You could do it, but why bother?

Interesting blog post here at SNAFU.

Pakistan could  field the F-35 if there was the will.

First, the aircraft really isn't so much "advanced" as it is overly complicated.

Delta-SDD, is an effort built into the F-35 program which gives diplomats and senior decision makers a method to produce different "configurations" based on a non-U.S. country "requirement". While there may only be 3 variants of the F-35, there are certainly several different "configurations". To date, around $800M has been spent on Delta-SDD. ("My JSF is stealthier than yours, or is it?" -Bill Sweetmam)

Kind of explained here:

Nov 15/07: The issue of how to give all F-35 recipients the same fighter, without compromising key American secrets, has always been a tough balancing act. Toward that end, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Ft. Worth, TX received a $134.2 million modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-02-C-3002) to continue the design, development, verification, and test of Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Partner Version Air System development under the JSF Delta System Development and Demonstration Effort (Delta SDD). In English, they want to develop a version of the F-35 Lightning II that meets U.S. National Disclosure Policy, but keeps as much commonality as possible so it doesn’t create a second-class export aircraft – or the perception of same.

Stealth “low observable” technology is one good example of sensitive technology that comes under restrictions, and key features like wing edges and surface coatings are made in secure US facilities and added post-assembly. The decision on whether to release stealth technology is made by a high-level American group called the LO/Counter-LO Executive Commitee (LO/CLO-Excom). See also Aviation Week’s Ares: “My JSF Is Stealthier Than Yours, Or Is It? external link” Other highly sensitive areas include software code, which can be protected with lock-outs and tamper-proofing – but that runs up against the widely-expressed requirement of partner nations for “operational sovereignty” and modifiability. Tamper-proofing, plus APIs that serve as software “sockets” for other programs to plug into, may be the best solution. If the F-35’s core software hasn’t been designed like that from the outset, however, redesigns that maintain security while enabling the right APIs can be expensive.

Here is the 2003, Delta SDD contract:

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No: 835-03
November 10, 2003
CONTRACTS

NAVY

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $602,594,580 cost-plus-award-fee modification against a previously awarded contract (N00019-02-C-3002) for the procurement of supplies and services to support the performance of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) International Partner Version Delta Systems development and demonstration effort. Lockheed Martin will design, develop, verify and test a version of the JSF air system that is as common as possible to the U.S. air system within the National Disclosure Policy. Lockheed Martin will also implement a manned tactical simulation (MTS) capability, hold MTS events for the international partners on the JSF Program and conduct planning for future efforts and upgrades. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (83 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (10 percent); and Orlando, Fla. (7 percent), and is expected to be completed by April 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.


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Pakistan used money provided by the U.S. taxpayer to fight "terrorism" to buy a brand new squadron of F-16s. Anti-tamper systems and combat capability limits are built into the avionics software and hardware configuration of those aircraft.

Pakistan currently operates 3 older F-16s squadrons for a total of 4 F-16 squadrons.

Pakistan hedges its bets (because of past U.S. embargoes) and also operates combat aircraft from other countries. That shoots any idea down of having a unified type of combat aircraft.

Pakistan aircraft maintenance depots are capable. So, they could also provide regional F-35 maintenance depot work for not only themselves but certain, future, Middle East customers.

Important to think about with all the diplomatic difficulty faced by Turkey, and their potential 100, F-35 orders.

Like any U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal, that famous statement in language that goes before the U.S. Congress to sign off on which goes something like, "the weapon system would not provide any arms imbalance in the region" is true. The reason is that the aircraft is not, and will never be, a combat power-house. If you were to stack up all of Pakistan's needs, new variant F-16s provide more overall firepower as you can put more of them into the air each and every day, for a lower cost per flight hour.

Burying the "fifth-generation" meme is easy to do when you use a pen, paper and a calculator.

So, if Pakistan ever did see a requirement for the F-35, it could be done. That is what I see when I put on a sales-force hat.