By Boyko Nikolov on Jan 28, 2022
WASHINGTON — Shocking photos of stealth fighters F-35C Lightning II covered with rust of the US Navy have appeared online, Bulgarian Military.com has learned.
The photos below clearly show three rust-covered fighters, as well as an F-35C Lightning II take-off fighter also covered in rust. According to INF, when asked, Pentagon spokesman Joe Dellavedova said the rust was caused by a manufacturing error by arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin, with all models being affected. It’ll be “fixed” in new batches of F35s.
BulgarianMilitary.com reminds us that this is not the first time that a problem with the metal or metal alloys of modern stealth fighters has been reported. One of the first public reports of problems with the F-35 arrived in early 2019 from the Australian Air Force, which reported a problem with intergranular corrosion. Australia then hired the auditing and consulting firm KPMG to assess the problem that arose when using fighters in low humidity areas. But back in 2017, Australia was the first country to report various cracks in the body of the machine.
However, the problems with the F-35 did not end with the report of the Australian Air Force. In the middle of 2019, even a secret report with 13 major problems of the F-35 was leaked, to which the US government did not pay much attention. This report was also published by Defense News. Here are the 13 most serious issues cited in the report:
Problems with information transfer. Many countries around the world and F-35 customers complain about the fact that this information is not classified and is also obtained in the US, which prevents these countries from keeping their secrets.
Problems with spare parts available. It turns out that what is supposed to exist in a warehouse as a spare part does not always exist at all, and results in the failure of flights or missions.
The cabin of the F-35 is not properly constructed and leads to the so-called pilot barotrauma. This barotrauma causes pain in the ears and nose of the pilot.
If the weather is cold, for example, minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, the computer will make the wrong conclusion and report that the batteries are damaged, often resulting in interruption of missions.
If the F-35 flies at supersonic speed, it causes extensive damage to the walls of the aircraft – blisters, cracks and damage to the wall integrity.
After performing certain maneuvers, the F-35B and F-35C pilots are not always able to fully control the pitch, roll and yawn of the aircraft.
If the F-35A and F-35B blow off a landing tire, the impact could also pull out both hydraulic lines and risk losing the aircraft.
The specially designed helmet sometimes shows the so-called. “Green glow” on the helmet monitor, which blurs the overall graphics and picture and causes problems both in piloting and landing.
Optical sensors and night vision sights often render green streaks when the starlight is low.
The specially designed sea or water search radar does not give an overall picture, but a very small part, which often makes it difficult for pilots to find and land on an aircraft carrier in the ocean.
Lack of traction in the engines if the aircraft is flown vertically on a hot day. The difficult landing is dictated by the fact that the jet of air is not maintained at acceptable limits.
“Cul-de-sac” or No exit road
In April 2021, Charles Brown, Chief of General Staff of the US Air Force, said that the F-35 is like a sports Ferrari – you don’t go to work with it all day, but only on Sundays, and not everyone.
The problems of the F-35 are complex. But the main problem is upgrading technology during production. I.e., when a problem is identified, the manufacturer must return those already manufactured to correct the problem, which significantly exceeds the maintenance costs of the aircraft itself. But you can’t leave an already manufactured aircraft with an existing issue discovered during the production of a new version.
The worst is not over – it is coming. Although the plane showed poor results, despite all the problems known to be criticized, “killing these flocks” is impossible. Why? The F-35’s lobby.
Hawaii and North Dakota are the only states that do not have senators lobbying on Lockheed Martin’s behalf. You don’t cut the branch you’re sitting on, do you?
https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2022/01/28/shocking-photos-us-f-35c-lightning-ii-jets-covered-in-rust/