The alternatives for the RAF/RN (you are British, right?) right now are “Zero/nada/nyet” if they want to use those two big 65000 tons floating devices that are being built.

Cheers

Well, theoretically they could still make a switch to the Rafale! Of course not quite in the same league as the F-35, and I guess it would require a) a major political re-alignment and b) a small rebuild of the “floating devices”, but OToH the Rafale can carry more and further than the B and its tiny stomach. And even without “VLO” it is still very dangerous opponent, and will remain so for at least the next 30 years (assuming the opponent does not have US made gear).

The radar modes that will support A2G employment of weapons won’t be available until at least 2023 but given the ongoing delays I expect it may be a year later than expected. The timeline was posted on here a number of months, perhaps even a year ago now and pretty sure it is in this thread.

Hmm, I cannot recall having seen that — ms21 will be rolled out first (in 2019?) followed by ms22 a few years later but the details of what and when I don’t recall?

No doubt they start with some capabilities in ms21 and expand this in ms22 and normally a2a is done first and then a2g so what you say sounds reasonable although I did not find the link to confirm it.

This makes sense. We know Gripen E won’t have full A2G capabilities for a number of years after IOC.

I cannot recall having seen a detailed roadmap for when different capabilities will be rolled out?

Have you seen such a thing? If yes, when and where?

Misleading F-35 Answers Drafted by Pentagon, Testing Chief Says

Pentagon officials have been preparing a misleading assessment of progress on Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35, the costliest U.S. weapons program, the Defense Department’s chief tester warned.

• The F-35’s development phase is due to end in “early 2018.” Gilmore said the department should “state clearly that development flight testing will not complete — at the earliest” — until mid-2018.
• Operational combat testing that all weapons systems must pass will start in mid-2018 and be completed a year later. Gilmore labeled that “false.” Instead, he said the tests will commence “no sooner than late 2018, or, more likely, in early 2019 but could be as late as 2020.”
• An Air Force certification to lawmakers that F-35s delivered in fiscal 2018 will have full combat capability remains “valid.” Gilmore said that is “highly unlikely” because of delays in testing the critical final version of the plane’s software and correcting 276 pending deficiencies.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-07/misleading-f-35-answers-drafted-by-pentagon-testing-chief-says-iwerk3w8

I seem to recall that one of the critisisms against Gilmore was that he was always “behind”; e.g. that a report written 6-12 months ago would point to problems that had already been solved.

Have the problems mentioned in this November 28 memo also been solved already?

Full throttle. Just as the Gripen E programme is going at full speed, the GE F414G engine is doing the same in the test aircraft. Engine on.

Validation and verification activities such as tests in rigs and simulators have been performed and the ground test period is in full swing. The way model based development has been implemented, has been successful. “Power on” and engine starts are just two examples of important milestones that has been accomplished during the last months.

“We are encouraged about the progress in the programme. The aircraft is responding really well to all our test and verification activities. Since the rollout in May, we have performed major milestones such as powering on the aircraft and engine start. What is left before we can take off, is software qualification to formally prove what we already informally know through our extensive testing,” says Lars Ydreskog, Head of Operations at the Aeronautics business area.

http://www.gripenblogs.com/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=1559

NEW DELHI: Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba here today said the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is “not up to the mark”, due to which they are searching another fighter aircraft for carrier operations within the next five years.

Lanba said the navy will seek a fighter aircraft from elsewhere, while it is still encouraging India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to develop the Naval LCA.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/55747038.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Ooops, that was somewhat of a surprise.

A new interesting competition sailing up…!?