Of Davide Bartoccini
Off Okinawa, The F35 B of the marines tilt the afterburners, they make their engines roar and jump from the little one bridge of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp. The goal is always the same: demonstrate America's boundless military power to potential adversaries in the Pacific region. And there North Korea it's always first on the list.
Despite the apparent quiet, a week before the start of the usual joint exercises with the South Korean ally (Foal Eagle e Key Resolve), the United States expressed its strength by showing off its latest weapon. The fifth generation fighter-bomber F35 Lightning II in its Stvol version –Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing – performed in a take-off and landing exercise which certified the operation and offensive capacity even if launched from a naval carrier that could cross off the coast of the Korean peninsula.
Despite the delicate diplomatic phase crossed by the two countries – who are awaiting a historic meeting between the President of the United States Donald Trump and the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un – USMC stealth fighters have demonstrated for the first time that they can take off and land in the middle of the Pacific from the tiny deck of the LHD Wasp without any problem. The F35s, who have already participated in intimidating exercises in response to the ballistic tests ordered by the dictator Kim by taking off Japanese land bases, they are mentioned as the main strategic "advantage" held by the USA in the theoretical conflict that could break out with North Korea. Their stealth capabilities would allow them to remain undetected by Pyongyang's radars, which would not be able to intercept them with its own anti-aircraft defenses, therefore to slow down or stop in any way the "strikes" launched on ballistic missile launch platforms or any other military installation (even if it wasn't them, the F35s, the first to strike according to strategic plans).
Despite the doubts repeatedly raised regarding the effective operation of the F35 carrier as an aerial platform - especially as an embarked aerial platform - the USA wanted to demonstrate for the first time that their new fighters are perfectly capable of taking off and landing from the small deck of the Wasp, which will take part in the joint exercises scheduled for 1 April. “This is a historic development, an essential link between the capabilities of the F35 and the USS Wasp, which significantly increases the strength achievable by our Navy and Marines,” said Rear Admiral Brad Cooper, now aboard the USS Wasp.
The F35s are really ready to strike?
The most expensive aircraft ever made in history, with a program that will end up costing taxpayers over a trillion dollars, it is criticized by military analysts from all over the world for the avalanche of critical issues encountered during its long development. The same Pentagon reports found this up until last October 263 high-priority performance deficiencies- among these we find the difficulty in maintaining the embarked aircraft to maintain their 'stealth' capabilities. Among the problems listed, the serious defects linked to night vision systems, you have pilot helmets, to ejection seats and so on. According to expert Dan Grazier of the US non-profit organisation, Project on Government Oversight (Pogo), any statement expressed by the US Defense regarding the real operation of the F35 would be "demonstrably false". They should only be regarded as “Expensive Prototypes”. But Navy leaders disagree, saying all critical issues have been resolved. “These F35s are combat ready: if we were to use them in combat today, they are ready for take-off", Rear Admiral Cooper stated clearly.
A problem shared with allies
The much talked about F35 multi-role fighters are not an exclusively American problem; purchased from UK, Japan, Israel, Italy and soon perhaps from Germany and India, their shortcomings and problems continue to echo in every analysis that appears in the press. South Korea also recently placed an order 40 F35 unit in version A: decision that greatly irritated its cousin North Korea, defined on an article launched by the government-controlled news agency KCNA: “A dangerous move against the exceptional atmosphere of reconciliation”.
The F35s in the B version
The Joint Strike Figther - 5th generation trapezoidal wing single-seat multi-role fighter with stealth capability - configured in the 'B' variant, have been specifically developed for Stovl take-off - short takeoff/vertical landing - unlike common carrier-based fighters designed to be launched from catapults and recovered by the Catobar -Catapult Assisted Take Off But Arrested Recovery system . On paper the F35B reached operational capability in July 2015, when the U.S. Marine Corps immediately deployed a squadron of them to the Iwakuni Air Base, in Japan, engaging them in various demonstration exercises in the airspace on the border with North Korea. The Stovl variant has a lower fuel capacity than the F35A; is armed with a Gau/22A da 25 mm con 220 shots in an external pod, two internally housed air-to-air missiles and 7.500 kilograms of capacity for GBU and JDAM ammunition to also be transported on 6 under the pylon. The F35Bs are the same version intended to be embarked on the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
