Forum: General F-35 Forum

Phil Ewing at the DoD Buzz blog has picked up on the CNO's Proceedings article, and has written an extensive post:

Did CNO just take a big swipe at F-35?

"The F-35 Lightning II has no shortage of critics among defense observers, congressional skeptics and other Beltway denizens, and now it has a new one: The boss of one of the services that will fly it.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert takes more than a few cuts at his Navy’s future F-35C in the July issue of the Naval Institute’s magazine Proceedings, further cementing the perception that if this Jenga tower were to fall, it might be because the Navy — never enthusiastic about the game — pulled out its bricks."

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2012/07/03/did-c ... pe-at-f35/

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Did a Proceedings article under a CNO by-line really footnote something from Popular Science? Written by Sweetman no less...? You can't make this stuff up. LMAO

Quote:

That said, Elbit provides upgrades to avionics of various 4th gen aircraft such as the Brazilian F-5E/F, a good example of an upgrade done right.

What are the Elbit avionics upgrades on Brazil's F5s?

It sounds like the admiral is taking a cost-effectiveness based approached to what he thinks the Navy's likely mission sets are going to be over the next 30 years. Novel concept. Does anyone really see the Red hoard invading the west coast in that time frame? Australia would make a lot more sense if they were that ambitious. You'll see more and more of this kind of thinking as the truth about our budget dilemma becomes more transparent in the coming months and years. Or perhaps he is just loath to the idea of a single engine naval aircraft costing upwards of $120M per copy when that money could go to fund so many other capabilities?

Just why exactly is the single engine F-35 projected to be so very much more expensive to operate than the twin engine F-18? That makes no sense. Can't Lockheed get anything right? What are the factors driving the projected operating cost up so much?

Figures lie and liars figure.

And spokespeople clarify (for those wanting to see the glass half full).... Very Happy

The Navy’s advanced weapons shopping list By Philip Ewing Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2012/07/03/the-n ... ping-list/

"There’s a reason Adm. Jonathan Greenert didn’t call for the Navy to back out of F-35, his spokesman said Tuesday — he doesn’t think it should.

The chief of naval operations continues to support F-35C, said Capt. Danny Hernandez. So what was all that stealth skepticism in his Proceedings piece this month questioning the value of low-observable strike aircraft? That was Greenert arguing that stealth has a limit, Hernandez said, and that there may come a point at which the Navy has to draw the line or risk diminishing returns.

Greenert believes one alternative is relying on tomorrow’s more precise, longer-range munitions to reach out and touch the bad guy. That way stealth makes less of a difference because you can stay out of his range. What does that mean in terms of programs?..."

BEST to READ the REST at URL...

LINK to previous page long USNI article:

Payloads over Platforms: Charting a New Course

http://www.usni.org/print/24832

Forum: General F-35 Forum

The new F-35C will be a L.O. complement to the F/A-18 S.H.