The Air Force Just Bought 100 Stealth Fighters That Can’t Fight

The Daily Beast ^ | 10.15.17 | DAVID AXE

[sukhoi-30mki]

The U.S. military has signaled that it might cancel essential upgrades for more than 100 early model F-35 stealth fighters flown by the Air Force, rendering the radar-evading jets incompatible with many of the latest weapons.

In that case, some 6 percent of the flying branch’s planned 1,700-strong F-35 fleet would be unfit for combat, sticking U.S. taxpayers with a $20 billion tab for fighters... that can’t fight.

Experts say the military never should have bought the planes the first place, as they rolled out of Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth factory before the F-35’s design was complete and thoroughly tested—a deliberate strategy called “concurrency” that the military hoped would speed up the program’s progress.

“The risk that the services would be stuck with less-than-capable aircraft is one that the Pentagon knowingly took when leaders decided to overlap the development and testing of the program with the production,” wrote Dan Grazier, an analyst with the Project on Government Oversight in Washington, D.C. Skipping upgrades for 108 older F-35As—“concurrency orphans,” Grazier dubbed them—is reportedly one option under consideration as the Pentagon tries to find money for scores of newer F-35s. “We’re looking at solution spaces to give our warfighters options,” Navy Vice Adm. Matt Winter, head of the F-35 program, told Flight Global. The military asked Congress to fund 70 F-35s in 2018 for $10.3 billion.

The F-35s in question mostly have the so-called Block 2B software, which the military calls the “initial warfighting” version of the jet’s complex computer code. F-35s with Block 2B software can carry just four different kinds of bombs and missiles—far fewer than the F-35 was designed to carry when the fully combat-capable Block 3C software is installed.

Jets with Block 3C code are also more maneuverable than Block 2B models are.

[CMSMC]

Aaah, the A-10’s... Know a bunch of A-10 jocks, most were airline pilots in their daytime jobs. Spent a long time at Barksdale where we had a squadron that belonged to the Coona$$ Militia. Many fishermen told stories about getting “targeted” by them while while on Toledo Bend. Would give anything some days to smell burning kerosene and feel the earth shake again.

[TomServo]

The first time I heard them fly (when stationed at Myrtle), I couldn’t believe how slow and low they could go (if needed). Great time over target for the ground support - and especially the tank busting. I had a dummy round prominently displayed in my home for a long time. Fun times ;-)

[CMSMC]

One of the big issues I have with the AF over the years is the reluctance of the fighter world to acknowledge the CAS mission. I spent my year in VN with a TACP and have been around many grunts who’ve had CAS save their bacon. The A-10 was built specifically for that mission and does it well. While they are not stealthy and would have to rely on other fighters to get and maintain air superiority there is not another aircraft since the A-1E that can come close to filling that role.

[Snickering Hound]

One of the big issues I have with the AF over the years is the reluctance of the fighter world to acknowledge the CAS mission. I spent my year in VN with a TACP and have been around many grunts who’ve had CAS save their bacon. The A-10 was built specifically for that mission and does it well. While they are not stealthy and would have to rely on other fighters to get and maintain air superiority there is not another aircraft since the A-1E that can come close to filling that role.

Air Force was seriously pushing the F-35 as an A-10 replacement.

No, really...

[TomServo]

Yup - totally agree. No appreciation for the ground pounders.

[CMSMC]

I know...what’d Dick Jonas say? You can always tell a fighter pilot, you just can’t tell him much? Talking to a retired Colonel friend of mine this afternoon and he was telling me about (as a 1st Lt FAC) sending an O-6 Gunfighter (F-4/DaNang) home from a troops in contact situation because he couldn’t hit within 1000 meters of the mark with his nape. He didn’t know who Gunfighter 2 was until later!

[tophat9000]

this is a stupid article...

When a new war plane goes into mass production not every carecraft is scheduled for Frontline combat aircraft have to hold some back for train people back in the States

so usually the early block aircraft are usually used not used as combat aircraft but training

it makes perfect sense not to upgrade them if you are going use them for state side training

the early blocked aircraft are usually the “beaters” the training units