MigBuster 2,885 Posted May 9, 2012 Government in U-turn over fighter planes The government has changed its mind over the type of fighter planes it is ordering for the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier, the BBC has learned. David Cameron has signed off a decision to use the jump-jet variant of the US-built F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, as planned by the Labour government. The coalition had wanted to switch to a variant using "catapults and traps" but costs are believed to have spiralled. The government is expected to make the announcement on Thursday. As part of its defence spending review in 2010, the government decided to "mothball" one of the two aircraft carriers ordered by Labour. This followed a doubling of costs for the project. And the coalition chose not to order the Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, also known as the F-35B, for the carrier that would become operational..................... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18008171 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fallenphoenix1986 603 Posted May 9, 2012 (edited) Shower of F***ing muppets. Sure it was the best choice if you want to pay extra for the shortest ranged, heaviest, lightest armed, most complex possible option and at the same time eliminate the possibility of any fall back option should the B fail to meet its requrments. The bit thats p***** me off about the whole thing is the£1.8bn cost of conversion being represented as cost per conversion.... 1.8bn gets you both! Craig Edited May 9, 2012 by fallenphoenix1986 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slartibartfast 153 Posted May 9, 2012 Stupid idea... should just sack getting the F-35's until they work correctly put the electromagnetic catapults into the boats then buy F-18E/F/G's and a few Hawkeyes... They will still save a bucketload and not just hand over cash to the megacorp that is BAe! I agree with Fallen on that one... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+ST0RM 145 Posted May 9, 2012 Saw F-35B BF-12 fly this past Friday. Went down to Ft Worth with the hopes of photographing some. After morning technical issues, a single Bravo went up later that afternoon. The A-model was hard broke. Apparently, it's (the B) not favored by anyone, but politics have gotten so far out of whack about it, no one knows what to do. The RAF looks to get 2 Bravos for training at Eglin, but the rest will most likely be the C-model. But yes, I agree they should scrap the project and proceed with Supers and Hawkeyes. So much $ already wasted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JediMaster 451 Posted May 10, 2012 The problem is it's this or nothing. This isn't 30 years ago when we had competing designs at work. The JSF is it. Unless you think the X-47 can be made into a viable UCAV for all services in the next decade. Super Hornets will not last to 2050, nor will F-15s, F-16s, or anything else but the F-22. The F-22 will only last till then if we don't lose too many to various things over the decades, seeing as we don't even have 200 of the stupid things. So, we can spend the money to fix the F-35 or we can make the even more intelligent decision to scrap it totally and start spending money on a totally new design to replace it, spend several billion more dollars in the process, and then find that THAT design also has a ton of issues it needs to fix (because all planes have before it, and all will after it, no doubt). These stupid "total lifetime cost" estimates crack me up, too. Wow, it's going to cost more than any other plane we've ever had? Really? Maybe it's because we're planning on buying more of them than any plane built in the last 35 years? And then keeping them for like 50 years, longer than any fighter we've still got flying? And that's going to cost more? Really? Those CPAs are worth the taxpayer dollars they cost. Really. Next: US gov't plan to replace every single car, truck, and van used by GSA in 2013 will cost more than any previous year! Plans to demolish and rebuild every gov't building will result in highest ever construction costs! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MigBuster 2,885 Posted May 10, 2012 (edited) The FAA will get the B Stealth Super Harrier - and I don't see an issue with that - as you say JM there is no alternative if you want an effective Fixed wing capability for the future. Edited May 10, 2012 by MigBuster Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
