I dunno.
Israel contributes some wonderful stuff to the F35.
If they are excluded, I see a wrecked program.
Really? I read (admittedly on Wikipedia) that they are providing the HMDS, but I don’t know of any other tech that they’re contributing to the “stock” F-35.
I do fear a wrecked program, however. Awhile ago the UK was considering bowing out due to ToT concerns IIRC. IMHO, have the number 2 partner leave the program would be much more significant than having the Israelis, who’ve only been participants since ‘06, leave. Since the Eurofighter is looking like a first-rate 4.5 gen fighter with future tranches providing an air-to-ground capability, I don’t know about the future of the JSF in the UK.
Also, it seems like the program’s riven with performance concerns, including inadequate stealthiness to prevent detection by modern air defenses at reasonable combat distances. I like the idea of a low-cost alternative to the F-22, with a more developed air-to-ground capability, but the program’s seemed to have had quite a difficult time getting things going.
FWIW, I heard a rumor that Israel is developing stealthy FAST packs for the F-35. These are conformal packs that attach to the sides of the fuselage and carry extra fuel, electronics and weapons. When the Israelis first developed the FAST packs for the F-15, our Air Force bought them and used them to create the F-15E Strike Eagle interdiction aircraft. Boeing is using their own version of the FAST pack in the F-15ES Silent Eagle. If the Israelis can make stealthy FAST packs for the F-35, it would likely mean the ability to carry two additional AMRAAMs or 1,000 pound bombs, as well as several hundred miles more range. That would be a very nice increase in capability.