Air Force leaders are telling airmen to "explain why we need the F-35," according to a leaked internal document from Secretary Deborah Lee James' office.
The eight-page internal memo, marked "Not for Public Release," gives airmen a step-by-step guide on how to "debunk false narratives and inaccuracies reflected in news media reporting" about the military's controversial new plane.
First reported by the blog John Q. Public, the public affairs guide appears to be an attempt by military leaders to respond to and dissuade criticisms leveled against the F-35 Lightning II, including accusations that the plane can't dogfight, costs too much, and is behind schedule.
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"Due to pre-2010 setbacks in the program and perceived performance setbacks, narratives have emerged in the news media stating the aircraft is too expensive, consistently behind schedule, and is not able to achieve its' stated missions," the document says. "Air Force communicators must be prepared to consistently confront these inaccurate narratives with explanations of the aircraft's unique and critical contributions to the joint warfighter."
Lt. Col. Christopher Karns, head of media operations for the Air Force secretary’s office, said that while the public affairs guidance was used internally, it was never meant to be some hidden document that was kept from the public.
"It was used mostly as an internal document to better inform people about the progress that was made with the F-35," he said. "That way, we ensure that information that is out in the public space is the most accurate and up-to-date information available."
He denied that it was designed to head off criticism aimed at the plane.
"Responsible dialogue is critically important," he said. "We're not trying to prevent people from engaging in critiques of the program. We just want to make sure that information that's' being put forward is the best information to make an informed judgment."
Public affairs guidance documents are not uncommon, and the Air Force regularly publishes them to address current issues, Karns said.
Some of the more recent guidance includes information on B-52 and B-2 missions around the Pacific, the expansion of sexual assault prevention and response services to civilians, and how the Air Force is responding to the Islamic State group publishing the names and personal information of some troops, Karns noted.
"The reason public affairs guidance exists is to ensure that people have the facts," he said. "You can never be complacent in terms of communication. The goal is to help understanding, from the very top level of the secretary of the Air Force all the way down to the newest airmen."
But Mandy Smithberger, a defense expert with the Project on Government Oversight, said people shouldn't forget that public affairs offices usually don't only want to inform, but to persuade as well.
"This documents reflects that they're very cognizant of the criticism right now when various reports get leaked," she said. "This is much longer and more detailed then I've typically seen these documents be."
Smithberger, the director of POGO's Straus Military Reform Project, said there isn't any information in the public affairs document that hasn't already been posted to the Air Force's F-35 website or Lockheed Martin's website.
Still, the release of the memo likely won't be a benefit for the program, she said. The fact that it was leaked to a website that's highly critical of the F-35 implies there's still internal disagreement within the military.
"I think it continues to build the perception that there's a lot of smoke and mirrors with this program," Smithberger said. "We wish that there was this much effort to fix the problems in the F-35 program as there is trying to shape the public perception."
The document lists many of the aircraft's selling points, such as advanced stealth and electronic capabilities, ability to counter anti-air defenses, and revitalization of an aging fleet – things F-35 critics have acknowledged are needed in a fifth-generation plane.
But the document also lists some of the biggest criticisms of the plane and how airmen should respond to the questions when asked.
In response to a question about whether the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 can provide close-air support as well as current A-10s, the document instructs airmen to mention that "any comparison with the F-35 must be part of a more holistic assessment of our CAS enterprise beyond just a fly-off between one aircraft vs another."
In June, the website "War is Boring" published a leaked internal document that included scathing comments from an F-35 test pilot that the plane couldn't beat an older F-16 in an aerial combat exercise.
"The F-35A remained at a distinct energy disadvantage for every engagement," the report said. "Though the aircraft has proven it is capable of high [angle of attack] flight, it wasn't effective for killing or surviving attacks primarily due to lack of energy maneuverability."
The report left Air Force leaders on the defensive, with many of them taking time to address the topic during the annual Air Force Association Air and Space Conference, held Sept. 14-16.
"I know there was a lot of press about the F-16 versus F-35," said Gen. Hawk Carlisle, leader of Air Combat Command. He added that the F-35 will do "exceedingly well" at aerial engagements from long-distance, but that it was F-22s that were designed for close-in dogfighting.
The newly leaked public affairs memo offers its own take that the engagement against the F-16 was "an early look at the F-35's flight control authority software logic, and not an assessment of its ability in a dogfight situation."
"The F-35 is designed to be comparable to current tactical fighters in terms of maneuverability, but the design is optimized for stealth and sensor superiority," the document says as a recommended response to reporters' questions.
The document adds that "both operational and developmental testing continues for the F-35. It is too soon to draw any final conclusions on the maneuverability of the aircraft."
That's a response that is unlikely to quell some critics, given that the F-35 is already several years behind schedule, the Marines have declared Initial Operating Capability for their F-35B planes, and the Air Force is less than a year away from declaring IOC for their variant.
The document says that the ultimate goal of the public relations efforts is that "U.S. opinion leaders, the American public, and international partners are reassured and have confidence in the capability and can articulate why the F-35 is required for national defense."
