to accomplish this, especially to governments in good standing with the United States that are threatened by China and Russia."

Other signers of the letter included Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas; Tom Cotton of Arkansas; Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee; Susan Collins of Maine; Mike Lee of Utah; and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia.

Additional foreign military sales could also boost economic growth, the lawmakers said.

Foreign governments would not only get "the most advanced, multi-role fighter jet in the world," they would also "deepen their defense ties with the United States, increase their military's interoperability with our own, and enhance their capacity to deter foreign aggression," they said.

"In return for all of this, the United States strengthens its security and receives a boost to American jobs, exports, and the defense industrial base."

Many of the lawmakers have a local interest in expanding the F-35 program: For example, Florida is home to F-35s at
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, which is part of the pilot training pipeline. Vice President Mike Pence also
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to
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in Florida's Panhandle, beginning in 2023. Aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin's main assembly line is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and has 91 supplier locations in the state,
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.

The lawmakers' call for expansion comes shortly after the Pentagon lost one of its F-35 NATO partner nations.

The Defense Department last month officially booted Turkey from participating in the program because of its recent purchase of
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.

"Turkey was part of an anticipated $2.2 trillion in partner and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of the joint strike fighter," the senators wrote. "Turkey planned to purchase 100 of the fifth-generation aircraft, and to receive over $9 billion in projected work related to the F-35 over the life of the program. By proceeding with the purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense missile system, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has elected to forgo these benefits."

It's not the first time this year that lawmakers are calling for action regarding the F-35 program.

In March, Connecticut lawmakers urged then-Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to push forward with steady procurement of the F-35 in future budget cycles amid growing interest from the Defense Department in investing in the
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.

Connecticut Democrats Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Chris Murphy were
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that a reduction in procurement would slow engine production for the aircraft. Pratt & Whitney manufactures the jet's F135 engine at facilities in East Hartford and Middletown, Connecticut.

A month earlier, Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Cruz of Texas joined Rubio and Collins in signing
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the DoD not to decrease F-35 procurement amid reports a
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would someday
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. The letter was also signed by Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, whose state includes
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, where two F-35 squadrons are scheduled to be based starting in 2020.

The most recent letter, dated Aug. 6, encourages the DoD to increase its F-35 FMS, given that "accession into the F-35 partnership program closed in 2002."

Belgium and Poland are recent customers, but not official program partners.

Japan has expressed interest in becoming a formal program partner, entailing a larger role in the aircraft's capability development, according to a
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. But it's likely the Pentagon will not grant such a request for fear other customer nations would also demand greater access in the program, Defense News reported.

A spokesman for Lockheed Martin on Friday had no comment regarding potential new partners, or on whether the company is pursuing larger partnership roles for certain countries.

"We understand that future F-35 expansion will likely be achieved by adding new FMS countries or increasing sales to countries already in the F-35 program," the senators wrote. "We applaud reports indicating that your department is already taking some of these steps and encourage you to broaden those efforts, understanding that any countries potentially purchasing the F-35 must not acquire the S-400 or similar systems too."
 
Yesterday at 9:37 PM
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F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, used the GAU-22 cannon against a simulated target and executed the first shipboard hot reload of ordnance in the Indo-Pacific region ...
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now the NavalToday story of F-35B in first hot ordnance reload action in Indo-Pacific
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:

F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp used the GAU-22 cannon against a simulated target and executed the first shipboard hot reload of ordnance in the Indo-Pacific region while underway in the Solomon Sea.

The aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (REIN), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, carried out the training flights on August 4.

F-35B jets fired the 25mm cannon in coordination with MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters firing 7.62 mm machine guns to destroy the “killer tomato”, a large inflatable target used during live-fire exercises at sea.

In addition to employment of the GAU-22, the F-35B aircraft dropped a GBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition, and a GBU-12 Paveway II 500-pound laser-guided bomb on a first sortie.

After expending all ordnance, the aircraft returned to the Wasp, reloaded and refueled, and executed a second live-fire sortie, according to Maj. Jeffrey Davis, F-35B detachment officer-in-charge with VMM-265 (REIN).

“Successful execution of hot reload procedures while afloat demonstrates the 31st MEU’s ability to surge offensive air support for kinetic missions in the theatre, increasing available lethality for commanders,” said Davis.

The employment of the GAU-22 and the ordnance hot reloading comes on the heels of the 31st MEU’s execution of combined amphibious operations in Talisman Saber 2019, a biennial exercise for the US and Australia to sharpen their capabilities across a wide range of military operations. The 31st MEU is currently honing tactical and operational proficiency in simulated contested environments during a continuing deployment aboard the ships of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, according to Col. Robert Brodie, commanding officer of the 31st MEU.
 
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