via DefenseNews.
Despite ups and downs, we remain fully committed to the [Joint Strike Fighter] program. But independently, we will develop our own fighter. There is an established policy understanding to keep our [fighter] fleet limited to these two only,” said a senior government official for defense procurement.The evidence is mounting.
An official from the procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), confirmed: “We think a combination of both aircraft will ensure sufficient firepower and deterrence.”
The SSM official said the F-35 has some weaknesses in air-to-air combat, but the TF-X would compensate. TF-X is Turkey’s indigenous fighter under development.
After delays of more than a year, Turkey’s top procurement panel last month officially decided to order the country’s first two F-35s. The order is for the first F-35A aircraft with Block-3F configuration under Low Rate Initial Production-10.
The F-35 is going to be a DOG when it comes to aerial combat.
How do we know this? The RAF has constantly stated that the Typhoon will be their air to air platform of choice and that the F-35 will be used for strike missions. The Italian Air Chief said it out loud. The F-35 doesn't cut it for air to air combat and now this. Turkey is saying that they will build their own indigenous airplane instead of relying on the F-35.
I wonder.
How can the Netherlands, Canada, Japan and S. Korea have been fooled into thinking that the F-35 will be an adequate replacement for F-16/18's when they got the same briefs as the RAF, Italy and Turkey?
To save Western air forces we must kill this airplane.
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ReplyDeleteHow can anyone seriously say that a plane with only 2 air-to-air missiles is suitable in the role of a fighter plane, and take the cockpit for instance, litterally every actual fighterplane has a cockpit with good visability, this one has massive blind spots. Not to mention the poor manueverability.\
ReplyDeleteAnd to top it all off, if it is ever sent into combat, as soon as it has expended it's two missiles it is dead, it can't escape, the best it can do is a small burst slightly above mach 1, these are going to get run down by planes traveling at around 2-2.5 times the speed, firing very long range BVRM missiles like Vympel R-37 with a range of around 400KM and a speed of mach 6.
By the time the F35 has moved 200KM from detection, some russian plane like a MIG31 has probably been dispatched to intercept, traveled almost 500KMs, and is carrying R-37s. Even if other, more stealthy planes are dispatched to intercept inbound flights, and the MIG31s dispatched to intercept inbound, but only outband bombers, which has the advantage of the F35s radar being pointed away from it, how could it possibly outrun this?
Given RCS and detection range does not scale linearly, but that there is diminishing returns, that the export models allegedly have a RCS of 0.15 frontal vs PAKFA 0.5, and that the PAKFA has much bigger radar area, the PAKFA will probably detect the F35 first. The MIG31 might very well detect it first too, thanks to its very large radar.
How is the F35 going to compete, when it is outranged, outgunned, outstealthed, and outspeed and at least twice the price of export model T-50s, it can't even kill SU27s in simulations.
Turkey has been a consortium partner of the multinational Joint Strike Fighter program since Concept Demonstration Phase in 1999. It reportedly has $175 million invested in the US program. Plus Turkey has a manufacturing input.
ReplyDeleteIn conjunction with Northrup Grumman, Turkey's TAI manufactures and assembles the center fuselages, produces composite skins and weapon bay doors, and manufactures fiber placement composite air inlet ducts. Also Turkish President Abdullah Gul recently inaugurated a factory in western Turkey that will produce engine parts for the F135 engine.
And yet, and yet, despite all this, and although Turkey says it wants one hundred of these turkeys, it hasn't yet put down any money for a faulty prototype (along with partners Canad and Denmark). The latest announcement is that Turkey will buy two (2) F-35A in LRIP-10 for FY2016 and that is at least a year away, if they do it.
Don's above comment about Turkey being an Indistrial partner and factory inaugration partly answered the question about why this kind of a statement was released by the Turks which Solomon posted. The Turks through statemtent like that are baiting for negotiations to recieve more Industrial work on the F-35's. I dont know how sincere the Turks are about the F-35, but their sincerety cannot be doubted about running a successful factory producing advanced materials/components and tech. profitably and which can be duplicated for their on Attaturk Century aircraft.
DeleteI mean, we were all online and aware of that Chinese Missile Drama that the Turks pulled off. I think its their version of negotiation.
DeleteOh, then there was also this talk about Inviting the Russians to test their T-90 tank, their helicoptors blah blah blah. Like Don said in a previous post....Let them put their money where their mouth is.
Calm down Gentleman. Missile project and TF-X are two different things. Turkish decision makers dont put their all eggs in to one basket. Thats all i can see as a Turkish citizen.
DeleteRegards
It's F-35 panic time at the Pentagon so there's been a huge increase in sockpuppetry on some social media sites. The Pentagon in the past has purchased a pioneering software programs that create fake identities on social media websites.
ReplyDeleteAccording to military procurement documents seen by the Washington Times, the software will "enable an operator to exercise a number of different online persons from the same workstation and without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries".-- March, 2011
The principal characteristics of sockpuppetry are anonymity, trolling and ad hominem attacks, thereby avoiding issues and attacking other commenters as an attempted diversion from the issues. They may also start a partisan divide-and-conquer fight or otherwise push emotional buttons to sow discord and ensure that cooperation is thwarted. They may also demand complete, fool-proof and guaranteed solutions to the problems being discussed. Mostly they attempt to sidetrack opponents with name calling and ridicule.
Regarding the F-35, the recent sockpuppets I've encountered on this site and others don't even pretend to know anything about the plane or the program, and only go negative on any facts that are presented, or on the presenter. That's what they get paid to do, under contract with the Pentagon.
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ReplyDeleteJapan and South Korea have F-15s for fighters at present so what ever F-35s they have would in theory be used for strike. That is if they don't have an oil leak that day.
ReplyDeleteThe Netherlands air force is insignificant and will likely end up unable to purchase many, assuming the is still active.
The RCAF that's a whole other story. Watching this politico-bureaucracy wheel just spin and spin is sad. It's like they want to pretend that if they wait long enough, things will just get better.
Air-to-air will be an interesting trick considering the problems. http://elpdefensenews.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/f-35s-air-to-air-ability-limited.html Interesting as the marketing pukes claimed 6x better than legacy.
ReplyDeleteIt's a flying brick, fer chrissakes.
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ReplyDelete"keep getting asked for" --????
DeleteOnly sixteen faulty prototypes have been sold to foreign F-35 partners in twelve years.
That's in part because the plane is still deep in development with many problems, but also because of other considerations like faulty design and poor performance even if development were to be completed.
Like the claim of the F-35 to be a 5th generation fighter aircraft?
ReplyDeleteThe F-35 is not: http://www.ausairpower.net/jsf.html
Over 100 of that dogs are already flying? That tells me nothing about the capablilty of that aircraft compared to other aircraft.
I suspect the new Gripen can take off from a Wasp-class carrier with a higher payload than the F-35B.
The first ATD-X unit sighted. Scheduled for flight in September.
ReplyDeletehttp://theaviationist.com/2014/06/14/first-image-atd-x-jet/
Can I just input that F-35 will not be replacing F-16s in Turkish inventory, F-35 will be replacing the aging F-4E phantoms. And if you agree with me, it's an excellent choice.
ReplyDeleteSame for Japan. Italy will also use them to replace the Tornado bomber fleet. So just the crazy Canucks and the Netherlands are trying to use the F-35 as a sole air superiority fighter? That might work for the Netherlands with several countries surrounding them with Rafales and Eurofighters.
DeleteFinally I disagree with you. The F35A/C is in now way an excellent choice. The stealth performance will be eaten within years while the F35 with its inferior aerodynamics will stay for decades.
Thats a lot of comfor, to be surrounded by Rafales and Euro Fighters.
DeletePierre Sprey being interviewed by The Fifth Estate a Canadian news program, on "The F-35 is a Lemon" from 2013.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxDSiwqM2nw#t=85