The F-35 'will absolutely thrive' in the most militarized region on the planet

[Zarvan]

An F-35C Lightning II on USS George Washington during F-35C Development Test III. Lockheed Martin

WASHINGTON, DC — As tensions mount in the troubled waters of the South China Sea, US might is considered crucial, and a weapon considered well suited for the region is almost ready for deployment: the F-35 Lightning II.

"It will absolutely thrive in that environment," retired Air Force Col. John "JV" Venable told Business Insider.

At a cool $100 million per jet, Lockheed Martin's "jack-of-all-trades" aircraft is America'spriciest weapons system, and its development has become one of the most challenged programs in the history of the Department of Defense.

Since its inception, in 2001, the F-35 has experienced setbacks that include faulty ejection seats, software delays, and helmet display issues.

An F-35C Lightning II comes in for a landing on USS George Washington during F-35C Development Test III.Lockheed Martin

In July 2015, after cost overruns, design modifications, and serious testing, the Marine Corps became the first of the sister-service branches to declare the tri-service fighter ready for war.

A year and change later, the Air Force also declared their version of the fifth generation jet initial operational capability (IOC). Currently the US Navy variant, the F-35C, is slated to reach IOC by February 2019.

"Having three different types of fighters working for you in that environment [South China Sea] is also an extraordinary advantage," Venable, a fighter pilot and former commander of the celebrated Air Force Thunderbirds, told Business Insider.

With rival territorial claims by Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, Taiwan, and China, the South China Sea — rich in natural resources and crisscrossed by shipping routes — is one of the most militarized areas on the planet.

Overlapping claims in the South China Sea. Reuters

Currently the US, with the world's largest navy, dominates the region; however, that is poised to change as Beijing dramatically expands its naval capabilities.

"At some point, China is likely to, in effect, be able to deny the US Navy unimpeded access to parts of the South China Sea," Robert Kaplan, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and author of "Asia's Cauldron," wrote.

"The withdrawal of even one US aircraft carrier strike group from the Western Pacific is a game changer."

According to Venable, the F-35, designed to marry stealth and avionics, would thrive in the armed camp that has become the South China Sea.

"The Chinese would be right to fear the United States Air Force, United States Navy, and the United States Marine Corps armed with those jets."

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http://www.businessinsider.com/f35-thrives-in-south-china-sea-2016-10

 

[randomradio]

I wonder if the US will be open to sell the F-35 to Vietnam. It will be a radical shift since the Vietnam War.

 

[Hassan Guy]

hmmm, we should get some.....

 

[Hamza913]

I wonder if the US will be open to sell the F-35 to Vietnam. It will be a radical shift since the Vietnam War.

Does Vietnam have the money?

 

[KAL-EL]

Does Vietnam have the money?

beat me to it.

was about to ponder weather Vietnam could afford a squadron of these.

also imagine the daily maintenance cost of the planes would be pretty steep too.

Other than that, if Vietnam has the means to acquire some of them, have at it I say.

 

[Fenrir]

Other than that, if Vietnam wants some of these bad boys, have at it I say

I look at it as less of a money and more of a political issue. The US is still reluctant to provide lethal arms to Vietnam, hence why talk is mainly centered around items like the P-3 or offshore monitoring surface and subsurface assets, so there's one side.

However, perhaps more important then that and certainly a major contributor to the America's reticence to supply Vietnam with anything substantial, is that Vietnam is still seen by the US as politically unstable from the standpoint that it isn't fully in the US' camp (though other pre-texts like human rights are often thrown around too. The US has sold far more to nations far worse, so consider that a façade. It's a convenient cover to shield the real reasons).

It's not that Vietnam's government is itself unstable, as in prone to collapse at any moment, but that it is still a risk to shift from being US-leaning or China-leaning, and the US' reluctance to further support Vietnam, as has been partially seen in the Philippines (though Duterte has a historical beef with the US too. That context is often overlook by the more zealous analysts), is a contributor to Vietnam's reluctance to sway too far to the US, among other reason such as proximity to China and trade ties.

So the US isn't willing to go all in on Vietnam, Vietnam isn't willing to go all in on the US because the US isn't willing to fully support them. Vietnam's government may or may not be fully committed either and it all adds up to neither side being fully willing to further ties, except at a slow and carful pace.

I do foresee the US lifting its lethal arms restriction on Vietnam, and it partially has (though not for anything substantial or notable), but at the moment both sides are too reticent and proceeding slowly to test the others resolve and stability as a long-term partner.

I don't consider this to be a money issue, there are too many other factors that are more prominently displayed.

hmmm, we should get some.....

The US doesn't want to subsidize F-16s for you anymore, and you don't want to pay full price for them. The F-35 is much more costly, and there's a production queue that'll take years to clear with customers already committed to thousands of airframes:

In Vietnam's case I see political reasons to be more important then monetary concerns, but in Pakistan's case it's pretty much a combination of everything you can come up with. Trust, money, politics, regional concerns, production delays, there's a lot that needs to be sorted out.

It's nice to dream, but you have to come back to reality sometime. Maybe in a few decades, but the F-35 isn't in the cards for Pakistan at the moment.

And if you mean Canada, they have money problems too.

 

[Hamza913]

beat me to it.

was about to ponder weather Vietnam could afford a squadron of these.

also imagine the daily maintenance cost of the planes would be pretty steep too.

Other than that, if Vietnam has the means to acquire some of them, have at it I say.

I don't think Vietnam can acquire the F-35, their budget is pitiful. Not even 4 billion USD. Unless the US is willing cover some or all the costs, I don't think it will happen.

 

[Ultima Thule]

hmmm, we should get some.....

where is $$$$$$ for buying and maintenance

 

[James David]

hmmm, we should get some.....

You wont get it. You guys dont even want to pay full for F-16s and folks back here dont want to subsidize it. But things can change. Who knows right?

beat me to it.

was about to ponder weather Vietnam could afford a squadron of these.

also imagine the daily maintenance cost of the planes would be pretty steep too.

Other than that, if Vietnam has the means to acquire some of them, have at it I say.

I dont think they have the money to maintain those birds buddy but they "may" have the money to buy it though. If they get 'em thats a BIG IF, that would be awesome specially now that we lost the PI.

 

[Incog_nito]

The most amazing thing is that Turkey is buying F-35Bs for their new LHD - Type Aircraft Carrier.

I am not sure how many Aircraft they are going to procure as the LHD - Type Aircraft Carrier can accommodate only 10-12 F-35Bs. My Opinion is that Turkey might go for 3 of such LHD - Type Aircraft Carriers.