The F-35A is destined for the Middle East, though not anytime soon, according to a key Air Force officer.
“It’s planned for a few years out, it’s not going to happen this year,” outgoing Air Combat Command (ACC) chief Gen. Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle told reporters Friday at a Defense Writers Group breakfast in Washington, referring to U.S. operations of the stealth fighter. “We’ll have to see how our testing goes.”
In December Israel took delivery of two F-35s of a planned 50 aircraft buy.
Carlisle said the F-35A conventional variant would work well in the Middle East as the region’s threat environment is complex and dense. He said some of the F-35’s attributes that would work well there include its ability to penetrate dense surface-to-air threats, situational awareness and electronic attack.
Carlisle expects the F-35A to participate in operations, just like the F-22. The F-35 is also destined for Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions, Carlisle said. Carlisle said capacity challenges are also driving the F-35 toward the Middle East. He said every aircraft he has will rotate through the areas of responsibility (AOR).
Carlisle also endorsed increasing the F-35’s buy rate. The Pentagon is currently negotiating the next lot of F-35s, Lot 11. Carlisle said he retires March 10. The F-35 is developed by Lockheed Martin [LMT] with subcontractors BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman [NOC].