Possibly 12 by the time the first F35C test bed would be delivered, since up to 12 Fleet Air Arm pilots reportedly already are by months in the US training on F18.

A parliamentary answer dating back to 2009 saw the minister stating that UK pilots in the US already back then were flying on F18 on exchange programmes.
And the F35 test aircraft won’t come before 2012 or perhaps 2013.

And we don’t even know how long it’ll be still before the F35C starts going on carriers and thus CATOBAR. So far, it flies from normal runways, as a very normal plane. Can’t be that one the problem.

But are any of them experienced enough to run a test program? You can’t learn how the trap the thing one day and start flight testing it the next.

Oh, well. After all, there’s not much in terms of recent news, unfortunately. Even the ACA website has not been updated yet about the change, for example…

And the UK has still a 119 million dollars F35B LRIP IV on order. XD Mr Foxie, wake up! What the hell are you gonna do with that?

Its a test program aircraft that will never leave pax river.

A KC-787 might be a great aircraft, but how many years is that going to take? Not sure that the USAF could wait that long.

They can hardly afford the delay that all the legal wrangling has forced.

So basically the containers were designed without taking NAVAIR’s needs into account. Typical Air Force.

I wonder what the issue is. The F135 is 220×51 compared to the TF30 which is 242×49. They never seemed to have any problems keeping the tomcats supplied with engines.

If they ever want to get planes in the air. Its the only way to end it. Neither will be happy, but they most likely won’t be willing to sue and risk their half of the order. Too much of a mess to do anything else. Its already been up for 8 years.

They didn’t design IAC-1, Italian firm Fincantieri did based on a heavily modified version of the cavour class hull.

There’s no way in hell, we’re sending out carriers with only three squadrons.