Your JSF special (Flight International, 25 November-1 December) was highly informative. Reading between the lines, I deduce the following:
The JSF will be late, overcost and overweight. This is no surprise as almost every modern aircraft, and especially high-tech US aircraft, has been the same.
Only Israel, Japan and the UK will stay with the programme and they will do so for political reasons. Other countries will buy the JSF "off the shelf" much later. The short take-off and landing (STOL) marine version will not see the light of day.
The implications are that there are still opportunities for other manufacturers - Dassault, Eurofighter, MiG, Saab and Sukhoi can expect further sales to fill the gap. The BAE/Boeing Harrier will remain the only STOL/VSTOL aircraft readily available and money spent on low cost upgrades will be well spent.
Rob Wallace Reading, Berkshire, UK
Source: Flight International
