Block 4 will bring the real "combat package" to the F-35...this is worse than I thought...

 

via Aviation Week.

“From a production perspective, we have literally 150 to 160 modifications that have to occur on some of our tails to get it to a Block 3 configuration,” Winter said during a Sept. 18 speech at the Air Force Association’s annual Air, Space and Cyber conference here. “Our mods program is almost as exciting and dwarfing our production program.”

With that in mind, Winter said it is time to consider perhaps not modifying every aircraft to the Block 3F standard that would enable it carry a full complement of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. Testing of Block 3F could be delivered by the end of this year. “We’re looking at a solution space that gives our warfighter options,” he said.

Story here.

Check out this passage from Flightglobal back in Feb of this year.

 Given numerous issues on the F-35, including 270 high-priority deficiencies in Block 3F performance identified in a recent review, Michael Gilmore expects Lot 10 will be delivered without the full Block 3F capability.

Story here. 

Now check out this comment from a reader at Aviation Week under the story listed at the top of the page.

The US delayed/has delayed needed upgrades to the F-16, F-15 and F-22 fleets for years/decades while adding funding to the development of the F-35, as well as dealing with the overseas conflict funding needs.

So now the US is in a bind that because of these upgrade delays these aircraft really need them, as well to compensate for the truncated buy of F-22s.

Now there's up to 200 expensive F-35s that need structural and other upgrades due to the policy of producing an aircraft while its being developed (concurrency). And as AWST reports, "are too limited to fly in combat", but other officials have stated they are ready for combat.

While AWST and the USAF claims that.." the Block 3F standard that would enable it carry a full complement of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons", in fact this complement is rather limited, and cannot use a range of other US and foreign weapons planned for Block 4 which really enable the F-35 to meet its potential.

So now the US and other users face this upgrade quandary. Many have known this situation was coming.

In short?

A reader of this blog stated that this thing is worse than I thought and he was right.

THIS IS CRIMINAL!

We know of this issue and Lot 10 will be bought with the full knowledge of the Pentagon that they're mistake jets.  

This is why so few people are willing to buy the airplane now.  This is why the "projected" sales into the future are so full of nonsense.

In short the US is asking its allies to buy airplanes before they're completed. It was a stupid on a stick idea and it shows how far the Pentagon has fallen.

One airplane program has thoroughly corrupted the Pentagon.  If I didn't see it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it.