RAF Aircraft Currently Stateside

[RubyRoo]

I don't know definitively, but I think the TR-3 issues they had knocked onto the whole production process. There were close to 100 airframes built and then being stored pending delivery. One must assume there are ome RAF/RN examples amongst them!

That makes sense and ties in nicely with this:

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uks-fir ... ompletion/

(UKDJ so take it with a pinch of salt, but it simply references a Parliamentary Response).

All 48 by 31st March 2026, so you would imagine there has to be some sitting there waiting to be shipped over.

They better hurry up, 24 are meant to be going on the Far East tour in a months time! Marham will be quiet

[sschofield]

I don't know definitively, but I think the TR-3 issues they had knocked onto the whole production process. There were close to 100 airframes built and then being stored pending delivery. One must assume there are ome RAF/RN examples amongst them!

That makes sense and ties in nicely with this:

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uks-fir ... ompletion/

(UKDJ so take it with a pinch of salt, but it simply references a Parliamentary Response).

All 48 by 31st March 2026, so you would imagine there has to be some sitting there waiting to be shipped over.

They better hurry up, 24 are meant to be going on the Far East tour in a months time! Marham will be quiet

The 37 has to include the one they wrote off, and ZM171 which hasn't been handed over at Fort Worth yet. So there are 35 actually on strength right now, including the ones in the USA.

[Stroudy]

More specifically, 17 squadron has ZM135, 138 and 165 at Edwards, CA, and ZM170 at Patuxent River, MD. ZM136 is/was at Ogden ALC (Hill AFB), UT for mods. ZM171 is with LMTAS at Fort Worth, not yet handed over.
Aditionally, ZM144 and 145 are with FRCE at Cherry Point, NC for rework.

And yes, as already stated, Rivet Joint ZZ664 is still at Greenville, TX for mods.

That's great information, thank you.

Do you know what the reason is for a delay with ZM172 onwards? It's been around a year since the last British ones came off the production line, which even for British F-35 delivery standards is very slow.

Was it due to the Tech-Refresh 3 build?

I don't know definitively, but I think the TR-3 issues they had knocked onto the whole production process. There were close to 100 airframes built and then being stored pending delivery. One must assume there are ome RAF/RN examples amongst them!

Maybe they're making them A models at last and just being done with it

[Vulcanone]

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Maybe they're making them A models at last and just being done with it
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As likely as Hell freezing over

[blackhandgang17]

The 3 early F-35’s are seemingly being “Dewired” and delivered to Marham as they are available for ops being TR2 jets and TR3 jets only being used for training
Remember they want 24 to go sailing for
Months on end while still qualifying new pilots and maintainers so they need all the early jets they can get and available for operations if read with the later jets used for trials/ Training