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White Paper to confirm 12 Growlers, 100 F-35s
The Defence White Paper, due to be released on Friday, will confirm Australia will acquire 12 new build Boeing EA-18G Growlers but reaffirm the government’s commitment to an ultimate fleet of 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, news wire service Reuters has reported. (australianaviation.com.au) Altro...
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100 JSFs? Australia might actually get the working ground-based models, since the carrier version can't trap on carriers and the VSTOL variant cant land on LHA's without melting the deck.
>> and the VSTOL variant cant land on LHA's without melting the deck
That doesn't seem like a insurmountable problem.
That doesn't seem like a insurmountable problem.
True enough, but it does mean each ship will have to have a multi-million dollar refit to re-coat the decks with a heavier material that wont melt. A heavier deck means less cargo (troops, vehicles, aircraft) the ship can carry. Then there's the fact that the JSF was required by design to take off/land on the Navy's existing ships as is, not after making each ship be overhauled, and the whole program seems like one big waste of money.
It is
.....at all
At the rate of price escalations, we, the U.S. won't be able to afford 100JSF's.
we don't need them either. The raptor should do fine to the next 15 years
