Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

I've just watched this interesting new video about the F-35 Block 4:


The F-35 Lightning II may have had a troubled developmental phase, but since finally coming online in 2015 for the United States Marine Corps, 2016 for the Air Force, and 2019 for the Navy, the fighter has evolved into a fine platform that has lived up to its hype.
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With stealth, maneuverability, and exceptional situational awareness, it outshines its fifth-gen counterpart, the F-22 Raptor, at a lower operating cost, enabling large-scale deployment. With over 975 delivered by October 2023 and plans for 2,400 by 2044, the F-35 is now undergoing the Block 4 upgrade.
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While many details are classified, let's delve into the Pentagon's secret programs for more insights.
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Now given that there are so many software, hardware, propulsion and structural changes wouldn't this merit new series letters, that is:

F-35A Block 4 => F-35D
F-35B Block 4 => F-35E
F-35C Block 4 => F-35F

To my amateur I think that such designation change is merited as the Block 4 design is a MASSIVE upgrade over the previous blocks.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Surprising that they're looking at integrating Hellfires.

Also, didn't A-10s get certified for Hellfires? So the F-35 wouldn't be the first fast-jet armed with them.
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I think it is a little surprising they are integrating JAGM, since it is a rail only store. I presume they are integrating for external launch (though why not F-18?). But once you do that, there's really no reason not to add Hellfire as well. They have the same footprint and launch characteristics.
 
Josh_TN said:
I think it is a little surprising they are integrating JAGM, since it is a rail only store. I presume they are integrating for external launch (though why not F-18?). But once you do that, there's really no reason not to add Hellfire as well. They have the same footprint and launch characteristics.
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Ah, didn't realize that JAGM were rail launch only. That changes things!
 
Would that rule out internal carriage in the bays for the JAGM then, certainly not like the SPEAR 3 which is going to be dropped out of the F-35 bays.
 
Josh_TN said:
I think it is a little surprising they are integrating JAGM, since it is a rail only store. I presume they are integrating for external launch (though why not F-18?). But once you do that, there's really no reason not to add Hellfire as well. They have the same footprint and launch characteristics.
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There are images out there of JAGM-F with bomb lugs instead of rail shoes. That would suggest it can be drop launched.
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TomS said:
I don't think so.

Could be a case where the integration is so similar on the software side that they figured "why not?" It would also suit the USMC's use cases for the B model.
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Do we know if the fast jet racks for JAGM/Hellfire will be quads like the helicopters, or triple trios or something else?
 
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F-35 is more and more a global steamroller. Which american aircraft has the record number of different air forces ? F-104, F-4 or F-16 ? because F-35 is on the way to crush that record.
 
I think that honour for the record number of US aircraft sold has to go to the F-16, with the F-4 Phantom a closs second. I do not know how many F-104s were sold when it was in production.
 
It's not the first time this sort of thing has been done. General Dynamics rebuilt and returned to service some seven (or so) F-111 FrankenVarks from their Ft. Worth facility.
 
FighterJock said:
I think that honour for the record number of US aircraft sold has to go to the F-16, with the F-4 Phantom a closs second. I do not know how many F-104s were sold when it was in production.
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Question was more about number of operators rather than number of aircraft. In this case we see the following:

F-104: 15 countries
F-4: 15 countries
F-5: 36 countries
F-16: 30 countries in service or on order and growing
F-35: 17 countries in service or on order and growing

Note that I kept the count at the country level and didn't double count when perhaps both a Navy and Air Force operate or plan to.
 
Has the RN successfully raised the F-35B that went off one of their CVs in the Mediterranean yet? And if so I wonder if any parts of its' airframe will be refurbished and reused as IIRC it was located intact in one piece on the seabed.
 
NMaude said:
Has the RN successfully raised the F-35B that went off one of their CVs in the Mediterranean yet? And if so I wonder if any parts of its' airframe will be refurbished and reused as IIRC it was located intact in one piece on the seabed.
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3 weeks after the "oops".

News of successful recovery was announced on 9 December 2021.
 
BlackBat242 said:
3 weeks after the "oops".

News of successful recovery was announced on 9 December 2021.
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That's good, so I guess that since the wreck was still one piece it has been used for battle-damage repair training or something similar then?
 
NMaude said:
Now given that there are so many software, hardware, propulsion and structural changes wouldn't this merit new series letters, that is:

F-35A Block 4 => F-35D
F-35B Block 4 => F-35E
F-35C Block 4 => F-35F

To my amateur I think that such designation change is merited as the Block 4 design is a MASSIVE upgrade over the previous blocks.
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Except that the USAF doesn't use suffixes and blocks the same way.

For example, the F-16C/D started with Block 25 and are arguably still going with Block 70.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Except that the USAF doesn't use suffixes and blocks the same way.

For example, the F-16C/D started with Block 25 and are arguably still going with Block 70.
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More over, the A/B/C designations specify different flying environments. I suspect the F-35 series keeps the current letters throughout its entire run.
 

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