UK to buy F-35Bs - Polidicks

[QUOTE]The UK is about to commit to the F-35 fighter project, a US-led effort to produce 3,000 aircraft which is set to cost more than £600bn globally. The initial UK order for 14 F-35Bs will, with support costs added, cost about £2.5bn, Newsnight has learned. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the F-35B was an expensive plane, but one with an "incredible capability". But critics have questioned Ministry of Defence suggestions that the jets will be combat capable by 2018. The F35-B will be known as Lightning II in UK active service and is going to replace the already retired Harrier. The aircraft - capable of vertical landing - will eventually be able to fly from new carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. At one stage, the US Marines had hoped to bring the F-35 into service in 2010, but they now hope to do so late in 2015. Many industry experts say this is hopelessly optimistic. With 8.4m lines of software, it is by far the most complex fighter ever built, but a Pentagon inspector's report stated that by last summer only 2% of that code was fully up to standard. Much of the plane's software, including that needed to aim and launch weapons, remains to be proven in tests.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26124894[/url]

They pretty much have no choice, since they already sold off/scrapped their Harrier fleet, and they need the STOVL capabilities.

u wot m8?

It just sounds like another horrendous idea by the government and MoD. Such a shame they went and got rid of the Harrier. Don't fix what isn't broken.

I understand the need to replace the somewhat aging Harrier but c'mon MoD, atleast buy a plane that's completed and working.

[QUOTE=darunner;43873274]They pretty much have no choice, since they already sold off/scrapped their Harrier fleet, and they need the STOVL capabilities.[/QUOTE] Aye, exactly. I fucking called this the second I heard they were scrapping the harriers, time to pish money away on F-35's when we won't have any aircraft carriers to actually fucking make them useful.

Imaginary planes for an imaginary aircraft carrier.

Wow UK, first you neuter your navy and now you buy overpriced planes that aren't even ready and keep on being delayed.

[QUOTE=goon165;43873370]Imaginary planes for an imaginary aircraft carrier.[/QUOTE] The aircraft carrier actually exists and is expected to function unlike the F-35. [IMG]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/68758000/jpg/_68758915_aerialimage2.jpg[/IMG]

I hate this sodding government.

[QUOTE=goon165;43873370]Imaginary planes for an imaginary aircraft carrier.[/QUOTE] Well if we come to a Post Modern war at least we'll have the edge then.

Why are we putting money into a fighter that hasn't even been tested? We'd be better off designing our own.

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;43873404] We'd be better off designing our own.[/QUOTE] we did, it was called the Harrier

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;43873404]We'd be better off designing our own.[/QUOTE] Which would cost a hell of a lot more than buying imports. The only reason the Harrier has been cheap to maintain is that the development costs stretch back to the 60s. Any new design is going to be enormously expensive until a sufficient number is purchased to justify the investment.

the f35 is the world's equivalent to star citizen. Lots of promises, lots of money being delivered, but very, very little actually being shown for all that money, and lots of people going "what the fuck is wrong with you"

Well we need [I]something[/I] to put on the Elizabeth class carriers that are under construction and this is far better idea than putting the French Air Force on it.

[QUOTE=XanaToast.;43873429]we did, it was called the Harrier[/QUOTE] To replace that though, if it honestly needed to be replaced that badly.

[QUOTE=Sadim;43873800]Well we need [I]something[/I] to put on the Elizabeth class carriers that are under construction and this is far better idea than putting the French Air Force on it.[/QUOTE] You could sell them all to Canada and we can break them and only use them for 8 months in a 10 year period like we did those subs we bought from you.

[QUOTE=DaCommie1;43874000]You could sell them all to Canada and we can break them and only use them for 8 months in a 10 year period like we did those subs we bought from you.[/QUOTE] Then we can set one on fire and land the other on the ocean floor

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;43873404]Why are we putting money into a fighter that hasn't even been tested? We'd be better off designing our own.[/QUOTE] We could have had not a certain government single handedly destroyed the British aerospace industry by canceling the tsr program in the 70s, also the same party that thought it would be a great idea to sell very advanced rolls Royce engines to the Soviets provided they didn't use them for military purposes... Fat chance

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;43873404]Why are we putting money into a fighter that hasn't even been tested? We'd be better off designing our own.[/QUOTE] This. I'm no defense expert, but if we made the harrier, we can make something better, for now. These overpriced F-35's have no soul man.

Well you guys made a stealth drone I'm sure GB could build something good.

Why even put money into costly military projects? There's much more important things like the NHS, education, and infrastructure. (Not to mention flood defences lel)

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;43874621]Why even put money into costly military projects? There's much more important things like the NHS, education, and infrastructure. (Not to mention flood defences lel)[/QUOTE] But Argentina

We probably could have, large parts of the F-35 are designed and built in the UK: [quote]BAE Systems designed and manufactures the aft fuselage, horizontal tails and vertical tails for the F-35 Cobham designed and manufactures the refueling probe for the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) and the F-35C carrier variant (CV) EDM produces components for the weapons load trainer system and the ejection seat maintenance trainer for the F-35 GE Aviation produces the electrical power management system, the remote input/output unit, standby flight display, and the backshop battery charger for the F-35 Honeywell developed and produces the F-35’s power thermal management system. Additionally, Honeywell is a provider of the F-35’s life support system Martin-Baker designed and manufactures the F-35 ejection seat MBDA produces the Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), which can be installed within the weapons bay and on external wing stations of the aircraft. MBDA is also working with Lockheed Martin and the UK Ministry of Defence to integrate the Meteor missile into a future upgrade of the UK’s F-35 fleet RE Thompson produces casings for batteries onboard the F-35 Rolls-Royce provides the lift system for the F-35B STOVL, which consists of the lift fan, the three-bearing swivel module, the roll post modules and the lift fan vane box. These components are essential for STOVL operations Selex ES Ltd designed and builds the lasers that are the key component for the Electro Optical Targeting System Survitec Group provides all pilot flight equipment for every F-35 pilot around the world Ultra Electronics produces suspension release equipment for the F-35 UTC Aerospace Systems produces the weapons bay door drive system, utilities actuation and uplock components for the F-35[/quote] [URL="http://www.lockheedmartin.co.uk/uk/news/press-releases/2013-press-releases/f-35-lifting-the-uks-economy.html"]Source[/URL] That's is probably the reason why we're so committed to buying them, we're pretty invested in these things doing well.

[QUOTE=dunkace;43873307]It just sounds like another horrendous idea by the government and MoD. Such a shame they went and got rid of the Harrier. Don't fix what isn't broken.[/QUOTE] Broken, maybe not, but it doesn'y have the range to get to Afghanistan. Relevant: [video=youtube_share;t0jgZKV4N_A]http://youtube.com/watch?v=t0jgZKV4N_A&t=2m55s[/video]

[QUOTE=lazyguy;43875128]Broken, maybe not, but it doesn'y have the range to get to Afghanistan[/QUOTE] I get where your coming from the Harriers range was fairly short. However Camp Bastion was built to solve that problem.

you guys know the harrier was incredibly buggy and unstable for the first 20-25 years of its life until someone built a flight computer that could at least balance out the thrust and the controls when taking off vertically. the f35b is expensive and buggy now but so was the plane it replaced, the problem here is they sold off their old planes before the new ones were there to replace them

Again people are forgetting we haven't designed and built a fully home grown fighting aircraft (not including Westland helicopters) since the TSR2 program in the 70s why? because we don't have the facilities or industrial experience for them any more. Added to that developing a jet nowadays is such a costly venture for many nations it needs to be a shared development which causes obvious problems when it comes to different specifications and requirements. Post 1970s SPECAT Jaguar - British French cooperation PANVIA Tornado British/Italian/German Eurofighter British/German/Italian

Dear UK, In lieu of your purchase of F-35 fighter jets, I have an exciting offer for you. I am in the position to sell a bridge of quality construction for the low price of $100,000,000.