The Fuel Support Team from 1 Expeditionary Logistics Squadron (ELS) has successfully conducted a forward refuelling operation of an F-35 Lightning jet for the first time.
Using a deployable fuel system, the trial aimed to prepare the Lightning Force for deployments in remote areas lacking permanent fuel infrastructure.
The capability trial is central to the Royal Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) strategy. According to the press release, ACE focuses on the “ability to refuel and re-arm aircraft at austere locations.” Based at RAF Wittering, 1 ELS ensures that the Royal Air Force is adequately equipped and fueled during deployed air operations.
Flight Lieutenant Woodhouse, Officer Commanding Fuels, 1 ELS, highlighted the significance of the trial.
“From a standing start we can set up a system in six hours. At a deployed location we could take fuel from an A400 Atlas and then transfer it to refuel jets. This is a two-way learning experience. From our point of view this is a capability trial, we’re preparing for further deployments with F-35 in austere locations.”
During the trial, fuels technicians installed a 10,000-litre bladder capable of transferring fuel at a rate of 400 litres per minute. Following a series of checks for fuel purity, an F-35 was successfully refuelled with its engine running upon returning from a training sortie.
This capability trial supports the development of ACE, aiming to enhance operational flexibility. ACE allows air forces to operate from a variety of bases, including those with minimal infrastructure, thereby improving the ability to quickly manoeuvre combat capabilities across different theatres.
The RAF should be able to write the dummys guide to this capability after all those years of operating Harriers.
Alot of skills where lost when Cameron killed off joint force Harrier, it’s good to see us finally leveraging F35B for the amazing machine of war it is rather than somehow feeling embarrassed by not operating the A model in the RAF.
In a modern conflict runways will be closed by ballistic missiles and drone swarms and the ability to operate from short forward deployed air strips will be more important than ever.
Especially when the aircraft being operated is not some Heath Robinson light combat aircraft like Harrier but the worlds most deadly fighter bomber.
If only we had bequeathed our harrier’s to Ukraine
Would have been handy although I think the USMC put them to good use.
The USMC actually used our Harriers for spares. Even after our Harrier fleet had a billion pound upgrade programme spent on them. Tories as wasteful as ever.
There are still 2 Harrier squadrons in the USMC, Harriers are deployed on USS Bataan right now.
The King’s Coronation showed that the F35b cannot operate in the rain so what use is it in a close air support role? Coupled to that the quality issues that the US has in exporting aircraft that clearly have quality issues. It has only 1 engine too.
Hi Jim. Just for balance, there was one Squadron left when Camerin killed it off.
One.
Nos 3, 4, 800, 801, and 809 had already been cut by Labour.
With just one Sqn left, No1, ( plus 20R OCU ) it was an easy cut to make.
And that in itself should not have lost skills. The TSW, TCW, and other ground support elements of the RAF and army RS and RE that supported JFH are all still with us and they support helicopters in the field too.
I never too you for a Cameron apologist, I though your were done with that lot 😀
Not at all, you’re saying that, not me. I make no apology for the 2010 SDSR.
However, you saying “Cameron killed off JFH” might mislead, that he cut ALL of it.
JFH had already gone, only some Harrier GR9 remained, Sea Harrier went earlier.
Posters have said that here before, and it is not accurate, as most of the force had already gone.
Just as another poster was saying “the Tories cut Nimrod MRA4 to 9” Nope. It was at 9 when they came in, from 21. More revisionist nonsense.
All I’m doing is stating facts, apologist nothing.
20R squadron was disbanded in March 2010, and 4 Squadron took over as the OCU. In SDSR 2010, 1 squadron, 4 squadron and 800 NAS were disbanded.
809 NAS only existed in 1982 formed out of the OCU.
Meant 899 mate, phone typed 809.
800 was NSW on Harrier GR9 as the Sea Harriers had already been chopped.
NSW took 3 Squadron’s GR9s when Sea Harrier left service in 2006. It was always a bit of a pisstake name as at some points numbers had dropped to 8 Harriers so barely even a squadron. It was renamed back to 800 shortly before SDSR. It’s a shame the plan for F35B has dropped to 3 squadrons of 12-16 aircraft as it likely means 809 will be the only FAA squadron. I expect the other squadron will be reroled from Typhoon later this decade when Qatar doesn’t need a joint squadron. 107 jets is a bit too small for 7… Read more »
These cross postings are normal though as far as I know.
Interesting point on that Joint Qatar Sqn, No 9 isn’t it?
No I’m aware cross postings are normal, just F18 pilots are of no use to Britain. Given the decision to switch back to F35B was made more than a decade ago, and it’s in service with two other allies with more to follow, I’m struggling to see why FAA pilots are still flying F18s.
The joint squadron is No 12. I expect it’ll disband ~2025 when Qatar has gained the expertise and T1 Typhoon leaves service. Even with 6 frontline squadrons plus a flight it’ll be a squeeze off just 107 aircraft.
Ahhh, yes. Muppet. 12. 🙄
And we will be back to 8 where we are now, 7,1 to 6,2.
People thought 12 Sqns was barely believable in 2010 when Labour left power, we’d be happy with 12 Sqns now.
I remember a CAS saying he had a “9th in his pocket” The usual valueless pledges it seems.
Hi DM
A furter point of interst , several Tornado squadrons were under their allocated strength level of 12 aircraft before the 2010 cuts. Another clever little Labour trick to reduce costs.
Louis, I think you’re right re 12 sqn standing down. Something has to give with the retirement of the tranche 1 Typhoons in 2025. Then again, god willing 12 sqn may convert to F35s.
What about multiple highways? Long range fighter’s? Lack of precision guided weapons?
This is hot refuelling for the F35B. Something the US Marines have been doing for a while. Speeds up sortie rates by keeping engine on and pilot in cockpit whilst refueled.
Great to see the F35B going from strength to strength, a phenomenal aircraft bringing unprecedented capabilities to our armed forces, the critics of this aircraft have largely gone silent, about time to.
I’d rather have the C and The A….just saying.
Well the ‘B’ variant we have is pretty much a replacement for the Harrier, which will predominantly operate from our two carriers, the C variant is designed to operate from USN fleet carriers with cats&traps, the A variant is to eventually replace the F15, F16 etc, our Equivalent (Typhoon) is to stay in service for another 20 years, so no need for it.
We could have the C but it would mean a very expensive redesign of our carriers or building some new carriers with cats and traps.
Wait till Nigel Collins see’s your post…….😬😆
Too late Mate- see the thread below. Like an ant to honey!
😆 Isn’t he a plonker. Over 980 F35s delivered to date. Nations are pretty much queuing up to buy it. The people who fly it say they wouldn’t want to go to war in anything else. It proving to have overwhelming capabilities. And its going to be in service across the globe until 2070 plus. He just doesn’t like it, like a 10 year old hates cabage 😄
cheers Robert , it is a little “entertaining” though, all the best😉
Have a good one mate👍
Don’t talk to soon, we have our Nige here.
I honestly couldn’t care less about what Nigel or anyone else has to say about the awesome F35B, there’s always one!!
To order any of the other variants A or C we would have to order a hell of a lot more than the 74 planned. The F35B is the best option as the current split between the RAF and FAA can be eventually be passed over to all jets operated by FAA when Tempest starts to be delivered to the RAF. Cannot pass over the A variant and as you say the C variant would take substantial change to both carriers which probably won’t happen. F35B provides a fantastic capability that we need in both RAF and FAA.
Interesting. I’d love that to be the case. All 75 transferred to FAA and Tempest comes along with hopefully 150+ jets.
150+ Tempest with a healthy amount of LANCA for RAF would be very formidable with 74 F35B in the FAA I think.
F35 is a waste of budget pour UK tax payer’s. Since UK developped air industrial capabilities, why buy a plane where you don’t do everything? UK seem not so inclined to go all alone on a plane. There is a kind of « self misstrust » that is worrying me and is a bit sad.
USA should have bought UK the follower of the harrier, not the other way around. This is very sad. UK should not doubt so much in it’s engineering capabilities.
Of course your engineers or not as good as French one‘s, but … 😁
It was reported that 15% by value of every F-35 is built in the UK, and about 50% of that money will flow back to the Treasury. Around 1000 have been built, (primarily for the US), so the Treasury has already benefitted by the cost of 75 aircraft and has only bought about 37 to the end of year. Hardly a waste of budget. The real costs are in the longer run operation and maintenance. The US would never buy a UK-built fighter, and although they might have manufactured in the US under licence, that would only have been the… Read more »
Make sense. I may be stupide with these ideas of pride and prestige. Financialy, UK made money and I agree it is important.
Didn’t UK sold Harriers to US?
True, both as new in the 1960s and again for spare parts more recently. I still couldn’t see them buying a British V/STOL fighter rather than the F-35B. Perhaps if the UK hadn’t abandoned the jump jet in the 70’s and handed on the baton to the US, it might be a different story. I don’t think you are stupid to consider pride and prestige. The French certainly do. The other thing to consider is the damage to British industry when we don’t develop an entire product in the UK, and just build sub-assemblies. If we hadn’t gone for Tempest,… Read more »
Good spot with the ‘self mistrust’. Lack of faith is indeed a big UK problem…not so much between people as between the people and their government.
Agree 74 B is the best option, as stated many times, it makes best use of the 2 Carriers we bought.
If Tempest is binned then I can see the RAF getting the A. Otherwise not a chance, there is no money for a split buy and as you say the numbers would need to be greater.
to B or not to B -that’s the question. Seriously though, it needs to B only
😀 !
Tell us in your opinion what’s marvellous about it Deebee. F-35B First Flight 11 June 2008 F-35 full-rate production decisions happening in fiscal 2023 are rapidly dwindling. Tech Refresh 3 Delayed until 2024 and counting Block 4 Delayed until 2029 and counting Maintenance costs increasing Stealth coating issues (corrosion risks from salt to aluminium parts of the F-35) Engine upgrade required to support TR3/BLK4 software (excess wear on the engine’s turbine, results in a shorter lifespan and more frequent overhauls) Combat Radius on Internal fuel: 450nm Fuel cost per flight hour: $41,986 Maximum altitude: 50,000ft Max Speed 1600mph Max G-rating… Read more »
https://p1-tt.byteimg.com/origin/tos-cn-i-qvj2lq49k0/8c6c61c960fc495787b47b6140086819.jpg
All very interesting, yes the world’s biggest defense project will have course have its problems, you could say the similar about Tornadoe, Harrier, F15 etc etc, all said & done somewhere in the region of 15-17 countries are purchasing the awesome F35(all variants) what would they know??
geez Deebee , look what you went and did!
You let Nigel out of his box!
Tell us in your opinion what’s marvellous about it Deebee.
August 23, 2023
‘Regional hub’ for F-35 work: Australia boots up stealth coating factory for Indo-Pacific
The F35 is still the best aircraft around today. It’s sensors and abilities are unmatched. It has its issues but speak to anyone who has flown in one the will sing it’s praises.
It sounds very impressive. I wonder how our new radar will compare to the AN/APG-85? Is it the finished article or still in the development phase? TR3/BLK4 is still delayed at present. “The publicized list of Block 4 upgrades includes several unclassified highlights. For example, Lot 15 jets, which start rolling off the assembly line later this year, come with the Technical Refresh-3 hardware, which includes an integrated core processor for the flight avionics that is 25 times more powerful. Lot 16 aircraft arriving in 2024 and 2025 come with a three times more powerful electronic warfare (EW) processor. And… Read more »
Now compare the timeframe and specifications to the KF–21 Boramae, there are already rumours of a VTOL version. Hit the drawing board in 2016 I believe. KF-21 Tests Move Into Weapons-Release Phase “The weapon-release test comes only eight months after the KF-21’s first flight. To put this in perspective, the Lockheed Martin F-35A fired its first AIM-120 Amraam four years after a “weight-optimized” aircraft flew in June 2008, and nearly six years after the first AA-1 prototype flew in 2006. Due to costs and technology limitations, South Korea did not pursue an internal weapons bay for the first two blocks… Read more »
UK is not responsible of thé miss management of F35 programme. Lockeed Martin is. In Europe, we don’t send in production an untested prorotype. F35 is like the Sagrada Familia, never finished, and a bit crumbly.
When it will be finished (stable software +new engine), gallium nitrite radar and multistatique detection will be standard on other planes, so, what will it has to offer, to justify the operating cost and the large maintenance facility requirement‘s?
What I am glad is that aware of this, UK decision makers slashed the order as much as possible.
Indeed.
Old news, but still worth noting! Lest We Forget as some clearly do.
British Government Says It Might Pass On $27M Upgrade For Some Of Its F-35s
Aircraft without the still-in-development Block 4 update would be left with reduced functionality and more limited capabilities.
LINK
Morning mate, as I tipped you when you came on, if you click on the posters gravatar ( if they have one ) or name. You’ll then get a whole history of Nigel’s F35 stance!
I suspect he’s been possessed by the ghost of Pierre Spray (the notorious Russia today employee who started most of the horror stories about the F-35, while lying about working on the F-15 and A-10).
In short, no longer fit for purpose without very expensive upgrades. Any updates since 2000 on Meteor and Spear 3 integration? TR3 or Blk 4 perhaps? The last I heard was 2030’s unless you know different. “A senior U.S. Air Force officer has said that there is no value in including the service’s current fleet of F-35A Joint Strike Fighters in tabletop wargames simulating future high-end conflicts, such as one covering an American military response to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.” DOD intends for Block 4 to help the aircraft address new threats that have emerged since DOD established the… Read more »
I’m not going to bother to read that since you clearly don’t bother to read my responses.
*Edit* nor do I suspect, given your penchant for non-sequiturs, does it have anything to do with what I said.
Hence the reason you are clueless when it comes to the F-35 Dern.
The facts always upset the fantasists on here. Try educating yourself for a change or even put two and two together.
May 2023
Report to Congressional Committees
F-35 JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER More Actions Needed to Explain Cost Growth and Support Engine Modernization Decision
LINK
Oh and look another copy pasta of something Nigel doesn’t understand. Shocked that it’s a non-sequitur of my original point.
Nigel learn to respond to what people are saying, and maybe learn to actually string words together that aren’t just a copy paste with BOLD LETTERS AS IF THAT MAKES IT MORE AUTHORITATIVE.
“BOLD LETTERS AS IF THAT MAKES IT MORE AUTHORITATIVE.”
You’re not particularly bright are you, Dern. Allow me to attempt to educate you as to why I highlight text in my posts rather than end up looking like a complete crétin in the future.
I’m always up for a challenge 😂
to center attention on: emphasize, stress. The speech will highlight the need for education reform. b. : to constitute a significant or especially interesting part of :
I wouldn’t start throwing things about being particularly bright around if I where you Nige. Because let me summarise this conversation for you, and why I’m not engaging with the text of your posts: Me: Makes fun of Nigel for being rabidly anti-F-35 to the point where he’s actively starting to resemble Pierre Sprey. Nigel: WELL THE F-35 IS TERRIBLE AND BLA BLA BLA *Link to dubious report* This is what I mean when I say you leap to non-sequiturs. I wasn’t defending the F-35, I wasn’t even talking to you. Instead you leapt into a conversation, assigned talking point… Read more »
I wouldn’t start throwing things about being particularly bright around if I where you Nige
In your case, I will. Why, because you’re not and it is were not where 😂
Let me help you once again to understand the differences.
“They look similar, but they are spelt and pronounced differently, and they have very different meanings. So, when should you use each word? The short answer is that were is a past tense form of be, while where means “in a specific place.”
Crétin
And Nige resorts to being a Grammar Nazi. *yawn*
The comments you post on here regarding the delay to block 4 upgrades are of course correct and perhaps some of the issues/limitations should have been addressed sooner but it is a platform that will be in service for decades, upgrades will come to address the issues. The overruling fact is that most NATO and other allies has chosen the F35 to replace or in part replace their current platform, surely you should back what’s going to keep you, your family and your country safe going forward.
When will the F-35B be in a position to do that and at what cost? The F35 is a fifth-generation fighter designed as far back as the year 2000 to replace fourth-generation fighters until the arrival of the sixth-generation fighter aircraft due in the mid-2030s To date, it has failed miserably requiring very costly upgrades and maintenance costs. Ask yourself why we have reduced the number of aircraft from the original 138 (that most people were shouting about at the time on here) to 74 and quite possibly 48 overall. By the time we end up with what it said… Read more »
‘Too big to fail‘
Why didn’t we buy 250 or 232 Typhoons? or maintain the fleet at 158? Why are we going to only 107? why are we spending 2.35Bn to upgrade the aircraft?
I hope you can understand my position.
July 26, 2023
Australia Starts Looking Beyond The F-35 For Next-Gen Fighter Needs
LINK
So what would you prefer, scrap which is already a world class gen 5 platform with a few little issues being delivered to all our allies to sit still and wait for gen 6 ? I’m a big fan of Typhoon and very hopeful that Tempest will be the amazing platform it should be, but to date there is nothing better than the F35.
We signed for 48 F-35Bs, I would cut my losses and move on.
Drones are becoming far more attractive and will continue to be in the future.
We are already looking to add them to the fleet.
Royal Navy seeking information on cats and traps to launch drones
“A Request For Information (RFI) issued to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has revealed that the Royal Navy is seeking information on potential electromagnetic catapult and arrestor wire systems that could be used to launch and recover ‘air vehicles’ from ‘a suitable ship’ by as soon as 2023.”
LINK
NEWS FROM THE FLIGHT DECK “Nice to see you making friends again Nigel. 😄 Pretty useless at this aren’t you.” Who needs friends on here with silly —s like You Blay. Why didn’t we buy 250 or 232 Typhoons? or maintain the fleet at 158? Why are we going to only 107? “With 137 serving with the RAF, the Eurofighter Typhoon forms the backbone of the UK’s combat air capability. It entered service in 2003 and is planned to remain in service until at least 2040.” 😂 ” why are we spending 2.35Bn to upgrade the aircraft?” “DOD intends for… Read more »
Answer the question? From 2025 the RAF Typhoon fleet will number 107 aircraft. Only 40 aircraft are due to receive ECRS mk2 which won’t be in service until the early 2030’s. Overall upgrade costs a huge £2.35Bn. But, you seem ok with that. Over 980 F35s delivered and counting. Only 623 Typhoons have been built to date over 20 years. So 980+ F35’s at low rate production is pretty bloody impressive id say. And new customers signing up. Get over this petty child like hatred of the F35 Nigel. You just look like a total twat. Every single F35 pilot… Read more »
MORE NEWS FROM THE FLIGHT DECK “Every single F35 pilot says they wouldn’t want to go to war in anything else” WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES & WHERE’S THE PROOF? 😂😂😂 Again, Any updates on Meteor and Spear 3 integration this decade? “The F-35 program hopes to finish a series of complex tests in the Joint Simulation Environment by the end of August, the office of the director of operational test and evaluation said in its latest report, released Friday. Those 64 test trials in the JSE have to happen before the fighter’s initial operational test and evaluation phase can close,… Read more »
ROBERT BLAY WAITING TO HEAR HOW GOOD THE F-35 IS FROM ALL THE PILOTS WHO FLY IT
So don’t mind that we have to spend £2.35billion to keep Typhoon capable into the 2030s. And only 40 aircraft are due to get the new radar.
Ha! Yes, he is all over Youtube too.
Sadly yes. The problem with Nigel is he thinks he’s a lot more intelligent than he is, but really he’s just falling into confirmation bias (I don’t think he’s deliberately dishonest, in fact I suspect he’s probably just neurodivergent and struggles to read a room which becomes worse when it’s text based), and is hyper fixated to the point where he doesn’t realize that people are not having a conversation that he wants them to have.
10 O’ levels 3 A’ levels and a degree.
I retired at fifty-four. How about you Dern?
Oh, and posts the facts with links rather than uneducated opinions.
July 26, 2023
Australia Starts Looking Beyond The F-35 For Next-Gen Fighter Needs
“Australia has started looking for options beyond the Lockheed Martin F-35A for its future fighter fleet, as interest in the next generation of air combat technology increasingly encroaches on funding available for existing aircraft.”
Put it this way: I have enough qualifications that I don’t feel the need to brag about O levels.
Also I am capable of following a conversation, which puts me miles above you.
“Put it this way: I have enough qualifications that I don’t feel the need to brag about O levels.”
It’s always good to state the facts when your level of intelligence is questioned by an idiot who is reduced to making childish remarks to make a point.
“The problem with Nigel is he thinks he’s a lot more intelligent than he is”
Nice to see you making friends again Nigel. 😄 Pretty useless at this aren’t you.
Thank you for proving my point.
Well Nigel has always been respectful to me personally, so he’s OK by me whatever faults he may have, and we all have a fault or two somewhere. I do not share his F35 stance, but to me he is almost now like a site mascot with it! In a jokey nice way of course. I recall on the previous defence related forum I would frequent, Defence Management, there was a Martin who was that sites version of Nigel for a view held so strongly there is no deviation. He was as rabidly pro Sea Typhoon as Nigel is anti… Read more »
Sea typhoon. That sounds like a good idea. For me the F35B is important for the U.K. and it’s Vstol abilities make it unique in the aircraft world. The RAF and RN need enough for the carriers as it’s the only gig in town and will be for years to come. Working with drones is the future probably. The ability to surge the carrier numbers with inexperienced pilots is really useful. Conventional aircraft require so much more training. I think once block 4 is sorted it will be the Carrier aircraft the RN have for probably the duration of the… Read more »
I agree. We went with it, the carriers were built for it, and we need to maximise it.
Nigel hates the F35 like a 9 year old hates sprouts. That’s the mentality you are up against with him. Any common sense Nigel has goes out of the window when discussing F35. He cannot comprehend why so many nations are buying the aircraft, or acknowledge the overwhelming enthusiasm from the pilots that fly this amazing capability. He thinks it’s the first fast jet in history to run into delays and cost overruns. He sees blk4 as some kind of she devil, instead of a massive capability upgrade and a huge technical achievement. 85 separate upgrades. Many are classified and… Read more »
I mean the fact that he went off on one when I was just commenting on his obsession with the F-35 being bad, not even mentioning a stance on it, kind of goes to show how obsessed he is.
It’s like dealing with a child. He just shares GEO reports and any negative news he can find. Completely ignoring what the frontline pilots and engineers say, or why so many nations still want to purchase it. I mean F22 was hugely over budget and late. Typhoon is an amazing aircraft, but we’ve hardly got value for money from it, considering how few are in service compared to the huge bill. And still no ASEA radar. That’s another 7/8 years away. And it still wouldn’t be used on the first night of a conflict.
He also doesn’t actually look at what those reports say, or think critically about the news he’s copy-pastaing.
Exactly. He cherry picks what fits his agenda, and ignores the rest.
or sponsored by the good people at Dassault Rafale.
Not doing a very good job then is he? 😛
cheers Mate😉
ditto Mate
I am certain a lot of Harrier pilots will resent the comment of it being a ” Heath Robinson” aircraft as none were lost to air combat in the Falklands. Simple is best.
We are waiting to see if the F 35 can live up to the claims being made but not yet substantiated.
Don’t see the big story here, we’ve been doing this in the Army for years, a Daf, a trailer, 400 Jerry cans and 3 very pissed off CQ Toms……😂😇
Exactly, it’s not as if the units who have these FOB replenishment skills do not exist. They support SHF, CHF, the wider AAC, and the RAF. Maybe it is like integration of missiles, each type has its own peculiarities and thus this first had to be planned for months?
True mate, mine was more of a tongue in cheek post comparing the tech and skill set needed for the RAF in comparison to the Army 😂👍
Duh! I’m slow today. Gotcha, yes, all in a days work for a squaddie out in all weather’s.
You know it mate 😂👍
Ideally at night, without light, using a knock on the tank hatches to alert the drivers and get them going so you don’t have to shout and alert the Red Army about the refueling site.
Tanks? Tank hatches? What are they 😂! More like knock on the door of the Pinz/L/R etc, wake the exhausted driver and say move forward following the red cylume and wait another hour 😂😂👍 Ah those were the days!!!!!!!
Lol shut up, you’re a Para, the only things they ride are Fat Alberts and things I can’t put into print! 😂
Lol no more fat Alberts mate, but still lots of other things…..
Can’t beat the back of a dc3 on a nice hot bumpy afternoon thermal. The paras looked as green as the camo on the plane! 😉
Ah the DC3 was lucky to get a lob onto Arnhem many many years ago from one! Most of the lads not jumping would drive, a Coy would lob from a herc and a select few the Dakota. On that year mostly Bde HQ staff but one or two lucky SNCOs managed to use our charm, wit and grumpiness to get on lol. As for green as camo mate, that’s regular thing on a 3 hour flight, with low level for a Bde lob! Many sick bags and indeed trails of pee down the back….😂👍
I don’t often get down but what exactly is there to celebrate about this ? We can refuel the F35 in a forward operating base or dispersed, just like we did with the Harrier and Sweden does it very well indeed. The number we have ordered is pitiful (45 +3 development aircraft that will never leave the states). Not exactly earth shattering is it ? I don’t know if the F35 will one day be a great aircraft, but I do know that it isn’t that at present and won’t be till nearly 30 years after it was conceived. Meanwhile… Read more »
Slightly off topic, but the House of Commons Defence Committee has been informed that 809NAS will finally recommission this December. Looking at aircraft deliveries (33 to date, but with 1 loss), I expect it to start life with just 5 or 6 F-35B’s nominally on strength – and those will probably still be pooled with 617 in practice. Even if the UK had more more F-35B’s, they probably couldn’t be used due to the lack of trained pilots and maintainers.
this is good news Richard