F-35 gun INOP until 2019

neptune · by **neptune** » 20 Dec 2017, 13:10

Dragon029 wrote:I can't recall the source but I'm 100% certain that at least some of VMFA-121's jets are Block 3i (the source was from early this year or late last year IIRC).

....please consider the last 4 LRIPs - LRIP6/7/8/9 or (36) "Bees"
- were assigned and delivered as Block 3I or "to be/as needed" upgraded to Block 3I with:

VMFA-121(16 a/c)
VMFA-211(3 a/c)
VMFAT-501(5 a/c)
UK(11 a/c)
Italy(1 a/c)

for a total of (36);
by the last counts.
:wink:

…but "NO" Block 3F ("wearing a gun")!
:roll:

alloycowboy · by **alloycowboy** » 20 Dec 2017, 22:04

Gee, I wonder if there is a top secret reason they do not see the gun as a high priority.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the ... 3b4da3f15a

quicksilver · by **quicksilver** » 20 Dec 2017, 22:19

121 may have a couple 2B jets, but they gave (most of) their 2B jets to 211 before they deployed.

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 20 Dec 2017, 22:39

alloycowboy wrote:Gee, I wonder if there is a top secret reason they do not see the gun as a high priority.

??

Block 3F includes a gun, so where is the "gun not a priority" coming from?

Hamilton said the air-to-air accuracy tests finished in August with air-to-ground tests ending in October. The ITF then capped off WDA tests by completing testing on the ’s GAU-22 25mm gun at the beginning of December. The WDA gun tests included the Air Force’s A variant where the gun is internal carried and on the Marine Corps’ and Navy’s B and C variants, which employ a gun pod beneath the jet.