New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019

Daily Beast ^ | December 31, 2014 | Dave Majumdar

[C19fan]

The Pentagon’s newest stealth jet, the nearly $400 billion Joint Strike Fighter, won’t be able to fire its gun during operational missions until 2019, three to four years after it becomes operational.

Even though the Joint Strike Fighter, or F-35, is supposed to join frontline U.S. Marine Corps fighter squadrons next year and Air Force units in 2016, the jet’s software does not yet have the ability to shoot the onboard 25mm cannon. But even when the jet will be able to shoot its gun, the F-35 barely carries enough ammunition to make the weapon useful.

[Vermont Lt]

And Audie Murphy disobeyed orders and put himself in danger.

For God’s sake, can no one write anything on this site without someone picking it apart to $hit on the other side.

Kennedy was dragging his people to shore, while Reagan was doing starlets in Hollywood. He did nothing that ten thousand other pretty boys couldn’t have done.

Get your mind around that.

[Tallguy]

“I suspect drones will make the A-10 obsolete.”

I think the CAS mission will be amount the last to be handed off to pilotless aircraft. Target identification in when ground forces are in contact is very difficult. Heck, A-10 pilots use paper maps & binoculars on missions while talking with their FAC’s over the radio. Seems pretty low-tech to me. But the tasks involved require human judgement.

[PLMerite]

“For God’s sake, can no one write anything on this site without someone picking it apart to $hit on the other side.”

Yeah, ciao!

[Don W]

You are aware that the F-18 Super Hornet is a completely different aircraft from the original F-18, right?

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-18.htm

[rdcbn]

Yes, I am aware of the re design for the Super Hornet as well as the most recent upgrades developed over the last several years which make it an even more capable aircraft than it already is.

The Super Hornet has proved to be an outstanding aircraft, but there was a lot of controversy and pretty stiff criticism and resistance to it's adoption when it was in the acquisition pipeline, much the same as the JSF is facing today.

[doorgunner69]

Have read several times that Japan likely has all the components for various nukes built and “on the shelf” in disassembled state. Plausible deniability about have nukes, but ready in hours if China or the Norks get out of hand.