Page 5 - May 2019

Cover Story

The F-35 will enable partner countries to operate
the same aircraft with all the evident advantages
that brings in terms of interoperability, training,
and logistics. Photo SGT Christopher Dickson

programme, the precursor to the F-35: degrees, in the design, building and environment through the significantly
the US; the UK; Australia; Canada; testing of the aircraft. This was a unique enhanced surveillance, command and
Italy; The Netherlands; Norway; Turkey; element of the programme that helped control, and information sharing that
and Denmark. Three others committed maintain domestic hi-tech military fifth-generation capabilities provide.
through Foreign Military Sales: Israel; industries. However, most of the air forces
Japan; and South Korea. As the However, the F-35 programme acquiring the F-35 have equally begun
most expensive military development and the cooperative and industrial to realize that having a fifth-generation
and procurement plan in history, the advantages it confers are, as described aircraft does not merely equate to
F-35 has attracted a great deal of above, more than the next-generation having a fifth-generation capability
controversy since the development platform conceived at the outset of as defined above. It also compels
contract was signed in November 1996. the JSF programme. It represents a air forces to integrate and network
From its conception, the JSF was to commitment by the partner air forces with land and maritime forces in an
be an international co-development to exploiting a range of new, highly unprecedented way – next-generation
programme, a decision that was driven advanced capabilities that constitute air forces will require next-generation
by a number of factors. All of the a step change in the gathering, joint forces.
partners were either NATO countries processing and sharing of information,
and/or close US allies, and there was, particularly in contested environments. Implications for F-35
from the outset, a clear imperative for Indeed, it is the recalibration of strategic Partners of Integrating
interoperability and interconnectivity and operational thinking that has
in coalition-based air operations. The been driven by the requirement to Fourth- and Fifth-
partners had been operating a range operate in those increasingly contested Generation Fighters
of different platforms of varying levels environments, and against near-peer
of capability, and the F-35 enabled adversaries, which has proved so F-35 production is now firmly
them to operate the same aircraft with persuasive in winning the argument underway. This puts considerable
all the evident advantages that brings for the fifth-generation partners. It pressure on those partner countries
in terms of interoperability, training, and has required a shift in thinking and a and Foreign Military Sales customers
logistics, among others. Furthermore, reconceptualization of the conduct of air to prioritize the elements that will
the partners were all involved, to varying operations in the Joint and Combined allow them to realize the full force-

5