On 12 December 2016 the first F-35A landed in Amendola, the Apulian base thus became the first in Europe to receive the new Lockheed Martin aircraft.
As is known, the Monti government (Minister of Defense Di Paola) cut the number of F-2012 products in 35, bringing them to the total number of 90 machines (compared to an initial requirement of 131), of which 60 F-35A and 30 F -35B (15 AM + 15 MM).
However, the acquisition of version B by the Air Force appears completely unjustified.
We remind our readers that the F-35B is the only 5th generation aircraft with STOVL (Short Take Off and Vertical Landing) capability currently on the market, so it was a forced choice to replace the AV-8B HARRIER II Plus which equips the Navy Flight Group.
The Air Force also wanted to acquire the F-35B in order to have an aircraft that could operate from short runways. Given the meager defense budgets, this decision could not fail to penalize the fixed-wing component of the Navy.
Limiting the number of aircraft assigned to the Navy to 15 would mean having operational no more than 8/10 F-35B, an excessively small number for the needs of the fleet. In addition, the Air Force will make use of a version with lower performance than the F-35A, as the B version has strong limits in the internal armament hold (condition that obliges to carry a greater number of external armament thereby increasing the radar signature) and, due to the reactor placed vertically (1.200 kg of mass), which serves only for take-off and landing, autonomy is lower (over 500 km!) than versions A and C.
In addition, the F-35B has higher costs than the A version and cannot mount the GAU-22 / A 25 mm 4-barrel rotating gun.
So the Air Force wants to acquire an aircraft of which it has no operational need (the runways are certainly not lacking), which has lower operating capabilities than other versions and that he has a higher price than version A.
On the other hand, our Navy will find itself short of aircraft, although, shortly, it will be able to count on another platform, such as the amphibious assault ship Trieste.
Photo: US Marine Corps (USS America amphibious assault ship shown)
