F-35 Article v3

Why Lhe l-33 ls Lhe wrong cholce for Canada and every oLher slngle-alrcrafL alr force.
!"#$%&
1he l-33 ls Lhe wrong cholce for a sole-sourced replacemenL for Canada's aglng Cl-18 flghLers. lL
ls also Lhe wrong cholce for any alr force uslng a slngle plane for all lLs flghLer needs. 1hls ls because of
one slmple facL: lL was never deslgned Lo be used ln such a way. 1he l-33 was deslgned from Lhe very
sLarL Lo be a sLrlke alrcrafL, Lo drop bombs on enemy ground LargeLs. lL was never deslgned Lo be an alr-
Lo-alr combaL powerhouse. lLs alr-Lo-alr combaL ablllLles, as llmlLed as Lhey are, were deslgned for
llmlLed self-defence purposes. lL was never meanL Lo be a fronL-llne alr-Lo-alr flghLer Laklng Super
llankers and Lhe 1-30 head on, LhaL was always meanL Lo be Lhe Lask of Lhe vasLly superlor l-22.
1
Cen.
Mlchael PosLage, head of Alr CombaL Command and a sLaunch supporLer of Lhe l-33 programme, even
admlLLed LhaL "lf l do noL keep LhaL l-22 fleeL vlable, Lhen Lhe l-33 fleeL frankly wlll be lrrelevanL."
2

()*#%$+&
1he uS's plan regardlng Lhe "sLealLh famlly" of alrcrafL was orlglnally raLher senslble, lf
expenslve. 1he l-22 was Lo handle Lhe alr-Lo-alr mlsslons, l-33 was Lo handle Lhe llghL alr-Lo-ground
sLrlke mlsslons, and Lhe 8-2 SplrlL bomber was Lo handle Lhe heavy alr-Lo-ground mlsslons. Powever,
Lhls plan was dealL a serlous, lf noL faLal, blow when Lhe number of l-22s slgnlflcanLly scaled back Lo Lhe
polnL where Lhere are slmply noL enough l-22s Lo meeL Amerlca's alr-Lo-alr needs. Crlglnally, Lhe uSAl
was Lo recelve 730 l-22s. 1haL number was scaled back Lo 381 and Lhen laLer scaled back agaln due Lo
lLs hlgh cosLs. ln LoLal, a mere 186 were produced, of whlch only 123 are lmmedlaLely avallable for
deploymenL.
3
Whlle Lhe l-22 ls cerLalnly a very lmpresslve and capable alrcrafL, Lhe uSAl lacks sufflclenL
numbers Lo adequaLely meeL lLs alr superlorlLy needs and, as a resulL, has had Lo bolsLer lLs numbers
wlLh Lhe vasLly lnferlor l-33.
WlLh Lhe deaLh of Lhe l-22 programme, Lhe uSAl was lefL wlLh a serlous problem. lL had
lnsufflclenL numbers of l-22s Lo meeL lLs alr superlorlLy needs.
4
. 1helr soluLlon, as lnadequaLe as lL was,
was Lo hasLlly rebrand Lhe l-33, Lhelr former alr-Lo-ground sLrlke alrcrafL, as an all-ln-one alr-superlorlLy-
capable flghLer.
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Powever, Lhe l-33 was never deslgned wlLh such a role ln mlnd and ls grossly
lnadequaLe for such use. uSAl chlef of sLaff Cen. Mark Welsh sLaLed LhaL alr superlorlLy was "noL Lhe
orlglnal lnLenL of Lhe l-33 developmenL."
6
8ebrandlng Lhe l-33 as belng capable of alr-superlorlLy
mlsslons ls llke Laklng a mld-range Suv, palnLlng flames on Lhe sldes, and rebrandlng lL as a lormula 1
race car. 1haL's noL Lo say LhaL Lhe l-33 wlll never adequaLely perform lLs orlglnal role as a sLrlke alrcrafL
dropplng bombs on ground LargeLs, buL lL wlll never adequaLely perform lLs new role as a fronL-llne alr-
superlorlLy flghLer.
ln a 2008 8Anu slmulaLlon
7
, Lhe u.S. was Lasked wlLh defendlng 1alwan from a masslve Chlnese
alr and sea aLLack. Whlle Lhe l-22 performed well, lL was noL presenL ln sufflclenL numbers Lo do
anyLhlng oLher Lhan foresLall Lhe Chlnese assaulL. 1haL lefL l-33s Lo conLlnue Lhe flghL, buL were "no

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hLLps://medlum.com/war-ls-borlng/93462ccd6743
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hLLp://www.alrforceLlmes.com/arLlcle/20140202/nLWS04/302020003/Alr-CombaL-Command-s-challenge-8uy-
new-modernlze-older-alrcrafL
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hLLp://nexLblgfuLure.com/2013/08/f33-flghLer-would-be-clubbed-llke-baby.hLml
maLch for Chlnese warplanes" Lo whlch Lhey were consldered "double-lnferlor."
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ln Lhls baLLle, hundreds
of slmulaLed Amerlcan alr crews perlshed and 1alwan fell Lo Chlna."
9

lrom a global perspecLlve, Lhe lack of Amerlcan l-22s and oLher advanced alr superlorlLy alrcrafL
ln WesLern alr forces, should wldespread l-33 procuremenL occurs, wlll be compounded by Lhe u.S.
congress bannlng Lhe l-22's exporL and provldlng Lhe l-33 a near-LoLal monopoly on u.S. flghLer exporLs
and acqulslLlons. CounLrles llke !apan and SouLh korea would [ump on Lhe chance Lo buy Lhe l-22,
provldlng addlLlonal l-22 flghLers Lo Lhe global "WesLern CommunlLy" agalnsL muLual LhreaLs such as
8ussla and Chlna. lnsLead, such counLrles are lefL wlLh only Lhe l-33 lf Lhey wlsh Lo have a "sLealLh"
flghLer ln Lhelr arsenal. 1he WesLern CommunlLy's pracLlcally sole-sourced l-33 collecLlve alr force
presenLs a global securlLy LhreaL as lL means such naLlons wlll lack effecLlve alr-Lo-alr combaL alrcrafL
capable of Laklng on presenL and fuLure 8usslan and Chlnese flghLers.
Powever, counLrles llke !apan and SouLh korea operaLe mlxed fleeLs, do noL lnLend Lo rely solely
on Lhe l-33, and are also developlng Lhelr own sLaLe-of-Lhe-arL flghLers. 1hls approach means LhaL such
counLrles wlll have oLher flghLers Lo compensaLe for Lhe l-33's serlous alr-Lo-alr deflclencles. CounLrles
llke Canada, LhaL lnslsL on operaLlng a slngle-flghLer fleeL, do noL have LhaL opLlon and are lefL wlLh no
opLlons when Lhe l-33 falls Lo geL Lhe [ob done. "1he l-33 ls noL bullL as an alr superlorlLy plaLform," sald
Cen. PosLage. "lL needs Lhe l-22"
10
or oLher alr-superlorlLy flghLer Lo deal wlLh alrborne LhreaLs, Lhe l-33
cannoL perform such mlsslons alone.

,-./ ,0)1* 2345)$363"#* 7%$ 8)$-#%-8)$ 9)**)%"*&
Alr-Lo-alr combaL can largely be dlvlded lnLo Lwo Lypes, alr-superlorlLy and lnLercepLors. 8oLh
are fasL and capable of flylng aL hlgh alLlLudes, alLhough lnLercepLors Lend Lo favour addlLlonal speed
over Lhe LlghL-Lurnlng manoeuvrablllLy of LradlLlonal alr-superlorlLy flghLers. ln Lhe WesLern world,
dedlcaLed lnLercepLors seem Lo have fallen ouL of favour and Lhelr mlsslon overlaps wlLh alr-superlorlLy
and mulLl-role flghLers. 1hus, ln WesLern alr forces, a plane used for alr-superlorlLy mlsslons musL be
fasL, hlghly manoeuvrable, capable of flylng aL hlgh alLlLudes, and carry a flerce arsenal of alr-Lo-alr
weaponry, Lhese are Lhe four requlremenLs for an effecLlve alr-superlorlLy flghLer. 1he l-33 falls Lhree of
Lhese requlremenLs ouLrlghL wlLh Lhe forLh belng under quesLlon due Lo LesLlng resLrlcLlons.
ln Lhls regard, Lhe l-33 ls "an lnferlor combaLanL, serlously ouLclassed by even older 8usslan and
Chlnese [eLs LhaL can fly fasLer and farLher and maneuver beLLer."
11
lL ls a "dog... overwelghL and
underpowered," sald Wlnslow Wheeler, dlrecLor of Lhe SLraus MlllLary 8eform ro[ecL aL Lhe ro[ecL on
CovernmenLal CverslghL ln WashlngLon, u.C.
12
lL has "lnferlor acceleraLlon, lnferlor cllmb [raLe], lnferlor
susLalned Lurn capablllLy [and] lower Lop speed. Can'L Lurn, can'L cllmb, can'L run."
13

:;33<&

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hLLps://medlum.com/war-ls-borlng/3c93d43f86a3
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lL ls noL fasL. 1hls ls Lhe chlef falllng of Lhe l-33, lL ls slow by flghLer [eL sLandards. WlLh a
Lop speed of a mere Mach 1.6.
14
lL ls lnferlor Lo alr-superlorlLy flghLers and even Lhe fourLh
generaLlon sLrlke and mulLl-role flghLers lL ls meanL Lo replace. 1o make maLLers worse, Lhe l-
338 and l-33C models requlre complex manoeuvres Lo acceleraLe Lo Lop speed whlch burns
nearly all of lLs lnLernally sLored fuel, Lhus maklng even Lhls meager speed useless.
13
8y
comparlson, Lrue alr-superlorlLy flghLers can reach above Mach 2. ln a world where speed ls llfe,
Lhe l-33 ls on llfe-supporL.
lor example: 1op speeds of alr superlorlLy flghLers
- Lhe l-22 can reach Mach 2.23
16

-Lhe l-13 can reach over Mach 2.3
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-Lhe LuroflghLer 1yphoon can reach Mach 2
18

1he l-33 ls even slow by mulLl-role and sLrlke flghLer sLandards, Lhe very flghLers lL ls meanL Lo
replace.
lor example: 1op speeds of mulLl-role and sLrlke flghLers
-Lhe l-16 can reach Mach 2
19

-Lhe l-18 C/u can reach Mach 1.8
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-Lhe l-18 L/l can reach Mach 1.8
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-Lhe uassaulL 8afale can reach Mach 1.8
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-Lhe Saab Crlpen can reach Mach 2
23

1he l-33 also compares very poorly Lo Lhe flghLers Lrylng Lo shooL lL down.
lor example: 1op Speeds of 8usslan and Chlnese flghLers
-Lhe Su-27 and lLs derlvaLlves beLween Mach 2
24
and 2.33
23
dependlng
on Lhe varlanL
-Lhe 1-30 Ak-lA can reach Mach 2
26

-Lhe MlC-31 can reach Mach 2.83
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-Lhe !-13 can reach Mach 2.4
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-!-20 and !-31 Lop speeds unknown
8==313$0#)%"&
Coupled wlLh poor Lop speeds ls Lhe l-33's downgraded acceleraLlon. Accordlng
Lo Lhe new relaxed requlremenLs, lL now Lakes Lhe l-33A elghL addlLlonal seconds Lo go
from Mach 0.8 Lo Mach 1.2. 1he l-338 and l-33C's acceleraLlon raLes were also reduced,

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hLLp://www.buslnesslnslder.com/canadas-f-33-declslon-rafale-Lyphoon-super-horneL-grlpen2012-12?op=1
13
hLLp://www.fllghLglobal.com/blogs/Lhe-dewllne/2013/08/f-33b-sea-Lrlals-aboard-Lhe-uss-wasp/
16
AyLon, Mark. "l-22 8apLor". !"# %&#'() *&+,-./, AugusL 2008, p. 73. 8eLrleved: 19 !uly 2008.
17
hLLp://www.alrforce-Lechnology.com/pro[ecLs/f13/
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hLLp://www.af.mll/AbouLus/lacLSheeLs/ulsplay/Labld/224/ArLlcle/104303/f-16-flghLlng-falcon.aspx
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hLLp://www.flghLer-planes.com/lnfo/f18.hLm
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hLLp://www.flghLer-planes.com/lnfo/su27.hLm
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hLLp://www.buslnesslnslder.com/russlan-su-33-ls-Lhe-plnnacle-2013-7?op=1
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hLLp://LheavlaLlonlsL.com/2013/09/03/pak-fa-close/
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hLLp://www.mlllLaryfacLory.com/alrcrafL/deLall.asp?alrcrafL_ld=63
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hLLp://www.avlaLla.neL/oLher/[eL-alrcrafL/chlna/[-13-flylng-shark/
addlng slxLeen seconds and forLy-Lhree seconds respecLlvely.
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"Lvery second counLs"
and "Lhe longer lL Lakes [Lo acceleraLe Lo supersonlc speeds] Lhe more compressed Lhe
baLLle space geLs... LhaL ls noL a good Lhlng."
30

!6;%$#0"=3 %7 :5;3$=$5)*3&
1he l-33 lacks supercrulse, Lhe ablllLy Lo achleve and susLaln supersonlc fllghL
for long perlods of Llme wlLhouL uslng Lhe fuel-consumlng afLerburner. 1hls feaLure ls
sLandard ln currenL generaLlon flghLers such as Lhe l-22
31
, Lhe 1yphoon
32
, Lhe 8afale
33
,
and Lhe Crlpen
34
. Legacy flghLers, such as Lhe l-13, l-16, and l-18 are noL supercrulse
enabled. 1he l-16xL was able Lo achleve supercrulse, buL Lhls parLlcular varlanL never
enLered producLlon.
33

1o make maLLers worse, Lhls feaLure has been sLandard on 8ussla's fourLh
generaLlon flghLers for some Llme, such as Lhe MlC-31 and Su-33
36
, as well as lLs
fearsome flfLh generaLlon flghLer, Lhe 1-30 Ak-lA. 1
1he l-33's lack of supercrulse, coupled wlLh lLs poor Lop speed, make lL
lnadequaLe for alr-Lo-alr combaL. LockeedMarLln clalms LhaL Lhe l-33 can supercrulse
for 130 mlles aL Mach 1.2.
37
Powever, Lhls ls noL supercrulse, Lhls ls llmlLed supercrulse.
130 mlles ls noLhlng by flghLer [eL sLandards, parLlcularly when raclng Lo lnLercepL an
lncomlng LargeL or flee from enemy flghLers. Supercrulse musL be susLalnable for long
perlods of Llme ln order Lo be effecLlve and Lhls someLhlng LhaL Lhe l-33 slmply cannoL
do. lL has no supercrulse capablllLy for pracLlcal purposes.

!6;%$#0"=3 %7 :;33<&
1he l-33's low Lop speed also puLs lL aL a dlsadvanLage when uslng 8eyond-
vlsual-8ange (8v8) mlsslles. 1hls ls because flghLer [eLs rely on hlgh speeds Lo glve Lhelr
mlsslles addlLlonal energy. llylng aL hlgh speeds means LhaL Lhe mlsslle, when flred, ls
already Lravelllng aL Lhe same hlgh speed as Lhe alrcrafL, Lherefore requlrlng less fuel
and Llme Lo achleve lLs maxlmum speed. 1he fasLer Lhe mlsslle ls Lravelllng, Lhe less Llme
Lhe enemy has Lo evade, and Lhe greaLer Lhe llkellhood of a successful klll.
unforLunaLely, 8v8 combaL ls Lhe only area where Lhe l-33 has any chance Lo
successfully engage enemy flghLers and even here lLs capablllLy ls llmlLed.
1here are only Lwo reallsLlc ways ln whlch Lhe l-33 could be effecLlve ln an alr-
Lo-alr engagemenL. 1he flrsL ls Lo deLecL and flre on Lhe enemy uslng 8v8 mlsslles whlle

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hLLp://www.fllghLglobal.com/news/arLlcles/reduced-f-33-performance-speclflcaLlons-may-have-slgnlflcanL-
operaLlonal-381683/
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operaLlonal-381683/
31
AyLon, Mark. "l-22 8apLor". !"# %&#'() *&+,-./, AugusL 2008, p. 73. 8eLrleved: 19 !uly 2008.
32
AyLon, Mark. "klngs of Swlng". !"# %&#'() *&+,-./, key ubllshlng, SepLember 2008, pp. 3867. 8eLrleved: 3 !uly
2011.
33
uesclaux, !acques, Serre, !acques, ed. (14 17 !uly 2003). "M88 2 L4: Advanced new CeneraLlon Lnglne for
8afale MulLlrole llghLer". !0!!102!3 0+,(#+4,"&+4. !"# 4+5 364'( 3/76&)"87 4+5 9:6&)","&+; <-( =(:, >?? @(4#).
uayLon, Chlo: Amerlcan lnsLlLuLe of AeronauLlcs and AsLronauLlcs.
34
hLLp://www.saabgroup.com/en/alr/grlpen-flghLer-sysLem/grlpendenmark/Lhe-grlpen-flghLer/
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hLLp://www.avlasLar.org/alr/usa/general_f-16xl.php
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hLLp://www.webclLaLlon.org/6!6bmCw?l
37
"1he l-35s Race Against Time". Alr lorce AssoclaLlon. 8eLrleved 4 november 2012. "whlle noL Lechnlcally a
"supercrulslng" alrcrafL, can malnLaln Mach 1.2 for a dash of 130 mlles wlLhouL uslng fuel-gulplng afLerburners"
Lhe enemy ls sLlll beyond vlsual range before fleelng. Powever, even Lhls LacLlc ls
exLremely rlsky. uue Lo lLs slow Lop speed, all currenL and fuLure enemy flghLers could
easlly caLch up Lo and shooL down Lhe an l-33, whlch would be largely defenceless due
Lo a lack of any lnLernally sLored WlLhln-vlsual-8ange (Wv8) mlsslles.
38
1he l-33 would
have Lo rely solely on lLs lnLernal gun Lo defend lLself, buL lLs poor manoeuvrablllLy,
dlscussed laLer, puLs lL aL a severe, lf noL faLal, dlsadvanLage.
1he second LacLlc ls for Lhe l-33 Lo plck off enemy flghLers who have declded Lo
flee Lhe baLLle. An enemy flghLer LhaL has spenL lLs mlsslle ordlnance ls largely
defenceless, save for lLs gun. ln such a slLuaLlon, Lhe l-33 could rlsk geLLlng closer. 8uL
even here Lhe l-33 has Lhree key falllngs compounded by Lhe facL LhaL enemy flghLers
carry slgnlflcanLly more mlsslles. 1he flrsL falllng ls LhaL Lhe l-33 cannoL carry enough
mlsslles Lo Lake on enemy flghLers as lL has only four lnLernal hardpolnLs.
39
8y conLrasL,
Lhe Super llanker has fourLeen hardpolnLs.
40
Such a flghLer, brlmmlng wlLh mlsslles,
would noL run ouL of ammunlLlon qulckly and could even flre volleys of mlsslles. 1he l-
33, by conLrasL, cannoL afford Lo mlss lLs flrsL shoL. 1he second falllng ls LhaL Lhe l-33
cannoL carry any Wv8 mlsslles ln lLs lnLernal weapons bay. Lven lf Lhe l-33 was ln range
and had a lock on an enemy flghLer, lL would noL be equlpped wlLh any Wv8 mlsslles
capable of shooLlng lL down and would, agaln, have Lo rely solely on lLs gun, whlch
would be less effecLlve glven Lhe l-33's poor manoeuvrablllLy. 1he Lhlrd falllng ls LhaL all
currenL and fuLure enemy alrcrafL can slmply ouLrun Lhe l-33 Lhanks Lo Lhelr superlor
speed and escape Lo flghL anoLher day
ln boLh Lhese sLraLegles, Lhe l-33's lack of speed, along wlLh lLs oLher falllngs,
whlch are dlscussed laLer, crlpples lLs effecLlveness. 1he slgnlflcance of Lhls llmlLaLlon
can be lllusLraLed by an lncldenL durlng Lhe llrsL Culf War.
41
A palr of lraql MlC23s
aLLacked a group of l-13Cs, buL falled Lo score a klll. 1he l-13Cs pursued Lhe MlC-23s,
buL were unable Lo shooL Lhem down. 1he MlC-23s, due Lo Lhelr superlor speed, slmply
ouLran Lhe l-13Cs and Lhe Len mlsslles Lhey flred.
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1hls lllusLraLes Lhe lmporLance of Lop
speed ln Lerms of survlvablllLy. 8elng able Lo successfully flee Lhe enemy ls [usL as
lmporLanL as belng able Lo successfully klll Lhe enemy. 1he l-33 lacks Lhe LeeLh Lo klll
and lacks Lhe legs Lo run. 1hls also lllusLraLes Lhe lmporLance of baslc performance. Lven
Lhough Lhe lraql MlC-23s were consldered Lechnologlcally lnferlor, Lhey sLlll survlved
because of raw speed. All Lhe Lechnologlcal advanLages ln Lhe world won'L help a flghLer
LhaL slmply doesn'L perform well aL a baslc level. Lven lf Lhe l-33's sensor arrays, daLa
fuslon, helmeL mounLed dlsplay, and oLher Lechnologlcal Lools acLually perform as
lnLended, whlch Lhey have yeL Lo, lL lacks Lhls baslc performance of hlgh speed, maklng
lL, lLs plloL, and soldlers on Lhe ground exLremely vulnerable. lL would be llke Laklng
lapLop lnLo baLLle agalnsL a ColL 43, Lhe ColL 43 wlll always wln.

81#)#5<3&

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Weapons capaclLy and compaLlblllLy dlscussed below under "Arsenal"
39
hLLp://www.globalsecurlLy.org/mlllLary/sysLems/alrcrafL/f-33-specs.hLm
40
Cordon, ?eflm (1999). 38A-&" 38BCD %.4+A(#; !"# 386(#"&#",/ %"E-,(#. London, uk: Alrllfe ubllshlng. lS8n 1-84037-
029-7. pp. 173176.
41
42
ALklnson, 8lck. 2#8)45(; <-( F+,&.5 G"),&#/ &H ,-( I(#)"4+ J8.H K4#. new ?ork: PoughLon Mlfflln Company, 1993.
lS8n 978-0-393-71083-8. pp. 230-231
A flghLer's maxlmum alLlLude ls an lmporLanL capablllLy. 1he hlgher an alrcrafL can fly,
Lhe fasLer lL can go due Lo less alr reslsLance. lL also means LhaL Lhe alrcrafL can achleve fasLer
speeds when golng lnLo a dlve. When engaglng enemy flghLers, a hlgher-flylng alrcrafL can Lrade
alLlLude for speed. Llkewlse, a fasL-flylng alrcrafL can Lrade speed for alLlLude.
Spec-wlse, alLlLude ls Lhe only baslc requlremenL LhaL Lhe l-33 does noL fall mlserably. lL
should be able Lo fly up Lo 60, 000fL
43
, buL Lhls has yeL Lo be achleved due Lo fllghL-LesLlng
resLrlcLlons. 1hus far, lL has been LesLed up Lo 43, 000fL.
44
1o puL Lhls ln perspecLlve, Lhe Crlpen
can fly aL 30, 000fL
43
and Lhe 1yphoon
46
and l-22 can fly aL 63, 000fL.
47
Powever, whlle Lhe l-33
should be able Lo fly aL sufflclenL alLlLudes, Lhls has yeL Lo be achleved even Lhough lL was
supposed Lo be fully operaLlonal and combaL ready by now. 1here ls no guaranLee LhaL Lhe 60,
000fL celllng wlll ever be reached. Lven lf lL ls reached, alLlLude alone does noL sufflclenLly
compensaLe for lLs oLher deflclencles, such as low Lop speed, lack of supercrulse, and llmlLed
payload capaclLy/compaLlblllLy.

90"%35>$0?)1)#+&
Llke Lhe l-33's oLher flaws, lLs lack of manoeuvrablllLy lles ln lLs lnherenL deslgn and
compounded by lLs lack of LhrusL. lLs small wlngs resulLs ln poor wlng-loadlng and Lherefore poor
manoeuvrablllLy comparable Lo Lhe level of a 1960s l-103.
48
lLs wlde, hlgh-drag deslgn means LhaL lL ls
lncapable of generaLlng Lhe excess LhrusL ln order Lo compensaLe. Wlng loadlng refers Lo Lhe welghL of
Lhe alrcrafL dlvlded by Lhe area of lLs wlngs. 1he lower Lhe wlng loadlng raLlo, Lhe greaLer
manoeuvrablllLy Lhe alrcrafL possesses
Wlng Loadlng
-l-22: 313.3kg per square meLre
49

-l-33A: 428kg per square meLre
30

-Crlpen L: 317kg per square meLre
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-1yphoon: 311kg per square meLre
32

-8afale C: 328kg per square meLre
33

-l/A-18L/l Super PorneL: 620kg per square meLre
34

lrom Lhese numbers, lL ls apparenL LhaL dedlcaLed alr-superlorlLy flghLers and alr-superlorlLy-
capable mulLl-role flghLers should have a wlng loadlng [usL over 300kg per square meLre. Powever, Lhe
l-33 and Lhe Super PorneL are noL deslgned for alr-superlorlLy as Lhelr prlmary mlsslon and Lhus have
very hlgh wlng loadlng numbers. 1hey are, aL hearL, sLrlke flghLers. SLrlke flghLers are deslgned Lo carry
bombs, noL pull LlghL, fasL, hlgh C Lurns. 1he alrcrafL wlLh wlng loadlng numbers of alr-superlorlLy
flghLers such as Lhe 1yphoon can manoeuvre slgnlflcanLly beLLer Lhan alrcrafL wlLh hlgh wlng loadlng
numbers, such as sLrlke flghLers llke Lhe l-33.

43
hLLp://elpdefensenews.blogspoL.ca/2013/12/more-on-f-33a-alLlLude.hLml
44
hLLp://defenseLech.org/2012/02/23/f-33-LesL-updaLe/
43
46
hLLp://www.ausLrallanherald.com/lndex.php/sld/213033693/scaL/c08dd24cec417021
47
hLLp://webavlaLlon.webs.com/f22rapLor.hLm
48
hLLp://www.pogge.ca/archlves/003232.shLml
49
hLLp://defenselssues.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/ls-Lhe-f-22-really-superlor-Lo-all-oLher-flghLer-alrcrafL/
30
hLLp://defenselssues.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/f-33s-alrL-Lo-alr-capablllLy-or-lack-Lhereof/
31
hLLp://defenselssues.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/saab-grlpen-analysls/
32
hLLp://www.armedforces-lnL.com/pro[ecLs/euroflghLer_Lyphoon.hLml
33
hLLp://defenselssues.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/f-33s-alr-Lo-alr-capablllLy-or-lack-Lhereof/
34
hLLp://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/man/uswpns/alr/flghLer/f18.hLml
1hrusL-Lo-welghL raLlos also ls Lhe amounL of LhrusL dlvlded by Lhe welghL of Lhe alrcrafL. A hlgh
LhrusL Lo welghL raLlo means LhaL Lhe alrcrafL produces a large amounL of LhrusL compared Lo lLs welghL.
A low LhrusL Lo welghL raLlo means LhaL Lhe alrcrafL produces llLLle LhrusL compared Lo lLs welghLs. Alr-
superlorlLy flghLers have hlgh LhrusL Lo welghL raLlos because lL means Lhey have exLra LhrusL Lo
malnLaln speed when maklng LlghL manoeuvres.
1hrusL-Lo-welghL raLlos
-l22: 1,2
33

-l-33A: 0.83
36

-Crlpen 0.94,
37

-1yphoon: 1,18
38

-8afale: 1,13
39

-l/A-18L/l Super PorneL: 0,93
60

Agaln, a paLLern emerges. Alr-superlorlLy flghLers such as Lhe l-22 and 1yphoon have hlgh
LhrusL-Lo-welghL raLlos whereas sLrlke flghLers, such as Lhe l-33A and Super PorneL, have low LhrusL-Lo-
welghL raLlos. Alr-superlorlLy flghLers requlre large amounLs of LhrusL ln order Lo sLay nlmble ln Lhe alr.
1he l-33, however, lacks such LhrusL. 1he l-33's deflclencles all compound one anoLher, Lhus maklng a
flghLer LhaL ls worse Lhan Lhe sum of lLs parLs.
1he l-33 deslgn also lacks Lhe feaLures LhaL oLher flghLers employ. llghLers such as Lhe l-22, Su-
33, and 1-30 use vecLored LhrusL ln order Lo produce enhanced manoeuvrablllLy. llghLers such as Lhe
Crlpen, 8afale, and 1yphoon all use canards coupled wlLh Lall-heavy and lnherenLly unsLable deslgns LhaL
greaLly lncrease manoeuvrablllLy and are managed by fllghL-conLrol compuLers. 1hree-dlmenslonal
LhrusL vecLorlng as been rumoured Lo be a feaLure LhaL wlll be added Lo 1ranche 1hree 1yphoons,
addlng Lo lLs already lmpresslve manoeuvrablllLy.
61
Such feaLures can add Lo Lhe nlmbleness of a flghLer
ln Lhe alr and can also help compensaLe for poor wlng-loadlng or LhrusL-Lo-welghL numbers. 1he only
varlanL of Lhe l-33 Lo employ any such feaLures ls Lhe l-338 wlLh lLs LhrusL vecLorlng. Powever, Lhe l-
338 uses llmlLed LhrusL vecLorlng ln order Lo faclllLaLe lLs shorL-Lake-off-verLlcal-landlng (S1CvL) ablllLy
and provldes no use ln combaL manoeuvres because LhrusL can only be vecLored 90 degrees sLralghL
down. 1hls need for S1CvL ln Lhe l-338 also means Lhe l-33 does noL and cannoL use an lnherenLly
unsLable deslgn Lo lncrease manoeuvrablllLy. 8ecause Lhe l-33 seeks Lo malnLaln commonallLy, all Lhree
l-33 models have had Lhelr manoeuvrablllLy crlppled by Lhe severe deslgn compromlses LhaL have been
made ln order Lo make Lhe l-338 model achleve S1CvL. ln Lerms of lLs ablllLy Lo manoeuvre, Lhe l-33 ls
Lhe worsL flghLer Canada could opL for. Cne 1yphoon LesL plloL sald Lhere ls "no way an l-33 wlll ever
maLch a 1yphoon flghLer [eL ln aerlal combaL."
62

lf poor wlng-loadlng and LhrusL-Lo-welghL numbers were noL bad enough, Lhe u.S. ueparLmenL
of uefence has had Lo conslsLenLly lower Lhe l-33's performance requlremenLs ln order Lo meeL Lhe
slgnlflcanL llmlLaLlons of Lhe alrcrafL. lor example, Lhe l-33A's susLalned g's raLlng was reduced from 3.3
susLalned Cs Lo 4.6 susLalned Cs.
63
1he l-338 was lowered from 3 susLalned Cs Lo 4.3 susLalned Cs and
Lhe l-33C was reduced from 3.1 susLalned Cs Lo 3 susLalned Cs. 1o puL Lhls ln perspecLlve, Lhe l-33's

33
hLLp://www.defenceLalk.com/comparlson-of-modern-flghLer-alrcrafL-17086/
36
37
hLLp://www.defesaneL.com.br/grlpen/noLlcla/7669/C8lLn---A-LlckeL-Lo-Lhe-fuLure/
38
39
60
hLLp://www.avlaLla.neL/versus/euroflghLer-vs-super-horneL/
61
hLLp://www.fllghLglobal.com/news/arLlcles/euro[eL-pushes-LhrusL-vecLorlng-Lechnology-for-Lyphoon-333301/
62
hLLp://LheavlaLlonlsL.com/2013/02/11/Lyphoon-aerlal-combaL/
63
operaLlonal-381683/
susLalned C performance ls "Lhe equlvalenL of an l-4 or l-3... [lL ls] cerLalnly noL anywhere near Lhe
performance of mosL fourLh and flfLh generaLlon alrcrafL."
64
1hls llmlLaLlon has been descrlbed as "an
embarrassmenL" wlLh "obvlous LacLlcal lmpllcaLlons."
63
AL hlgh alLlLudes, Lhe lnablllLy Lo susLaln hlgh Cs
reduces survlvablllLy of hlgh alLlLude surface-Lo-alr mlsslles (SAMs) and aL low alLlLude makes Lhe alrcrafL
more vulnerable Lo shorL-range SAMS and anLl-alrcrafL flre.
66

-
@30;%"*&
1he l-33 lacks Lhe LeeLh Lo meeL Lhe alr-Lo-alr LhreaLs or Loday and Lomorrow. 1he menu of
armamenLs for non-sLealLh alrcrafL ls qulLe broad. vlrLually anyLhlng can be loaded under Lhe wlngs or
on Lhe body provlded Lhe alrcrafL has enough LhrusL Lo geL lL off Lhe ground, lncludlng alr-launched
crulse mlsslles. Powever, sLealLh alrcrafL suffer from severe slze resLrlcLlons due Lo Lhe llmlLed space
avallable ln Lhelr lnLernal weapons bays. 1hls llmlLs Lhe slze and number of weapons LhaL can be carrled
lnLernally. Whlle weapons can be mounLed exLernally, Lhls defeaLs Lhe purpose of havlng a sLealLh
flghLer ln Lhe flrsL place. ln Lhe world of alr-superlorlLy, a plloL needs every edge posslble. l-33 plloLs wlll
have Lo sacrlflce addlLlonal weapons ln order Lo maxlmlse whaL dublous sLealLh Lhey have.
1here are Lhree slgnlflcanL falllngs suffered by Lhe l-33 LhaL crlpple lLs alr-Lo-alr capablllLy from a
weapons sLandpolnL. 1he flrsL ls Lhe llmlLed number of weapons lL can carry ln lLs lnLernal weapons bay.
1he l-33 can only carry four mlsslles lnLernally. 1haL ls a laughably small payload, parLlcularly when
compared Lo Lhe l-22 wlLh lLs elghL lnLernal pylons
67
and Lhe 1-30's Len lnLernal pylons.
68
roponenLs
clalm LhaL Lhe l-33's llmlLed lnLernal weapons capaclLy ls redressed by an lncrease ln speed and sLealLh
due Lo "flylng clean," noL carrylng weapons under Lhe wlngs. Powever, Lhe exLra LhrusL generaLed by lLs
compeLlLors compensaLes for Lhe exLra drag, maklng Lhe "flylng clean" speed galns mlnlmal, capped by
an already lnadequaLe Lop speed and poor acceleraLlon as dlscussed above.
1he second falllng ls Lhe llmlLed slze of weapons lL can carry ln lLs lnLernal weapons bay. lor
example, lL cannoL carry Lhe M8uA MeLeor 8v8 mlsslle, Lhe mosL advanced 8v8 mlsslle ln Lhe WesLern
world, as lL slmply does noL flL ln Lhe l-33's lnLernal weapons bay. Clven how heavlly Lhe l-33 wlll have
Lo rely on 8v8 combaL ln order Lo sLand a chance agalnsL modern and fuLure alrborne LhreaLs, lL wlll
need Lhe besL 8v8 weapons avallable. Modlfylng Lhe MeLeor's Lall flns has been proposed, buL no acLlon
has Lhus far been Laken. As such, Lhe l-33 ls only equlpped Lo carry Lhe AM8AAM 8v8 mlsslle. 1he
MeLeor ls Lhe besL 8v8 mlsslle on Lhe markeL and lf Lhe l-33 has Lo do wlLhouL lL wlll furLher lower lLs
already small chances of survlvlng an encounLer wlLh fourLh or flfLh generaLlon enemy flghLers.
1he Lhlrd falllng ls LhaL lL cannoL carry any Wv8 mlsslles lnLernally, such as Lhe Sldewlnder
sLocked by Canada, lLs sLandard alr-Lo-alr load ouL belng four lnLernal AM8AAM 8v8 mlsslles. 1hls
means LhaL lLs only hope so scorlng a mlsslle klll agalnsL an enemy flghLer would be uslng a 8v8 weapon.
WlLhln vlsual range, Lhe l-33's only offenslve capablllLy ls lLs gun, buL Lhe llkellhood of a successful klll
uslng Lhe gun ls llmlLed by Lhe l-33's poor manoeuvrablllLy. Colng lnLo a slLuaLlon wlLhouL Wv8
weapons where enemy flghLers are presenL ls pracLlcally sulcldal.
Cf parLlcular lmporLance ls Lhe l8lS-1 lnfrared Wv8 mlsslle whlch ls capable of lnLercepLlng
lncomlng mlsslles from all dlrecLlons, even from behlnd.
69
1he l8lS-1 wlll become essenLlal for modern

64
operaLlonal-381683/
63
operaLlonal-381683/
66
operaLlonal-381683/
67
hLLp://www.f22flghLer.com/weapons.hLm
68
hLLp://deadlyweapons-army.blogspoL.ca/2011/11/deadly-russlan-sukhol-L30-pak-fa.hLml
69
hLLp://deadlyweapons-army.blogspoL.ca/2011/11/deadly-russlan-sukhol-L30-pak-fa.hLml
WesLern alr forces ln Lhe fuLure, parLlcularly as a counLermeasure for 8ussla's new ALSA radar-gulded
mlsslle whlch cannoL be avolded, llke mosL mlsslles before lL, by maklng a sudden sharp Lurn aL Lhe lasL
second.
70
As such, a fourLh generaLlon flghLer equlpped wlLh Lhe l8lS-1 would have a slgnlflcanLly hlgher
raLe of survlvablllLy due Lo Lhls mlsslle-lnLercepLlon ablllLy.
1he only Wv8 mlsslle Lhe l-33 ls planned Lo be able Lo carry lnLernally ls Lhe AS8AAM l8.
71

Powever, llke Lhe MeLeor, lL has yeL Lo be lnLegraLed or LesLed. arLlcularly Lroubllng ls LhaL only Lhe
8rlLlsh 8Al are llkely Lo use Lhe AS8AAM l8. Clven Lhe l-33's many unresolved lssues, lL wlll llkely be a
long Llme, lf ever, before Lhe AS8AAM or MeLeor are fully compaLlble wlLh Lhe l-33's sysLems. Whlle Lhls
may sllghLly assuage Lhe fears of Lhe unforLunaLe 8Al plloLs who are Lo fly Lhe l-33, lL ls of llLLle comforL
Lo oLher plloLs and alr forces worldwlde. Coupled wlLh Lhelr beLLer base performance and greaLer mlsslle
compaLlblllLy and capaclLy, Lhe very fourLh generaLlon flghLers Lhe l-33 ls meanL Lo replace would have a
beLLer chance agalnsL currenL and fuLure LhreaLs Lhan Lhe l-33.

A)6)#0#)%"* %7 :#301#B&
Powever, even lLs sLealLh advanLage ls hlghly quesLlonable and would llkely offer llLLle
advanLage. SLealLh offers reduced deLecLlon, noL lnvlslblllLy. Lven Lhe l-22, an alr-Lo-alr flghLer so
superlor Lo Lhe l-33 LhaL lL defles comparlson, has been shoL down ln exerclses by non-sLealLhy alrcrafL,
such as Lhe 1yphoon
72
, 8afale
73
, and l-18C "Crowler" LlecLronlc Warfare flghLer.
74
1he l-117 nlghLhawk
was shoL down over Serbla by a SovleL era SAM sysLem
73
as lLs sLealLh dld noL hlde lL from 8AuA8
scannlng ln longer wavelengLhs. 1he l-33 lLself ls noL even parLlcularly sLealLhy by sLealLh sLandards,
recelvlng a Low Cbservable deslgnaLlon lnsLead of Lhe very Low Cbservable ueslgnaLlon of lLs superlor
cousln , Lhe l-22.
76

1he l-33's llmlLed sLealLh ls furLher compromlsed by advances ln deLecLlon Lechnology. lnfrared
and 8AuA8 deLecLlon ls advanclng all Lhe Llme. ln parLlcular, Lhe l-33, as wlLh mosL sLealLh alrcrafL, are
deslgned Lo be sLealLhy ln x-band 8AuA8. Powever, as Lhe Serblans dlscovered, sLealLh alrcrafL are much
more easlly deLecLed when scannlng ln oLher wavelengLhs. 8ussla has already lnLegraLed Lhls lnLo Lhe 1-
30, whlch comes equlpped wlLh L-band and x-band radar.
77
1hus, Lhe l-33's already quesLlonable sLealLh
advanLage ls consLanLly belng eroded. As sLealLh becomes more common, so Loo wlll Lhe advances ln
counLer-sLealLh deLecLlon sysLems speclflcally deslgned Lo hunL Lhem down, such as SMA81-L 8adar.
78

1he l-33 ls also lncredlbly loud, much more so Lhan Lhe l-13. 1hls sharp lncrease ln nolse makes Lhe l-33
more suscepLlble Lo deLecLlon Lhrough audlLory means. 1o make maLLers worse, passlve radar LhreaLens
Lo render sLealLh alrcrafL enLlrely obsoleLe.
79

:3"*%$* 0"< C0#0 ,5*)%"&
Llke alLlLude, Lhe l-33's specs are lmpresslve ln Lerms of sensors and daLa fuslon. WlLh AcLlve-
LlecLronlcally Scanned Array (ALSA) radar, helmeL mounLed dlsplay LlecLro-CpLlcal 1argeLlng SysLem
(LCS1), and ulsLrlbuLed AperLure SysLem (uAS). Powever, Lhere are Lwo large caveaLs LhaL come wlLh
Lhls lmpresslve sensor sulLe. 1he flrsL ls LhaL lL assumes LhaL Lhls sensor sulLe works probably. Clven Lhe

70
hLLps://medlum.com/war-ls-borlng/2a3cd0edf210
71
hLLp://elpdefensenews.blogspoL.ca/2012/08/uk-Lo-have-degraded-alr-defense.hLml
72
hLLp://LheavlaLlonlsL.com/2012/07/13/fla12-Lyphoon-rapLor/#.uM33mku1Lz8
73
hLLp://LheavlaLlonlsL.com/2013/06/19/f-22-shoL-down-by-rafale/
74
hLLp://www.fllghLglobal.com/blogs/Lhe-dewllne/2009/02/growler-power-ea-18g-boasLs-f-.hLml
73
hLLp://www.alrspacemag.com/mlllLary-avlaLlon/shoL-down.hLml
76
hLLp://www.alrforce-magazlne.com/MagazlneArchlve/ages/2012/november202012/1112flghLer.aspx
77
hLLp://LheavlaLlonlsL.com/2013/09/03/pak-fa-close/
78
hLLp://www.radarLuLorlal.eu/19.karLel/karLe306.en.hLml
79
hLLp://www.wlred.co.uk/news/archlve/2012-10/01/radar-deLecLs-sLealLh-alrcrafL
l-33's llsL of Lechnlcal Lroubles Lhls ls a very leglLlmaLe concern. lor example, Lhe sofLware problems
wlLh Lhe u.S. Marlnes l-338 have ralsed Lhe posslblllLy of a LhlrLeen-monLh delay of Lhe 8lock 28
sofLware.
80
1he second ls LhaL slmllar, Lhough admlLLedly noL as advanced, sysLems are sLandard on
oLher alrcrafL already ln producLlon and have been proven Lo work properly. 1he Crlpen
81
and 8afale
82

boLh boasL ALSA radar and Lhe 1yphoon wlll recelve ALSA radar ln 1ranche 3.
83
All Lhree have helmeL
mounLed dlsplay sysLems
84

83

86
and LlecLro-CpLlcal 1argeLlng SysLems (LC1S).
87

88

89
Whlle proponenLs of
Lhe l-33 would pralse Lhe l-33's sensor sulLe, lL ls noL so slgnlflcanL an lmprovemenL over exlsLlng and
worklng sensor sysLems already deployed on oLher flghLers Lo make a serlous dlfference on Lhe baLLle
fleld. 1hls ls of llLLle comforL slnce Lhese Lechnologlcal lmprovemenLs do noL nearly compensaLe enough
for Lhe l-33's oLher glarlng deflclencles

D3*#)"E A)6)#0#)%"* 0"< F$%?136*&
1he l-33 operaLes under a proLecLlve LesLlng bubble speclflcally deslgned noL Lo push Lhe
alrcrafL Lo lLs llmlLs. Whlle Lhe l-33 has flown a good many hours,
90
lL ls noL belng pushed Lo lLs llmlLs
and has falled lLs orlglnal operaLlonal requlremenLs.
91
lnsLead of deslgnlng Lhe flghLer Lo operaLlonal
requlremenL, Lhe uSAl's soluLlon Lo Lhls problem ls Lo lower Lhe operaLlonal requlremenLs accordlng Lo
Lhe l-33's llmlLaLlons. uesplLe belng seven years overdue, Lhe l-33, as of March 6, 2013, had yeL Lo
-uescend aL raLes more Lhan 6,000fL per mlnuLe
92

-achleve alrspeed above Mach 0.9 (supposed Lo achleve Mach 1.6)
93

-Angle-of-aLLack beyond -3 and +18 degrees (supposed Lo achleve +30)
94

-lly aL nlghL
93

-lly ln weaLher
96

-use slmulaLed weapons
97

80
hLLp://www.buslnesslnslder.com/penLagon-reporL-rlps-f-33-program-2014-1
81
hLLp://www.saabgroup.com/en/Alr/Crlpen-llghLer-SysLem/Crlpen-and-SwlLzerland/1he-Crlpen-SoluLlon/ALSA-
radar/
82
hLLp://www.fllghLglobal.com/news/arLlcles/parls-flrsL-aesa-equlpped-rafale-heads-for-squadron-387296/
83
hLLp://www.defensenews.com/arLlcle/20131120/uLl8LC04/311200029/LuroflghLer-Alms-ALSA-8adar-
ConLracL-by-Mld-2014
84

hLLp://www.baesysLems.com/producL/8ALS_033043?_afrLoop=667491042633000&_afrWlndowMode=0&_afrWln
dowld=uLm&baeSesslonld=x7vcS[81!gv283Ccf[h03snL328C!khl9bgb214hxy9hLx!Cw7s!299132692#403l_afr
Wlndowld3uuLm26baeSesslonld3ux7vcS[81!gv283Ccf[h03snL328C!khl9bgb214hxy9hLx!Cw7s232129913
269226_afrLoop3u66749104263300026_afrWlndowMode3u026_adf.cLrl-sLaLe3u13x712g890_4
83
hLLp://www.defenselndusLrydally.com/frances-rafale-flghLers-au-couranL-ln-Llme-03991/
86
hLLp://www.saabgroup.com/en/AbouL-Saab/newsroom/ress-releases--news/2011---9/PelmeL-MounLed-
ulsplay-SysLem-now-operaLlonal-ln-SouLh-Afrlcan-Alr-lorce/?a7pageld=37437
87
hLLp://www.saabgroup.com/en/Alr/Crlpen-llghLer-SysLem/Crlpen-and-SwlLzerland/1he-Crlpen-SoluLlon/CLher-
sensors/
88
hLLp://www.deagel.com/SLrlke-and-llghLer-AlrcrafL/8afale-C_a000479002.aspx
89
hLLp://www.alrforce-Lechnology.com/feaLures/feaLure1631/feaLure1631-8.hLml
90
hLLp://www.codeonemagazlne.com/f33-hlghllghLs.hLml
91
hLLp://www.wlred.com/dangerroom/2013/02/penLagon-downgrades-[eL-specs/
92
hLLp://www.pogo.org/blog/2013/03/20130306-alr-forces-f-33a-noL-ready-for-combaL.hLml
93
94
93
96
97
-use real weapons
98

-use rapld sLlck or rudder movemenLs
99

-erform alr-Lo-alr Lracklng manoeuvres
100

-erform alr-Lo-ground Lracklng manoeuvres
101

-erform mld-alr refuellng
102

-lly wlLhln 23 mlles of llghLenlng
103

-use elecLronlc counLermeasures
104

-use anLl-[ammlng sysLems
103

-use secure communlcaLlon sysLems
106

-use daLallnk sysLems
107

-use elecLro-opLlcal LargeLlng sysLem
108

-use dlsLrlbuLed aperLure sysLem Lo deLecL LargeLs or LhreaLs
109

-use ldenLlflcaLlon lrlend or loe (lll) sysLem
110

-use helmeL mounLed dlsplay as plloL's prlmary reference
111

-use alr-Lo-alr or alr-Lo-ground radar for LlecLronlc ALLack Mode, Sea Search Mode, Cround
Movlng 1argeLs Mode, or Close-ln Alr CombaL Mode
112

G%*#&
1he cosL of a flghLer ls a vlLal plece of lnformaLlon. 8egardless of a flghLer's capablllLy, lL ls
useless lf lL ls Loo expenslve Lo fly. 1hls ls a lesson Lhe uSAl learned wlLh Lhe l-22 due Lo lLs hlgh lnlLlal
procuremenL and operaLlng cosLs, whlch was Lhe reason for Lhe programme's unLlmely demlse. 8Anu
has reporLed LhaL Lhe l-33's cosLs are so hlgh LhaL lL would have been less expenslve Lo bulld Lhree
separaLe planes, each Lallored Lo Lhe user's speclflc needs.
113
1haL would have been hlghly deslrable as lL
would have meanL LhaL a capable and effecLlve flghLer could have been produced aL all, leL alone aL a
lower prlce Lag. 1he saddesL parL of Lhls flndlng ls LhaL lL defeaLs Lhe reason why Lhe l-33 was developed
Lo begln wlLh, Lo have a low-cosL and effecLlve flghLer. 1o make maLLers worse, Lhe goal of 80
commonallLy beLween Lhe Lhree varlanLs was never achleved, wlLh 2008 esLlmaLes showlng beLween
27 and 43 commonallLy.
114

lnlLlal "llyaway" CosL
113

-l22: $218 mllllon per plane
116

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106
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hLLp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-17/lockheed-f-33-bad-deal-as-one-[eL-for-all-reporL-flnds.hLml
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hLLp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-17/lockheed-f-33-bad-deal-as-one-[eL-for-all-reporL-flnds.hLml
113
SLlcker prlce
-l-33: as of 2014, $188.3 mllllon per plane
117

-Crlpen L: approxlmaLely $30 mllllon per plane
118

-1yphoon: $199 mllllon per plane
119

-8afale C: $94.3 mllllon per plane
120

-l/A-18L/l Super PorneL: $63 mllllon per plane
121

1he sLlcker prlce of a flghLer ls Lhe obvlous flgure Lo place lmporLance on. Powever, when lL
comes Lo flghLer [eLs, Lhe operaLlng cosLs are, ln facL, far more lmporLanL.
CperaLlng CosLs er-lllghL Pour:
-l22: $61, 000
122

-l-33A: $21, 000
123

-Crlpen L: below $3000
124

-1yphoon: $18, 000
123

-8afale C: $16, 300
126

-l/A-18L/l Super PorneL: $11, 000
127

1he Saab Crlpen L ls Lhe clear wlnner ln Lerms of cosLs. AbouL Lhree Crlpen Ls could be boughL
for less Lhan one l-33A. Alr forces could also operaLe four Crlpen Ls for every one l-33A.

,-./H* ,0#01 ,10I&
1he l-33's faLal flaw lles ln Lhe shoehornlng of S1CvL capablllLy lnLo Lhe l-338 model for Lhe u.S.
Marlnes. 1he orlglnal x-33 deslgn had serlous poLenLlal Lo be Lhe flghLer Lhe l-33 clalms yeL compleLely
falls Lo be. 1he l-338 ls Lo Lake off on shorL runways and land verLlcally (S1CvL). Whlle bulldlng a
"unlversal" flghLer Lo meeL all needs ls lncredlbly dlfflculL, Lhe addlLlon of Lhe S1CvL requlremenL added
even more unreasonable expecLaLlons of one deslgn and crlppled Lhe l-33. ln order Lo lncorporaLe
S1CvL capablllLy onLo Lhe l-33 deslgn whlle sLlll malnLalnlng sLealLh, lnLernal weapons bays, and
supersonlc fllghL, severe deslgn compromlses had Lo be made.
1he area behlnd Lhe plloL was reserved for a llfL-fan Lo work ln con[uncLlon wlLh a downward-
swlvelllng rear LhrusL nozzle. ln order Lo lncorporaLe Lhls sysLem, Lhe alrframe had Lo be very wlde, much
wlder Lhan Lhe "area rule," whlch dlcLaLes LhaL a narrow fuselage dellvers Lhe besL aerodynamlcs, would
deem deslrable. 1hls unusual wldLh makes Lhe l-33 experlence hlgher Lhan normal drag whlch
negaLlvely lmpacLs, acceleraLlon, speed, fuel efflclency, and range. 1o make maLLers worse, Lhe llfL-fan
means LhaL Lhe plloL ls unable Lo see behlnd Lhe alrcrafL, a severe dlsadvanLage when engaglng enemy
alrcrafL and a faLal flaw LhaL can and wlll geL plloLs kllled. 1he l-33 aLLempLs Lo compensaLe for Lhls lack
of vlslblllLy by lncorporaLlng a helmeL mounLed dlsplay sysLem LhaL allows Lhe plloL see a vlrLual lmage of
whaL ls around Lhe alrcrafL. Powever, Lhls ls lnadequaLe as lL ls much lower resoluLlon Lhan Lhe human
eye and generally lnadequaLe for deLecLlng dlsLanL or low-conLrasL ob[ecLs. 1o make maLLers worse, Lhls

116
hLLp://defenselssues.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/flghLer-alrcrafL-cosLs/
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hLLp://defenselssues.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/saab-grlpen-analysls/
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hLLp://www.bga-aeroweb.com/uefense/l-18-Super-PorneL.hLml
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123
hLLp://www.defesaneL.com.br/phoLo/saab/cosL_[anes.[pg
124
hLLp://www.defesaneL.com.br/grlpen/noLlcla/7669/C8lLn---A-LlckeL-Lo-Lhe-fuLure/
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126
127
helmeL mounLed dlsplay sysLem, as lnadequaLe as lL ls, ls far from belng ready for LesLlng, leL alone belng
fully funcLlonal and combaL-ready.
128

1he llfL-fan area Lakes up so much space LhaL lL meanL LhaL Lhe plane could only have a slngle
englne, decreaslng maxlmum LhrusL and Lherefore speed and payload capaclLy, whlch would noL
necessarlly crlpple Lhe plane were Lhe l-33 noL so overly heavy.
129
1he S1CvL requlremenL also
necesslLaLed Lhe l-33 have smaller wlngs LhaL provlde less llfL and negaLlvely lmpacL Lhe performance of
Lhe alrcrafL. Worse yeL, Lhese elemenLs of Lhe l-33 cannoL be alLered because lL would decrease Lhe
commonallLy among Lhe Lhree varlanLs and Lhus drlve cosLs even hlgher.
130
1he l-33A and l-33C cannoL
make use of Lhe llfL-fan space for more/blgger lnLernal weapons bays or anoLher englne, lL ls used
slmply as a fuel Lank.
Powever, furLher compromlses had Lo be made ln order Lo lncorporaLe Lhe S1CvL ablllLy deslred
so much by Lhe u.S. Marlnes. 1o keep Lhe alrcrafL llghL enough Lo achleve S1CvL, safeLy equlpmenL was
removed and parLs of Lhe fuselage were made Lhlnner and less durable, maklng all Lhree varlanLs much
more dangerous Lo fly. Accordlng Lo Lhe enLagon, "ellmlnaLlon of 11 pounds' worLh of valves and fuses
made Lhe [l-33] 23-percenL more llkely Lo be desLroyed when sLruck by enemy flre."
131
1he decreased
durablllLy of Lhe alrframe also means LhaL Lhe llfespan of Lhe alrcrafL wlll llkely be much shorLer Lhan lLs
predecessors and conLemporarles, whlch, ln Lhe end, may Lurn ouL Lo be lronlcally deslrable.

G%"=15*)%"& ,0)15$3-./
Any one of Lhe l-33's falllngs by lLself would noL necessarlly, by lLself, render Lhe alrcrafL uLLerly
unflL for alr-Lo-alr combaL. lL ls Lhe comblnaLlon of problems LhaL make lL unflL, each compoundlng Lhe
llmlLs of Lhe oLhers Lo Lhe polnL of LoLal lneffecLualness. lf lL were slgnlflcanLly fasLer and had
supercrulse, Lhen Lhe payload and manoeuvrablllLy llmlLaLlons would be mlLlgaLed. Powever, Lhe l-33's
deflclencles keep addlng up unLll one lncredlbly expenslve and remarkably un remarkable mess remalns.
lL has "lnferlor acceleraLlon, lnferlor cllmb[raLe], lnferlor susLalned Lurn capaclLy...[and] lower Lop speed.
Can'L Lurn, can'L cllmb, can'L run." sald a leaked war game summary by 8Anu, a Lhlnk Lank wlLh close Lles
Lo Lhe uSAl.
132
1he only Lhlng 3Lh CeneraLlon abouL Lhe l-33 ls lLs prlce Lag. Any governmenL purchaslng
Lhe l-33 as a sole sourced flghLer ls reckless wlLh lLs soverelgnLy and Lhe safeLy of lLs soldlers, clLlzens,
and allles and ls wllfully bllnd Lo lLs deflclencles. lor such counLrles, purchaslng Lhe l-33 ls noLhlng shorL
of negllgenL. 1he l-33 ls seven years behlnd schedule and flfLy years behlnd Lhe resL of Lhe flghLer world.
lL doesn'L maLLer how much producLlon lssues lmprove or fllghL LesLlng progresses or cosLs go down. 1he
l-33 was slmply never deslgned Lo flll Lhe alr-superlorlLy role, Lhe u.S. Alr lorce sald as much.
133
lL Lrles
Lo do Loo much and consequenLly falls aL [usL abouL everyLhlng.

Summary of l-33's lallures 1haL Make lL lnadequaLe for Alr-Lo-Alr Mlsslons:
-oor performance
-1oo slow
-Lacks supercrulse
-oor manoeuvrablllLy
-1oo wlde

128
hLLp://defenseLech.org/2013/10/10/penLagon-scraps-alLernaLlve-f-33-helmeL/
129
hLLp://breaklngdefense.com/2013/06/Loo-blg-Lo-fall-f-33-salls-Lhrough-cruclal-senaLe-hearlng/
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133
-1oo heavy
-Wlngs Loo small
-Can only survlve lf weapons carrled lnLernally
-Pas only 4 lnLernal weapons pylons
- CannoL carry M8uA MeLeor 8v8 mlsslle
-CannoL carry any Wv8 mlsslles such as l8lS-1 or Sldewlnder
-lar Loo expenslve
-erforms poorer compared Lo all alrcrafL lL ls meanL Lo replace
-erforms poorly compared Lo all alrcrafL lL may face ln an alr-Lo-alr encounLer
-lallures bullL lnLo deslgn due Lo shoehornlng of v1CL ablllLles for l-338 varlanL and cannoL be
flxed
-l-33 programme seven years overdue
-l33 programme severely over-budgeL

F-35 Article v3

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F-35 Article v3

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Why Lhe l-33 ls Lhe wrong cholce for Canada and every oLher slngle-alrcrafL alr force.

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