Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1308154
tailoring of the solution to the operational re- quirements of the Air Force would bear a high significance here. Approach as such means that not only would aircraft be subjected to assessment, but also the weapons systems, datalinks, mission planning solutions, or elec- tronic warfare suites would all be scrutinized. The assessment of the training and logistics packages associated with the bids. The F-35 is indicated as the best option al- ready, among the foreign opinion makers. The F-35 also entails some controversy - it comes in the jet's ALIS logistical support system that comes with numerous problems emerging on the ground of the erroneous system's architec- ture design. ALIS is prone to failures and it is quite unstable. For that reason, it is to be re- placed by ODIN, a new derivative solution that is to resolve all of the cons that the former sys- tem is suffering from. The remarks formulated in Finland primari- ly refer to the ODIN's networked nature, the functioning of which depends on connectivity with data aggregating servers, ones based do- mestically, as well as ones located in CONUS. Disruption of that connectivity could have a detrimental impact on the levels of the F-35 availability. The necessity to store some data in the US also sparks some doubts, as a third state would gain access to sensitive infor- mation on the operations undertaken by the Finnish military. Another doubt that is frequently stressed by the remaining participants of the tendering procedure pertains to the scale and nature of the industrial cooperation associated with the potential acquisition of the F-35. This is direct- ly tied to the JSF program structure, where the list of partner nations is finite. It has been made finite at the early stage of the project. These nations have been divided into three levels based on the scale of financial involve- ment in the project work. They act as co-man- ufacturers of the jets and the components, also gaining export profits from sales in third countries. The Lockheed Martin's offer has an advantage seen in the fighter's high tech profile expressed by its stealth capabilities and from the situa- tional awareness that indirectly stems from the stealthiness of the jet. When it comes to the operational costs and the cost of poten- tial upgrades, the F-35 has an advantage here, since the jet has been selected by many na- tions and is, or going to be, a foundation for air forces of numerous states for decades to come. Should the F-35 be selected in Finland, Helsinki would avoid a situation in which it would be sole or one of a few users of a jet that has already been withdrawn by other nations. This risk emerges in the case of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and JAS-39E Gripen. In the for- mer case, the US Navy is the primary user. It has just announced plans pertaining to the final deadline for the Super Hornets/Growlers fleet retirement. According to the schedule as- sociated with the development and induction of the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) next generation fighter platform, it is expect- ed that Super Hornets and Growlers would be facing a prospect of retirement in 2030. This stems from the fact that the Superbugs and the Growlers are suffering from more wear and tear than expected. For that reason, the US Navy may push the industry to accelerate the NGAD project, to avoid the need to imple- ment a costly mid-life upgrade concerning the Super Hornet family. The fact listed above is a major disadvan- tage that the aforesaid Boeing's offer has. The US Navy is the primary user of the Super Hornets. Rapid decommissioning of that plat- form would translate into the emergence of a risk of Finland facing a steep cost increase. Alongside the US Navy, the type is currently operated only by Australia (24 F/A-18F Super Hornets plus 11 F/A-18G Growlers). It is esti- mated that in the case of Australia, the Super Hornets would be decommissioned in 2035. The group of potential customers would, meanwhile, be joined by Kuwait and, most probably, Germany. The Luftwaffe is bound to receive 30 Super Hornets and 15 Growlers. AVIATION