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F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

Looks like Finns will have all their F-35s operational well before RCAF has most of its 88--note also some Norwegian QRA F-35s for Arctic:




Mark
Ottawa
As much as I hate to say this, I’m okay with this.

Alaska alone will have more 5th generation fighter aircraft than any other country in the world, with approx 70 F-35’s at one air base alone.

Not to mention the F-22 squadron already based in Alaska.

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From a big picture standpoint, it makes more sense for our allies closer to our adversaries to receive the new aircraft first.

The USAF has Russia contained up there. Makes sense for Finland & Norway to get their jets before us, so they can keep Russia contained there also.

We can still perform self-escort/strike missions, and there will still be plenty of F-16’s, F-15’s, Typhoons, Rafales, and Grippens being tasked with sorties on the docket too.

Besides, I don’t think the Russian Air Force is really as much of a threat as it once was, if it ever really was as threatening as we thought.

Their aircraft numbers have been decimated, especially their helicopter fleets.

With sanctions hitting hard enough for them to stop building tanks, I imagine their aircraft manufacturing capabilities will soon suffer a similar fate, if they haven’t already.


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I personally believe the biggest threat we face from Russia is it’s submarine fleet. With the launch of Belgorod just a week or two ago, as well as who knows how many Russian subs can deploy or are currently deployed - and who knows where - I believe that is our biggest threat.

Because those attacks can come at any time, from anywhere. And the list of targets that those missiles would go after don’t necessarily make a lot of sense to us.


0.02
 
Can someone PLEASE explain this to me or post something related to this? This sounds genuinely fascinating…

A zombie jet with 2 ejections, yet still flying? That’s worth a read.
Pilot ejected out of the aircraft (188761j in UK in 1987 during an aborted formation takeoff.

1659063379847.jpeg

In 2004, in Yellowknife (in a heavily configured armed aircraft on a NORAD mission) after landing on wet runway, pilot ejected after losing directional control of the aircraft.

Both times the aircraft was returned to service. 761’s nose was replaced by a Spanish nose after the 1987 accident but I am pretty sure one of our duals has a Finnish nose (or maybe we gave one of our dual nose to the Finns).
 
Pilot Error After ‘Sierra Hotel Break’ Resulted in South China Sea F-35C Crash, Investigation Says

A 2022 ramp strike aboard the carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) that injured six sailors and resulted in the loss of an F-35C Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter was due to a mistake by the fighter pilot during landing, an investigation into the Jan. 24, 2022 incident determined.

The junior officer had performed a specialized landing approach to Vinson for the first time, but he did not realize a built-in aid that helped control the plane’s power during landing was switched off. The F-35C made an underpowered approach to the carrier, according to the investigation obtained by USNI News.

By the time the pilot realized his aircraft was underpowered, there wasn’t enough time to stop the aircraft’s nose from striking the back of the flight deck, collapsing the F-35Cs landing gear. The momentum carried the fighter, assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, across the Vinson’s deck and into the South China Sea. Flying debris injured five sailors on the deck. The pilot was hurt ejecting from the fighter, according to the investigation.

“This mishap was the result of pilot error,” wrote U.S. 7th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Karl Thomas in his June 3rd endorsement.

 
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