Due to bad weather, the expected arrival of the first British F-35 jets to the UK today has been cancelled.
Just wait for the tabloid headings erroneously claiming the F-35 can’t fly in bad weather. Just wait for them.
The jets will arrive at the earliest opportunity and remain two months ahead of schedule. Rightfully, the RAF want to ensure optimal conditions for the flight, and safety remains paramount. Tomorrow remains a possibility.
It's one thing to cross the Atlantic in an ETOPS-certified twin or four-engined commercial jet. Quite another to do it in a single-engined aircraft.
— Gareth Corfield (@GazTheJourno) June 5, 2018
Obviously these aircraft can fly in bad weather but given there’s no operational imperative to do so, they’re not taking the risk with the lives of those involved for a photo-op. This is standard practice with all types unless on operations, risking crew and equipment when not required would be foolish. Let’s not forget the risk bad weather adds to aerial refuelling.
To be fair to @RoyalAirForce @RAFMarhamMedia it is rather windy mid-Atlantic at the moment. #F35 #F35toUK #RAF #RAFMarham #avgeek pic.twitter.com/xA1KZJOJB0
— Røbbø ?? (@Ravenser) June 5, 2018
An MoD spokesperson said:
“Due to adverse weather conditions, the planned departure of the UK’s jets from the US will not take place today. They will arrive at the earliest opportunity and remain two months ahead of schedule.
The RAF want to ensure optimal conditions for the flight, and safety remains paramount.”
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How appropriate, D Day was scheduled for the 5th of June 1944 but was delayed by a day due to poor weather.
F35 now expected on the 6th of June, best to be safe than sorry as history proves.
ryan air?
No idea what your talking about.
Saving Private Ryan Air?
No point risking it. Too much at stake with no operational imperative. Headlines would have been worse had something happened. AAR in bad weather challenge alone would justify rescheduling. Let’s all stay calm and carry on…
Yes, you are correct silly unwarranted comments. The UK military has always been cautious in peacetime. When the chips are down aircrew will fly in all weathers during periods of conflict, that’s why they are truly brave people.
F-35 arrival in the UK postponed, wait for the silly tabloid headlines What like this one: F-35 Lightning’s arrival at RAF Marham postponed The F-35 Lightning’s arrival at RAF Marham has been postponed due to bad weather. http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/f-35-arrival-at-marham-postponed-1-5548207 If you are going to berate anybody, have a go at those who seek to gain capital by knocking out fake story lines. You know like the current hissy fit by Amnesty international regards how the RAF should come clean over how it may have committed war crimes against those poor little misguided followers of ISIS who were defeated in their de… Read more »
Have you read the whole report Farouk? If you have what stories are fake? An investigation by Amnesty International is not usually described as a hissy fit, unless by governments accused by them for human rights abuses, it was their findings about Pinochets government in Chile that the UN cited when passing convention against torture in the 80’s, I think they do great work, they give people without a voice a voice internationally and that’s to be commended. “committed war crimes against those poor little misguided followers of ISIS who were defeated in their de facto capital Raqqa” It’s a… Read more »
SS wrote: “Have you read the whole report Farouk?” Actually I have read it twice which is why elsewhere I wrote this yesterday on another website: I read this story when it broke this morning and I popped across to AI and read their article what a crock. Raqqa was the de facto capital of ISIS, you know that blood thirsty bunch of thugs who murdered hundreds of thousands during their reign of terror which whilst they said they were doing it in the name of Islam (yeah right) happened to murder more Muslims than anybody else has done for… Read more »
SS wrote: It’s a shame when someone makes claims like that, clearly not having a single clue of what’s happened in Raqqa since 2013 Funny you should mention that, as here is a little something I wrote on the very subject on the 17th June 2017: Al-Raqqa is the de facto capital of ISIS and it has been since it was captured by them since Jan 2014. However the city has been in the hands of the rebels since March 2013. Since then, all the Churches, and Shia mosques have been destroyed. The Christian population which was at the 10%… Read more »
I’ve just been looking through the articles I have written about Raqqa and here is one I knocked out Nov 15 2016:
The Kurds are currently advancing on the de-facto ISIS capital ‘Raqqa’.
Like their bed fellows in Mosul, ISIS are using VIEDs in which to make the march against them as costly as possible. Yesterday I posted a couple of clips of successful ISIS attacks against Iraq armour around Mosul. The clip below shows something similar advancing at speed towards the Kurds. You can feel the atmosphere as they target the advancing vehicle and it keeps on coming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=74&v=H8CNWbqmhDw
Nicely Played. Quite brilliantly written, and many cheers providing such wonderful Primary Sources!
SS wrote:
So your “poor little misguided followers of ISIS” in my eyes Farouk is an ill informed comment.
So what are they?
SS wrote: “And in regards to holding militaries into account, you see what happens Farouk is if there is no liability, if there is no full record of all military action, no investigations when accused of possible war crimes, no discipline, things like mass executions of POW’s, murder, rape and theft happen.” For the life in me , I cannot understand how so many do-gooders subscribe to this notion that the Military is a force within itself and accountable to no one. Have you worn Green? (now MTP) Something tells me you haven’t, there are more controls in place regards… Read more »
SS wrote: So if full checks were done and a full assessment of the target for collateral damage was complete, then why has so many missiles gone through peoples homes killing entire families, was it even British missiles, could of been American or French, Currently in the Uk, we are been told that people will leave due to brexit, Across the water thousands of people wish to come across the water and join the millions of others who didnt like living where they did, and decided to move. Yet for some very strange reason , Raqqa where thousands of people… Read more »
SS wrote:
It’s a shame when someone makes claims like that, clearly not having a single clue of what’s happened in Raqqa since 20132
One of the most informative sites I use (hasn’t written for a while as he is now writing a book) is Oryx . He really went out of his way in illuminating to the great unwashed exactly what was happening in both Iraq and Syria. The weapons used, the weapons captured and what was happening on the ground.
http://spioenkop.blogspot.com/search?q=raqqa
Yeah I think you seriously need help pal, like professional help.
It’s not good when any mentally challenged individual comments on the internet.
I cannot believe this, we have bought a red herring. Billions for a plane that can’t handle some wind! The defence secretary should resign and our order for more F35 cancelled immediately. ???
in flight refuelling in bad weather has nothing to do with aircraft. its about the pilots!
He was joking Andy
It does highlight the benefit of being able to deploy aircraft from a carrier rather than relying on long range flights supported by in-flight refueling.
The problem with this is that amongst the uninformed general public, which is the vast majority, this looks like another failure of the F35 project.
The UK MOD and HM forces have never been very good at public relations and that proud tradition continues.
Don’t be to harsh on the mainstream media, they have like their readers, little understanding of defence matters.
I agree with the decision to wait until the weather in mid Atlantic becomes favourable for this transition flight. It’s a very important evolution and there is no need for any unnecessary risks to either the Pilots or the Aircraft.
What’s a delay of 24hrs in reality?
They will not be ready for combat anytime soon.
Who cares about tabloids..wait till the Russian troll army hears about this..social media storm!
Shocking, simply shocking, the poor cowardly standards of our military today. Why, what if they were needed today to save the UK from invasion? Should we nicely ask the invaders to postpone their invasion and air assault for a day because of *bad weather*? Next it’ll be the wrong type of leaves on the line just because the wheel pressure molecularises them onto the track and makes it very slippy and trains shoot hundreds of yards past the platform, or the wrong type of snow that blows in the wind and causes huge drifts, or … … slap slap, oh,… Read more »
Tell me you’re joking dadsarmy. You are, right?
Fake news. They’re here already. They are stealth aircraft after all, this just goes to show how good they are.
Ha! Ha!
More information coming to light, it is indeed the weather that is to blame for the delay.
Given the sea state in the mid Atlantic at the moment it would be very difficult to recover the pilot if he had to ditch in such conditions.
To me this makes perfect sense in term.of safety, in peacetime conditions, for the pilots rather than anything to do with the aircraft itself.
At least the newspapers don’t publish two year old articles on their front page.
The newspapers are well funded and owned by billionaires, they employ hundreds of journalists and covers hundreds of topics.
This is a British defence blog on the internet Ron
And this still provides better defence coverage than all the UK newspapers put together.
My comment was tongue in cheek. Presumably not up to the famous British SOH. And yes, the site does, which is why I come and read here every day.
I have an idea. Let’s invite the scoffers and sneerers aboard a specially converted Boeing for a free trip across the Atlantic. A few restrictions. A couple of the engines have been disabled. There’s only enough fuel to get a third of the way across the Atlantic. There’s supposed to be a Voyager to meet the Boeing, only the weather isn’t good and there’s a chance the Boeing won’t be able to hook up correctly to the Voyager to refuel, or maybe the Voyager might develop a fault and have to turn back, or it could be late at the… Read more »
Have you actually found a scoffer and sneerer yet? None here.
Wasn’t talking about this place, Ron. Just a bit of fun aimed at those who may question why the F-35Bs arrival has been delayed when airlines fly across the Atlantic day after day. No need to take risks when it isn’t required.
Yes, but who ACTUALLY criticized the delay?
I haven’t seen anybody, anywhere.
Queen Elizabeth will be over there in a couple of months I’m sure she might be able to squeeze them on and it would save fuel. That would please the chancellor and the Daily Mail!
From the Daily Mail: “Arrival of Britain’s new £100m ‘game changer’ F-35 Lightning stealth fighter jets is postponed… due to the weather By Rod Ardehali For Mailonline Published: 11:31 EDT, 5 June 2018 | Updated: 11:43 EDT, 5 June 2018 The arrival of Britain’s new £100 million F-35 Lighting stealth fighter jets, described as a game change for RAF personnel, has been postponed – due to the weather. The UK’s supersonic aircraft could arrive at RAF Marham, Norfolk, any time from Tuesday, though the exact date is yet to be confirmed and will depend on a number of factors including… Read more »
Don’t wait too long. We might be putting retaliatory import tariffs on them.
What kind of journalism is this? Just stirring up crap. Why nt just report the news ?, rather than things like *Just wait for them*.
You are literally making a story out of something that hasn’t happened.
This is really fake news, and shameful journalism.
Just read on Twitter that they are on their way…
They are on their way
I read 5 set off and 4 landed in the UK with 1 returning to the US. Anyone know why one returned, was this always planned?