Tongdao Think Tank 2024-01-10 11:30 Published in Heilongjiang.
According to a recent report by the Air Force Technology Network, the U.S. Department of Defense has launched F-35A, B and C fighter jets to fly to various branches of the U.S. military for on-site activation.
Field activation refers to the process of delivery of systems and equipment to field combat units. On January 4, 2024, the Pentagon submitted a $1$100 million contract modification to provide "on-site activation and hardware requirements." This involves on-site activation of training equipment, as well as contract management, planning, and readiness reviews.
By the end of 2023, both Moody Air Force Base in Georgia and the 173rd Fighter Wing based on Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base in Oregon hosted Field Activation Task Forces (SATFs) and invited experts to jointly assess and assess multiple areas of these military sites.
Last year, Canada finalized a deal for 88 F-35A fighter jets, while the Belgian Air Force took delivery of the first batch of its 58 F-35A fighter jets in December.
The U.S. Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on May 30, 2023, which found that the Department of Defense refused to take important steps to evaluate the development of the world's leading combat aircraft. The plan is now over the decade under the timeline and exceeds the original cost estimate of $183 billion.
In addition, GAO also found that the Block 4 upgrade would prove to be very unsustainable, which would lead to limitations on future capabilities for aircraft use. In the face of this excessive bailout deficit, further deployment of platforms will lead to further costs and delays without proper survivability.