Lockheed gave several unsolicited navalized F-117 proposals to the Navy, the Armed Services Committee and the Office of the Secretary of Defense during the 1991-1995 time frame. They were spurred by: 1. The humiliating cancellation of the A-12 program* and the gaping hole it left in NAVAIR (to this day) 2. Lockheed was riding high after the Nighthawk’s performance during the first Gulf War* and their success with its low rate production 3. The F-117 has a deep keel and full-depth structural bulkheads which lends to itself to naval modification moreso than most land based aircraft

The proposals started as a minimally modified F-117 immediately after the Gulf War (F-117N) and were continually refined into more capable incarnations through the AX-A/FX program and the start of the JAST program (A/F-117). There was a modicum of support for low rate purchase of advanced/navalized F-117s in congress for the AF/NAVY during the early 1990s instead of the various expensive from scratch designs, offering up $25 million USD for studies. Lockheed hoped that they would get enough pork to build a technology demonstrator out of a modified F-117A , but the Navy wanted abosolutely no part of this bird from the beginning (NIH) and by 1995 all interest had fizzled out with the burgeoning preeminence of JAST after the FY95 budget was passed.

*both events occured during early 1991

More than with magical fall in surrounding countries or sea I think it has something to do with the peculiar nature of aircraft virtually vaporizing by excessive heat after the crash. There are at least two very well-documented cases that occured over the US territory back in 2001, albeit with civilian airliners. Nevertheless, similar fate could have met whole squadrons of shot-down Israeli F-15s 😉

Phantoms have been known to disintegrate from time to time, too. :diablo:

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=35939

You made this topic 3 years ago. People might be a little softer on it now, but not by much.

I’ve read that the USAF also considered the F-16XL an imminent threat to the F-15 production line and a possible danger to the ATF program.

Russian trying to flex its muscles again, yawn.

So used to seeing the fuel probe on the 2000, the RoCAF -5 looks a bit naked without it.

I can’t see how anyone can class the F22 as a ‘almost entirely defensive weapon’.

Depends on what weapons package it comes with. If its only armed with AAM-5/AIM-9 and AIM-120D/AAM-4 then it can’t been seen as much of a threat. If they integrate JDAM or GBU-39 then there is an argument.

The Japanese will likely get it if they want it badly enough, but there will be objections within Japan as an F22 deal will likely kill off their own aviation industry.

I fail to see how buying them off the line instead of cranking out aircraft from knock down kits will kill their own industry. A purchase from another country is not going to produce any offsets and the result will be complaints which will ultimately be overcome. Japan’s transport and weapons aerospace manufacturers will still be intact. If the F-1 and F-2 experience are any barometer, they’ve only been able to make fighter/attack designs worse.

China will not be happy, but more importantly, SK will be pretty upset as well, and they will be pushing the US to get the F22 as well if Japan is allowed to have them.

Denying the Koreans access to the F22 while supplying them to the Japanese will not go down will in Soeul, and might push SK further into China and Russia’s sphere of influence. That is something the US will need to think about when deciding on Japanese F22s.

China’s never happy about anything Japan does. Its fine for them to build up the PLAAF with J-10s and J-11s but flying spaghetti monster forbid Japan replaces their vintage 1977 F-4EJs. Granted, they are replacing them with the most advanced fighter in the world but China could not be surprised by this move. As usual their protests will be in vain, see Taiwan block 52+ deal.

I really don’t see the Koreans getting all that upset. They could barely afford the F-15K and had to use European aircraft in the competition as leverage against Boeing. A theoretical purchase of F-22s would be a platinum bullet compared to the silver bullet F-15s. Why exactly would South Korea need the F-22? They’re right on top of NK and would have little time to respond to an artillery or missile barrage with aircraft, the NK airforce could easily be handled by the F-16s already in service, the F-22’s range is overkill for their airspace, and its ground attack abilities are narrow. The F-35A or EF2000 tranche-3 will be a much better fit for their air force.

South Korea has recently signed a free trade agreement with the United States and has strong military-industrial links to America. One could see a shift towards European aerospace in the future with the next requirement. A shift toward China or Russia in aerospace and/or policy? A single fighter aircraft purchase could not pull that much weight politically.