Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

The article said the U.S. Navy has been considering reducing the F-35 fighter purchase quantity

LONDON Nov. 2 news: According to Navy Times, October 31, citing U.S. defense analysts as saying, As the F-35 fighter aircraft in flight can not support the U.S. blockade against People’s Liberation Army weapons outside the region to start operations, the U.S. Navy has been considering reducing the F-35 fighter purchase quantity. The Netherlands recently an authoritative defense analysts report that the view of the F-35 construction costs continue to rise, the threat facing all countries is changing, and new types of manned and unmanned aircraft have been put into use, the U.S. F-35 fighter total production than the program may eventually dropped by half.

report analyst John in September this year in Boulder, submitted to the Dutch parliament’s defense analysis report, an assessment that, F-35 fighters of the final yield may be 2500 or so. Seoul won in the report also revealed that, as nine in the F-35 program developed by one of the countries, the Netherlands from the original plan to buy 85 reduced to 57. Yue Hanbo Tokuji that, F-35 fighter production will be reduced so that now stands at $ 100 million stand-alone costs continue to increase.

if you win Seoul’s projections are accurate, then the final F-35 fighter aircraft manufacturing capacity will be far less than the manufacturer Lockheed Martin’s original 4500 sales forecast. The U.S. military has forecast sales of F-35 will reach 6000.

Lockheed Martin has publicly refuted the results of the analysis win Seoul, said the company expected the F-35 sales decline does not occur. The company spokesman said, F-35 production has been very stable number, get a great deal of political and budgetary support, “F-35 fighter production will not change, even if the change is to increase rather than reduce production,” because “several one hundred fighters have close to retirement age of active duty, while nine projects funded outside the country have expressed their purchase of the F-35′s interest. ”

However, the U.S. defense analysts 巴里瓦特斯 win Seoul’s analysis is recognition that the F-35 fighters than the final production plan to reduce by half. Watts said, from the historical experience the F-35 sales is difficult to optimistic. He explained that the United States before the F-35 fighters had four stealth fighter project: F-117, A-12, B-2 and F-22, the U.S. military has expressed the need for 2378 of these four types of aircraft, But in the end only bought 267. “The U.S. military now plans to buy 2443 F-35 fighters,” Watts said, “If history is a useful reference, then I think the most difficult to achieve procurement plan.”

Watts served as the U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. Watts that the U.S. Air Force Although they claim to want to buy 1763 F-35 fighter, but will probably only buy 800 – 1000 架 F-35, because the Air Force has decided to retain A-10 and F-15E fighter long-term service.

In addition, Watts also disclosed that the U.S. Navy is also considering buying back the number of F-35 fighters, because it is insufficient to support the range of U.S. aircraft carriers in China and other countries are developed area denial weapons against outside the scope of taking action, while the U.S. Navy carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicles is expected to provide a greater range of needs.

Lockheed Martin spokesman insisted that the United States will continue to plan to buy 2443 F-35 fighters, the British will buy 138, the other seven projects in the F-35 total R & D national plan purchase 700. “There is no indication of participating countries will reduce the F-35 fighter purchase quantity.” The spokesman said. In addition to the above 3281, Lockheed Martin also hopes to Israel, Japan, Korea and other customers sold the F-35, total sales expected to reach 4500 or more.

but won the Seoul that the U.S. military procurement of the F-35 commitment is wavering. At first the U.S. military plans to buy 2978 F-35 fighters, but in 2005 reduced the number to be purchased at more than 500 aircraft and even lower. In 2007, the United States in turn purchase 515 F-35 fighter was delayed to 2028 and 2035, which makes the outside world that the U.S. could eventually significantly reduce or even abolish F-35 fighter procurement plans. (Compiled: Spring)