UK Finally decides F-35 version (and gets it very wrong)

[Blackbuck]

Well the conservatives have done it again and diminished any hope I had for them being competent at running the country. They've decided that what we really need to buy is the F-35B not the F-35C when we're building two 60,000 tonne + aircraft carriers which won't have full air groups on them and wont be able to cross operate types from the French and American navies as a result.
How the numpties in Downing Street really believe that the F-35B is a superior choice to the F-35C is beyond me, it can carry less, land with less, has more technical issues than the other two variants and is more importantly (you'd imagine for this government) more expensive by quite a large amount. I wasn't happy when we decided to keep the F-35 order, I was slightly happier when it was decided to go with the F-35C because it actually offered a credible result for our investment and now we're back to square one again.
Why couldn't the morons have just kept the harriers if they wanted STOVL? They're going to spend more on procuring and developing the F-35B over what it would have cost to have kept the harriers in service (which will be in service until 2020-2025 iirc with the USMC) Why couldn't we have just gone with Super Hornets and bought a credible air group instead of this mess we have now...

BBC Story on the decision

</rant> ~Mark.

[Gollevainen]

Ah... politicans
So If Ive understood the UK f-35 saga correctly, they first opted for the B model, then decided not and went for the C model instead, then they almost canceled the whole thing and then ressuercted it with the B model again?

[Blackbuck]

Correct. Don't you just love politicians?

[jabba]

Correct. Don't you just love politicians?

There is a special place in hell...

[TimothyC]

This is because BAe underestimated the costs of installing EMALS. The ships could still get an EMALS + Arrester refit post 2020 which might help things, but I wouldn't bet money on it.

The sad fact is if they didn't go back to the B version the UK would be stuck with a 60k ton LPH and a 60k ton CV.

[Blackbuck]

I wouldn't either, the chances of operating two types of F-35 or even selling the Bs back to LM for Cs is slim to none. Regarding the LPH statement, I'm feeling that is all QE/PoW will be eventually, the amount of airframes we're ordering just won't cover one (let alone two) carriers and a land based force.

[Morten812]

im speechless.... glad im not a british taxpayer...

[gordo8000]

The world would be a better place if people IN THE MILITARY were allowed to decide what the MILITARY buys. When will politicians learn that in general, they know nothing about what the military needs. Not only could it quite possibly save money, it would get the military what it actually needs!

[SoniCraft]

course that they know what they do these politicians!

they in totally fun

as the French that both wanted a nuclear aircraft carrier, It costs us the eyes of the head,

the beatings, we have only a single aircraft carrier to 40Kt, In addition, we have us meet only 15 Rafale Marine

Europe loses greatly in capacity, because the technology does not replace all

English or French, politicians are sacred shit

[Gollevainen]

The world would be a better place if people IN THE MILITARY were allowed to decide what the MILITARY buys. When will politicians learn that in general, they know nothing about what the military needs. Not only could it quite possibly save money, it would get the military what it actually needs!

yes, III reich and the Japanese empire at 1939 were perfect exambles of how better place world could be when soldiers were in charge of the money strings