F-35 JSF......

[EagleEyes]

"The first three squadrons of F-35s - with at least 59 aircraft - will be formed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., between 2010, when the first aircraft arrives, and mid-2013 when No. 60 is due.

Of the three training squadrons to be stood up, one will be U.S. Air Force with 24 conventional takeoff aircraft, one will be Marine Corps with 20 short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing aircraft and the last, with 15 aircraft, will belong to the Navy.

The Air Force's bed-down decision involves temporary operational limitations on flight training to minimize noise impact in the nearby town of Valparaiso. Meanwhile, supplemental environmental studies will be conducted as the Air Force works on a final study on F-35 noise.

There are to be at least 10 JSF training squadrons formed. The Pentagon is looking at another 156 installations to determine the remaining JSF bases for operations, additional training, depots and combined active-duty/Air National Guard/Reserve units. Production of the F-35 is scheduled to end in 2035."


Cant wait to see this bird flying high protecting this country!!

[Ack-Ack]

Still don't know why they decided to not add guns or is that just one some variants?


ack-ack

[Ponyace]

If what I read is true, Only the USAF varient will have a gun. The others would be able to wield a gun pod the same way it can carry external ordance optionally. (Dunno if its possible to do this and stay stealthy, its just what I've read).

[Ack-Ack]

When they developed the F-4 Phantom II, it didn't have guns but the air war in Vietnam showed how flawed that design thinking was.  I would have thought they would have learned from that, as all US fighter planes afterwards were designed with a gun as a direct result of lessons learned from Vietnam's air war.

ack-ack

[trax1]

When they developed the F-4 Phantom II, it didn't have guns but the air war in Vietnam showed how flawed that design thinking was.  I would have thought they would have learned from that, as all US fighter planes afterwards were designed with a gun as a direct result of lessons learned from Vietnam's air war.

ack-ack

I was thinking the exact same thing when reading this.

Also, anyone heard anything on the F-35's that were to be sold to Australia?  I think the last I heard was they wanted the F-22 instead and were trying to get the U.S to sell them some.

[EagleEyes]

I remember hearing something about Japan wanting F-22s and F-35s....

I know F-15/16s have made strafing runs in Iraq on targets with their 20mms.  So i couldnt imagine the Marine Corps version not having any guns!

[crazyivan]

"The first three squadrons of F-35s - with at least 59 aircraft - will be formed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., between 2010, when the first aircraft arrives, and mid-2013 when No. 60 is due.

Of the three training squadrons to be stood up, one will be U.S. Air Force with 24 conventional takeoff aircraft, one will be Marine Corps with 20 short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing aircraft and the last, with 15 aircraft, will belong to the Navy.

The Air Force's bed-down decision involves temporary operational limitations on flight training to minimize noise impact in the nearby town of Valparaiso. Meanwhile, supplemental environmental studies will be conducted as the Air Force works on a final study on F-35 noise.

There are to be at least 10 JSF training squadrons formed. The Pentagon is looking at another 156 installations to determine the remaining JSF bases for operations, additional training, depots and combined active-duty/Air National Guard/Reserve units. Production of the F-35 is scheduled to end in 2035."


Cant wait to see this bird flying high protecting this country!!

interesting, damn thought some would be tested in Virginia.  A-10 always get my attention when they they do low alt. flying

whats the payload of the new f-35. F-15 F-18 probably carries more I'm quessing?

[TOMCAT21]

only buyers were to be USAF(F35a), USN(F35C-carrier verison) , USMC and the United Kingdom(f-35B V/STOL)...however, there was talk of Norway, Israel,Turkey, Denmark.....The UK, Canada , Australia and the netherlands had signed on for the developement of it.. nothing from what I know involves Japan buying them.I am sure I look into it further..

Norway and Turkey-100 F-35A
Denmark and Italy-131 F35A/F35B
Israel-25-F35A(option to buy 50 more)

WEapons:JDAM, AMRAAM,Sidewinder to name a couple.

[Nilsen]

only buyers were to USAF(F35a), USN(F35C-carrier verison) , USMC and the United Kingdom(f-35B V/STOL)...however, there was talk of Norway, Israel,Turkey, Denmark.....The UK, Canada , Australia and the netherlands had signed on for the developement of it..

Norway and Turkey-100 F-35A
Denmark and Italy-131 F35A/F35B
Israel-25-F35A(option to buy 50 more)

WEapons:JDAM, AMRAAM,Sidewinder to name a couple.

Norway is buying 56. It was decided just before xmas.

And i belive the airforce and navy variant will have a gun, but the vertical takeoff version will not.

[trax1]

whats the payload of the new f-35. F-15 F-18 probably carries more I'm quessing?

Here's the armaments list from Wkipedia:

Armament

    * Guns: 1 × GAU-22/A 25 mm (0.984 in) cannon — slated to be mounted internally with 180 rounds in the F-35A and fitted as an external pod with 220 rounds in the F-35B and F-35C.[32]
    * Hardpoints: 6× external pylons on wings with a capacity of 15,000 lb (6,800 kg)[32][131] and 2× internal bays with 2 pylons each[131],
    * Missiles:
          o Internal: 4 air-to-air missiles, or 2 air-to-air missiles and 2 air-to-ground weapons.
          o External: 6 air-to-air missiles, or 4 air-to-ground weapons and 2 air-to-air missiles[37] with combinations for the following missiles:
          o Air-to-air missiles:
                + AIM-120 AMRAAM
                + AIM-132 ASRAAM
                + AIM-9X Sidewinder
          o Air-to-ground weapons:
                + AGM-154 JSOW
                + AGM-158 JASSM
    * Bombs:
          o Mark 84 general purpose bombs
          o Mark 83 GP bombs
          o Mark 82 GP bombs
          o Mk.20 Rockeye II cluster bomb
          o Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser capable
          o Paveway-series laser-guided bombs
          o JDAM-series
 

[Nilsen]

You can add the NSM and Iris-T missiles to that list. LM promised to integrate them in the list in order to make the sale to us.

[BaDkaRmA158Th]

Ack-Ack, in vietnam they also did not have the AIM-9X Sidewinder.


When a pilot can look behind them and hit a target, its make even a 25mm cannon with only 180 rounds of ammo, a moot subject. very limited fire time, i will however agree that every single "fighter" should always have a gun, i dont care if its a .45 1911 duct taped to a wing someplace.

:Edit: My F35A in Strike fighter's Project 1, can carry 14 Aim9X sidewinders. (Its just a mod,and not the actual a/c of course.)


Tons o fun.

[Die Hard]

You can add the NSM and Iris-T missiles to that list. LM promised to integrate them in the list in order to make the sale to us.

Both of those look like impressive weapons. With new stealth anti-ship missiles like that NSM it will be hard to protect naval assets. I wonder how stealth missiles will change naval warfare. It's not like we'll be able to simply park a carrier off the coast of a hostile country anymore.

[RTHolmes]

how effective are systems like Phalanx against stealth ASW missles?

[Nilsen]

Both of those look like impressive weapons. With new stealth anti-ship missiles like that NSM it will be hard to protect naval assets. I wonder how stealth missiles will change naval warfare. It's not like we'll be able to simply park a carrier off the coast of a hostile country anymore.

Yup im looking forward to having a closer look at it. They did the final successfull test fire of it a few weeks back in California, and its ready for full scale production. Its not only an anti ship missile even if that is its primary job. It is capable of land attack to a set coordinate, and it can go to an area and use its sensors to find the specific target its looking for and attack it, or loiter while sendig live feeds and self-destruct if the attack order is not given. It will be put on ships, planes, helos and trucks.

Official range for export version is 160km but i dont know what the true range is. All i have gotten out of the guys on the progam is that it is just within what is classified as a "short range" cruise missile. I belive that means just under 300kms