Air Force plans 220 F-35As to Indo-Pacific

The Air Force is planning to deploy 220 F-35As to the Indo-Pacific region by 2025. Early next year they plan to start replacing F-16s in South Korea with F-35s. Other locations haven't been disclosed, but Japan and Alaska will be included.

South Korea plans to deploy 40 aircraft by 2021, replacing their own aircraft.

theaviationgeekclub.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Had no idea the purchase of F-35s was going to be so large.

Cheers

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

The original plan for the US buy was 2,443 aircraft among all three models.

Good.

We should’ve destroyed the communist hoardes after MacArthur’s brilliant landing at Inchon.

But we had a shoe salesman who fired him and ushered in the era of stalemate wars...

Time to finish what should’ve been 65 years ago...

-Chris

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thanks for the information, Zaphod58.

Cheers

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

The original plan for the US buy was 2,443 aircraft among all three models.

I know the Navy seems to be off on their numbers, but isn't the airforce still keeping their aquisition numbers the same?

Or has the F-35 problems started to make them down the numbers as well?

Final thought, I have been thinking that an F-35 replacement may come sooner than later. If a good enough product came out, would the airforce choose the better product or is the F-35 too politically entrenched?

a reply to: Fools

It would have to be a hell of a lot better.

Some of the things we hear of the F-35 doing is pretty amazing.

a reply to: Fools

The Air Force has looked into possibly reducing their buy, but haven't reduced it.

Even if something better were rolled out today, unless it was already well into development, there's no way it could overtake the F-35. Modern aircraft take 10-15 years to develop anymore, and that's if all goes well. The F-35 is already post IOC, and has done the initial steps of IOT&E. They're close to a decision on full rate production. Anything out today would be facing a full development schedule.

a reply to: Fools

Its less about intended production totals but about the number of aircraft being purchased every year.
For FY20 the Air Force wants to buy just 48 F-35As, 8 less than in 2019 beacause of the ******** F-15EX sucking up funds. Thats not that bad at first glance but it will repeat every year through FY24 which would result in 30 F-35A not being procured.

Never mind that the original plan was to buy 72 F-35As every year, which is unachievable under the current and future fiscal and political realities.

Pew, pew.

Seems like Japan would be the smarter deployment compared to South Korea. Maybe preposition necessary equipment at Osan or something, but I probably wouldn't build that up first. That's why the general staff gets the big bucks, I guess

a reply to: RadioRobert

Between the Japanese operated aircraft and the B models from the Marines there they probably figure Korea needs them more to begin with.

a reply to: Zaphod58

If it gets real hot, those Korean jets are toast on the ground. Better odds at survival at Kadena or whathaveyou. Korea is where you want them. Unless circumstances arrive wherein you really need them.

a reply to: RadioRobert

I've never been a fan of the Korean bases. I know why they're there, but they'll be lucky as hell to get their alert birds in the air if it goes up.

They’re pretty much Perl Harbor #2 sitting there, but maybe not to military planners, but maybe that’s the plan

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Fools



....Even if something better were rolled out today, unless it was already well into development, there's no way it could overtake the F-35. Modern aircraft take 10-15 years to develop anymore, and that's if all goes well. The F-35 is already post IOC, and has done the initial steps of IOT&E. They're close to a decision on full rate production. Anything out today would be facing a full development schedule.

That sounds a lot like a car salesman trying to get rid of low mileage hire cars..except that this up-to-2070 vehicle will will surely be well burgered by then, and that it still has some pretty serious problems, that are is still unsolved, like IOC.

USAF is more interested in service platforms that should work like a PCA concept, and that the concept to be brought on long before the F35 variants expectations of 2070...while the F35 costs are really seriously exponential.

a reply to: smurfy

The F-35 issues and costs are both going in the right direction. The biggest issues right now are mission capable rates, largely due to older aircraft, and sustainment.

Unless we want to go backwards there's no way you're developing a new platform in less than 10 years, and 10 years is if everything goes perfectly the first time. That's just the way it is now. We're long past the simplicity of the F-4 or F-15.

a reply to: Zaphod58


Seems to be a good place for them. Hope they earmark some for Europe, sooner rather than later. I fear that we are losing sight of things there as we focus on the Pacific.

a reply to: GD

The first F-35 campus is under construction. Two squadrons arrive at Lakenheath in 2021.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Good- someone should copy Puty-poot on this message. Ah, he I'm sure he knows.