"The F-35 and its weapons suite" Topic

"Top image shows an F-35A, at Edwards AFB, California,nexto to its F-35 Systems Development and Demonstration Weapons Suite the aircraft is designed to carry.

According to Lockheed Martin, the Joint Strike Fighter can carry more than 35-hundred pounds of ordinance in Low Observable (stealth) mode and over 18-thousand pounds uncontested.

The Lightning II is conducting testing required for full weapons certification through a campaign which included validating 2B weapons software and successfully executing several weapons separation and engagement tests…"

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Amicalement
Armand

Sounds like a lot, doesn't it, which is why they're using pounds, instead of the actual quantity of weapons carried internally, and listing external weapons as well, to make it look like a lot more.

It can carry two, TWO whole weapons, internally, if they are decent-sized bombs, plus two AAMs for self-defense. Since it is designed and touted as a stealthy, ground attack aircraft, that appears to me to be an epic fail right from the drawing board design stage.

The following quote is off of Wikipedia (I tried FAS.org, but they didn't list weaponry info on their F-35 page, directly):

"There are a total of four weapons stations between the two internal bays. Two of these can carry air-to-ground bombs up to 2,000 lb (910 kg) in A and C models, or two bombs up to 1,000 lb (450 kg) in the B model; the other two stations are for smaller weapons such as air-to-air missiles.[256][258] The weapon bays can carry AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-132 ASRAAM, the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), Paveway series of bombs, the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), Brimstone anti-armor missiles, and Cluster Munitions (WCMD).[256]".

Here's a chart showing another view of the weaponry it can carry, internally, and externally. As you can see, most of the larger weapons go under the wings, compromising that extremely expensive "stealth" capability.

whythef35.blogspot.com/2013/05/f-35-weapons-load-graphic.html

Tried getting it to post here directly, with no joy, using img, and url options, but you can see it via the link, above.

F-16 doing the same thing – in fact the Teen series jets (F-15E/-16/-18) have greater weapons integration.

To be somewhat fair, the F35 can carry 4 Small Diameter Bombs in each weapons bay, plus an AMRAAM. Even the F35B can carry 4 of them, and the -B model loses weapons bay space to the lift fan.

Kinda surprised that there's no wingtip pylons, though.

Or over-wing pylon options even.

I expect load outs in actual combat missions will be similar to an F-16:

2-4 x guided bombs (depends on weight and type)
2-4 x AIM-120
0-2 x AIM-9
2 x drop tanks

The F-35 will be totally awesome – your congressman's major campaign donor promises! Just like the SGT York, the Gama Goat and the M60A2

Tried getting it to post here directly, with no joy, using img, and url options, but you can see it via the link, above.

If you open the chart from your link in a new tab (not just forward in the same tab), it should give you the correct address for the pic, which you can then copy and paste here without any modification.

If nothing else, the bird will have been talked to death before it even achieves IOC.

I will reserve my opinion until we see it operational. The only thing that counts is how it performs not how people talk about it performing in theory.

The A-10 has never been tested in an environment of Air Parity or Air Inferiority so but it praised as the goddess of CAS when it has only flown in Air Superiority situations. Any CAS plane can look great in that!

The F-35 has not even flown in combat at all but all the self-proclaimed experts are sure we should spend even more money building new construction lines for the A-10 and maintain the costly, aging airframe. Talk is cheap.

sorry to hijack this thread, but what are those 2 orange/red missiles? on that f16 photo above

They're test units by color, they look kinda like Walleye TV-guided glide bombs… (but can't be, Walleyes were Vietnam-vintage)

'The A-10 has never been tested in an environment of Air Parity or Air Inferiority …'

Hopefully it never will be, and nor will any other US weapons system. Doesn't US military doctrine make air superiority a pre-requisite for pretty much any ground operation that would need CAS?

@Wardog

Maybe, AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM)?

The A-10 has never been tested in an environment of Air Parity or Air Inferiority so but it praised as the goddess of CAS when it has only flown in Air Superiority situations. Any CAS plane can look great in that!

Neither have any of the F-15/-16/-18s.

Only air combat in the last 30-40 years where "air parity" has occured has been Iran-Iraq and Ethiopia-Eritrea.

Only Russian, Yugoslav and French designed aircraft have flown in circumstances where they had Air Inferiority (Falklands, Iraq 1991, Libya in 1980s, Bosnia, Kosovo, Syria 1982 and other engagements).

Only American jets that have been flown in conditions of Air Inferiority have been Argentine A-4 Skyhawks.