Unlikely. As B-I-O explained in some detail (and with considerable patience), Lot 12&13 contracts for long lead items are already in place.

Your problem is that your reading de Briganti’s articles as if they are reality. First off, he states that Italy will not “order” more than the 13 up until Lot 11. In reality, long lead contracts on 12&13 (not sure on 14- edit yes on Lot 14) is already happening. That is 28 aircraft for Italy. He chooses to read into the statement by the defense minister that Italy will not order anymore F-35’s. That statement is deliberately vague because, being new, the minister was unsure of the status of current order book for Italy. The program of record stands at 90 for Italy. That may or may not stand, But Italy is certainly committed on Lots for which contracts already exist.

The other consideration in that regard is that governments change. The F-35 production schedule runs into the mid-2030’s IIRC. These crucial orders in upcoming lots are stable and run through 2022. New customers can (probably will) be added and others may adjust orders in the future. By 2022, the production run will have already topped any recent fighter program, the cost curve will flatten, maintence and support infrastructure will have been established (meaning that operators will have already invested in non-recurring costs). You think that they will abruptly abandon the program then for another option? Unlikely.

F-35 cannon is useless; http://www.janes.com/article/77408/f…-with-accuracy

Panic! Panic! time to scrap the entire program…. or not. The fix could be as simple as a software patch .

Don’t know.
I thought it was solely developed by the Marconi division of the Selex subsidiary if Leonardo.
If under British government contract, then the British own the know how.
I’m not sure if it applies to SAAB.
Can a company hire a foreign company to do research for their government, and expect it to be their govrnment’sjurisdiction ?

The short answer is yes, that’s why defense contractors set up subsidiaries. The IP is owned by the party that set the contract. One easy example is the F-16 block 60. UAE paid for development, hence L-M has developed newer blocks that don’t include the same avionics set.

BAE systems is an independent subsidiary of BAE. In other words, the country of origin of the parent company is largely irrelevant, the intellectual property is usually owned by that nation who contracted the development and not proprietary to the contractors country of origin….unless it includes technology paid for and under control of the parent and company.

If you want to take a “War is Boring” article quoting Kopp as factual, be my guest. Reality is a bit different and there is no AESA seeker head on any current or projected missile that is able to lock onto a fighter sized target at 40 miles “even on the most agile….targets”.

@Rall

“An F-35 with a Meteor (will be implemented soon) will be the most devilish thing that flies.

Really Russia need new big updates or new weapons on this area, it is not a surprise new weapons for Su-57. Airplane is important but not less important will be the weapons. All need to be on vanguard. “

Isnt the K-77M basically like the JNAAMs and isnt the JNAAMs basically a better version than the Meteor because it offers GaN mmics and acts like its own AESA radar?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]261673[/ATTACH]

https://warisboring.com/bad-news-for-u-s-warplane-pilots-russia-s-new-dogfighting-missile-can-t-miss/

“Designers at the Detal bureau, part of the state-owned Tactical Missile Munitions Corporation, added an active electronically-scanned array radar—a so-called “AESA”—to the nose of a long-range R-77 missile to produce the K-77M model. Thanks to its new guidance sensors, the K-77M is way more accurate than other missiles.

How accurate? Flying 40 miles or more, the K-77M should be able “to maintain lock on even the most agile maneuvering target,” according to one scientist and defense specialist in the Pacific region whose country’s laws prohibit him from speaking on the record about weaponry. In light of the scientist’s expertise, War is Boring agreed not to publish his name”
d.

Hmmm, a defense analyst and scientist from the “Pacific region” who speaks in such absolutes, for a publication as esteemed as “War is Boring”……

I wonder what idea Mr. Kopp is trying to sell now?

Congress isn’t just moving to block the F-35 in 2019 NDAA, they want a report on all FMS to Turkey.

B-I-O thanks for those interesting posts.

Makes me wish they didn’t scrub the fuel flow graphs of sensitive information (mach).

AIM-120D would have dual pulse engine but it was canceled so 50% better range then latest C versions was probable for dual pulse version.

No and No. For the love of god,

If you don’t know the answer, don’t post. Two pages of conjecture: first KGB’s usual B.S., then the usual Marcellogo “I want this to be true so I’l post it”, now this.

The -120D’s range improvement has to do with the addition of GPS and the two way datalink. More efficient flight path, period.

We can start a pool on guesses for what that range actually is, because it’s classified, as is Aim-120’s burnout speed and quite a bit else.