Jets & Planes but no UAV's here.

[DRG]

Originally Posted by FASTBOAT TOUGH

OV-10 BRONCO G+ not dead!?! And it ain't your
Dad's" OV-10 BRONCO from Vietnam ethier...
https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/...-capabilities/
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/11/politi...sis/index.html
https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/ov...d-a-1764407068
http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-N...Bronco/2651703
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proce...12-cleared-hot

Regards,
Pat

...which is why it was added to USMC unit 621 last year as the OV-10D Bronco but has now been extended to 2025 as the OV-10G+ Bronco

[Suhiir]

Originally Posted by DRG

...which is why it was added to USMC unit 621 last year as the OV-10D Bronco but has now been extended to 2025 as the OV-10G+ Bronco

I do occasionally stumble across something before you do swabbie.

[Pibwl]

News and updates as for Slovakia (OOB51)

Withdrawal dates according to https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vzdu%C...skej_republiky

155 Aero L-29 - withdrawn by 2003

160, 161 MiG-21 - withdrawn in 2003

180-182, 331, 335 JAS39 Gripen - not used as for now, and probably won't be

170 Su-22M4 - withdrawn in 2002

There is much more armament variants in Czechoslovak OOB, including ones with missiles - probably they remained in use.

173, 337, 904 -Su-25K - withdrawn in 2002

Transport aircraft:

234 Antonov-12BP - withdrawn in 1999

235 Antonov-24 - withdrawn in 2006

236 Antonov-26 - withdrawn in 2016 (might be retained until arrival of C-27)

From 10/17 there is C-27J Spartan used (one, as for now)

All the time there were lighter Let-410 Turbolet used (12 paratroops)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_L-410_Turbolet

If you'd like to add it, icon 2780 of Twin Otter should do.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I've been watching the following develop for awhile now concerning the F-35, so it's time to "throw it" out here...
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/art...e/186991/.html
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/art...0-billion.html

From ref. 3 I'll simply quote from from the end of each of the fighters general information block...

F-35A - This is still looking like it'll be 2019 however... "The F-35A was the first variant to fly, in 2009. Unfortunately, it looks like it won’t reach Initial Operational Capability (IOC) until 2017 or 2018."

Well you can definitely cross off 2017.

F-35B - "Planes with full Block 3 initial combat capability are unlikely to be fielded before 2018."

Well we know the answer to that now don't we!?!

F-35C - "Initial Operational Capability was scheduled for 2014, but looks set to slip to 2019."

Finally it has. There's so much commonality in the systems between the types, it'll be hard to imagine any of these jets being ready much before Jun 2019 (That for the sake of argument.).

Too much is left to be done, weapons certs, op evals, software issues, logistics (Has reared it's head many times over the years to include a key software issue.) etc. etc. And we still haven't had the competition between the A-10/F-15SE/F/A-18E/F and F-16V (Which should've been retired by now or close to.) along with the latest previous Block were developed out of necessity due to the various delays of the F-35 Program.

That's the one item I'm trying to really keep an eye on. Can you imagine the delay if the F-35 during the CAP eval against those planes turns in a sub par performance? Or even , just that, performs equally as well as them?

It'll cause a political firestorm.

Save yourself the aggravation make them all simply JUN 2019.
https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com...m-edit-037947/

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS ARTICLE WHILE IT'S FULLY UNLOCKED FOR THE TIME BEING!!!!

Also of interest and somewhat in support of the above...
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...-on-sh-443005/
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...-fleet-443070/
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...d-ndaa-443026/

Regards,
Pat

[MarkSheppard]

Israelis just declared IOC for the first squadron of their F-35, which is currently at 9 aircraft operational.

Meanwhile, Canada cancelled it's F-18E/F Super Hornet Purchase which in turn was intended to replace a cancelled F-35 buy. Prospective replacement is Australia's old F-18s which would be remanufactured in Canada to extend their service lives.

[DRG]

OOB now corrected to 12/117

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

There might be a little something here for everyone from the F-35, CAS since WWII and an article I found of particular interesting concerning Hypersonic Vehicles. This is a NATO publication.
https://www.japcc.org/wp-content/upl...J24_screen.pdf

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

..and now Denmark has F-35's in 2022..

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

While the USAF is still working on the common logistics software issue that'll affect all three versions of the F-35, the USN has taken another step closer to bringing the F-35C to Initial Operational Capability (IOC) per the below ref.
http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm...sStory&id=6694

Weapons testing is also still ongoing along with several others and the CAS test against the A-10 and F-15SE well, let's just say has been delayed until Spring of 2018. Of course along with everyone else, I'm awaiting the results of that.

Now we wait until they reach Full Operational Capability (FOC) there's a reason I started using these terms because generally speaking those are the terms and associated definitions of them that many of the world's militaries use. And really my "old" term "Fielded" actually fitted better than I thought after looking into what the above terms actually meant in military terms. For those in a "hurry" I offer the following ref. again from NAVAIR it fits this perfectly as FOC is just the final step to Fielded in a weapons system etc. This of course doesn't apply to Don or the others who track these things for some cases over many years.

IOC does allow us some latitude (Unless we have other information such as the Russians hoping to have the T-14 ARMATA
Operational/Fielded from the many statements they've made to date but, even that could be wishful thinking.) to establish a start date for the game recognizing the dates can and usually will shift (ARJUN Mk I/Mk II which will need to be changed again by the way.). But there's always the chance it could happen sooner or as put in if the program is moving along smoothly. My example covers the USN's JSOW C-1 and fully discusses the process and as you'll see, reaching the Fielded stage can still take, in this case, a year and a half after FOC (Para.2 of the ref.).
http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm...sStory&id=6658

Also note the RAAF will be getting this weapon as well.

A final observation for my MARINE friend (It's a rare early non sarcastic compliment sort of - so here's your early Merry Christmas! (I did say sort of!)) and others that the F-35B was the one predicted too have the most issues but ended up being the first to IOC and I feel confident the first to FOC+.

Regards,
Pat

[Suhiir]

Originally Posted by FASTBOAT TOUGH

A final observation for my MARINE friend (It's a rare early non sarcastic compliment sort of - so here's your early Merry Christmas! (I did say sort of!)) and others that the F-35B was the one predicted too have the most issues but ended up being the first to IOC and I feel confident the first to FOC+.

Regards,
Pat

I'd guess a lot of that has to do with the way Jarheads do business. They're more use to looking for their own solutions then waiting for someone else to come up with one.

And Happy Holidays to you and the Boss (and any rugrats) Sailor.