Spain Drops F-35 Plans, Looks to European Alternatives
Despite the need to modernize, Spain shelves F-35 plans, leaving its Navy without a STOVL replacement.
Story: theaviationist.com/2025/08/06/s...
Despite the need to modernize, Spain shelves F-35 plans, leaving its Navy without a STOVL replacement.
Story: theaviationist.com/2025/08/06/s...
Spain Drops F-35 Plans, Looks to European Alternatives
Despite the need to modernize, Spain shelves F-35 plans, leaving its Navy without a STOVL replacement. The purchase of F-35 Lightning II aircraft, the
theaviationist.com
August 6, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Spain Drops F-35 Plans, Looks to European Alternatives
Despite the need to modernize, Spain shelves F-35 plans, leaving its Navy without a STOVL replacement.
Story: theaviationist.com/2025/08/06/s...
Despite the need to modernize, Spain shelves F-35 plans, leaving its Navy without a STOVL replacement.
Story: theaviationist.com/2025/08/06/s...
BREAKING: Japan plans to cancel purchase of 42 F-35Bs, will purchase 42,000 taketonbos instead for STOVL capability.
March 15, 2025 at 8:24 PM
BREAKING: Japan plans to cancel purchase of 42 F-35Bs, will purchase 42,000 taketonbos instead for STOVL capability.
USMC F-35B of VMX-1 (Yuma) on final for Pt. Mugu, August 2022 #USMC #Greyflag #STOVL #VTOL #F35B #Mugu #F35 #USAF #aviationphotography #planespotting #AvGeek #spotter #photography #Nikon #aircraft #nikonphotography
December 24, 2024 at 6:04 PM
USMC F-35B of VMX-1 (Yuma) on final for Pt. Mugu, August 2022 #USMC #Greyflag #STOVL #VTOL #F35B #Mugu #F35 #USAF #aviationphotography #planespotting #AvGeek #spotter #photography #Nikon #aircraft #nikonphotography
The total number of F-35s remains unchanged, but the balance between STOVL F-35Bs and CATOBAR F-35Cs has swung dramatically in the favor of carrier-based F-35Cs 🇺🇸
www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...
www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...
U.S. Marine Corps Reshuffles F-35 Plans In Latest AVPLAN - Naval News
The total number of F-35 remains unchanged, but the balance between STOVL F-35Bs and CATOBAR F-35Cs has swung dramatically
www.navalnews.com
February 4, 2025 at 1:49 PM
The total number of F-35s remains unchanged, but the balance between STOVL F-35Bs and CATOBAR F-35Cs has swung dramatically in the favor of carrier-based F-35Cs 🇺🇸
www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...
www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...
“I’m not like other girls, I use 4 vertical lift engines for STOVL operations”
-Thwarp 2026
-Thwarp 2026
April 5, 2026 at 5:49 PM
“I’m not like other girls, I use 4 vertical lift engines for STOVL operations”
-Thwarp 2026
-Thwarp 2026
F-35B STOVL more like F-35 LGBTQ
April 26, 2025 at 9:11 PM
F-35B STOVL more like F-35 LGBTQ
Royal Air Force F-35B on the downwind leg at Pt. Mugu, August 2023 #F35B #RAF #F35 #STOVL #planespotting #haveglass #aviation #AvGeek #spotter #aviationdaily #photography #nasptmugu #Mugu #ptmugu #nikon #tinkerafb #greyflag #nikonphotography #Z9
March 1, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Royal Air Force F-35B on the downwind leg at Pt. Mugu, August 2023 #F35B #RAF #F35 #STOVL #planespotting #haveglass #aviation #AvGeek #spotter #aviationdaily #photography #nasptmugu #Mugu #ptmugu #nikon #tinkerafb #greyflag #nikonphotography #Z9
Enjoy one wind tunnel photo of this, and one baller pic of a later related 1994 STOVL project
August 3, 2026 at 1:54 AM
Enjoy one wind tunnel photo of this, and one baller pic of a later related 1994 STOVL project
So the F-35 had two core problems:
- the SWAT effort that became necessary to save the -B (STOVL variant)
- concurrency
The original JSF program got its start with a USAF program to replace F-16s and a USN program to replace F/A-18s; combining these wasn't the worst idea post-Cold War
- the SWAT effort that became necessary to save the -B (STOVL variant)
- concurrency
The original JSF program got its start with a USAF program to replace F-16s and a USN program to replace F/A-18s; combining these wasn't the worst idea post-Cold War
September 21, 2025 at 10:00 PM
So the F-35 had two core problems:
- the SWAT effort that became necessary to save the -B (STOVL variant)
- concurrency
The original JSF program got its start with a USAF program to replace F-16s and a USN program to replace F/A-18s; combining these wasn't the worst idea post-Cold War
- the SWAT effort that became necessary to save the -B (STOVL variant)
- concurrency
The original JSF program got its start with a USAF program to replace F-16s and a USN program to replace F/A-18s; combining these wasn't the worst idea post-Cold War
The USMC also had a program for a Harrier replacement, and looping that into what eventually became the JSF was where the wheels started to fall off
The short version of a very long story is that Boeing's X-32 just straight up couldn't do STOVL
Meanwhile the X-35 could...with a catch
The short version of a very long story is that Boeing's X-32 just straight up couldn't do STOVL
Meanwhile the X-35 could...with a catch
September 21, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The USMC also had a program for a Harrier replacement, and looping that into what eventually became the JSF was where the wheels started to fall off
The short version of a very long story is that Boeing's X-32 just straight up couldn't do STOVL
Meanwhile the X-35 could...with a catch
The short version of a very long story is that Boeing's X-32 just straight up couldn't do STOVL
Meanwhile the X-35 could...with a catch
RAF SUNDAY!!!!!! Royal Air Force F-35B ZM138 on the downwind leg at Pt. Mugu, August 2023 #F35B #RAF #F35 #STOVL #cvvhrn #aviation #AvGeek #spotter #aviationdaily #photography #nasptmugu #Mugu #ptmugu #nikon #tinkerafb #greyflag #nikonphotography #Z9
December 15, 2025 at 3:41 AM
RAF SUNDAY!!!!!! Royal Air Force F-35B ZM138 on the downwind leg at Pt. Mugu, August 2023 #F35B #RAF #F35 #STOVL #cvvhrn #aviation #AvGeek #spotter #aviationdaily #photography #nasptmugu #Mugu #ptmugu #nikon #tinkerafb #greyflag #nikonphotography #Z9
The extra weight wouldn't have been a huge issue for the -A (air force) and -C (Navy) variants, but they were an existential threat to the -B's STOVL capability
DoD (stupidly) wasn't willing to budge on that requirement, so LM had to initiate a crash weight loss program
DoD (stupidly) wasn't willing to budge on that requirement, so LM had to initiate a crash weight loss program
September 21, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The extra weight wouldn't have been a huge issue for the -A (air force) and -C (Navy) variants, but they were an existential threat to the -B's STOVL capability
DoD (stupidly) wasn't willing to budge on that requirement, so LM had to initiate a crash weight loss program
DoD (stupidly) wasn't willing to budge on that requirement, so LM had to initiate a crash weight loss program
This was known as SWAT (STOVL Weight Attack Team)
They accomplished their goal, but in the process they had to make compromises that kneecapped the other variants and further complicated development timelines
www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-ma...
They accomplished their goal, but in the process they had to make compromises that kneecapped the other variants and further complicated development timelines
www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-ma...
Weight Watchers
How a team of engineers and a crash diet saved the Joint Strike Fighter.
www.smithsonianmag.com
September 21, 2025 at 10:00 PM
This was known as SWAT (STOVL Weight Attack Team)
They accomplished their goal, but in the process they had to make compromises that kneecapped the other variants and further complicated development timelines
www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-ma...
They accomplished their goal, but in the process they had to make compromises that kneecapped the other variants and further complicated development timelines
www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-ma...
Ditto pointlessly ditching CATOBAR for ski jumps thereby abrogating any interoperability with allied carrier aircraft that aren't STOVL
September 29, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Ditto pointlessly ditching CATOBAR for ski jumps thereby abrogating any interoperability with allied carrier aircraft that aren't STOVL
OK so hear me out: Convert the Independence class to angled deck pocket carriers for STOVL aircraft like the F-35 & V-280.
Hey @unavaleable.bsky.social and @gigansprogress.bsky.social behold angled flight deck Commencement Bay CVEs
July 17, 2025 at 2:24 PM
OK so hear me out: Convert the Independence class to angled deck pocket carriers for STOVL aircraft like the F-35 & V-280.
