Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1308154
that deals with the evaluation of tactics and integration of new weapons. The 617 Squadron is expected to have 24 fighters at its disposal by 2023. Then, the unit is expected to be divided into two separate squadrons, with half of the aircraft and per- sonnel expected to be received by the reacti- vated 809 Fleet Air Arm Squadron - this unit would become the second British Lightning squadron. Ultimately, 72-80 jets are to be- come a part of the RAF/FAA inventory by the end of the decade. This is to make it possible for the British to have four F-35 squadrons at their disposal, 12 airframes each. These would additionally be complemented by the 207 OCU (Operational Conversion Unit). Interestingly, all of those forces would be stationed at RAF Marham. The total number of jets procured is an issue that also sparks a lot of controversies. The initial plans made when the JSF program was still in its infancy mentioned quantities of up to 150 jets. However, the plan was subjected to cuts in 2008, as the British MoD declared then that it would be buying 48 to 60 F-35s. The number of aircraft was then, theoretically, changed once again. According to the SDSR 2015, the UK would be procuring 138 Joint Strike Fighters. What's interesting, the SDSR provisions have not specified the expected acquisition timeline. As the deadline related to the issuance of SDSR 2020 approaches, rumors have started to emerge suggesting that another redefinition of plans could take place, with the planned quantity of the F-35s to be acquired being brought down to 72. The Tempest program would be accelerated in- stead. Regardless of the actual SDSR 2020 arrangements, one should note that the con- siderations discussed here pertain to a very distant future. The declaration on procure- ment of 138 aircraft pertained to the whole duration of this program. Apart from the quantity of aircraft planned to be acquired, some doubts also pertain to the structure of the RAF's F-35 fleet, version-wise. Up until now, the jets procured come in the most effective B STOVL variant. The aircraft of this type is being acquired to form the strike force for the two new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. The opinion makers suggest that division of the orders, and procurement of the F-35A and F-35B jets, would make it pos- sible to acquire a higher number of aircraft - compared to the original plan. A decision as such would need to be directly tied to the num- ber of aircraft acquired, so that both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy would have a sufficient quantity of aircraft at their disposal. Meanwhile, the British Eurofighter fleet is go- ing through upgrades that focus on two main paths. The upgrades are less significant in the case of the Tranche 1 jets. In the early years, the Typhoons received the BAE Systems Drop upgrades package, within the framework of the RAF's Gordian program. Those upgrades, depending on the variant, included the mod- ernization of the cockpit displays, modern- ization of the DASS electronic warfare suite, modification of the M-SCAN radar software, integration of the Litening targeting pods and the MIDS terminal for the Link-16 datalink, or implementation of the Enhanced Paveway 2 bombs. As a plan has been made to withdraw this platform, no actions have been under- taken to broaden the scope of upgrades. As this decision has been changed, along with plans made to operate the Tranche 1 jets un- til 2030-2035, an analysis was launched con- cerning the scope of the required upgrades. The upgrade is to be focused on two matters - unification of the onboard hardware, to gain compliance with the Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 jets, and upgrades in the area of air-to-air capabilities. The former matter pertains to rel- evant differences between the hardware the jets use. The analysis undertaken is aimed at indicating as to what equipment shall be acquired in advance to ensure the availability of the fleet until 2035, and it is also aimed at selecting the components that shall and could be replaced with counterparts compliant with the newer Tranches. Analyses of a similar pro- file have been launched with regards to the air-to-air capabilities. Tranche 1 F.1 Typhoons use the AIM-120 AMRAAM C-5 as the primary AVIATION