TR Turkish Air Forces|News & Discussion

Zafer

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Im not a F35 fanboy but we need these jets simple as that even if we cant get them i wont lose sleep over it.
We have conflict of interests with the US, F35 can not be used when the US does not want it to be used.
Would you care to explain how you suggest we use them?
 

Yasar_TR

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F35 may have it’s drawbacks. But they are great planes that will tip the scales to the side of the airforce using them.
Yes, if you do not have the source codes and freedom to integrate your own weapons, it is a drag! It ties you dependent on US origin weapons. But to have a couple of squadrons of them flying, will have many an advantage for our industry and airforce. Countries like Russia and Iran will think twice before they can start sabre rattling. And the technical information flow coming in via these planes will save millions.
ALIS is a negative point which has been addressed and certain remedies have been put in place. Pls. See below.
My only concern with this aircraft is the high cost of maintenance and keeping it operational. Plus the integration of our indigenous weapons being sent to LM to be integrated at outrageous costs, which in itself gives them access to the quirks and weak points of our weapons. If we are confident that we can in time develop means to integrate them ourselves by way of US equivalents (like we do now with JDAM and HGK) , then I don’t really see any reason not to buy them.
 

Zafer

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F35 may have it’s drawbacks. But they are great planes that will tip the scales to the side of the airforce using them.
Yes, if you do not have the source codes and freedom to integrate your own weapons, it is a drag! It ties you dependent on US origin weapons. But to have a couple of squadrons of them flying, will have many an advantage for our industry and airforce. Countries like Russia and Iran will think twice before they can start sabre rattling. And the technical information flow coming in via these planes will save millions.
ALIS is a negative point which has been addressed and certain remedies have been put in place. Pls. See below.
My only concern with this aircraft is the high cost of maintenance and keeping it operational. Plus the integration of our indigenous weapons being sent to LM to be integrated at outrageous costs, which in itself gives them access to the quirks and weak points of our weapons. If we are confident that we can in time develop means to integrate them ourselves by way of US equivalents (like we do now with JDAM and HGK) , then I don’t really see any reason not to buy them.

ALIS is a known feature, how about a host of other manipulations that may be there and you will only know when you are doomed. Like it fires the weapons load without pilot's input upon instruction that its master issues.

F35 is a disaster waiting to happen. A time bomb or worse the embedded enemy in person.

There is no advantage that we can gain over Iran with F35 as we do not need any. And against Russia it is only a trouble as you will be punching above your weight with borrowed weapons.

All we need is our own technology that matches the capabilities of F35 or comes close.
 

Heartbang

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ALIS is a known feature, how about a host of other manipulations that may be there and you will only know when you are doomed. Like it fires the weapons load without pilot's input upon instruction that its master issues.
like firing the weapon payload without opening the weapon bay doors, obliterating the enemy aircraft and its pilot to a crisp.

no wonder the french and the germans are keeping the f35's at an arms length. ALIS is the mother of all killswitches.
 

Yasar_TR

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ALIS is a known feature, how about a host of other manipulations that may be there and you will only know when you are doomed. Like it fires the weapons load without pilot's input upon instruction that its master issues.

F35 is a disaster waiting to happen. A time bomb or worse the embedded enemy in person.

There is no advantage that we can gain over Iran with F35 as we do not need any. And against Russia it is only a trouble as you will be punching above your weight with borrowed weapons.

All we need is our own technology that matches the capabilities of F35 or comes close.
If you want to be paranoid about it, then we shouldn’t buy any planes whatsoever from US.
We all know that the indigenous way is the way to go.
But do not forget that every single technical advance we managed up till now, has it’s roots at the Western know how given to us and western tech we either purchased or given.
The reason we are confident that we can build jet engines is because of GE and TEI partnership. Because GE and P&W give us parts to produce. And give us technology and machines that can produce those parts. (Even M Aksit praises GE for the help they have given us). The reason we are building TFX is because US helped us produce F16 first, then gave us work to produce parts of F35. There may be many gaps in the technology. This, we can fill in with our current level of technical capability. But the root knowledge we have, comes from our relation with western companies. Aselsan produces radar parts and complete radars because of Thales work they do. Roketsan have been party to joint development of many missiles producing missiles like ESSM etc. In short we did not have to reinvent the wheel.
There were paranoid statements made when we were buying F16s. They said US would switch off the engines or stop them from firing missiles. US doesn’t need a kill switch to cripple your planes. All they need to do is stop supplying key parts and your entire fighter fleet becomes junk on the ground. (See Iran and their f14 fleet.)
Please read my post again; I am not saying we must buy the 100+ planes we originally contracted to buy. But we need our foot in the door to have access to western tech. To do that we need to purchase may be a couple of squadrons of planes like F35 that are innovative and has ground breaking tech on board.
But I have to reiterate that TFX is the must and non negotiable project of this country. It is above politics and is the way to our military freedom.
 
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Tornadoss

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What boggles my mind if they remotely control the aircraft, why would deny US to get F-35, considering S-400 issue is an excuse. Wouldn't it much simpler for them if they would sell us F-35? So Turkey wouldn't try to get any alternative, US companies would gain billions of dollars, and in case want to cripple Turkey, just switch off F-35. Done. Now, as Turkey didn't get any other plane, we are just crippled.
 

Zafer

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But do not forget that every single technical advance we managed up till now, has it’s roots at the Western know how given to us and western tech we either purchased or given.

On the flip side every single shortcoming we had in technology has its roots in the fact that it is the west that have prevented us from developing our own. We lost the many decades in development just because of that west.

Once we felt a degree of freedom to develop we have developed quite a lot. There are things that we can teach now to our former teachers like TEI developed 100+ processes to make better parts.

You can not discount the fact that at a critical moment in a conflict a single glitch caused by an interrupting hand can determine the fate of a nation ruining many decades long progress.

We only need to make faster progress to leave such discussions behind.
 

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