Now I have your attention ... :-).
While that subject line is only part of a larger truth, it is interesting to
see a design based solidly on a UK aircraft replacing the F16 (from 2013),
A-10 Thunderbolt-II "Warthog" (from 2028), AV8-B (to which it is the 'big
brother'). FA-18 & EA6B. are also mentioned with no other details.

Who is this masked man, and how can one claim it to be British in origin?

It's the Lockheed Martin (so far so good), F-35 (sounds reassuring),
Lightning II (whoops), Stealth (OK), STOVL (Ah), in A / B / C variants. The
A variant is conventional. The B variant has a Rolls Royce fan unit spawned
from the original VTOL Harrier and can take off vertically and, if desired,
fly backwards (aka viffing). The C variant is a Navy only and carrier
optimised.


http://www.gizmag.com/lockheed-martin-f-35b-lightning-ii-stovl/13373/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=1a3791aeff-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

Brings back memories of other initially UK designs which are subsequently
thought of as US creations, such as the Mustang fighter and Sherman tank.
(Flame shields up).

FWIW I'd have the most severe reservations about trying to replace an A10
with anything like the A-35. I'd go so far as to suggest that the planners
had lost the plot. Unless they have decided to use a whole new class of
munitions that go where the aircraft doesn't (and that's entirely possible)
then there is no way that this aircraft can survive in worst case A10
survival situations. The A-10 is not really an aircraft at all in the normal
sense - it's a tiitanium bathtub with two engines, two wings, and two rear
control surfaces attached (ignoring mentioning a gun as big as a flatdeck
railroad car). You can shoot off or otherwise remove one of everything and
still have a fair chance of it coming home by itself. But, even if the
aircraft becomes a standoff delivery system that stays "out of harms way"
there are going to be niches that the A10 fills which an A-35 can't. At
least they have 19 years to change their mind.


           Russell
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