F-35 Criticism Mounts As Report Claims Russian/Chinese Jets Superior

American F-35 Lightning II fighters, tested recently against a backdrop of mounting criticism from leaked reports and technical shortcomings, would be "outmaneuvered and outgunned" in close-range dogfights with current Russian and Chinese jets, according to a new report.

Titled, 'The High Costs and Limited Benefits of the F-35 Program', the report identifies 'exorbitant' costs of the F-35 programme, and the expectation that comes with the price tag.

It alleges that despite the $1.4 trillion laid onto the programme, the performance characteristics of the fighter against advanced foreign militaries is markedly inferior. 

The F-35 Lightning II is expected to enter service with the RAF and the Royal Navy in around 2020, replacing the Air Forces' Tornado GR4 fleet, and flying from the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. It'll be the main component of the RAF's manned strike capability. 

But the report alleges that if the F-35 is compared to the 4th-generation Russian Su-27 or the MiG-29 (also produced by China), which it is meant to dominate through superior technology, much is left to be desired.

“These are the kinds of aircraft the F-35 would most likely face in air-to-air engagements against a high-end opponent.

“The F-35 will find itself outmaneuvered, outgunned, out of range, and visible to enemy sensors,” said Bill French, co-author of the report.

The report, released by US think-tank the National Security Network, identified four key areas in which the F-35 does not deliver: poor maneuverability that makes it vulnerable in dogfights, small internal payload capacity, short operational range and reliance on stealth technology for survivability.

“To avoid such a catastrophic outcome, Congress and DOD should begin the process of considering alternatives to a large-scale commitment to the F-35. Staying the present course may needlessly gamble away a sizable margin of American airpower at great expense and unnecessary risk to American lives,” he added.

Eight countries have committed to help develop the F-35, including the U.K., Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway.

According to the report, the F-35 only fared slightly better against older U.S jets including the F-16, F-18 and AV-8B Harrier.

A spokesman for Lockheed Martin's F35's Lightning II programme told Forces TV they "see the program much differently", and defended its capability.

He said "the jet has flown more than 16,000 flights in numerous simulated combat situations for both air to air and air to ground engagements, and was victorious". He added:

"The programme has never been stronger and by the end of the decade more than 650 jets will be flying worldwide".