[noiseman]

”That’s just retarded. A bomb armed F-35 has roughly a 600 mile strike radius. The F-35 is NOT some new nuclear warfare game changer. Astonishing claim.”

But F-35s are not B-2s that have to fly halfway around the world from Missouri. They can be based in all kinds of places long-term, and in a pinch during a crisis the F-35B can take off from a short field or road and land vertically, giving it tremendous flexibility.

Granted, even given those strengths the range is still a potential issue, but that is also why there are autonomous tanker aircraft in development. They will be able to loiter for extended periods, and if designed with stealth in mind (which is still being considered) could be difficult for the enemy to detect.

[ASA Vet]

It is 572 miles from the Balic Sea near Riga, Latvia to Moscow.
It is 508 miles from the Balic Sea near Narva, Estonia to Moscow.
A carrier launched F-35 from either place or both is within that 600 mile strike radius.

[familyop]

Yes. F-35s are based in many countries, and thousands of them will be built. Great project.

[familyop]

The publicized plan is for 2,456 of them for our U.S. military forces.

[CJ Wolf]

Unless they go by space. Then they can reach anywhere in less then a 1/2 hour. Just sayn