If we make the assumption that F-35 performance is so overwhelming that it makes everything previous obsolete,
and we know Russia ain’t gonna build more then 50-100 T-50.
Then NATO only need 2 Carriers with F-35C to take on/deter the rest of the world simultaniously.
So isn’t it about time to ditch everything else then ?
Why wasting a single dollar beyond USN ?

There is a boundary layer here …… on one side you have all the 4th generation aircraft and on the other side you have the F22 and the F35. This is not just about saving money. Its much more.

All our allies who have committed to the F35 have this “incredible itch :p to stay ahead of the rest of the world and still be frugal in their expenditure so that they can boost their economies instead”. The F35 with its:
-> leap-in-technology (boundary layer) and
-> economies-of-scale
is meant to ensure that.

Look at it this way, “F35 is a guaranteer of ever-lasting peace around the globe”. That’s motivation enough for any US ally/friend. Besides we are talking about Lockheed here. Technically sound, commercially successful and tons-of-experience in project-management and after-sales-support. 😎 What’s not to look forward to?

You mean we can just make sweeping statement like “it will sell like crazy” and not back it up?

Why does that not suprise me on this forum….

Thats a copy-paste of what you posted before. So why should my answer be any different. My answer is also the same.

Ask me something interesting … only then you will get a well researched response. I will not tell you how many F35’s will be bought over 20 years.

I made an argument based on practical evidence. What the DOD is thinking. And so on.

Provide a source that says DOD is not skeptical anymore and it should be dated later than April 2010. I doubt it. As of April 2010 it is clear problems persist. What could have happened in two months that would change that perception.

It is very expensive to take a gamble with a carrier deck. If it buckles in 1 year the deck needs to be replaced costing lots of money.

This is a question of taking the carrier-based F35B operation from 95% to a 100% problem-free operation.

The UK has lifted the covers off its Taranis unmanned combat air system technology demonstrator, which will be flown for the first time in 2011.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/07/12/344300/pictures-uk-unveils-taranis-stealth-combat-demonstrator.html

Its better than VLO. Its sixth generation. Note the lack of a vertical tail.

I would call it ULO Ultra-Low-Observable. 😎 Really cool UCAV.

Link

Quotes:

“you have to look at it from the perspective of total kinetic energy of the engine thrust. AV-8B has a thrust rating of 23,000lbs, whereas an F-35B thrust rating is 41,000lbs. He’s comparing a cigar torch lighter to a blow torch. Additionally, he’s got other thermal issues he needs to worry about as well, like overheating avionics and cockpit temperatures,” the aide said.

“We showed the Lockheed comments to a congressional aide familiar with the data and the reaction was pointed, and skeptical: “Temperature may be the same, but at what force over time is the temperature being applied to the flight deck material and surfaces? The ‘extensive test results’ have not been provided to date. However, if that’s the case, then why was all the modeling and simulation of forecasted heating effects contained in the material incorrect, and why is the risk chart mostly red? Why is the test community very concerned about it in their [annual test] report? Why is the Naval Facilities Engineering Command concerned about it in how they build the VSTOL landing pads? What’s the temperature difference between AV-8B and V-22 engine exhaust, and why does V-22 require special landing mats aboard ship? Why does the Navy plan to not allow the Marine Corps to land F-35B aircraft on aircraft carriers?”

This is a very recent article dated April 2010 so this is a current issue. They are talking about cooled aviation fuel, and liquid cooled carrier decks.

In all the pictures for the Tejas Navy I haven’t seen the arrestor hook. Any thoughts?

With so many customers heavily invested into the program and with 3 different variants the economies-of-scale will ensure the F35 remains the most commercially successful venture for atleast a few decades.

Does CVF have a “cooled” deck to compensate for F35B ops? Any links?