The F-35 already has the FLIR/IRST, internal jamming bays (currently empty), EODAS, a spare ICP bay, HMD, 2k bomb capability, open spec hardware, fiber avionics interconnects, UAI, etc. The F-22 has a long way to go just to get to the F-35’s avionics capabilities, not vice-verse.

@LO: Did you notice that the QLR talks mostly of airframe issues (that’s what I meant by “exact airframe performance”) and not subsystems, which was my point. Besides, the QLR is relating risk in regards to concurrency cost, not risk in regards to “if” it can be done.

@Nicolas: Your forgetting A2A which UCAVs cannot do. You now have three airframes on the CV (UCAV, A2A, and cheap multi-role).

What happens when you go against an enemy that can jam your comms or (God forbid) hack your UCAV controls? Now you are left attacking him with your cheap multi-role fighters or your stealthy A2A.

The point of a single, stealthy multi-role force is that they ALL can do whatever is needed. The days of single-role fighters is over.

Given that the FRP F-35 is only 15%-20% more expensive than the F-18E, having two different fighters (higher parts, training, & support costs) is not worth the miniscule difference in total lifetime savings (if there is any).

Most of the systems (APG-81, EOTS, EODAS, ESM, etc) have been through years of lab and flight testing and what they can and cannot do is well known at this point.

The only unknown is exact airframe performance and how long it will take to integrate the info from all the individual systems.

BTW Norway is in the process of re-winging several of the old F-16, perhaps anticipating further F-35 delays…?

Increased use and higher than normal payloads that was planned for, not anticipated delays.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/release/131380/norway-to-re_wing-f_16s-to-extend-service-life.html

“We use the planes in a different way than we used to. They have taken off and landed with heavy loads of bombs, and that causes extra wear and tear,” Hoelsæther explains.

Any part that Japan builds for the F-35 is coming from the LM/P&W portion of the pie. LM/P&W are giving up a piece of their own pie in order to increase the overall build numbers.

What parts this covers is not known at this time.

4+ SDBs plus the special rack to hold them > Mk drag 🙂

I don’t think that those were SDBs on the Gripen, no wiglets and more than 4 to a launcher (unless this is a new Saab bomb/rack).