Pretty much everyone else uses the drogue and boom system. The tanker unspools a flexible hose with a drogue at the end. The fighter extends its own, onboard probe and flies it into the drogue basket at which point fuel is transferred. This is the system used by the US Navy and the US Marine Corps. As the USN and USMC are intended to be the second and third largest user of the F-35, does anybody in his right mind think Lockheed would leave them with an aircraft they can't refuel.
Just to set the record straight, here is a pic of an actual F-35 successfully refueling with the drogue & probe system.
Yeah, that's right. It's an F-35, the same airplane that supposedly can't do this. Better still, in case you suspect that photograph is faked, here's the video:
There is no shortage of deficiencies that make the F-35 unsuitable for Canada. Refueling isn't one of them.
3 comments:
My issue isn't whether the F-35 is capable of probe and drogue, but whether that capability is optional, like power windows on a car or data package on a mobile phone. If so, and knowing our Cons, they'd only ever voice the lower possible costs. And observing LM's sales strategy and desperate need to sell the albatross they'd want to make the configurations as optional as possible.
Hi Boris. If anything this mode of refueling will be standard. The US Navy, the USMC and each of the nine "partner" nations use only probe & drogue refueling. The USAF is the exception.
Now if only we had a ship that could carry the planes to a warzone...
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