Well, the option is there if your performance is not sufficient. The F-35 does not have it.

In reality, the max top speed under given conditions has great impact on required ground radar detection range, as well as the alert times in order to have a sufficient window of opportunity for interception. For QRA, every 100 mph of available speed do matter a lot.

What are you basing your ‘it does not have it’ claim upon? How do you know its combat radius at high supersonic speeds is insufficient for a typical QRA mission? Or even less than that for its contemporaries?

Max top speed for the F-35A is higher than most of its competitors, once they’re loaded up with stores.

In practice, the F-35 carries over 8t of fuel and, despite not having anything hanging in the wind, its performance is far from stellar

We were discussing your theory about how it can’t perform basic QRA effectively, not whether its performance is stellar/mediocre/subpar whatever. Its better than the Eurocanards because its a stealth fighter with cutting-edge avionics, in the same price bracket. Not because its a more nimble aircraft.

Israel Reconsidering 2008 Purchase of U.S. Jets

^ Interestingly the story in ‘Israel National News‘ quoting ‘Middle East Newsline (MENL)‘ quoting ‘Israeli government sources‘, and thereafter quoted by Briganti, Solomon & Co. appears to have been deleted.

Can anyone find the original story?

Israel Reconsidering 2008 Purchase of U.S. Jets; Cabinet Mulls Cancelling Acquisition of Flawed Fighter-Jet Rejected By Most NATO Air Forces

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/release/171702/israel-reconsidering-purchase-of-f_35-fighters.html

???

‘Some’ cabinet ministers might be throwing a hissy fit, but Israel doesn’t have the option of mailing back the 33 aircraft already ordered for a refund.

Neither Spain, nor Germany are “slated” to be a JSF operator by 2025, has of now, they are not slated to be a JSF operator, period. They are on the very first steps of evaluating their needs in order to replace their legacy fleet’s of Hornets, Harriers and Tornado ECR’s if that translates into JSF orders only the future will tell.

‘Three out of four’ obviously excludes Germany (that should also have been obvious from subsequent sentence). As far as Spain is concerned – the Juan Carlos was always intended to operate the F-35B (that’s also one of the reasons why Turkey opted for it over the Mistral). With the Harriers scheduled to retire before 2030, the only feasible replacement is the F-35B (even though they don’t have the funds for it right now). Unless Spain at that point decides to bring an end to 50 years of carrier capability.

Spain formally contracted LM to carry out integration studies for the F-35B in 2007.

We have the tooling and the slots available to build Foreign Military Sales aircraft for 2014 and 2015 deliveries. We’ve also got Spain under contract right now to evaluate the integration of the F-35B on to its aircraft carrier.
– Steve O’Bryan, 2010

Also, from the Spanish MoD’s website –

I responded to the post saying that as a NATO member, Belgium would necessarily have to buy the F-35 as it is the “only” choice…

It may not be the ‘only’ choice, but it is definitely the ‘obvious’ choice.

The reality is that for their operational needs, it is the least interesting option compared to the eurocanards. Will it buy the F-35? probably, but much more for political reasons than anything else

The ‘political’ excuse has started to wear thin at this point. Fact is, the larger Eurocanards are on a weak footing when it comes to value-for-money (with the Gripen E seeming increasing iffy prospect). Most air forces given the choice of an F-35 in the same broad budget, would opt for it over the Euros. And by most measures, Rafale/EF orders from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar & Oman were owed more to political factors than operational needs.

as for RoC of the F-35, let’s see:

very high thrust at sea level, it should, initially, accelerate and begin to climb quite well… but once it starts reaching higher subsonic speeds and gaining altitude, its acceleration drops like a ton of bricks to become pretty unimpressive… obviously, its thrust to drag ratio is poor, to say the least, which means it has very little excess power available to fight gravity… if belgians make an airliner intercept test with the F-35, in the end it should catch it, but if it takes a run to Berlin to achieve it, it’s a bit late

Now you’ve begun engaging in outright fiction writing.

– The crucial factor in the Swiss tests was fuel capacity, which the F-35 possess loads of. If the F-18 can do it, the F-35 can do it too.

– In terms of subsonic straight line acceleration, many pilots have testified to it being comparable or better than the F-16.

– Between Mach 0.8 and Mach 1.2, its short of the KPP (supposedly based on/exceeding the F-16) by only 8 seconds. 8 seconds is also what it’ll take you to read this line.*

– Any fighter that’s going to significantly exceed Mach 1.2 in an interception mission will do with tanks on (except for the Su-30 & F-22). And with EFTs, it remains to be seen how many fighters can out-accelerate the F-35A.

(*I’d really like to see the aircraft that can get you to Berlin in that period.)

After the F-16 sale, LM is out unless it offers the F-35 and upends everything LOL. (late deliveries apart).

The F-16 sale is still not through (the US Congress is playing spoiler). Plus with the 50% FMF line withdrawn, practically speaking it amounts to a sale of a mere four F-16s. Not that F-16s were really a strong contender to start with for India – its still serving in the PAF in numbers (Saab had a better shot in the same price range).

Deliveries shouldn’t be an issue vis a vis the F-35; despite its impressive production rate, its still got oodles of capacity left. Enough to deliver 36 fighters within five years of indent.

If India does buy the Rafale, my best guess is we’ll have around a 60 strong fleet, around 3 squadrons worth.

54 strong I’d guess. Mirage-like numbers. With a third squadron ordered after 2020. Maybe.