JCA (aka F-35B)

The Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) is the official designation of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence used for the F-35 Lightning II, formerly the Joint Strike Fighter, and the result of the Joint Strike Fighter Program.

The JCA programme began in 1996 as the Future Carrier Borne Aircraft (FCBA), a replacement for the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier intended for operation from the RN's CVFs. The requirement for the FCBA was set out in Staff Target 6464 which specified a carrier-borne aircraft capable of air defence of naval and ground forces and self-escorting ground attack. As the Royal Navy version of the JCA (and potentially Royal Air Force versions) would operate from the two newly ordered Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, the selection of the aircraft was closely linked to the design of the carrier. Candidates for the JCA were thus listed by carrier type:

CATOBAR
- Joint Strike Fighter CATOBAR carrier version (later F-35C)
- F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
- Dassault Rafale-M
STOVL
- Joint Strike Fighter STOVL variant (later F-35B)
STOBAR
- Eurofighter Typhoon (navalised)

Following the 1998 Strategic Defence Review the Navy's Harrier FA.2s and RAF Harrier GR.7s were merged to form Joint Force 2000 (later Joint Force Harrier. As such the requirement was revised to include the replacement of the RAF Harrier force; this led to the renaming of the project as the Future Joint Combat Aircraft (FJCA) in 2001. Later, in the third and final name change of the project, the word "future" was removed.

On 30 September 2002 the MoD announced that the Royal Navy and RAF will operate the STOVL F-35B variant. At the same time it was announced that the carriers would take the form of large, conventional carriers, which will be adapted for STOVL operations. The carriers, expected to remain in service for 50 years, will be convertible to CATOBAR operations for the generation of aircraft after the F-35 JCA.

However due to the cost overuns and projected unit cost of the F-35B there are now rumours that the UK may drop the STOVL varient in favour of the F-35C. This would potentially be cheaper to procure the aircraft and mean that a common deck design with the French (PA2) equivalent of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers was possible. Giving a further cost reduction. There is also the benefit that with a more coventional CATOBAR layout that other nation's aircraft can also operate from the CVF. Providing a closer operational capability with other NATO partners.

F-35B in ArmA2

If you've read my blogs elsewhere you know that I have an issue with the BIS "F-35". It isn't an F-35, it is an X-35B. The model BIS made replicates the prototype airframe very well. It was used to prove out the concept. In the real world its not combat capable, carries no weapons and has no internal weapons bays. Don't get me wrong. its a nice model, really well made its just not an F-35B so I started to make my own: