Romania orders 48 F-35s

Many European countries had been planning on plodding along, feeling the era of war was, if not over, then something happening far away, or at worst, in the Balkans, if that. A lot of countries were, at most, upgrading to 4th gen fighters, toodling around, and meh'ing over the concerns of the US presidents over the last 20 years Europe needed to increase its defense spending. This was so the US could shift to dealing with or, more properly, containing China. Europe meh'ed at best.

For Europeans, the war in Ukraine has been a huge wake up call. Poland had always been concerned about the Russians, but when the war broke out, the Poles went all in on their upgrades. 20 or so HIMARS caused major headaches for the Russians? let's get 486. New tanks? Thousands of American M-1s and South Korean K2s. Artillery? gimme. Aircraft? How many can you make? Poland will end up a major military power, potentially the most powerful army in Europe by the end.

Germany has even been grudgingly increasing it defense spending, but in a slow, haltingly Teutonic bureaucratic manner.

Even the other countries than the top ones have been upgrading. The other nations have started ordering tanks, APCs, and...fighters. For example, Romania just ordered 48 F-35s. Lockheed now has another large order of the birds and the F-35 will continue to reduce in cost as manufacturing scales upwards. It also is really bad news for the Russians and any and all ambitions they may have had post Ukraine. An upgraded Europe, well, is really hard to crack when a far, far smaller military with less advanced equipment is holding the Russian Army and air force at bay.

Romania's order is for 48 fighters of the A variety. The order will come in two tranches. 32 will come in the first batch for two squadrons and another 16 in a later batch. The cost is significantly north of $6 Billion, but that includes all support and whatnot.

Poland has ordered 32 and Romania is ordering 48. Just between the two of them, they will have more 5th gen fighters than Russia has planned: 76 Su-57 by 2028...supposedly...if they can afford them.

Lockheed Martin's shareholders are really appreciative, Russia, really. The US economy is also appreciative.

www.janes.com...

a reply to: anzha

Thats just somewhat mind blowing. 48? Does Romania even have 48 pilots sufficiently trained to fly these planes? And, the staggering cost of the high tech munitions?

We can not even get our helicopters to stay in the air, let alone lift off in the first place.

On top of what you wrote about Germany (true), history gives us the excuse to not go too fast with upgrading our military, it tends to make the neighbors a bit frightened.

Now instead of going to war, we just export the tools for it. That's how it feels to me.

a reply to: anzha

a far, far smaller military with less advanced equipment is holding the Russian Army and air force at bay.

That's cute, you probably also believe the Ghost of Kyiv singlehandedly took out the commander of Russia's Black Sea fleet while excitedly shouting "Russian warship, go # yourself".

Lockheed Martin's shareholders are really appreciative, Russia, really. The US economy is also appreciative.

And that's what all this really is about, isn't it?

a reply to: MindBodySpiritComplex

So you're saying that the Ukrainian military ISN'T still fighting and kept Russia from achieving all their goals a year and a half later?

a reply to: TDDAgain

All of their neighbors are getting F-35s already, in a similar timeframe.

a reply to: Zaphod58

What I'm saying is that Russia is in no hurry as they are currently defending their positions and happy to let the Ukrainians exhaust their human and material resources.

a reply to: MindBodySpiritComplex

Lockheed Martin? Ghost of Kyiv?

He was taken out by UK France developed Storm Shadow missiles.

Supplied by the UK.

a reply to: MindBodySpiritComplex

Oh right, they're perfectly fine with letting the Ukrainians destroy their equipment and kill thousands of their personnel while exhausting themselves. Wow, that's a hell of a way to fight a war, and I pray to god that you are never in any kind of leadership position in a fight.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I think we bought some too! I read in the newspapers we will get some F35s.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Is the lightning II still hiding in it's hangar whenever there's a thunderstorm?

a reply to: TDDAgain

Thirty-five of them to replace the Tornado.

a reply to: MindBodySpiritComplex

People act like no other aircraft in the history of aircraft has had a problem with lightning strikes. And no, the F-35 deals with lightning just fine now.

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

He's alive and well. Try to keep up!

a reply to: Zaphod58

That's good to know. So the mishap was just a minor case of hacking? All your hangar queens are belong to us?

a reply to: MindBodySpiritComplex

The failure had nothing to do with lightning or hacking. And again, no other aircraft in history has had failures with systems.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I honestly can't tell if you are misinterpreting my remark on purpose or just completely deluded. Ukraine is losing big time. They don't have many people left that are able or willing to fight.

a reply to: MindBodySpiritComplex

The jury's still out on that one.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Such a shame it is so classified that DCS does not have it.

I inherited a book where the F35 is covered and allegedly it is based on reality. If just half of it is true then this thing has aces up it's sleeve that not only blows minds but also chips.

originally posted by: anzha
Russia has planned: 76 Su-57 by 2028...supposedly...if they can afford them.

And even then, the Su-57 is only a 4.5 generation fighter/bomber, not a full 5th gen. It's more of an upgraded 4th gen.

And it's not finished yet, and won't be ready for mass production until at least 2028. They are still developing the second generation engine for it and the current ones, the 76 planned to be built, will be equipped with the old engines. Because of this delay in the engine development, India has pulled out of the project and is developing their own 5th gen fighter based on western designs.

Here is a good analysis on the development and the issues with the Su-57:
Link

We are mass producing and selling the F-35 as full 5th gen fighter, while Russia plans on having a sort of 5th gen fighter, some time later this decade. Maybe.

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ETA: To illustrate the differences in our technology, between the US and Russia. We are sending missions to asteroids that make contact with an asteroid in motion, take a sample and then return that sample to us back on Earth. Russia can't land on the Moon.

We're decades apart in technology.