F-35B MAGA! scraped Karuguni after engire fire! Already about 10 F-35 burnt in last few years!

[Ang4MohTrump]

http://mil.news.sina.com.cn/jssd/2018-06-26/doc-ihencxtu5675686.shtml

美F35自燃报废损失超1亿美元 为何歼20无类似隐患

美F35自燃报废损失超1亿美元 为何歼20无类似隐患



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近日，美国空军发表声明称，一架F-35因发生自燃，全机随后发生大火。在火势得到控制后，这架F-35已经不能使用。而这次起火的F-35属于F-35B，其连同发动机在内的造价超过了1亿美金！

实际上，这并不是F-35第一次发生自燃。在2016年，2017年皆有F-35起火的新闻报道。美军在成立专项调查组之后调查发现，F-35之所以会自燃，完全是因为F-135发动机的喷管温度太高而导致的。

被烧毁的F-35机身。从历次的自燃事故来看，美军单方面的认为F-135因温度太高所以才会起火的观点可能只是一厢情愿。据笔者了解，在世界战斗机所使用的航空发动机当中，和F-135发动机最为相像的，就是英国此前发展的鹞式战斗机，鹞式战斗机所使用的飞马发动机在推力上，比F-135还要大。二者之间的喷管温度，也是相差无几。但是，在鹞式战斗机的一生当中，鲜有因为发动机的温度过高而自燃的事故。

洛克希德。马丁公司公布的F-135温度测试。从图中可以看到，温度最高时，也不过才900多摄氏度。同为900摄氏度上下的两款发动机，却在性能上产生了极大的反差！
就在事故发生后，不少网络军友都将目光放在了歼20身上。按照此前论文的数据，涡扇15发动机的涡轮前温度，达到了2000K。如果换算一下的话，和美国的F-135是相差无几的。也就是因为这个原因，很多军友认为，未来歼20或许也会走上F-35的老路，发生自燃等诸多事故。其实，对于这件事，网络军友算是瞎操心了。

根据现有资料的佐证，目前涡扇15所使用的FGH96合金材料在某型推重比为10一级的发动机燃烧室上，已经实现了850摄氏度以上的耐热效果。而现在，其工作温度也从850摄氏度，一跃到了1100摄氏度以上了。

从该文献的截图来看，目前涡扇15发动机的工作温度，绝不会比F-135要低。高工作温度，意味着在性能上，会有大幅度的超出。此前黎明发动机厂曝光的诸多资料也可以进一步的证明，涡扇15已经接近生产的最终阶段。一款即将投产的发动机如果有技术故障，那是很难得到“出生证”的。所以，笔者认为，当下对于歼20来说，如何进一步的完善自身的性能更为重要，不用理会外军个别战机的机械故障而陷入矛盾！（作者署名：利刃/WK）


US F35 self-ignition scrapped over US$100 million why there is no similar risk
US F35 self-ignition scrapped over US$100 million why there is no similar risk
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Recently, the U.S. Air Force issued a statement saying that an F-35 had spontaneous combustion and that the entire machine had a subsequent major fire. After the fire was controlled, the F-35 could no longer be used. The F-35, which caught the fire, belongs to the F-35B. Its cost, including the engine, exceeds 100 million U.S. dollars!

In fact, this was not the first time that the F-35 had spontaneous combustion. In 2016, there were news reports that the F-35 caught fire in 2017. After investigating the establishment of a special investigation team, the U.S. military found that the reason why the F-35 ignites spontaneously is entirely due to the high temperature of the nozzle of the F-135 engine.

Burned F-35 body. Judging from previous incidents of spontaneous combustion, the U.S. military’s unilateral view that F-135 will only catch fire due to high temperatures may be just wishful thinking. According to the author's understanding, among the aeroengines used in the world fighter aircraft, the most similar to the F-135 engine is the British-developed fighter fighter. The Pegasus fighter used a Pegasus engine in thrust, which is more than F-135. To be big. The nozzle temperature between the two is almost the same. However, during the life of a fighter fighter, there was rarely an accident of spontaneous combustion due to the high temperature of the engine.

Lockheed. Martin announced the F-135 temperature test. As can be seen from the figure, when the temperature is highest, it is only about 900 degrees Celsius. The two engines with the same temperature of 900 degrees Celsius produced a great contrast in performance!

Just after the accident, many network military personnel have turned their eyes on the J-20. According to the data from the previous paper, the turbofan 15 engine's pre-turbine temperature reached 2000K. If you convert it, it is almost the same as the F-135 in the United States. It is because of this reason that many military personnel believe that in the future, the 20-year-old may also take the old road of the F-35 and cause many accidents such as spontaneous combustion. In fact, for this matter, the cyber military is really worried.

According to the existing data, the current FGH96 alloy material used in the turbofan 15 has achieved a heat-resistance of 850 degrees Celsius or more on a certain type of engine combustion chamber with a thrust-to-weight ratio of 10 levels. Now, its operating temperature has jumped from 850 degrees Celsius to over 1100 degrees Celsius.

From the screenshot of this document, the current operating temperature of the turbofan 15 engine will never be lower than that of the F-135. A high operating temperature means that there is a significant overrun in performance. Many previous data from the dawn engine plant can also prove that the turbofan 15 is close to the final stage of production. If there is a technical problem with an engine that is about to be put into production, it is very difficult to obtain a "birth certificate." Therefore, the author believes that the current situation is more important for Ji 20, how to further improve its own performance, do not ignore the mechanical failure of foreign fighter aircraft and into a contradiction! (Author's signature: sharp/WK)

 

[Ang4MohTrump]

Previous cases:


https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23757/f-35-fighter-catches-fire/



Yet Another F-35 Fighter Catches Fire

The incident did at least two million dollars in damage.

By Kyle Mizokami

Nov 9, 2016


257

A Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighter caught fire in mid-air, causing at least two million dollars in damage to the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely and the pilot was unharmed. It's the third fire for the controversial jet.
The incident took place on October 27th, when a F-35B part of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 caught fire in the internal weapons bay. The F-35 has two internal bays, meant to hide weapons inside the aircraft's bulk and preserve the plane's stealthy form.
The cause of the fire was unknown but the accident is under investigation. The accident was classified as a "Class A," which means that at least two million dollars' worth of damage was estimated to have been done to the aircraft.
This is the third fire in three years for the F-35. In 2014, an Air Force F-35A caught fire at Eglin Air Force base while preparing for takeoff. On September 23rd of this year another F-35A caught fire during aircraft startup.
It's unclear whether or not the $100 million dollar fighter in this latest incident can return to service. The pilot was able to land the aircraft safely, which suggests the aircraft's ability to fly wasn't too badly compromised. As Military.com reports, the aircraft's squadron didn't stand down for safety, which also implies the Marines—and the broader multinational F-35 program—know the general cause of the fire and are confident it's not a fleet-wide problem. We'll find out when the investigation is complete and the accident report comes out.
Source: Military.com




https://sputniknews.com/military/201707131055524524-tailwind-blamed-uncontained-f-35-fire/

Say What?! Tailwind to Blame for ‘Uncontained,’ Costly F-35 Engine Fire
© AP Photo / Lefteris Pitarakis
Military & Intelligence
22:05 13.07.2017(updated 06:38 14.07.2017) Get short URL
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A fresh investigation has concluded that gusts of wind may have been the most important factor in causing an F-35A Joint Strike Fighter’s engine to fail and catch fire during training on September 23, 2016.
The catastrophic and costly engine breakdown occurred after wind “forced hot air into the inlet of the Integrated Power Pack,” a part of the jet’s internal power and cooling system.
The Accident Investigation Board report was published by US Air Education and Training Command on July 12.
During the accident, the pilot was able to safely eject from the “mishap aircraft” while it was ablaze, but two-thirds of the jet “sustained significant fire damage.” Repairs to the F-35 jet are expected to cost $17 million, at the very minimum, according to the executive summary section of the investigation.

© Flickr / Gonzalo Alonso
Australia’s New $100M F-35As Can’t Fly Through Lightning

Last week, Air Education and Training Command announced “the engine failed when the third stage forward integral arm of a rotor fractured and liberated during the takeoff.” That separate announcement stated total damages would cost upwards of $50 million.
Accident Investigation Board President Col. Dale Hetke said the F-35 community has had merely “vague awareness of the issue” causing the engine fire.
In January, the F-35 program office integration head at the US Air Force said that investigators believed the issue was a “tailpipe fire” triggered by excess fuel pooled near the back of the airplane, Sputnik reported. Officials clamoring for an explanation said faulty cooling wires and improper insulation could have been the culprit for the fire. Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus went so far as to say that “the initial feedback from this is it was not an engine fire.”
A different fire aboard an F-35B in Beaufort, South Carolina, in October of last year was spurred by a loose bracket in the aircraft’s weapons bay.

© US Air Force photo by Senior Airman James Hensley
The Sky’s the Limit: F-35 Costs Slated to Rise by Nearly Half-a-Trillion Dollars

The investigative report marks the latest embarrassment for the Lockheed Martin weapons program. A Select Acquisition Report shared behind closed doors with US lawmakers on Monday stated acquisition costs for the F-35 will increase $28 billion dollars.
At least $1.1 trillion has been set aside for F-35 operating costs. Another $406 billion has been set aside for the F-35 acquisition budget, making it the most expensive weapons program in US history.



https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/we-finally-know-why-an-f-35-burned-on-the-runway-1630541564




We Finally Know Why An F-35 Burned On The Runway

Tyler Rogoway
9/04/14 11:51am
Filed to: F-35

13417

We are finally getting information as to what caused the F-35A engine fire that has left the entire program progressing at a snail's pace due to strict flight restrictions.

Axing The F-35's Alternative Engine Was An Incredibly Stupid Move
The DoD painted the F-35's alternative jet engine as a huge unneeded expense, one that was…
Read more


According to the Air Force Times, the cause of the fire that engulfed a nearly new F-35A on the runway at Eglin AFB had its genesis in a fairly benign flight maneuver performed weeks earlier:

The issue began three weeks before the fire when a pilot took the aircraft up and executed a two-second maneuver involving adding Gs, roll rate and yaw to the plane at the same time.
Although that move was ""well within the envelope of the airplane," Bogdan said, those two-seconds led to the engine rubbing against a rubber piece at a much higher rate — and nearly double the temperature — than it was designed to do. In turn, that led to what Bogdan called "microcracks" that went unnoticed until the day of the fire.
"Over the next three weeks of that airplane flying, those microcracks started growing in what we call 'high cycle fatigue,'" Bogdan explained. "And eventually on the day this happened, that fan-blade system just cracked too much, the whole circular part of that engine — through centrifugal force — stretched out and became a spear; that spear went up through the left aft fuselage of the fuel tank and it was the fuel tank that caused the fire."​

At this point, it is not clear exactly what modification will be needed to keep this violent event from happening again. Does the F-35's engine need a new bushing made up of more temperature resistant material, its fan disk replaced, or is there a larger structural redesign looming?
Whatever modifications end up being needed to solve the problem, Pratt & Whitney, the engine's manufacturer and the only engine manufacturer for the giant Joint Strike Fighter program, says they will be paying for it, not the U.S. taxpayer.
What Pratt & Whitney will not be paying for is the building backlog of test points that have to be accomplished before the jet reaches a rudimentary initial operating capability (IOC) with the Marine Corps. Many have seen the F-35B's IOC date of next year as more of a promotional tool than a real milestone that marks the U.S. Department of Defense finally having a highly usable multi-role fighter for the many billions of dollars that have already been spent on the fledgling program.
Regardless of when the F-35B is slated as "operational," the more time the DoD's ever growing fleet of F-35s stay grounded the more they will cost, and the bigger risk the fragile program will have at losing orders. Keeping the production numbers, both for foreign and domestic consumption, where they are is key to keeping the entire program from entering into a death spiral, where each jet's cost will increase due to smaller economies of scale and the amortization of developing the already very expensive jet being spread over less airframes.
Currently, the JSF program says they are a couple months behind the flight test schedule (that has already been lengthened multiple times), and some of this can be made up with increased sortie rates if all the F-35s are returned to service without flight restrictions. Any more time that the jets are kept under strict flight rules beyond the end of this month will affect the program's already reformed goals.
Another engine-related issue that has come to the surface has to do with the quality of the titanium used in the Pratt & Whitney F-135 engine production. Apparently, a Pratt & Whitney subcontractor, A&P Alloys, supplied the company with questionable titanium stocks, from which components of the F-35's engine are machined. This has caused a pause in production dating back to last May as Pratt & Whitney investigated the issue. It is not clear how this gap in production will affect future F-35 deliveries.
It is claimed that the suspect metal has nothing to do with the current engine woes, and the parts that it does affect are being replaced by Pratt & Whitney. Yet this event, and the engine fire that followed it, does highlight the vulnerability of using a single engine source for an aircraft that the US and many of its allies are hanging their future of air supremacy on.
The titanium supply question also underlines a looming issue as to how America will satisfy its demand for titanium if the trade situation with Russia continues to deteriorate. We have dealt with this problem during the Cold War via clandestine means, but at the time, titanium had nowhere near the demand as it does today, with key aerospace designs such as the 787 and Super Hornet and F-35, along with many other aircraft and missiles, relying on the robust and light material.
Photos via USAF
Rogoway is a defense journalist and photographer who maintains the website Foxtrot Alpha for Jalopnik.com You can reach Tyler with story ideas or direct comments regarding this or any other defense topic via the email address [email protected]



https://www.businessinsider.sg/marine-f-35-fighter-fire-2016-11/?r=US&IR=T

Another F-35 fighter caught on fire



Paul Szoldra, Business Insider US
November 7, 2016

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An F-35B from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501), flies near its base a MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina. Lockheed Martin
An F-35B Joint Strike Fighter caught fire while in-flight during a training exercise last month, according to a report from Hope Hodge Seck of Military.com.
The incident was listed by the Naval Safety Center as a “Class A Mishap” – the most serious mishap class – which means that there was $2 million or more in damage. The Safety Center’s report said the fire occurred in the aircraft’s weapons bay on Oct. 27, and was followed by an “uneventful landing.”
The actual amount of damage to the aircraft, which belonged to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 out of Beaufort, S.C., is not yet known.

​

A number of calls made by Business Insider to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing for comment went unanswered. However, a spokesman reported to Military.com that there were no injuries in the incident.
“The aircraft landed safely and there were no injuries sustained,” 1st Lt. John Roberts told the site. “An investigation is ongoing and we will provide updates as they are available.”

​

This seems to be the first time the Marine F-35B variant of the aircraft – which takes off and lands vertically – has caught on fire. An Air Force F-35A caught on fire soon after its pilot started the engine in September. In 2014, another Air Force F-35 caught on fire during takeoff, according to Popular Mechanics.
The 2014 incident led the Pentagon to temporarily ground all F-35s until investigators determined a fix.
Besides potentially dangerous incidents of fire, the troubled fifth-generation fighter has been marred by cost overruns and criticized for its excessive cost. Earlier this month, defense officials put in a request for a half-billion more dollars to finish development of the jet, which has already gone 50% over its original budget.
Rising costs haven’t been the only problem of note for the F-35. The jet has had plenty of other incidents while being built, such as electrical problems, major issues with its software, and problems related to its advanced helmet system.
Just four months ago, the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester wrote in a memo the F-35 program was “not on a path toward success but instead on a path toward failing to deliver.”
Still, the Air Force and Marines have both declared the fighter “combat ready” and have begun integrating it into their squadrons. The military has only taken delivery of about 180 of the aircraft from Lockheed Martin so far, though it plans to buy more than 2,400.
The fighter, which features stealth and advanced electronic attack and communications systems, is a project with roots going back to the late 1990s. Lockheed won the contract for the fighter in 2001.

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https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/ne...2018/06/21/the-corps-has-lost-its-first-f-35/



The Marine Corps has lost its first F-35

By: Shawn Snow   5 days ago
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An F-35B Lightning II approaches the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) as the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) transits alongside on April 18, 2018, following an expeditionary strike as part of Certification Exercise (CERTEX) in the Philippine Sea. (MC1 Daniel Barker/Navy)



An F-35B that erupted into flames after a faulty bracket issue nearly two years ago has been struck by the Marine Corps, making it the first loss of an F-35 for the Corps.

The Corps made the determination that the costs to repair the costly high-tech fighter would not be worth the return on investment.

However, the Marines have not put out an official strike message for the F-35B because the Corps has not decided whether the aircraft will be used as a trainer for maintenance or a museum centerpiece.



The Corps struggles to maintain the F-35 overseas as after-action reports stay in echo chambers

The Corps, Navy, and Air Force are not formally disseminating F-35 after-action reports.

By: Shawn Snow

“With the specific F-35B involved in this discussion, the Marine Corps’ cost-benefit analysis determined the repair costs would not yield a sufficient ROI [return on investment] to justify the expenses,” Capt. Christopher Harrison, a Marine spokesman, told Marine Corps Times. “The decision was made to strike the F-35B; however, there has not yet been a strike message as the disposition decision has not yet been made.”

On Oct. 27, 2016, a fire broke out mid-air on F-35B forcing the pilot to land at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina.

The faulty bracket, which was known as a potential hazard by officials overseeing the F-35 program, grazed electrical wiring near hydraulic lines. A fire erupted when an electrical short ignited a small hydraulic leak.





Despite the loss of the F-35 the Marine Corps has made some recent historic strides with its F-35 program.

Earlier this year, the F-35B made its first deployment aboard the amphibious assault ship Wasp with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU. And during that deployment, live munitions were loaded onto an F-35 for the first time while underway.

The 13th Marine Expeditionary is also slated to deploy with F-35s. That unit is still amid predeployment workups.



https://www.military.com/defensetech/2014/06/24/air-force-pilot-escapes-f-35-fire-during-takeoff




Air Force Pilot Escapes F-35 Fire During Takeoff



24 Jun 2014 By Brendan McGarry

A U.S. Air Force pilot safely escaped from an F-35 fighter jet after it caught fire during takeoff Monday morning at a military base in Florida.
The pilot, who wasn't identified, was preparing to conduct a routine training mission around 9:15 a.m. at Eglin Air Force Base, but aborted the exercise due to a fire in the back end of the Lockheed Martin Corp.-made F-35A Lightning II, according to a statement from the service.

The pilot was able to shut down the engine and escape from the plane unharmed. Emergency responders extinguished the fire with foam. The test plane was assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing, which trains F-35 pilots for U.S. and international forces.
"We take all ground emergencies seriously," Navy Capt. Paul Haas, vice commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing, said in the statement. "In this case, the pilot followed the appropriate procedures which allowed for the safe abort of the mission, engine shutdown, and egress."
He added, "We have a robust and extensive training program in which every pilot and aircraft crew member is trained, in order to respond quickly and correctly in the event emergencies occur."
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the fire, where exactly it originated or how badly it damaged the aircraft, which cost more than $100 million apiece. The Air Force is still investigating the incident and pledged to release additional details as they become available.
One news report said the aircraft was "severely damaged" and "possibly destroyed."
Spokesmen for Lockheed and United Technologies Corp.'s Pratt & Whitney unit, which makes the F-35 engine, said they knew of the ground emergency involving the aircraft, but directed requests for additional information to the Air Force.
"We are aware of the incident at Eglin AFB yesterday involving an F-35A aircraft and Lockheed Martin is prepared to provide any assistance requested by the Air Force and the 33rd Fighter Wing," Michael Rein, a spokesman for Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed, said in an e-mail.
"Pratt & Whitney stands ready to assist the 33rd Fighter Wing in its investigation," Matthew Bates, a spokesman for Pratt & Whitney military engines in East Hartford, Connecticut, said in an e-mail.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program is the Defense Department's most expensive weapons acquisition program, estimated to cost almost $400 billion for a total of 2,457 aircraft for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
Developmental problems have kept the planes from flying in the past. Last year, the entire fleet was grounded after a crack was found on an engine turbine blade. More recently, test flights were reportedly stopped due to an engine valve fitting.
Operational flights of the aircraft are scheduled to begin next year. The Marine Corps' version of the jet, called the F-35B, which can take off like a helicopter and fly like a plane, is set to reach the milestone by December 2015; the Air Force's by December 2016 and the Navy's by February 2019.

 

[Ang4MohTrump]

https://www.rt.com/usa/416916-f35-pentagon-operations-report/


Half of F-35 fleet grounded by tech problems – Pentagon report
Published time: 25 Jan, 2018 03:31 Edited time: 25 Jan, 2018 07:40
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FILE PHOTO F-35 fighter jet © Amir Cohen / Reuters

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The most expensive weapons program in the world will not meet its testing schedule and of the Joint Strike Fighters already delivered only half can actually fly, according to a scathing new Pentagon report.
“The operational suitability of the F-35 fleet remains at a level below service expectations and is dependent on workarounds that would not be acceptable in combat situations,” said the report published on Tuesday by Robert Behler, the new director of operational testing and evaluation (DOTE) at the Department of Defense.
The 60-page section on the F-35 was part of a larger report on all Pentagon operational testing in the fiscal year 2017.
Last year’s report by Director Michael Gilmore identified “2,769 deficiencies” in the fighter jet’s performance. Some 1,748 of those have been “closed via the review processes now in place,” Behler’s report said. However, of the 301 problems identified as Priority 1 and 2, only 88 can be considered in progress, while the remaining 213 are still unresolved.
Read more
F-35 fail: US fighter jet loses panel during 'routine training mission' in Okinawa
The F-35, built by Lockheed Martin, was supposed to finish the 16-year development phase this year. The fifth-generation stealth fighter was supposed to be a modular design, with modifications adapting it for service in the US Air Force (F-35A), the US Marine Corps (F-35B) and the US Navy (F-35C). This was supposed to save money on manufacturing and maintenance. In practice, that has not worked out quite as planned, and the cost of the F-35 program has been estimated at $1.2 trillion, for operations and support through to 2070.
Reliability rates have “stagnated” around 50 percent, “a condition that has existed with no significant improvement since October 2014, despite the increasing number of new aircraft,” Behler’s report says. One notable trend is the increase in the percentage of jets designated “Not Mission Capable due to Supply,” meaning that they cannot fly due to lack of replacement parts.
“At no point did the overall fleet, nor did the average of any specific variant persistently exceed 60 percent availability,” according to the report.
“No common root cause has been identified” for multiple reports that the plane’s oxygen system was not functioning properly, which the DOD calls “pilot physiological events.” The reports caused the Air Force to temporarily ground F-35 operations at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona in June. The program is investigating the possibility of “onboard oxygen generation system (OBOGS) degradations in the fleet,” according to the report.
Lockheed has had to redesign the wings on the F-35C naval version of the fighter to support the pylon launcher for the AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile. Meanwhile, the Marines’ F-35B was experiencing “unanticipated cracks in the main landing gear and structural frame” and “engine restrictions prohibiting some flight operations.”
The F-35B has a tire problem, with the average lifespan currently below 10 landings. The program is struggling to find a tire “strong enough for conventional high-speed landings, soft enough to cushion vertical landings, and still light enough for the existing aircraft structure,” the report noted.
Tests on the F-35B had to stop in February 2017, as the test model “had so many repairs it was no longer representative of the production aircraft.” The program is yet to obtain a replacement test article.
Both the F-35B and the F-35C use an air refueling probe whose tip breaks off too often, “resulting in squadrons imposing restrictions on air refueling.”
Several classified “key technical deficiencies” affect the firing of the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile, while “system-related deficiencies” are affecting the jet’s ground-attack capabilities.
The F-35 was built around the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS). The software’s final version has gone through 31 iterations, but has yet to be rolled out because of “key remaining deficiencies,” including vulnerability to cyberattacks.
Contributing to the “already overloaded” repair backlog is the fact that the diagnostic software often mistakenly flags parts for failure, requiring them to be sent back to Lockheed Martin for testing. They then come back to the supply chain marked “Re-Test OK” (RTOK), while the planes sit in hangars unable to fly.
A March 2017 report by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) concluded the only thing stealthy about the F-35 was its price tag. In 2016, problems with the F-35 compelled Senate Armed Services Committee chairman John McCain (R-Arizona) to dub the program“a scandal and a tragedy.”

 

[syed putra]

They should have just upgrade the harriers.

 

[frenchbriefs]

this plane looks like an overweight pigeon,of course the engines are going to catch fire.

 

[syed putra]

This aircraf5t could be the mainstream japanese naval aircraft based on their helicopter carriers. Better for japan to develop their own if US cannot deliver.