Granted, I couldn’t read one link because it requires membership, and I cannot ever regard anything Popular Mechanics prints as fact worthy any more, but the gist I got is that we are building planes to one specification, the build is changing as the time line moves forward, and everyone involved accepts that with the understanding that at some point in the future, the earlier models will be upgraded to meet the specs of the later models?
And the main concern is that the money is never going to be available?
I ask that, because in reading the article, it did not say they COULD NOT be brought up to spec at some point to the current specs as they are being built now because it was a physical impossibility, but because additional funds would need to be spent to make it possible.
Did I read that correctly?
If so, it is interesting, because this is exactly what we did with the B-29’s in WWII. With the B-29, they recognized immediately that with all the changes taking place constantly on the assembly line because the design was so incredibly advanced for the time, that if they waited until everything was set, they would never get the plane in the air dropping bombs over Japan.
So they essentially made the same compromise, and figured out ways to retrofit them, at intermediate way stations as they they were being delivered, or ultimately, even on the runways in the Pacific. So many of them were flown that were inferior (often in dangerous ways) to those coming off the assembly line at a later time (think measures to prevent the engine fires).
If the fear is that no money will EVER be made available, I wouldn’t hang my hat on that.
the Israeli assessment at IOC:
“”It’s all concentrated on one table for us. As we all know, the F-35 can reach places in a way that others can’t. But in addition, it integrates high-level operational capabilities as well as the ability to read and analyze a battle map. The earlier, fourth-generation jets are excellent at maneuvering and activating sophisticated weapons systems, but they are not able to collect intelligence and independently analyze battle movement. The F-35 can do all this by itself in real time, with only one pilot sitting in the cockpit. We have never had such an operational capability until today. Until now, attack aircraft were operated independently of air support aircraft. The former waited to receive analysis of the battle picture that came from the latter. But in the F-35, everything is on the same platform, and this is no less than amazing. When you connect that to several aircraft, you receive strategic capability for the State of Israel.”
This platform was designed as a strike aircraft. And it is superior to any in its class.
Its sensors and fusion technology exceeds that of the F-22, and when flying together the F-22 will leverage the F-35’s view of the battle space.
When flying alone as a fighter it will detect hostile aircraft and launch against them before the bad guy even knows he is there.
But its forte is deep interdiction and strike.