The game changing Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2024/07/21/f-35-deliveries-resume-but-upgrade-delays-have-ripple-effects/

F-35 deliveries resume, but upgrade delays have ripple effects “Don’t think that the TR-3 problems are over,” said Gen. James Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

https://www.defensenews.com/video/2024/07/21/f-35b-hovering-at-riat/

F-35B hovering at RIAT An F-35B flown by the Royal Air Force hovers during a display at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in England on July 20, 2024. (Stephen Losey)

https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/news/us-marines-fly-raaf-f-35as?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0A2bVU8MqAlmOHSa-f1Vsfmlsy7wEcH1bVcUCYVRS7DDiTKhsDx5JAS6E_aem_9NxwTNom-t_DsUFncGf11Q

https://defence-blog.com/romania-to-buy-f-35-fighter-jets/

Romania to buy F-35 fighter jets Romania is set to enhance its defense capabilities with the acquisition of state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jets from the United States. Defense Minister Angel Tilvar announced that Romania aims to sign an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. this fall for the purchase of these advanced aircraft.....

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/07/f-35-deliveries-to-resume-next-week-despite-incomplete-upgrade/

F-35 deliveries to resume next week, despite incomplete upgrade A “truncated” version of Technology Refresh 3 software has enabled the Pentagon to resume deliveries, though a second software patch that would make the jets fully combat capable isn’t expected for at least another year.

https://www.twz.com/air/f-35b-dons-huge-bat-insignia-on-its-back

F-35B Dons Huge Bat Insignia On Its Back The Japan-based Joint Strike Fighter has appeared adorned with a spectacular bat motif atop its fuselage.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2024/06/27/denmark-to-bring-home-f-35-jets-from-arizona-amid-upgrade-delays/

Denmark to bring home F-35 jets from Arizona amid upgrade delays International customers are wary of delays resulting from Lockheed Martin's TR-3 aircraft upgrade rippling through their delivery schedules.

https://www.defensenews.com/congress/budget/2024/06/27/house-shoots-down-amendment-to-cut-f-35-purchase/

House shoots down amendment to cut F-35 purchase Meanwhile, there's talk of authorizing the defense secretary to seize Lockheed Martin's intellectual property.

https://www.twz.com/air/the-marine-unit-charged-with-digitally-connecting-everything-over-the-battlefield?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3SRBT8ZdED-APKIU8a1KAPGWJ9mFwBjIUN1tAJ3hJGxSnz_2PAuc9GJKs_aem_AUZsq6Yri4OO51Sz-sAWilNbbI8q3lKWnW3xvyx2g3OHQb8LnrWJJb4N_FPo3PEQIVPgCrILX7hfhScrAoio-wzZ

The Marine Unit Charged With Digitally Connecting Everything Over The Battlefield A new department within Marine Operational Test Squadron One (VMX-1) is tasked with connecting the digital dots over tomorrow's battlefield.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/06/air-launched-sm-6-spotted-again-on-f-a-18-super-hornet/ What a novel concept. Some of us have been recommending this with SM-2 for decades. We used to use a 13.5" General Dynamics Standard ARM (Anti-Radiation Missile) all the way back to Vietnam days. This has always been an option . . . but it sure is expensive! THIS is ANOTHER reasons the Standard Missile Family of missiles should be manufactured in South Korea, Japan, and perhaps the Philippines. They do not have to make the whole bird . . . just the parts they can make with quality in quantity.

Air-launched SM-6 Spotted Again on U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet - Naval News Last seen in 2021, the U.S. Navy's VX-9 has been seen again testing a RIM-174 ERAM (SM-6) carried on one of their F/A-18 Super Hornets.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/f-35b-test-aircraft-crashes-in-new-mexico/ar-BB1ndLWc?&ad=dirN&debug=0&prod=Secure&cmpgn=29308&annot=false&sameTabLaunch=false&installSource=other&ctype=web&browser=Secure&darkMode=false&ueid=675A5FE1-64E2-4DD8-BCD1-9688BFC16596&doi=2023-10-18

F-35B test aircraft crashes in New Mexico An F-35B Joint Strike Fighter crashed on Tuesday after a refueling stop in New Mexico. The pilot ejected safely.

Now just WHO would want us (U.S.) to truncate/reduce our most successful and functionally working designs for the promise of something that does not yet exist . . . and may never, but certainly stretches out the timeline into benefiting their profit margin? Then the slow progress of the most difficult to future fielded design takes over influence of future procurement process of the THE MOST SUCCESSFUL STEALTH FIGHTER design to date ? . . WHO IS DRIVING THIS BOAT? Build what we KNOW WE CAN . . . in numbers. Beef up the supply chain with redundancies and move out! https://www.defensenews.com/congress/budget/2024/05/13/house-lawmakers-aim-to-cut-f-35-buy-as-patience-with-delays-wears-thin/?utm_campaign=dfn-ebb&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sailthru&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR09jlodKXvaf6r4LV33xhkK4VncrNqGyC-q1gt17J9B22fUCsVQpOMbpeE_aem_AdXULvfHEV9-OwyZi4PvY4dw_XAH4MkffjDR6G6Jweg_INW5A3NKSEaUE6Xql62F8sfj3bl9dbhTE1ARFxJlfr-v
Just My 2ȼ.

House lawmakers aim to cut F-35 buy as patience with delays wears thin Lawmakers have grown "frustrated" as the newest F-35s sit at Lockheed Martin's facility in Fort Worth, Texas, because their upgrades don't work.

How does the U.S. Navy fix it too few carrier problem?
The Unified Combatant Commander Concept (COCOM) was designed around fifteen (15) aircraft carriers. The U.S. Navy now has eleven (11) aircraft carriers chasing too many mission requirements and doing it badly because we do not have enough to deploy at any given time. It takes three carriers to provide presence in any given Unified Combatant Commander area continuously. Number one is deployed and providing services. Number two is working up to take number one's place, and the third is in the shipyard undergoing required maintenance/repairs after every deployment. This is why eleven are not enough because we shortchange somebody all the time. Throw in the necessity to undergo reactor refueling and complex overhauls (RCOHs) every twenty five (25) years and the availability with 11 units is strained even more. The pressure is relieved by using Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG) with an embarked Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) or Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) . . . to provide PRESENCE (Show-the-Flag) operations in areas where land bases can provide supplemental support, and the full Carrier Air Wing capability is not required.
In the mean time we will park perfectly good nuclear aircraft carriers to continue to save money (not have to man/maintain them). A nuclear aircraft carrier is not a submarine that must stop steaming because of neutron depletion affects on the hull that must withstand high pressure at depth. A CVN-68 aircraft carrier CAN go through a third RCOH and be used for another 25 years. In that reality could lie our 'too few carriers' solution.
The Navy would have a great difficulty manning and maintaining them, but the Navy will not take the less expensive path of building more USS America (LHA-6) Aviation-centric "Lightening Carriers". If that were to be the path then the USMC F-35B fleet could grow, and the USAF could operate some too to perform JOINT operations in various locations around the planet. We do have the people for that!
In the mean time we need to be building frigates as fast as we can in more than one shipyard to get our Surface Combatant count up.

Which Aircraft Carriers Are Certified To Operate The Navy's F-35C Fighters? Perhaps four carriers have been modified to operate F-35C leaving seven more to be modified or to be retired without modifications.

Early this morning, an F-35B Lightning II makes a low pass through the Mach Loop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8NkWaklVXg

Lightning Carriers - New concept to counter #China in Indo-Pacific ! Check it out for free at https://ground.news/defense or subscribe for unlimited access to all the features you just saw and stay fully informed on breaking n...

https://www.kihomac.com/news/atp/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3lKknuH-0ZmkW8MVaoY1fQoM_2OaWDodHgau_8McHJx7Qepq8GGnZVVT4_aem_AbxU0tHO6vKtPv8J_nfgZmLUy5dRyUV-39aUsWzDGNsUyA5mNZLWajmjNJb0bOHJvi_82Lu100AQAaziyxXQBDeV

KIHOMAC Announces Availability of new F-35 Advanced Travel Pod. - KIHOMAC LAYTON, Utah, 23 Feb 2021 — KIHOMAC today announced the rollout of their new F-35 Advanced Travel Pod (ATP), with increased functionality, more capacity and improved operability as compared to legacy cargo pods. The KIHOMAC ATP delivers a responsive solution to F-35 adaptive basing and agile comba...

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwarriormaven.com%2Fair%2Fnato-accelerates-multi-national-f-35-common-threat-library%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1Z2nSFNwlul8TSL48s6lXbRPXjRjupzqYJW_2kf-mYgBJUKN7fV3sh6no_aem_AbwrDFFPmBomYcZrD5uDByYs4X_GqMs6Mxq5gQwmT9tPuCJQGXmbCR-RtVBRqw0QnjUOt3HvEY5LKRgkVakQ96TA&h=AT39IdPDDNk599rR0yi_tB1crcUu6nTiU6yaRT4JkVMHp-MMaPc2kxjH3jbXUlGhUdN0R7RHlyNElILe6xXwATBumuJ1GIvJ7A5KNy_oSJdbi9-nCYpd8Yf20ayJXHUJNCpZ1WGB6ETd6KQ

NATO Accelerates Multi-National F-35 Common "Threat Library" Each F-35 member country operates with a specific version of its own "national" threat library compilation

https://youtu.be/BeCbDwJpI7I

Here’s How the U.S. Marines' New Helicopter Easily Lifts the F-35 Fighter Jet A CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter from Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) performed an external load certification lift of an i...

https://youtu.be/9r0St2s3Igw

Check Out This Marine CH-53K Carrying An F-35C While Refueling From A KC-130T latest newsWelcome back to the Defense news channel for a discussion about A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53K King Stallion helicopter with the stripped-down hull of...

https://defence-blog.com/israels-f-35i-fighters-defend-national-airspace-amid-iran-attack/

Israel’s F-35I fighters defend national airspace amid Iran attack The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recently showcased the operational prowess of its newest F-35I Adir stealth fighter jets, revealing how these advanced aircraft are pivotal in safeguarding the country's airspace. Amidst a direct drone and missile attack posed by Iran, the IDF released footage depicti...

https://defence-blog.com/us-marine-corps-vmfa-542-achieves-full-operational-capability-with-f-35b-squadron/

US Marine Corps’ VMFA-542 achieves full operational capability with F-35B squadron The U.S. Marine Corps annoucned that Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 542, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), reached a significant milestone as it attained full operational capability on Wednesday, becoming the U.S. Marine Corps’ first East Coast F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadron ...

https://www.defensenews.com/congress/budget/2024/03/22/congress-offers-procurement-boost-for-f-35-jets-in-fy24-spending-bill/

Congress offers procurement boost for F-35 jets in FY24 spending bill The U.S. Air Force would receive enough money to buy 51 F-35As in fiscal 2024 under the compromise defense spending bill lawmakers released.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXbfr9LvvDo&t=637s

Hypnotic Operations of $130 Million F-35 on US Navy Carrier at Sea Welcome back to the Fluctus Channel as we take a closer look at the role the fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter plays in terms of naval and amphibious ai...

https://defence-blog.com/us-marine-corps-f-35-lands-in-sweden-for-first-time/

US Marine Corps F-35 lands in Sweden for first time Four U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters touched down at Kallax Air Base in Lulea, Sweden, marking the first-ever landing of a U.S. F-35 in the country. This significant event took place during Exercise Nordic Response 24, showcasing the growing partnership between the United....

“This is a major achievement for the F-35 program,” Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Dr. William LaPlante said in the statement. “This decision — backed by my colleagues in the department — highlights to the services, F-35 cooperative program partners, and Foreign Military Sales customers that the F-35 is stable and agile, and that all statutory and regulatory requirements have been appropriately addressed.”

F-35 Cleared For Full-Rate Production 17 Years After Its First Flight The F-35 has been cleared for full-rate production, although there are lingering issues with preparations for its critical Block 4 upgrade.

https://youtu.be/MhtIYiqyTUw

F-35B Lightning II Showing the Insane Jump on Aircraft Carrier The F-35B is the world's first supersonic stealth fighter jet with vertical takeoff and landing capability. It can operate from a variety of platforms, inclu...

https://theaviationist.com/2024/03/07/itaf-graduates-italian-navy-f-35b-pilots/?fbclid=IwAR0BZguJYRbJVYPnHnrKIWsQVSk2Wyl5OEV-QEEr9XgRQmgedxlH7fRIsak

Italian Air Force Graduates Italian Navy’s New F-35B Pilots The pilots attended the ground school at MCAS Beaufort and then continued their training at Amendola Air Base, acquiring the Limited Combat Ready

F-35A passes Nuke Cert.

EXCLUSIVE: F-35A officially certified to carry nuclear bomb The designation marks the first time that a stealth fighter can carry a nuclear weapon, in this case the B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb.

https://www.eurasiantimes.com/at-estimated-74-billion-f-35-firm-biggest-beneficiary/

At Estimated $74 Billion, F-35 Firm 'Biggest Beneficiary' Of Canada's Military's Modernization Drive On a mission to bolster its combat readiness and add cutting-edge military equipment to its arsenal in the wake of new security threats Russia poses, the Royal Canadian Military is making high-end purchases, filling the coffers of American defense firms. India Counters ‘Maldives Loss’ With New N...