F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

Dub13

This new Fighter was rolled-out (test version) earler this month.Not sure if she has a name yet,The shortlist has been leaked (allegedly)...

Cyclone, Reaper, Black Mamba and Piasa.

Names rumoured to have been rejected include:

Mustang II, Fury, Scorpion, Phantom III and Sky Ruler

Dub13

Here she is…

TempestSabre

Some planes just look right. The F-35 doesn't.

cushtac

Was it not officialy named the Lightning II?

Dub13

cushtac wrote:

Was it not officialy named the Lightning II?

Not sure,I meant to post this a while ago.

cushtac

It is:

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123022931

Maskhadov

Ireland should really be looking at the Saab Gripen or Rafale. We really should be looking after our own airspace

cushtac

Maskhadov wrote:

Ireland should really be looking at the Saab Gripen or Rafale. We really should be looking after our own airspace

That's a long, long way off unfortunately.

TempestSabre

Maskhadov wrote:

Ireland should really be looking at the Saab Gripen or Rafale. We really should be looking after our own airspace

LOL Perhaps we should learn to walk before learning to run. Lots of advanced trainers , Hawk, T-50, Yak-130, Aermachi M-346, even the T-38/F-5 we should consider before getting anything like that. To be honest we should look after our own long range search and rescue first.

cushtac

TempestSabre wrote:

To be honest we should look after our own long range search and rescue first.

CHC Helicopters is already providing this service for the Coast Guard, there's no need for the DF to get back into it.

TempestSabre

cushtac wrote:

CHC Helicopters is already providing this service for the Coast Guard, there's no need for the DF to get back into it.

Why not? Why outsource it?

cushtac

SAR ate up a huge amount of the AC's time & money, outsourcing it has left the AC's helicopters free to concentrate on Army Co-Op.

Outsourcing also means the AC didn't have to buy new helicopters that were solely for SAR use. CHC provides 6 long-range SAR helis for Ireland, the AC would have never been given the money to buy them for themselves.

TempestSabre

Fair enuff if its cheaper. Though I personally I think expanding the AC to allow the take on this role properly, would make more sense than buying fighters to defend our airspace. I still think its a role that the AC should be doing.

Maskhadov

SAR is already outsourced. I think the Aircorps may be working on Combat SAR which would provide a back up to the civie SAR.

We really should have bought into the Eurofighter program or bought the Rafale to provide our own secuirty and not rely on the RAF.

TempestSabre

Its always a bad idea to post while drunk.