Hmmm.... US has F-22's parked a 6-minute flight from Iran
I'm sure you all remember the F-22, the plane Hussein Obamadidn't want. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel did some mouthing off in Washington on Thursday, and it turns out that the United States now has some F-22's parked in an airbase in the United Arab Emirates just a six-minute flight from Iran (Hat Tip: Sunlight). In fact, they've actually been there since at least April 2012. This is from the third link.
At a dinner in downtown Washington Thursday, US Defense Secretary
Chuck Hagel touted the Pentagon’s deployment of advanced weaponry,
including the Air Force F-22 Raptor, to the Middle East.
The stealthy fighters, as well other “high-end air, missile defense,
and naval assets,” have been positioned in the region “to deter Iranian
aggression and respond to other contingencies,” Hagel said during his
remarks to The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
It just so happens that satellite imagery of those F-22s in the Middle East has popped up on Google Earth.
Five F-22s have turned up on satellite imagery
at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates about 100 miles from
Iranian territory. While it’s no secret the US has deployed the
radar-evading Raptors to the Al Dhafra, this is the first time they have
popped up on publicly available satellite imagery.
The satellite picture was taken about a year ago, however it appears to have been put on Google Earth in recent months.
...
The US military goes to great lengths not to disclose the location of
Air Force assets in the region, mostly due to host nation sensitivity.
That said, the Air Force has periodically released pictures of F-22s on
the ground and training. Photo captions simply refer to the jets being
in “Southwest Asia.”
The F-35 disaster: Even training missions can't be performed safely
We should all praise the Obama administration for canceling the F-22, because after all, the F-35 is just raring to go. The only problem is that it cannot safely go anywhere.
In a leaked memo
reported by the RT news agency, a Pentagon official prefaces a report on
the F-35 by cautioning that even training missions cannot be safely
performed on board the aircraft at this time.
“The training management system lags in development compared to the
rest of the Integrated Training Center and does not yet have all planned
functionality,” the report reads in part.
“The out-of-cockpit visibility in the F-35A is less than other Air Force fighter aircraft,” one excerpt reads.
Elsewhere, the report includes quotes from pilots commenting after test missions onboard the aircraft:
“The head rest is too large and will impede aft (rear) visibility and
survivability during surface and air engagements,” said one. “Aft
visibility will get the pilot gunned (down) every time” in dogfights,
remarked another.
“Aft visibility could turn out to be a significant problem for all F-35 pilots in the future,” the Pentagon admits.
In one chart included in the report, the Pentagon says there are
eight crucial flaws with the aircraft that have raises serious red flags
within the Department of Defense.
And the impact?
That high price tag has given several countries cold feet about the jet. Last week, Canada
pulled out of a deal to buy 65 F-35s over fears that the aircraft could be too expensive to run. Italy
reduced its purchase to 90 F-35s from an initial 131, and even the US has delayed some of its purchases.
The F-35 is called the Joint Strike Fighter because several countries are involved in its development. Canada and Italy are two of them.
Israel has ordered 25 of the jets. One has to wonder why (except for the fact that we are required to spend most of the military aid that we receive from the US in the US and the F-22 is no longer available).
Of all the things the Obama administration has done to destroy the United States' defense capabilities, this could yet turn out to be the worst.
You might recall that in the first months of his administration, President Obama effectively vetoed production of the F-22 fighter (which was already being sold to other countries), because after all the F-35 was in development and would eventually replace everything else.
But now comes what is perhaps the most ominous news of all. After a trillion dollars in development costs, the F-35 is too heavy and slow, and so the Pentagon is dumbing down the performance standards to help the manufacturer meet them (Hat Tip: MFS - The Other News).
The Defense Department's annual weapons testing report
reveals that the military actually adjusted the performance
specifications for the consistently-underperforming line of F-35 fighter
jets. In other words, they couldn't get the jets to do what they were
supposed to do, so they just changed what they were supposed to do.
"The program announced an intention to change performance
specifications for the F-35A, reducing turn performance from 5.3 to 4.6
sustained g’s and extending the time for acceleration from 0.8 Mach to
1.2 Mach by eight seconds," reads the report drafted under J. Michael
Gilmore, the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.
(The F-35A is the standard model, so to speak, that the Air Force will
use. The line also includes the F-35B, the Harrier-like vertical landing
version built for the Marines, and the F-35C, a Navy version that's
optimized for aircraft carrier takeoffs and landings.)
To put it bluntly, the Pentagon's new trillion-dollar fighter jet
doesn't go a fast as it should, doesn't turn as sharp as it should and
doesn't handle as nimbly as it should. This is bad news, explainsWired's
David Axe. For the pilots who will eventually take the F-35 into
combat, the JSF’s reduced performance means they might not be able to
outfly and outfight the latest Russian- and Chinese-made fighters,"
writes Axe. "Even before the downgrades, some analysts questioned the
F-35′s ability to defeat newer Sukhoi and Shenyang jets." That all
sounds like bad news, doesn't it? If our expensive new jets can't beat
the Russians or the Chinese, who can we fight? I'm pretty sure al Qaeda doesn't have an air force.
The good news in the new Pentagon report is that... well, there is no
good news, really. Not only have the requirements been adjusted down to
make up for the F-35's poor performance, but a series of problems with
the plane's software and safety measures hint at future downgrades to
the jet, including adding on heavy hardware that will make the planes even more sluggish.
That's what you get when you try to design a single plane to do
everything–ironically enough, which was done partly to cut development
costs.
But like President Obama, the F-35 has lots of vapid, meaningless glitz.
Let's go to the videotape.
But I'm sure Chuck Hagel will get right on it as soon as he can find his way to the Pentagon. What could go wrong?
Some of you may recall that early in the Obama administration, the President forced Congress to drop funding for the F-22 fighter jet by threatening to veto the Defense Authorization bill. The argument went that after all, soon we would have the F-35, which would make the F-22 obsolete.
Had the F-35 been built, it is unlikely that the F-22 would have become obsolete. But now, more than three years later, the F-35 has not been built. It has also seen huge cost overruns. And as a result of President Hussein Obama's foolish decision, the United States will be forced to use F-15's and F-16's - many of which are older than many of you reading this post - for many years to come.
Lockheed Martin first received the contract in 2001 to produce the
plane, and there now is little hope that it will be ready for full
production and deployment by the projected 2020 date, aviation analysts
say.
The development is placing even greater stress on the aging F-15s,
F-16s and F/A-18s and the more recent stealth fighter F-22, whose
production was halted in favor of proceeding with the F-35. Almost all
of these aircraft, produced by Lockheed Martin, have been in service
since the 1980s.
While they have been updated with new avionics and internal
technologies, they are becoming less competitive with the new fifth
generation fighters being developed and beginning to go into production
in Russia and China.
Since it’s been 11 years since the contract was awarded, and there’s
still uncertainty when the F-35 will be available, there is mounting
concern that it may not be the aircraft envisioned in 2001 as plans are
proceeding to prepare for the “sixth-generation” fighter to be ready by
2030.
Now, the sustainment cost for the F-35 is estimated to approach $1
trillion, and the new head of the joint program office for the F-35 is
thinking of abandoning Lockheed’s support system for the aircraft and
open it up to competition.
Critics say that the approach may work in the long term but it won’t
ensure delivery of the aircraft by 2020. By then, it is estimated that
only a fraction of the requested 2,400 will be operational.
The services needing the F-35 will still have to rely primarily on
updated F-15s, F-16s, F/A-18s and F-22s, as will European partners who
will have to weigh whether to continue their investment in the F-35 or
instead place their limited funding in upgrading what they have.
At this point, the services, especially the Air Force, need to worry
about the U.S. industrial base that not only supports the development of
the F-35 but has been involved in the production of the older aircraft.
In recognition of maintaining the industrial base and meeting
legitimate defense needs, critics say the decision may have to be made
to continue production of the older aircraft and devise new ways to
adjust military plans to new capabilities to meet future needs by 2030.
Before going farther down this cracked and broken path, the Pentagon
needs to take a hard look at the consequences. On schedule and
affordability, the JSF program is already a failure. In terms of
capabilities and the long-term benefits of commonality, the jury is
still out. And even if the F-35 delivers on everything it promised, the
world has changed since 2001.
One problem is the lack of
competition. Including the F-22, Lockheed will have been the sole U.S.
producer of all-new fighters for 50 years by the time a
“sixth-generation” aircraft comes along—no earlier than 2030—with
significant consequences for the industrial base.
Faced with an
ill-defined, but unacceptable trillion-dollar sustainment cost estimate
for the F-35 fleet, the new tough-talking leader of the joint program
office is considering abandoning the contractor-run support system and
opening it to competition, including from government depots.
That
might work long term, but it would do little to help warfighters stay
ahead of threats through the 2020s. By 2021, U.S. forces will be
operating only a fraction of the 2,400-plus F-35s they plan to buy. The
bulk of U.S. fleets will comprise the same F-15s, F-16s and F/A-18s of
2001.
Some portion of that force will have been upgraded with the
latest radars, avionics and weapons—at a cost that was not anticipated
when the F-35 contract was awarded. But, for the most part, their
airframes and engines will date back to the 1980s and 1990s, with all
the costs and issues that come with age.
US deploys fighter jet canceled by Obama 200 miles from Iran
The United States has deployed the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, now described as its 'most advanced fighter jet' at a base in the United Arab Emirates, just 200 miles from Iran. The Obama administration forced cancellation of the jet's production in 2009. This is from the first link.
The Air Force strongly denies this deployment is meant as a show of force against Iran or that it is in some way related to a potential strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Rather, it says this is all part of a routine deployment and "security cooperation with regional partners."
The Air Force won't say how many jets were sent or exactly where they are stationed, but privately, U.S. officials have told Fox News the jets are in hangars at the United Arab Emirates' Al Dafra Air Base, a fact first reported by Aviation Week.
The F-22 has not yet seen combat. The jets were not used in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya. They are stealth, and they specialize in air-to-air combat, but can also strike air-to-ground if needed. As one Air Force official put it, "this is America's premier fighter jet. It has no rival."
Hmmm. If it's 'America's premier fighter jet' why was it canceled?
IAF to upgrade F-16's as F-35 encounters further delay
One of the earliest moves President Obama made to change America's defense priorities was to coerce the Senate into removing funding for the F-22 Raptor (pictured), which was already in production, by threatening to veto the defense budget. It was a move that I attacked at the time, as did many other conservatives. But the President argued that the F-22 was no longer necessary because soon we would have the hotsy totsy F-35.
Except that it's three years later and the F-35 joint strike fighter, which is being co-developed with several other countries, and which Israel is scheduled to be one of the first to purchase, is nowhere near completion. As an indication of how far the F-35 is from completion, consider this: Israel is going to upgrade its old F-16 fleet.
The decision to begin the upgrades on the F-16 C/D models – called “Barak” in the IAF – began in 2010 with the installation of new avionics and a new mission-debriefing system.
In an effort to increase the aircraft’s lifespan, the IAF has now decided to also upgrade the F- 16s flight-control system as well as its central display unit and the aircraft will be fitted with new high-resolution screens aimed at increasing pilots’ situational awareness.
Pilots of the Barak aircraft will also be equipped with Elbit’s display and sight helmet system, which enables pilots to aim their weapons simply by looking at their targets.
The upgrades come amid the possibility the delivery of the F- 35 will be delayed.
In 2010, the Defense Ministry signed a $2.75 billion contract for its first squadron of 20 F-35s, which are supposed to begin arriving in 2017 with pilots traveling to the US for training in mid-2016.
IAF commander Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan recently held a number of discussions within the force regarding reports the Pentagon was considering slowing down the development of the F-35 after a number of cracks were discovered on some of the aircraft.
Shavua tov v'chodesh tov, a good week and a good month (since we can sanctify the moon tonight) to everyone.
The New York Times reports that at least one of the helicopters that was used to take out Osama Bin Laden at the beginning of the week had been modified to give it 'stealth' characteristics.
The commandos blew up one of the helicopters after it was damaged in a hard landing, but news photographs of the surviving tail section reveal modifications to muffle noise and reduce the chances of detection by radar.
The stealth features, similar to those used on advanced fighter jets and bombers, help explain how two of the helicopters sped undetected through Pakistani air defenses before reaching the Bin Laden compound in Abbottabad. The use of the specially equipped helicopters also underscores the extent to which American officials wanted to get to Bin Laden without tipping off Pakistani leaders.
Analysts said the raid was a rare case in which stealth aircraft, devised for conventional warfare during the cold war, became critical to fighting terrorism.
The top stealth fighter, the F-22, has never been flown in combat. The long-range B-2 bombers have been used sparingly, including a recent bombing run that destroyed an airfield in Libya.
I am sure that Israel would have uses for stealth aircraft.
With delivery of the F-35 joint strike fighter being delayed - possibly to as far out as 2018 - Israel is planning to upgrade some of its F-15's and F-16's, and to buy an entire squadron of used F-15's from the United States.
Due to the delays, the IDF is working on a plan that includes upgrading its current fleet of legendary F-15s and F-16s that it had planned on phasing out, as well as the procurement of a squadron of used F-15s from the USAF that will serve as a “gap filler” for the IAF until the JSF arrives, now expected as late as 2018.
Remember how proud the Obama administration was when it managed to kill the F-22. Well, don't look now, but the F-22 may be about to be resurrected.
Only two years after Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ decision to end production of the F-22 Raptor at 187 aircraft, the program may be poised to rise like a phoenix from the ashes. When Gates made his decision, it was on the assumption that other countries — notably Russia and China — would not develop their own fifth-generation fighters for at least another decade or more. Yet, even as the Secretary met with his counterparts from the Chinese military, that institution announced the first test flight of the J-20, their entrant into the fifth-generation fighter competition. In addition, Russia has announced a cooperative program with India to build a similar aircraft, currently known as the T-50. Today, Secretary Gates’ threat projections look woefully wrong.
...
In view of the new appreciation of the threat it is time to bring back the F-22. Recent war games by Western think tanks have concluded that the projected U.S. tactical fighter force would be overwhelmed by the sheer number of less capable third and fourth-generation Chinese fighters. Add in the J-20 and the outlook for the U.S. military becomes decidedly bleak. Even when the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is deployed this will not provide the U.S. with enough offensive capability given the limited number of F-22s that will be combat capable.
The F-22 has capabilities unlike any other fighter in the world. Its stealthiness allows the F-22 to engage hostile aircraft before it is even detected. The F-22’s high operational ceiling and speed creates a kinematic advantage that allows for engagements at the maximum range for its AMRAAM missiles. The combination of supercruise and stealth allows the F-22 to evade ground defenses and to escape air-to-air threats.
Ultimately, war has always been a numbers game. At some point, technologically inferior but numerically superior opponents will simply overwhelm the side with the better weapons. In conflicts between technologically equal adversaries numbers will determine the winner. While the F-22 is likely to be a better airplane than the J-20, 187 are not going to be enough to deal with a Chinese Air Force that is numerically superior and closing the technology gap with the U.S. Air Force. Before it is too late, the Obama Administration needs to resurrect the F-22 program and buy a couple hundred more.
And unlike the F-35, the F-22 is available now. I'd bet that Israel would buy them in a minute.
A Pentagon review indicates that there will be more delays and higher costs to develop the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon’s costliest program, may see more price increases and new schedule delays of as much as three years, two government officials familiar with the matter said.
...
The $50 billion development phase may cost as much as $5 billion more, and Pentagon analysts now estimate the JSF may be as much as 1 1/2 times more expensive to maintain than the warplanes it will replace, according to preliminary estimates in Venlet’s review, the officials said.
...
Slippage in the JSF’s timetable may be as much as one year for the Air Force and Navy versions and two to three years for development of the Marine Corps model capable of short takeoffs and landings, the officials said.
The potential increases would be on top of changes unveiled this year by the Pentagon: a 13-month extension to the current development phase to November 2015, shifting of $2.8 billion in production funds for continued research and delaying the purchase of 122 jets to beyond 2015.
“How many more reviews will Gates have to hear before he acknowledges the F-35 is an unaffordable failure?” said Winslow Wheeler, a program critic who is director of the Washington- based Straus Military Reform Project. “The F-35 is rapidly becoming a millstone around his neck.”
Last month, Israel signed a contract to become the first non-JSF country to purchase the F-35. Delivery of the 20 F-35's was to take place over eight years beginning in 2015. If they're still in the development phase in 2015, I doubt Israel will be getting any planes that year.
Fifteen months ago, the Obama administration proudly killed the funding for the F-22, a jet coveted by Israel and Japan. Now, it looks like it will be 2016 or later before Israel gets the F-35, and it's going to cost 50% more than first estimated to maintain.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
