F35

We believed that the most complicated summer of F-35 had ended. Until his software made him kamikaze on the Arctic

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In mid-August it seemed frankly difficult for something more to the brand new F-35 of Lockheed Martin. After the plane stranded for a month In India, the reverse from Spain to an order (to which they have added other countries), and A second breakdown Of a hunt, this time in Japan, the quota of fatalities seemed complete. Until a report has appeared that calls for the plane and its sophisticated software. An accident and its causes. Now we know that on January 28, 2025 an F-35a of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 354th combat wing at the base of Eielson (Alaska), He crashed After taking off in training mission as part of a group of four aircraft. He Official Report of the Pacific Air Forces revealed that the main cause was the fluid freezing Hydraulic contaminated with water in the shock absorbers of the landing train, which prevented the complete extension of the struts and caused that the weight sensors on wheels on wheels They will erroneously interpret That the plane was on the ground while still flewing. Kamikaze mode. This false signal automatically activated the “on-aund” control mode in full flight, the aircraft becoming uncontrollable. Luckily, the pilot managed to eject and survived with minor injuries, but the plane, valued in 196.5 million dollarsit was completely lost. Emergency in flight. The problem was immediately manifested: the front train was misaligned at 17 degrees and could not retract. After radio consultations with engineers from Lockheed Martin and a flight supervisor, the pilot tried for almost an hour Reactivate the wheel using two “touch-And-go” maneuvers. However, the ice also blocked the main trains, and at the second attempt the sensors indicated that the aircraft had landed. What happened then? That the system automatically changed to Operation mode on landdrastically reducing the control capacity. The pilot, nicknamed in The “MP” reportmanaged to eject just before the hunt went into loss and fell into chopped. The device came to rise more than 1,000 meters after the ejection, and then rush vertically, in the sequence recorded in a video that went viral. Technical and maintenance factors. The investigation He explained that the ice in the struts, added to the bad alignment of the front -train blocking hook, damaged metal components and prevented the correct system coupling. In addition, and very important, the Wow sensors (Critics in the F-35 Flight Control Logic, known as Claws) showed vulnerability in extreme cold conditions, something that Lockheed Martin already He had warned In previous maintenance bulletins. In other words, the ice “cheated” to the software. The report Underline that water pollution in hydraulic fluids derived from poor management of hazardous materials and breaches in service protocols. These negligence, together with decision -making during the emergency, were considered contributing factors to the accident. Implications and lessons. No doubt, the case has highlighted the complexity inherent in the high F-35 automationwhere a sensor failure can trigger waterfall reactions in the control software. Although nine days later another F-35A was able to land with a similar problem in the train without consequences, the Research Board stressed that, with the available information, the safest option would have been to order an immediate landing or a controlled ejection instead of risking a second attempt to maneuver. Although the report did not issue recommendations Formal policy changes, did highlight the need to reinforce compliance with maintenance protocols, supervision of fluid use and preparation for operations in Arctic environments. Strategic repercussions. In short, the accident, Without fatalitieshighlights the challenges of operating fifth generation fighters in extreme conditions such as Alaska, where temperatures close to –17 ºC can aggravate technical vulnerabilities. Not just that. It also offers a warning to future operators in cold climates, Like Canada and Finlandwhich must consider the reliability of the sensors and the resilience of the control systems in hostile environments. Beyond the technical, the event illustrates how the sophistication of the F-35, with its dependence on algorithms and automation, can become a risk factor in unforeseen emergenciesforcing to rethink the balance between human control and software in new generation military aircraft. Image | US AIR National Guard/Tech. Sgt. Adam Keele In Xataka | It is being a complicated summer for the US F-35: after the “no” of Spain Russia and China have appeared to do more damage In Xataka | A group of countries is being formed after the decision of Spain: those that are closing the door to the US F-35

There is an F-35 stranded in Japan and nobody manages to start it

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In the middle of July a news began To “get ball” in the United States and the United Kingdom. A brand new F-35b by Lockheed Martin and belonging to the British Navy was stranded more than a month In India. Since then until now, the almighty American company has happened to the problems: Negative of Spain For the purchase of a lot of fighters, the doubts from other countries And finally, a Second F-35 stranded. The problem is that there continues, without leaving Japan. An emergency detour. A F-35B of the United Kingdom, deployed aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales within the framework of the Highmast operation, Continue stranded In Japan after having forced an emergency landing at Kagoshima airport on August 10 due to a technical failure in flight. The device was transferred to a shooting street and no injuries were reported, although six commercial flights They suffered delays. Engineers of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force have already inspected it and confirmed that it is waiting for spare parts to be repaired, reviving doubts about the fragility of the global supply chain of the supplies of the supplies of the supply of F-35 programdespite the fact that both the body of American Marines and Japan operate the same model in the region. A problem history. As we said at the beginning, the episode occurs shortly after another detour, This time in Indiawhere a second F-35b British was stranded for more than a month, and adds to the long list of incidents associated with the furtive plane. Although the British Ministry of Defense insists that both failures They are not related and that these types of situations are part of the routine of naval operations (where it is often safer to take land in nearby airfields than to try a risky apontaje on the aircraft carrier), the truth is that the coincidence has intensified the Public and political scrutiny About the program. The memory of 2021 accidentwhen an F-35B of the HMS Queen Elizabeth crashed in the Mediterranean for the obstruction of an air intake, it is still weighing on the reputation of the hunt. The operation and strategic role. The Highmast operation It represents one of the most important deployments of British naval aviation in the Indo-Pacific, with 18 F-35b embarked, from RAF squadrones and Royal Navy, to which at least one device of the US Marines body is added. The campaign already included maneuvers in Australian waters during the TALISMAN EXERCISE SABREand later joint exercises in Japan and South Korea under the name of Hightower. One of the milestones was the first operation of British fighters from a Japanese ship, the Kagaadapted to receive Stovl aircraft such as the F-35B, a symbolic gesture of the growing naval cooperation in the region against China. A “of all” hunt. For Lockheed Martin, the story puts them again in the Diana in a month of August complicated where the news has happened with the hunt as the protagonist. The funny thing is that we talk about a combat plane that, being “made in USA”, is actually built under A multinational program. Yes, the F-35 Lightning II is actually the most international combat program in history, with more than 1,900 suppliers spread over a dozen countries. Conceived since its origin as a multirrol plane for the three branches of the country’s armed forces and for strategic allies, established association levels: The United Kingdom as the only partner of Level 1, Italy and Netherlands at level 2, and Australia, Canada, Denmark and Norway at level 3, to which Japan and Israel are added through special agreements. Most devices are assembled in Fort Worth (Texas), but there are assembly and verification centers in Cameri (Italy) and Nagoya (Japan), with production lines adapted to regional demand. The European contribution. The United Kingdom is the Major foreign taxpayerresponsible for about 15% of each plane and 10% of development costs. Companies such as Rolls-Royce (manufacturer of the F-35B lifting system) and Martin-Baker (ejectable seat supplier) complement the decisive participation of Bae Systemswhich produces rear fuselages, queues, electronic warfare systems, antennas and much of the mission software. Italy, through from Leonardonot only manufactures optical components, radios and motor parts, but also hosts the only European final assembly line. The Netherlands, With GKN FokkerThey produce flaperones, braking systems, electrical wiring and manage spare parts for more than 500 European fighters. The rest. Australia manufactures Vertical lines, actuating systems and more than 700 components in the state of Victoria, with more than 70 local companies involved. Norway provides air-air pylons and vertical edges, while Finland supplies front fuselage sections. Japan assembles its own F-35a in Nagoya and produces some pieces domestically, although it is not clear how many are exported. Israel, unique case, not only manufactures components valued at more than 2,000 million dollars (such as external wings, fuel deposits and electronic warfare systems), but also The F-35i Adir operatesthe only authorized version to be deeply modified, with plains, weapons and its own communications. Contractors in the USA. In the United States, Lockheed Martin coordinates and assembles airplanes, but the bulk of the content comes of associated giants. Northrop Grumman produces central fuselage, AN/APG-81 radar and communications systems, with a participation between 20 and 25% per device. RTX, through Pratt & Whitney, supplies the F135 engines, while Raytheon provides armament and advanced sensors. Other actors such as Honeywell, L3harris or Curtiss-Wright have key papers in specific systems. The great absent is Boeing, whose X-32 lost the contest in front of Lockheed X-35; Today its role is limited to minor work as a subcontractor, while concentrating its efforts in the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the F-15Ex and its F/A-XX future. Between symbolism and fragility. Back to the case in Japan, that two fifth generation fighters have been out of service during the same cruise does not constitute an operational disaster, but it does feed the Vulnerability perception in a program already controversial for their cost overruns, … Read more

It is being a complicated summer for the US F-35. After the NO of Spain, Russia and China have appeared to do more damage

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In the Almighty Lockheed Martin must be looking forward to one of the most cruel summers that they remember regarding image. First it was a stranded hunt A month in Indiathen Spain decided reverse to the request of 50 F-35 that I had to the American company. To the “Porazo” have been added countries that have put in Doubt your purchase. Now, to finish off a tragic week, Russia and China have put their finger on the sore. A second breakdown. British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of WalesRoyal Navy’s flagship and leader of the Carrier Strike Group 2025he suffered for the second time in his current deployment Highmast Operation An incident with one of its fighters F-35B Lightning IIforcing this time to the aircraft to make a emergency landing In a foreign civil airport. On this occasion, the device had to deviate to the Kagoshima airport, in southwest Japan, during a joint exercise with the Japanese Self -Defense Air Force, because of of a breakdown which forced to close the track for about 20 minutes and caused delays in commercial flights. Although the ruling did not require urgency technical assistance as in the Previous incident in India (When another F-35B remained inoperative for more than a month), the new episode tarnishes a mission conceived to reinforce the British projection in the Indo-Pacific, and that of Lockheed Martin in the background. United Kingdom and doubt. The first reactions to the failure have not been expected in England. He Telegraph counted A few hours ago, the risk of the risk does not reside solely in the reliability of a specific model, but in the Procurement strategy that the British Ministry of Defense has been applying for decades: prioritizing small amounts of high -tech equipment to the detriment of the operational mass. In other words, mechanical failures in complex systems such as F-35B are inevitable and are part of the life cycle of any advanced technology, but what cannot be affected is that the temporary loss of a single plane involves a 6% reduction In the combat capacity, or that a naval breakdown paralyzes half of a group of escorts. According to the mediumthe lesson of these incidents is not to question the worth of the aircraft, but to recognize that the United Kingdom needs more of everything: more fighters, more ships, more personal and more resilience. Teasing and propaganda. Forbes counted That the nature of the last failures of the hunt, despite its low technical gravity, has served as fuel to the Beijing and Moscow propaganda. Apparently, media and commentators in China and Russia, Like Wang Ya’nanAerospace Knowledge editor have questioned the British capacity to keep a fifth generation furtive hunt in prolonged deployment. In social networks, accounts Like India Sputnik Ironized saying that the HMS Prince of Wales “collects emergency landings such as souvenirs”, while others They ridiculed The reputation of the F-35 of LM with comments such as “World’s Best Jet… Really?”. Analysts like Cliff Lampe They warn That these narratives are extended almost immediately in the current digital environment, where virality and absence of moderation allow misinformation, mockery and propaganda to mix with economic or political interests. Kerala also took the opportunity to “promote” the situation of the hunt stranded for a month Informative war. The F-35 case adds to a pattern of media attacks against high profile weapons systems used by Western powers. Recent examples include Chinese discursive offensive Against the Dassault Rafale after the demolition of an Indian specimen for an Air-Aire PL-15 Missile of China, or the Chinese Networks campaign Against Russian Hunting Su-57 before the Zhuhai Air Fair. These dynamics show how geopolitical rivals use isolated incidents for feed narratives of technological or logistics weakness, exploiting the susceptibility of the public and the press to the stories of failures in advanced military teams. Impact for Lockheed Martin. As we said at the beginning, for Lockheed Martin, manufacturer of the F-35, this new incident adds to a more than complicated period, after the decisions of Spain and Swiss to explore alternatives and two recent accidents In California and Alaska. It We counted Yesterday: although the accumulation of events can affect public perception, the F-35 program maintains a solid positioning thanks to its deep integration into allied forces, the investments already made, their advantages in interoperability and the political support that ensures its continuity. The immediate strategy is to return as soon as possible the F-35B affected to operations from Japan or reincorporate it to the aircraft carrier, while the International narrative To present these cases as isolated failures, preventing them from being interpreted as structural problems. Strategic implications. Beyond the impact on the Image of F-35incidents raise questions about the United Kingdom Capacity to hold large -distance deployments with latest generation media and on the logistics resilience of its shipped air fleet. The deployment in the Indo-Pacific, only the second of a British aircraft carrier in the 21st century, is part of a strategy for strengthen alliances and demonstrate presence in a region marked by the Competition with China. However, episodes such as these can be perceived by partners and rivals as indications of operational vulnerabilitiesreducing the deterrent impact of the mission and offering competing powers an alternative story that exploits each breakdown as a symbol of structural limitations. Image | Rawpixel, Rawpixel In Xataka | The F-35 not only costs a fortune, it has a button that Spain does not like. So he told the US that he doesn’t want them In Xataka | Spain refuses to spend 5% of GDP on artillery. Because what you really want is to sell it to Europe

Those who are closing the door to the US F-35

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Last week he met A news of great size for what it meant in Europe: Spain had slammed the 50 f-35 fighter fleet that had applauded with the United States. The reasons: the commitment to a “European defense” and distrust of a military technology in which Washington has great influence, even After purchased The lot. It turns out that many more nations have joined the “initiative.” The advance: Spain. It We count A few days ago. Spain has chosen not to acquire the American hunt F-35 Lightning II from Lockheed Martin and will focus its future purchases on European manufacturing aircraft, specifically on the Eurofighter Typhoon And in the future system FCAS (Future Combat Air System) that develops with France and Germany. The measure, confirmed By the Ministry of Defense, it implies the indefinite suspension of previous contacts with the United States and aligns with a strategy of reinforce sovereignty European industrial and military. According to analysts like Richard Abouulafiathis decision fits with the widest goal of Europe to reduce its technological and productive dependence from abroad. A hunt in the center of another “war.” Now, the furtive F-35, a symbol of that military cooperation between the United States and its allies, has also become political objective For countries that seek to respond to Trump’s tariff and security policies. The last reaction occurred after the entry into force of a 39% tariff against Switzerland, which has led Swiss parliamentarians to ask for the cancellation of its $ 9.1 billion contract for 36 F-35signed in 2022 to replace its F/A-18 and F-5. This agreement, initially valued in 6,250 millionalready dragged tensions for inflation before the tariff shock. The controversy comes, in addition and as we said, after Spain will announce that discarded his “50” F-35, and in a context where other allies Like Portugal and Canada They have expressed doubts about the strategic reliability of the United States. NGF model and a remote operator in the 2019 Paris Aeronautics Hall Domino effect. Denmark He said recently that has regretted the purchase. Portugal, through its defense minister Nuno Melo, He has stressed That the predictability of the allies is a key factor when deciding on future fighters, while Canada, despite having compromised funds for the first 16 devices of an order of 88, studies European alternatives before the political climate. However, recent reports indicate that the Canadian military dome Keep doubting If complete the total acquisition. The discomfort has also reached Switzerland, where voices from the entire political spectrum ask to review or directly cancel His purchase, in line with the growing tendency to use the F-35 as a political lever against Washington. Hunting as a business. Although Switzerland represents an acceptable request, the global impact on Lockheed Martin’s business is, for now, limited: hundreds of F-35 are in service with the United States and allies, and the Pentagon plans to acquire about 2,400 to replace non -poacher fighters in the three branches of their armed forces. In 2024, JPMorgan estimated that the F-35 will mean the 25% of sales of Lockheed, with the aeronautics area contributing 41% of quarterly income. At the same time, other clients have expanded orders: United Kingdom (+12), Belgium (+11) and Denmark (+10), and the recent commercial agreement Usa-Eue contemplates massive American weapons purchases. F35 Cost and projection. The program, awarded to Lockheed in 2001, has suffered constant criticism For cost overruns, delays and an estimated total cost of 1.8 billion dollars throughout its useful life, including development, production, operation and maintenance. Despite this, the F-35 is still the combat option more advanced Available for United States allies and it is expected to form the backbone of the US fleet for decades, even while Boeing and the Pentagon develop The new generation F-47 with integration of autonomous drones. In real combat he has demonstrated his abilities, as in recent Israeli operations against objectives in Iran. “European” comparative. He Eurofighter Typhoon With which some countries project part of the substitution is a fourth generation versatile hunting, the result of a European consortium. For its part, the FCAS It aspires to be a sixth generation system with an entry into service planned by 2040. Although some experts consider the Eurofighter equal to or greater than the F-35 in pure air performance, they recognize that the F-35 has A clear advantage by plane and mission pack. In addition, Eurofighter production is much more limited and FCAS is still in the development phase, which raises challenges to meet demand if American platforms are dispensed with. Limitations and adjustments. In a hypothetical scenario, the exclusive dependence on European fighters would imply changes in the Structure of forces. The Spanish Navy currently operates Harrier AV-8b In its Aaeronaves, which will be withdrawn soon, the F-35B was the logical option to replace them with their short take-off capacity and vertical landing, something that neither the Eurofightter nor other European models offer. Without that option, Spain and those who follow them would have to redefine the paper of its aircraft carrier or adapt other solutions. At the interoperability level, giving up F-35 limits the ability to operate homogeneously with allies that use it as standard. Strategic value against alternatives. JPMorgan analysts point out that, despite criticism, the F-35 offers a significant capacity At a relatively competitive cost in the international market, which is why it continues to be imposed in competitions. Unmanned capabilities deserve investment, but they are still far from replacing a hunt such as F-35. This combination of operational power, interoperability with numerous allies and technological projection reinforces its position, although commercial tensions and diplomatic promoted by American foreign policy aim to continue undermining cohesion around its acquisition and, perhaps, to that Sorpasso “European” that in no case can occur in the short term. Image | Robert Sullivan, Christopher Ebdon, TIRADEN In Xataka | The F-35 not only costs a fortune, it has a button that Spain does not like. So he told the US that he doesn’t want them In Xataka … Read more

The F-35 not only costs a fortune, it has a button that Spain does not like. So he told the US that he doesn’t want them

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When in 2019 the United States announced that, after two decades of work, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 was Finally ready For combat, he also slid an advertisement to navigators: the purchase of these units It was going to be record. Since then until now they have passed many things. Updates, conflicts, wars and a Rearme in Europe which promised to inflate Washington’s wallet at the rhythm of fighters. In fact, Spain had requested up to 50 F-35. That investment has vanished. Political decision, military impact. The Spanish government has decided paralyze indefinitely The acquisition of American hunting F-35 Lightning IIa decision that marks a drastic turn in the modernization of the armed forces and in the relationship with the United States within the NATO framework. Although in previous years he had advanced in conversations with Lockheed Martin and They had budgeted more than 6,000 million euros for an eventual request of 50 unitsthe Ministry of Defense has chosen to withdraw that operation from the agenda, in favor of an approach focused on European investment in defense. A not for Europe. The plan approved in April, endowed with More than 10,000 million In euros, it contemplates that 85% of that budget is allocated to companies and technologies of the continent, which leaves outside the Fifth American generation hunting, despite being the most advanced in service today. What is it for Spain. The most immediate and critical consequence of this resignation is suffered by the Navy. In 2030 It is planned the end of the useful life of their Harrier AV-8ba model that is already being removed by the United States and Italy and that will soon leave the Spanish Navy as the only world operator. Without spare parts or guaranteed maintenance capacity, prolonging its use has been ruled out. The only plane with vertical takeoff capacity that could replace the Harrier is precisely the F-35B, Naval Version of Lightning II. His absence will mean the total loss of the aviation capacity of fixed wing embarked, at least for several years, and will reduce the flagship Juan Carlos I to a simple helicopter platform. Options. To mitigate that void, the Navy has in charge of Navantia A viability study to build avisions capable of operating conventional aircraft with stop hook, which would open the door to naval fighters such as the Rafale M French. However, these would not be available before removal of the Harrier, so the operational loss will be inevitable. Options without horizon. Although in lesser emergency, the Air Force I also contemplated to F-35a as a replacement for its F-18 more modern, in service until approximately 2035. The intention was cover the transition period until the arrival of FCAS (Future combat air system), the ambitious European program of sixth generation that, at best, will not enter into operation before 2040. In that context, the F-35A was emerging as a logical intermediate solution, not only for its technological superiority, but also by His poaching demonstrated in recent actions such as the joint attack of the United States and Israel against nuclear infrastructure In Iran. Despite this, the Chief of the General Staff of the Defense, Teodoro López Calderón, publicly assumed The resignation of a fifth generation plane and has recognized that Spain must “survive with the fourth generation”, trusting The EurofightteRy waiting for FCAS (that is, a fifteen -year -old wait). Operational risks. He counted yesterday The country that the head of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Francisco Braco, He has warned That limit to Eurofighter as the only hunting in service entails technical and strategic risks, especially to possible structural failures that force the entire fleet to immobilize, as has already happened in other countries. Although he has mentioned the future option of Rafale F-5, currently in development in France, the reality is that it does not exist in the short term A European alternative Fully operational that competes with the F-35A in furtive abilities and digital integration. Transatlantic voltage. Beyond the operational considerations, the Spanish government decision has a obvious political dimensionaggravated by the recent shock Between Pedro Sánchez and Donald Trump at the NATO Summit held in The Hague. There, the Spanish president He unmarked of the agreed target of allocating 5% of GDP to defense in a decade, staying at 2%. Trump’s response It was direct: Threats of commercial reprisals and a scathing criticism of the attitude of Spain, which he accused of wanting to benefit from American protection without assuming costs. To this conflict is added the Senators Republicans who demand that European allies a firmer commitment to military spending and the purchase of American weapons. Rafale F-5 Pocazo to the US. The commercial background is not less: Trump seeks not only to spend more on defense, but those funds go to stop To US companies. He has already reached an agreement with the European Commission that allows him to impose a 15% tariff On a large part of European products, in exchange for the countries of the continent, they acquire US gas and armament for hundreds of billions. In that context, the unpublished Negative of Spain To buy the F-35 is seen in Washington as a direct affront to its strategic and economic interests. The technological dependence. One of the central arguments made by the Government to justify its position is the Defense of autonomy European strategic. Sanchez argues that suddenly increasing defense spending without its own industrial fabric robust enough would only serve to increase the dependence of the United States and renounce the development of continental military capacities. However, the paradox It is evident: A dozen European countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Denmark, have already incorporated the F-35 to their fleets or have made orders. Everything indicates that it will be the common European hunting during the next decade, and its integration will create synergies in training, maintenance, interoperability and deployment. And the “button.” It We count some time ago. Although Lockheed Martin has offered to … Read more

In full European rearme, Belgium has just expanded his f-35 fighter request. The next step is much more ambitious

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In full European rearme, not exempt from obstaclesBelgium will expand your request for F-35 With eleven new units. Thus adds to other allies such as the United Kingdom, who continue to bet on the American hunting Despite the problems that its deployment has raised. The current geopolitical context has once again placed aerial superiority in the center of the strategic board. Belgium had already commissioned 34 F-35 in 2018 With a clear objective: replace its aging F-16 fleet, a hunt that has been in service decades. At that time, the Belgian government opted for the American model against other proposals such as the Eurofighteralleging interoperability reasons, costs throughout the life cycle and compatibility with NATO nuclear weapons. Why the F-35 is the option that Belgium continues to see how more solid To date, eight units have been delivered, All in US baseswhere they serve as a training platform for the first Belgian pilots. The new order will raise the total figure to 45, in a decision framed in the reinforcement of the military budget agreed by the current government, that has committed to achieve 2% of GDP in defense in 2025 and climb up to 2.5% in the following decade. The investment planned for this extension amounts to about 1.6 billion euros, According to the strategic vision document. Although the F-16 have been updated over the years-and remain operational in several countries-it is a fourth generation platform, without furtive abilities and with less integrated sensors. They are versatile, reliable and relatively economic fighters, but belong to another era. In some scenarios, the technological difference with F-35 is abysmal. The new Lockheed Martin hunt offers a poaching, fusion of real -time sensors, advanced electronic warfacities and, above all, It is certified to carry American nuclear armament. Beyond conventional combat, this renewal of the fleet has deep strategic implications. Belgium is one of the European countries that actively participates in the strategy of NATO nuclear deterrence. To fulfill that paper, you need compatible aircraft with nuclear pumps that it is believed that they are stored in the base of Kleine Brogel. The current F-16 are certified for that mission, and the F-35 not only inherits that function, but reinforces it with more stealthy and precise technology. The delivery calendar also imposes its own limits. According to VRTthe Lockheed Martin production line is practically saturated, and the first additional fighters will not arrive until after 2033. The decision to expand the fleet, in that sense, is also a long -term commitment: future governments may resume the issue and add more units if the budgetary conditions allow it. Apart from F-35, Belgium seeks to gain weight in the air defense of the continent. In parallel to this acquisition, he has reserved 300 million euros to fully integrate into the second phase of the FCAS, The New Generation European Hunting Program. The objective is to be at the table where the technological standards of the next decades are defined, without renouncing the US fleet. On the horizon, a future coexistence is even contemplated between the F-35 and the plane that emerges from the FCAS after 2040, if the staff and the budget allow it. Images | US Air Force (1, 2, 3) In Xataka | China will need 9,000 new airplanes in the coming years. And a manufacturer takes the lead to Boeing: Airbus

A British F-35 has been stranded in India. Almost as surreal as the day a hunt landed in a Spanish container

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The truth is that the United Kingdom expected The F-35b out A practically invincible huntbut today it flies little, and the times that does certainly surrealist situations like the one that is happening right now In India. Be that as it may, not even the current scene approaches what happened in 1983, when the indescribable episode known as the incident in the Alraigo occurred. The hunt does not start. British f-35b furtive furtive hunt, one of the most advanced and expensive on the planet, remains stranded more than a month In India since he made an emergency landing on June 14 at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (Kerala) due to a technical failure related to the hydraulic system and the auxiliary power unit. A team of British engineers and military He arrived in the country on July 6 To take exclusively responsible for the repairs that are carried out under strict security measures in a deprived hangar of Air India, completely sealed and with restricted access to local forces. Although the aircraft was transferred from its initial location after three weeks immobilized, there is no news about when it will be operational again. The Government of India has taken the opportunity to take advantage of the hunting situation Everything goes wrong. But as we said at the beginning, the story, although difficult to believe, is little compared to What happened several decades ago. In June 1983, during NATO maneuvers off the coast of Portugal, the young British lieutenant Ian “Soapy” Watson took off from the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious aboard a Hunt is Harrier For a simulated search mission under combat conditions. Together with another pilot they had to locate a French aircraft carrier keeping the radio silence and the radars off until they reached the assigned area. After activating them, they both separated and, at the end of the search, Watson tried to meet with his partner, but failed to contact. When running out of precise navigation references and with the inoperative radio, It was disoriented In full ocean. Without any contact, without a signal in the radar and with the fuel running out, the pilot knew that he had to make a drastic decision. The impossible maneuver. Looking for maritime traffic signs, its radar finally detected a goal: the Spanish merchant ship Alraigowhich was heading to Tenerife. Unable to communicate with the crew, Watson decided to make a past to get his attention. When observing that the containers on the roof formed a flat platform similar to a training track, he opted for Try the unthinkable: land your vertical hunting on load containers. Although He managed to perchthe aircraft began to slide back until its landing train partially fell from the edge, even impacting Against a van destined for a florist on the island of Tenerife. However, the hunt did not fall and was embedded on the containers. The scene (and images) were forever in the history of aviation. Arrival. The Captain of the Alraigo, impassive, notified the British authorities that they would deliver the pilot and his plane In Tenerife in four dayswithout altering your route. Upon arrival in Puerto, a multitude of journalists waited for the surreal scene with the Sea Harrier mounted on a merchant ship. This was the hunt after the “impossible” maneuver Diplomatic consequences. Upon arriving at Puerto, both Naviera García Miñaur and the Red Crew considered that they had starred in an authentic Maritime rescueas contemplated by Spanish legislation. The value of the Harrier, then encrypted at 1,500 million pesetas, was not a small thing. To ensure the collection of a fair award, lawyer Fernando Meana He requested without success The preventive embargo of the plane. Given the judicial refusal, it was decided to go to An arbitration in Londonwith the certainty that British legislation (unlike the Spanish) would grant the entire reward to the shipowner, leaving out the crew. Legal justice. It was then when He entered the scene The lawyer José María Ruiz Soroa, who defended the sailors commissioned by the Merchant Marine Free Union. Thanks to a thorough investigation, Ruiz Soroa located in his father’s archives a forgotten British law, The Maritime Conventions Act of 1911, which established that the distribution of the prize should be made according to the legislation of the country of the Salvador ship. That norm changed everything. After harsh negotiations, he managed to be signed A new contract with the British embassy in Madrid that guaranteed the application of Spanish law. Thus, the crew and owners of the ship received compensation close to The 570,000 pounds (about 1.14 million dollars of the time). The case became a mixture of diplomatic anecdote, media circus and legal rarity. Responsibilities Initially, Watson underwent A research board aboard the Illustriumus, which did not take disciplinary measures. But once the aircraft carrier returned to Puerto, a second board attributed partial responsibility, claiming that it had only completed 75% of its training and that the hunting had technical failures, especially in the radio system. The pilot was reprimanded and relegated to administrative functions. However, Watson continued his career, accumulating more than 2,000 flight hours in Sea Harriers and 900 more in F/A-18 before leaving the Navy in 1996. Despite the controversy, always He assumed responsibility Without excuses: “It was my fault. I was there. And there should end everything.” Thus, what began as a routine operation ended up becoming one of the most unique and bizarre episodes of British naval aviation. Image | Navy, Reddit In Xataka | The United Kingdom was waiting for an invincible hunt. Today, the F-35 flies little and cannot shoot its own weapons In Xataka | The hunt that still resists in Iran more than 40 years after his arrival. It is not Russian or Iranian. It is the American F-14

The United Kingdom was waiting for an invincible hunt. Today, the F-35 flies little and cannot shoot its own weapons

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He F-35b Lightning It is one of the most advanced fighters in the world. It has low observability when radar can take off in short distances and land vertically, and is designed to operate from Terrestrial Bases and Bases. You can execute Aire-Aire, air-surface, electronic warfare and intelligence in parallel missions. On paper, the United Kingdom was going to turn it into the cornerstone of its aerial power, With 138 planned units and a service horizon until 2069. But reality goes behind that ambition. A new report by the National Audit Office (NAO) He has just documented in detail a series of problems that drag the program: from sustained delays to capabilities yet to be integrated. The result is a much less solid photograph than expected a decade ago. And that opens uncomfortable questions about costs, efficacy and planning. F-35b, promises and delays As we said, the F-35B Lightning is the short take-off version and vertical landing of hunting by the United States The Joint Strike Fighter program. United Kingdom chose this variant To replace your Harrier and operate from the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. You can fly to more than Mach 1.6, reach 50,000 feet of altitude and execute multiple types of mission. A Harrier plane landing Its strong point is in the fusion of sensors and in the ability to share data in real time with other platforms. Unlike previous generations, the F-35B not only acts as an attack vector, but as a network intelligence node. In 2012 the first units arrived in the country, with Raf Marham as the main base. United Kingdom has invested at least 11,000 million pounds (about 12.6 billion euros) until March 2025, According to the National Audit Office. And yet, the level of operational capacity reached is lower than the ministry expected in 2013. The postponement of the total operational capacity (FOC) of 2023 at the end of 2025 implies that the F -35b have not yet reached the degree of maturity necessary to operate with full capacity. According to the NAO, the flight hours accumulated in 2024 were lower than those required, which limits the preparation of crews and the real availability of the fleet for intensive missions. In addition, the plane is currently limited in armament. Today only the guided pump Paveway IV and the Air-Aire Amraam AIM-13D, According to the RAF technical file. NAO confirms that the integration of British Meteor and Spear 3 missiles It has been postponed until the early 2030. In practice, this means that the F -35B cannot yet execute attacks from long distance with state -of -the -art weapons, such as its original strategic purpose. An F-35 landing There are also structural limitations. As The Register has pointed outthe short take -off design and vertical landing (Stovl) imposes significant restrictions on the payload and at the operational reach of the plane, something that conditions its effectiveness in demanding combat scenarios. This assessment is not part of the official NAO report, but it does reflect a usual concern among several specialists. To all this, the cost of full life cycle could reach 71,000 million pounds (about 81.9 billion euros). The problems are not alone Although the F-35B is already in operational use, the figures reveal a compromised capacity. In 2024, only around one third of the fleet was available to execute all the expected missions. Part of the problem is structural: the United Kingdom has failed to cover all the necessary positions to operate and maintain the system. Engineers are scarceand prolonged displays in aircraft carrier make many fate F-35 as unattractive. A F-35B of the United Kingdom The supply of pieces is not guaranteed either. The global logistics system, managed from the United States, has not grown at the same pace as the international fleet. That has generated bottlenecks, delays in deliveries and an excessive dependence on temporary solutions. Although during the deployment of Carrier Strike Group of 2025 the availability rates were improved, everything indicates that these levels may not be maintained once the operation is finished. Despite delays, costs and availability problems, the United Kingdom retains an outstanding role within the International F-35 program. He was the only level 1 partner to join the United States -led program and maintains 38 members of the Ministry of Defense Integrated in the central team of the project in Washington, more than any other country. This implication has given tangible results: British companies manufacture at least 15 % of the value of each unit produced. An eye on the future While the F-35 still faces limitations, the United Kingdom already promotes its own next generation project: The Tempest huntintegrated since December 2022 in the multinational program Global Combat Air Program (GCAP)together with Italy and Japan. Conceptual image of the future hunting of the Tempest program This effort, led by BAE Systems (United Kingdom), Leonardo (Italy) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan), aims to develop a Sixth generation furtive plane for 2035with prototypes flying before 2028. The headquarters of the program is based in the United Kingdom. Since its origin, it has been raised as an open architecture platform, with engines, plane, sensors and weapons developed under national control, seeking greater technological autonomy with respect to the US. Despite optimism, there are still tensions. Italy has expressed concern about the lack of transparency in the technological transfer from the United Kingdom. Images | Raf (1, 2), | Adrian Pingstone | BAE Systems In Xataka | There are those who ask why airplanes have no parachute. This manufacturer decided to stop asking him and putting one

The F-35 and the US ballistic missiles need the key component of a magnet. The problem is that it was “Made in China”

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Finally, China carried out what the global industry feared: blocking the export of rare earths more valuable. In this way, without more, it sounds tremendous, although surely many will wonder how far the scope of the veto really comes, or which supply chain will be affected in the short term with Beijing’s decision. There are many sectors against the strings, but there is an especially delicate one for Washington: Defense. If everything remains the same, you have a few months left for your F-35 or ballistic missiles to have a serious problem. The Achilles heel. I told it The New York Times A few hours ago. China’s decision to impose restrictions on the export of critical minerals and, especially, of certain rare earth magnets, represents a direct warning to the national security of the United States, whose military capacities They depend largely of these resources. Which is it? We talk about Combat fighters of the Air Force, like F-35of guided ballistic missiles of the army or electric drones of the Marines, where these magnets (made with elements such as neodymium, disposium or ititrium) are essential for the operation of motors, guidance mechanisms or emergency systems. If, for example, a ballistic missile does not include the component of these magnets, it would be impossible for their goal to reach. The background problem. That 90 % of these components are produces in Chinaand six of the key metals that compose them are only refined there, which gives Beijing a powerful pressure tool. This maneuver, considered a “warning shot” by An official From the Air Force, it could easily climb towards fees, tariffs or even a total prohibition, generating an immediate impact on the costs and availability of American military technologies. A vulnerable chain. It We have counted other times. Rare earth (a set of 17 elements) is not that they are scarce in the strict sense, but its processing is expensive (and polluting), which is why China managed to dominate both its extraction and the associated refining and manufacturing. This supremacy has allowed him control much of the final cost of the modern American weapons, including those poachers, submarines, war ships, tanks, missiles and laser systems. To get an idea, only one F-35 contains around 400 kg of rare earth materialswhile some submarines They exceed 4,000 kg. Although the American defense industry and the pentagon have accumulated strategic reserves of these elements, analysts warn that these collections would barely reach to cover a few months of production and maintenance, not even years. From there, as we recently counted, that Washington has noticed the Pacific fund. Future warnings. Actually, the United States already knew about this unit and what could happen for a few years. It happened with an emblematic case, the call “F-35 “magnet debacle”when in 2022 the Department of Defense temporarily suspended the delivery of these aircraft after discovering that a component contained a Alloy manufactured in Chinacontravening defense acquisition standards. Although at that time it was considered that the material did not represent a direct threat, the incident highlighted the depth of the US dependence. Now, with the obligation that Chinese exporters Request special permits Before sending rare earth to the United States, experts anticipate a price increase that will affect the entire industrial defense base. Yes, the MINTAIN PASS MINA In California it has resumed operations, but its production is far from competing with Chinese capacity. Historical precedents. Looking back, history offers examples of how the United States must have adapted to interruptions of the supply of strategic materials in times of war. For example, now It happened with the bauxite During World War II, when Germany sank allied charges that transported it from Surinam. So Washington turned to Domestic reserves in Arkansas to guarantee the production of airplanes. Today, The Times told that there are already voices from the sector, such as American Enterprise Institutewhich insist that current reserves are not enough to sustain the military-industrial complex in the face of a long interruption of the Chinese supply. Despite the initiatives of Trump and Biden governments to Reactivate national production Of critical minerals, the industry remains highly vulnerable to Beijing’s decisions. A critical dilemma. No doubt, there is a much broader background with what happened in the commercial war. Chinese control over rare earth supply not only implies logistic or economic vulnerability: it represents A geostrategic challenge First order for the technological supremacy of which the United States has always presumed in the military. The recent Chinese measure does not close trade routes completely, but it makes it clear that Beijin possesses A pressure lever Formidable about the American defense industry. Faced with this, analysts agree that Washington must accelerate efforts to diversify their sources of supply, recover internal industrial capabilities and ensure the resilience of a supply chain that supports a good part of its global power. Otherwise, the next crisis may not limit yourself to that “warning shot”, but to become a direct blow to the technological backbone of the National Defense. Image | Jasper Nance In Xataka | The United States imagined that China would veto its export of rare earths. Has a plan B: The Pacific Fund In Xataka | China has done what the global industry feared: block the export of the most valuable rare earths

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