F-35 was not a Good jet but USA continued the project because Israel had no other option.

[BHarwana]

Re: Fwd: G3 - US/ISRAEL/MIL - U.S. may scrap F-35, slated to be Israel's future fighter jet

Don't rep this stuff. Rumors are always flying about the F-35 program,
particularly during budget season. The program is under close scrutiny,
but that doesn't mean its getting curtailed, much less cut.

If you have any questions on a news item of the F-35, bring them to me.
This looks a lot more like sensationalist Israeli journalism than fact.
And for the most part, we should keep beltway procurement shenanigans at
arms length.

On 5/24/2011 6:19 AM, William Hobart wrote:

Hi Ben, can you look at this for a sec?
I sent it to Emre, but I'll CC you seeing your a proper WO.

Analysts also.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "William Hobart" <william.hobart@stratfor.com>
To: "Emre Dogru" <emre.dogru@stratfor.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 8:12:11 PM
Subject: Fwd: G3 - US/ISRAEL/MIL - U.S. may scrap F-35, slated to be
Israel's future fighter jet

I really dont trust this source. The news that the US is reviewing the
jets is old. This article is a bit less sensational.

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/162813-house-mulling-changes-to-f-35-after-watchdog-report

I think Haaretz is blowing this way out of proportion. We need to find
the actual statements and directions by the senate committee.

The f35 program is literally the most expensive military venture since
the great wall of china - news that it could be shelved should be earth
shattering as it is the corner stone of future USAF/marine/navy air
power, not a side note in hareetz who is focusing on Israeli capability.

Let me know if you still want me to rep this

"The Pentagon was instructed bu the U.S. Senate Armed Services
Committee to look for future alternatives to the F-35 Joint Strike
Fighter, scheduled to replace a significant contingent of U.S. Air
Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, due to cost overruns, Haarrtz
reported May 24. Israel, who has ordered 20 of the jets, has no
alternative if the project is shelved. "

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "Emre Dogru" <emre.dogru@stratfor.com>
To: "alerts" <alerts@stratfor.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 6:36:19 PM
Subject: G3 - US/ISRAEL/MIL - U.S. may scrap F-35, slated to be Israel's
future fighter jet

please paraphrase as required
U.S. may scrap F-35, slated to be Israel's future fighter jet
http://www.haaretz.com/print-editio...ed-to-be-israel-s-future-fighter-jet-1.363626

The F-35, with stealth capabilities, is slated to replace an entire
generation of jet fighters in the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps;
Pentagon looking into other alternatives due to massive cost overruns.

Senior members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee last week
instructed the Pentagon to come up with alternatives to the jet fighter
of the future, the F-35, with the project facing massive cost overruns.

The plane has been selected as the future of the Israel Air Force, and
for now there are no plans for an alternative if the American project is
shelved.

U.S. Defense Department officials presented the latest data last
Thursday to the senate committee on the F-35s test flights and costs.

The plane, with stealth capabilities, is slated to replace an entire
generation of jet fighters in the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.

But after hearing the data, committee chairman Senator Carl Levin and
committee member Senator John McCain said it seemed time to consider
alternatives.

The remarks at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, a forum that
has historically supported military spending, seems to be the most
serious threat the F-35 has faced so far.

"We cannot sacrifice other important acquisitions in the Department of
Defense investment portfolio to pay for this capability," Levin said.

The sense in Washington is that after years in which there was strong
political backing for the American defense industries' banner project,
senior politicians are having to scale back support in the face of a
mounting budget deficit.

Last November, the bi-partisan National Commission on Fiscal
Responsibility and Reform called for a complete halt in the purchase of
one model of the F-35, slated for operation on aircraft carriers, and to
halve the purchase of the rest of the models.

At the moment, a purchase of 2,443 planes is planned for the U.S. Air
Force, the Navy and the Marines, with foreign countries, including
Israel, purchasing another approximately 600 jets.

However, some of these countries are already cutting back on their
orders. The cost of one F-35 was planned to have been $69 million, but
according to the Pentagon's calculation, the cost has now risen to $103
million and according to Government Accountability Office calculations
from last year, it could climb to $112 million.

Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisitions Ashton Carter told the Senate
panel that the costs are "unacceptable," but pledged to find ways to
reduce them.

Some of the cost of the aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed-Martin, stems
from significant delays in the test program, in integrating its advanced
systems and in a structural problem discovered during testing.

The planes are planned to begin entering into service in the U.S. Air
Force in 2013, but it is now believed that only in 2015 will the plane's
final software package be fully integrated and only in 2016 will the
"Block 3" series, with full technological capabilities, be ready for
operational flights.

Israel's Defense Ministry has so far ordered 20 F-35s, but the Israel
Air Force has plans to outfit three of its operational squadrons with
the aircraft, a total of between 60 and 75 planes.

The Israel Defense Forces is now concerned over the expected delay in
delivery of the planes. A senior member of the IDF General Staff raised
the possibility that to release older planes from service, the IAF lease
from the Americans a squadron of used F-15s. However, in an interview
with Haaretz two weeks ago, Defense Ministry Director General Udi Shani
rejected the idea.

"On the last visit of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in Israel a
month ago, we were told that the delay would be less than what we had
thought," he said.

Shani said the delay could allow Israel to outfit the planes with its
own systems. "I am in favor of getting a plane with ... as many systems
as possible made in Israel ... According to the original schedule we
were told there was no time for that. We have teams in the United States
now and after the holiday we'll hear their conclusions and I imagine
dialogue will start with the Americans over a new schedule and changes."

--
Emre Dogru

STRATFOR
Cell: +90.532.465.7514
Fixed: +1.512.279.9468
emre.dogru@stratfor.com
www.stratfor.com

--
William Hobart
Writer STRATFOR
Australia mobile +61 402 506 853
Email william.hobart@stratfor.com
www.stratfor.com

--
William Hobart
Writer STRATFOR
Australia mobile +61 402 506 853
Email william.hobart@stratfor.com
www.stratfor.com

https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/...rael-mil-u-s-may-scrap-f-35-slated-to-be.html

 

[Penguin]

F-35 was not a Good jet but USA continued the project because Israel had no other option.

= BS

For starters, not continuing it would have left RN/RAF (Level 1 Partner, 10% of development costs, joined 2001) and Italy's AF/Navy (Level 2 Partner, 5% of development cost, joined 2002) without aircraft for their STOVL carriers, and Netherlands (Level 2 partner, 5% of development cost, joined 2002) as well as Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway (level 3 partners, 1 % of development costs, joined 2002) without F-16 replacement. Together, these partners represent 25% of development cost of F-35. Surely, besides US, they too have a say in the continuation (or termination) of the program.

Israel and Singapore have joined the program later than any of the partners, and became 'Security Cooperative Participants', which is sort of an observer role that gives no firm influence on design development or program continuation.

Japan and South Korea were/are simply (firm) prospective customers. Others include e.g. Belgium (in principle, any F-16 operator that is a US ally or Nato member, and that has the money).

Nevertheless:
"Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has considered playing a role in the development of a proposed two-seat F-35; an IAI executive stated: "There is a known demand for two seats not only from Israel but from other air forces." IAI plans to produce conformal fuel tanks. A senior IAF official stated that elements of the F-35's stealth may be overcome in 5 to 10 years, while the aircraft will be in service for 30 to 40 years, which is why Israel insisted on installing their own electronic warfare systems: "The basic F-35 design is OK. We can make do with adding integrated software."
Note that 'has considered' is not the same as 'has' or 'was allowed' a role in the development of a 2-seater. There currently is no 2-seater being developed. Note also that above Israeli content is add-on or alternative equipment, not design change.