British F-35s faced off against their American counterparts in rare showdown

Back in September, the U.S. Navy held its large-scale Gray Flag annual exercise. The event, which took place over two weeks around Point Magu, CA included numerous aircraft and dozens of stealth fighter jets; new weapon systems, such as the AIM-174B long-range air-to-air missile, were also evaluated.

As part of the exercise, British F-35B stealth fighter jets went up against their American cousins in a rare F-35 versus F-35 encounter that provided good training and a lot of data to both militaries.

Such exercises have a deeper meaning. U.S. deterrence strategy against China and Russia centers on alliances and partnerships. America does not plan to fight on its own if it comes to blows with Beijing or Moscow. NATO and U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, Japan, and South Korea, will be instrumental in combating any aggression from the Chinese or Russian militaries.

To properly cultivate and sustain effective military interoperability, exercises like the Navy’s Gray Flag are key. Much like a soccer team can sign up the best players in the world but still lose to an inferior team if there is no team cohesion and proper communication among the players, similarly, a joint military force won’t be as effective on the battlefield unless it has trained and prepared for actual combat together.

British F-35s are stationed in Edwards Air Force Base, CA alongside American and Australian F-35s.

“Together they form a United Operational Test Team, developing tactics, testing sensors, software and kit with the goal of ensuring the fifth-generation fighter remains ahead of current and future threats,” the Royal Navy said in its press release.

By all accounts, the exercise was a success.

During the exercise, “600 sorties in 60 different tests as more than two dozen different systems were assessed and evaluated. In all, more Royal Navy and RAF aviators pitted their wits against the latest tech and best pilots from our allies during aerial war games outside Los Angeles,” the Royal Navy stated.

One of the F-35 program’s biggest strengths lies in its international appeal. Currently, 20 countries have ordered the fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. Key American allies, such as Australia and the United Kingdom, have ordered hundreds of F-35s that are expected to operate in sync with the U.S. military.

In total, the British military has ordered 138 F-35B jets which are to be distributed to the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.

The “B” version of the F-35 is the Short Take-off, Vertical Landing (STOVL) iteration which is ideal for expeditionary operations because it requires small runways. Moreover, it is compatible with the Royal Navy’s two aircraft carriers, the HMS Queen Elizabeth 2 and HMS Prince of Wales, which are Short Take-off, Barrier-arrested Recovery (STOBAR) carriers and use a ski-jump.

However, the 138 aircraft mark the upper limit of the British order. Currently, London has agreed to receive 74 aircraft, 48 of which are expected to be in operational service by the end of the year. Whether the British government gives the green light for the expansion of the program and opts for a complete order of 138 jets remains to be determined.

Persistent political turmoil coupled with the reality of an undelivering Brexit have cost a lot of money for the British armed forces. For the past several years, the British military has been cutting its budget to meet the government’s orders.

Feature Image: A U.S. Navy F/A-18F and F-35 fly over Point Magu Sea Range in southern California with a U.S. Air Force F-15. ((U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Kory Hughs)

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