Mainly they will concern the flight deck, which will have to be lengthened to allow the take-off of the aircraft, and the covering that will be implemented with a material resistant to the heat emitted by the F136 propulsion system.
This, in fact, concludes the diatribe on the purchase of US-made fighters, where Italian industries, with investments of over 2 billion, participate in the second level of production.
The F-35, from the first tests, seems to be vulnerable to lightning and this would degrade it operationally, relegating it no longer to hunting every time. Following the Pentagon reported a very serious malfunction to the helmet display, which would not indicate the exact artificial horizon and in some cases the image would even disappear. But it has a unique navigation system: it is called "sensor fusion", a series of cameras, placed in various points of the aircraft's fuselage, interact with others such as the IRST or ESM, and transmit total awareness to the pilot. of the external environment.
It remains valid, therefore a compromise on the number of F-35s to be purchased, naturally with the knowledge that they must be made operational, therefore limiting them to the quantity necessary to replace the Harriers, in the hope that they will be sufficient to meet the Italian commitments in the international field, increasing the projection of strength and guaranteeing the coverage of the military commanded in land operations.
In conclusion, in a framework of strategic alliances and economic dynamics at global level, the F-35, although full of defects, seems to be the only solution to recover the ground lost by the Navy Aviation in the present and future commitments of the team Italian military to guarantee and support democracy and freedom in the world.
Giovanni Caprara
(photo: Lockheed Martin)
