UK to spend £2.5bn on American F-35 fighters

[dutchman]

‘Appallingly bad’ F-35 fighter jets to cost Britain £150bn – aviation analyst



Britain will press ahead with a £150 billion (US$196 billion) deal to buy 138 flawed F-35 fighter jets despite serious concerns over virtually every aspect of their capability, according to an aviation analyst.

The warplanes, which will operate from Britain’s new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, have been touted as a keystone of future of UK air and maritime power.

Yet according to aviation expert Pierre Sprey, the aircraft are beset by an “unbelievably abnormal” number of issues.

These include on-board computers which may be vulnerable to cyberattacks, and issues with interoperability between the planes and the ships they coordinate with.

While the F-35 has a powerful ability to transmit data to ships without being detected, Sprey warned that the UK’s warships lack the capacity to receive it.

Even HMS Queen Elizabeth, one of Britain’s two new aircraft carriers which began sea tests in June, has Wi-Fi weaker than the average household, Sprey told Politics Home.

However, the problems extend far beyond mere connectivity.

“Maneuverability is appallingly bad. It has terrific problems trying to fly fast at low altitude. It overheats, and when you detect the overheating, you have to open the bomb bay doors to cool the missiles that are inside,” Sprey said.

“The logistic computers are a horrible mess and it is crippling the ability to be able to move the aeroplanes from one airfield to another.”

The technology has also been criticized from within the upper echelons of the military.

“You need enough capacity to communicate with all of the other platforms: ships, aircraft and headquarters," General Sir Richard Barrons, former head of military IT, recently told the Times.

“[The Queen Elizabeth] may look impressive as a ship but technologically it’s stuck 10 years ago."

The Ministry of Defence maintains that the F-35 is a sound purchase. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon insists it will improve “situational awareness.”

[dutchman]

Entire F-35 fleet grounded and checked for fault after crash



The entire fleet of F-35 stealth jets is to be checked for a fault following a crash in the US last month.

The post-crash investigation, carried out after a plane came down in South Carolina, identified a faulty fuel tube.

As a result the global fleet is on an "operational pause".

Each £150m aircraft must now be checked before being cleared to fly again - with each check taking up to six hours.

It is a hugely embarrassing turn of events for the programme and has been described to Sky News by a senior defence industry source as a "cock up of epic proportions".

In a statement, F-35 programme spokesman Joe DellaVedova said the checks should be complete by the end of the week, adding: "If suspect fuel tubes are installed, the part will be removed and replaced.

"If known good fuel tubes are already installed, then those aircraft will be returned to flight status.

"Inspections are expected to be completed within the next 24 to 48 hours."

Depending on how many aircraft are affected, the future progress of the programme - which is already the most expensive in history - could be in jeopardy.

The Royal Navy has told Sky News that one of the F-35s onboard the new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has been checked and is flying again.

The F-35s stationed at RAF Marham in Norfolk are yet to be checked but are not due to fly this week.

"Safety is our paramount concern, therefore the UK has decided to pause some F-35 flying as a precautionary measure while we consider the findings of an ongoing enquiry," an MoD spokesman said.

"F-35 flight trials from the aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, are continuing and the programme remains on schedule to provide our armed forces with a game-changing capability.

"We will continue to review the situation as further information becomes available."

The first F-35B jets only landed on HMS Queen Elizabeth last month.

They are now in a period of flight trials off the east coast of the US.