Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

I wonder if the increased MC rate had something to do with the increased supply of parts support; parts cannibalized from the KC-10s that had already been retired to the 309th AMARG/boneyard, hmmmm? What were the NMCS/NMCM rates?

Inquiring minds want to know!
 

For the experts: If my F-35C is carrying LRASM (x4) and AMRAAM (x6), plus gas, contingencies, etc.

Realistically what kind of combat range or radius should be anticipated for the fully loaded F-35C? What a beast. All programmatic issues aside, this is my favorite platform in the sky.
 



It's a new world; things are a changing.

Regards,
 
Donald Trump could deactivate supplies of American F-35 fighter jets making their way to Germany at the push of a button known as a “kill switch”, officials fear.

Germany is set to receive 35 of the world’s most advanced fighter jets for €8.3 billion (£6.9 billion) next year in a deal with the US.

The ability of the US to flip a switch that would render them inoperable has long been the subject of speculation, but until now, it has not been proven.
Wolfgang Ischinger, the former chairman of the Munich Security Conference, told Bild that Mr Trump’s loss of support for Ukraine bodes ill for Germany’s relationship with Washington on defence matters.
Mr Ischinger said: “If we should fear that the US would make the future German F-35 [jets] the same as they do in Ukraine now, then the issue of contract cancellation may be considered.”
 
The logic behind the German F-35 order is that it would provide Germany, relatively quickly, with aircraft capable of delivering US nukes stored in Germany. If the USA withdraws those nukes as part of a withdrawal from NATO, that logic evaporates.
 
The logic behind the German F-35 order is that it would provide Germany, relatively quickly, with aircraft capable of delivering US nukes stored in Germany. If the USA withdraws those nukes as part of a withdrawal from NATO, that logic evaporates.
I have to admit, that is one of the rare cases of European F-35 procurement where it is so clear and rational to get them (for the B61-12 bombs).
 
There is no kill switch. That's ridiculous to say so. And rather insulting for the nations that, often after stringent comparative evaluations, choose to replace their existing fleet with the F-35.*

The USA are still member of NATO also. I reckon the urgency with the late US administration, but giving €800b to the words out of the mouth of President Trump is certainly a bit higher that he would have himself valued it.
Good for Europe defense as a whole... but
contingencies are not Hysterical hysterectomy. Let's keep our mind cool

*see an earlier quotation from the Belgian Air Force General, basically saying that there wasn't any more remote control with F-35 than any with their ex Dassault Mirage.
 
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I wonder what happens next????

Regards,
 
"There is no kill switch."

There may not be a physical "kill switch", but there are other situations that are effectively kill switches.

Just ask the Russians how well their fleet of stolen Western made airliners are fairing without software, technical, and parts support. Those airliners certainly don't have kill switches, but lack of the support resources to maintain them has effectively bricked most of the pirate fleet.

Just ask the Ukrainians about their US made weapons after the Trump administration cut off intelligence and all military shipments while Russian invaders kill thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers on their homeland. The Ukrainians are fighting for their survival and the Trump administration has hamstrung them by cutting off intelligence support and resupply while Russian missiles and shells are exploding in their streets. There is not a kill switch on any of the tanks or artillery, but the withholding of the intelligence to most effectively use them and cutting off resupply is effectively a kill switch.

"The USA are still member of NATO also." Trump has repeatedly said is going to take the US out of NATO and made many decisions that are the opposite of what would be in NATO's best interests. The Europeans are taking this seriously enough to be considering forming a new organization to succeed the Five Eyes intelligence alliance without the US.

F-35s may not have actual kill switches, but there are other ways they could be bricked. Having observed the disturbing and erratic change of US leadership in January 2025, I would think any F-35 customer would have to wonder about how reliable after purchase support would be after watching the Ukrainians getting rug pulled in the middle of fighting for their survival.
 

I wonder what happens next????

Regards,

Trump can ignore NATO but he cannot withdraw from it by law.
 
The thing about this current admin is that the nature of the rhetorics changes in rates measured in days. A picture is worth a thousand words. Trump is bold but not bold enough. All this posturing about "US leave NATO" is just to mess with the Euros.
 
Why is it necessary to mess with the Euros? That is an extremely unfriendly thing to do to your supposed allies while they have a hot war going on in their backyard and they are well within range of Russian missiles.

If a country is going to spend billions of their defense budgets for the next few decades, it has to give a buyer great concern if the seller has changed from a rock-solid ally to someone who is so mercurial with their statements and actions that you worry about them sharing with your enemies.
 
Why is it necessary to mess with the Euros?

If you need an explanation you need look no further than the character* of Trump. This could backfire big time in regards to future F-35 sales amongst other things.

*Or lack there of, Trump has NO moral-principles, he's an amoral malignant narcissist with a room-temperature IQ.
 
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"There is no kill switch."

There may not be a physical "kill switch", but there are other situations that are effectively kill switches.

Just ask the Russians how well their fleet of stolen Western made airliners are fairing without software, technical, and parts support. Those airliners certainly don't have kill switches, but lack of the support resources to maintain them has effectively bricked most of the pirate fleet.
Bad examples.

Russian fleet works just fine.
The question is they're going to deal with the D check, but Iran managed to reverse engineer enough. I guess Russia will manage.

Ukrainian US weapons also work just fine. Not resupplying stocks and not providing intelligence for free doesn't exactly change operation of weapons.
Any other weapon system comes without this package by default (pitiful aster ammo supply as an example).

Will US systems detoriate over time? Yes, but no and more solutions also can be found in the meantime; us system aren't alien technology or materials. Iran managed to reverse engineer enough. Ukraine can, too.
 
It is also going to end up hurting the US defence industry, US defense stocks are down and EU are up?


Absolutely none of this makes any sense.

Regards,

Word to the wise: The market is never rational. Don't read too much into the stock prices.
 
European nations are about to go on a spending spree for defence gear, but one traditional supplier is suffering from a dent in its street cred. Where do you think all that money will flow?

The concept of throwing out a minnow to catch a whale seems to be lost on some, they prefer the bludgeon. See how it works out.
 
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Why is it necessary to mess with the Euros? That is an extremely unfriendly thing to do to your supposed allies while they have a hot war going on in their backyard and they are well within range of Russian missiles.

If a country is going to spend billions of their defense budgets for the next few decades, it has to give a buyer great concern if the seller has changed from a rock-solid ally to someone who is so mercurial with their statements and actions that you worry about them sharing with your enemies.

The current administration views all economic competition as a zero sum game to win against all other countries regardless of affiliation and mutual defense as transactional, with collective security having no value in and of itself. It also views Europe and Canada as an exporter of leftist wing/woke ideology and is antagonistic to this as well.
 
We see that more and more the Block 4 will have in fact poor new capacity , all about sensors, at a time there is a need for a new engine , more range?
 
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We see that more and more the Block 4 will have in fact poor new capacity , all about sensors, at a time there is a need for a new engine , more range?

There’s no way to dramatically change the performance of the aircraft. Low RCS drop tanks are about the only change possible, outside three stream engines for the A/C which was already ruled out.

Blk 4 is a complete refresh of the avionics, which is not trivial. Software upgrades are also increasingly relevant - your software is your weapon system. How the aircraft integrates all of is data, both onboard and from other platforms, as well as how it generates ECM, are almost completely software driven now.
 
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The source said that F-35s also required regular software updates for performance and security, which are delivered through US-led channels, and US-controlled spare parts.
“If the US withheld updates, the jet’s capabilities could degrade over time, but it wouldn’t suddenly stop working,” they said.

“The US controls the global supply chain for critical components. Foreign operators rely on this pipeline for spares and repairs. If the US cuts off supply, a fleet could eventually grind to a halt as parts wear out or fail.”

They added: “Unlike older jets that could be jury-rigged with local fixes, the F-35’s high-tech nature means operators can’t easily bypass US-sourced parts or software.”

This technological reliance means that even without a kill switch, the US holds “significant sway through logistics.”

“The F-35 is a complex machine, and it can only fly safely if all its parts – engines, sensors, stealth coatings – are serviceable,” they said.

“The US doesn’t need a dramatic kill switch, it can simply turn the screws on logistics, making the F-35 unsustainable for a non-compliant ally over time. The real power lies in the US’s grip on the supply chain, ensuring that only a well-maintained F-35 with serviceable parts can fly safely.”

 
Any foreign aircraft system relies on a parts stream. What seems different about F-35 is that it is reliant on a software stream too. I suspect it will not be unique in this way going forward - software is your weapon system, and increasingly foreign aircraft sales are going to adopt the “aircraft as a service” model. There is simply no other way to keep up. Your phone and your computer constantly patch themselves automatically (unless you deliberately disable such) and aircraft are going to be same going forward. Need the latest ability to jam an S300/400? There’s a patch for that, but you have to have bought the service contract.
 
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Any foreign aircraft system relies on a CB parts stream. What seems different about F-35 is that it is reliant on a software stream too. I suspect it will not be unique is this way going forward - software is your weapon system, and increasingly foreign aircraft sales are going to adopt the “aircraft as a service” model. There is simply no other way to keep up. Your phone and your computer constantly patch themselves automatically (unless you deliberately disable such) and air rare going to be same going forward. Need the latest ability to jam an S300/400? There’s a patch for that, but you have to be v part of the service contract.
We also got ODIN, ALIS and Just about any digital database sitting in the US which the US could use too degrade F-35 performance when they cut of the european user.
 
We also got ODIN, ALIS and Just about any digital database sitting in the US which the US could use too degrade F-35 performance when they cut of the european user.

A difference by degree. If the U.S. cuts off all support for Euro F-16s, that force lasts only months longer.
 
Ukrainians have been flying their Russian jets at war for a decade now against the nation of their manufacturers...
IDF ravaged Arab air forces with their Mirage under France Embargo.
Iranian Tomcat outflow their USN counterparts...

F-35 will be just fine.

The most important thing is to get them and their unique capabilities while they are still on sale.
 
Ukrainians have been flying their Russian jets at war for a decade now against the nation of their manufacturers...
IDF ravaged Arab air forces with their Mirage under France Embargo.
Iranian Tomcat outflow their USN counterparts...

F-35 will be just fine.

The most important thing is to get them and their unique capabilities while they are still on sale.

Not really a compelling argument when the jets you've listed aren't exactly flying supercomputers... I doubt being able to replace hydraulic actuators on those 4th gen jets is the same as replacing an electric actuator that likely is hard coded and requires codes so that the flight computer acknowledges new hardware... Lockheed taking notes from Apple I presume..
 
We see that more and more the Block 4 will have in fact poor new capacity , all about sensors, at a time there is a need for a new engine , more range?

Block 4 adds quite a few new weapons and is a fairly significant overhaul of pretty much the entire avionics suite on the aircraft (new Radar, new EODAS, new Mission Computer, Expanded EW coverage, Cockpit displays etc.). And it lays down the investments to increase power and thermal for it and growth capability. They have moved ahead and awarded a ECU contract to P&W for F135 upgrades which though not as extensive as a re-engine, will still move the needle towards getting a bit more range and power out of the powerplant.
 
I suppose a notional Block 5 would include a new engine?
I don't think they can simply 'roll' in a new engine into a block 5 effort. It is a very expensive proposition so would probably be a standalone effort. It will pretty much kill every other big ticket upgrade the services would want via a block upgrade if they tried to squeeze it in as part of the block 5 effort.

If NGAD and F/A-XX make their way through as programs, I don't see how they can fund another very expensive adaptive engine RDT&E program. If the case did not make sense in FY25 it would make even less sense during those development phases in case these programs stand up EMD efforts. If OTOH, NGAD or F/A-XX goes away, this option could come back up a few years down the road.
 
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