Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

http://breakingdefense.com/2016/07/when-it-rains-it-pours-f-35s-pratt-wins-1-5b-for-lot-10-engines-plus/
 
http://breakingdefense.com/2016/07/f-35b-performs-first-vertical-land-hover-overseas-at-riat/
 
Bogdan Hints F-35 Contract Could Be Announced at Farnborough

RAF FAIRFORD, England — The Defense Department’s long awaited contract for F-35 low rate initial production lots 9 and 10 is in its final stages, and may be settled in time for Farnborough International Airshow next week.

"My guys are back at home right now finishing up this deal,” F-35 Joint Program Executive Officer Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan said Saturday at the Royal International Air Tattoo. “We think we're close enough such that my contracting officers can close this deal out."

The timing of the agreement, which will cover more than 140 aircraft valued at approximately $14 billion for US and international customers, will be up to aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin, Bogdan said.

"We are in the end game. We all understand what the costs are in building that many airplanes, and now it's just a matter of us working a business deal that's fair to everybody. And that's not always easy either,” he said. “But we've gotten past the big rocks, so to speak. We're in the end game, and the important thing here is to now to come up with a business arrangement that's fair to everybody."

A Farnborough contract announcement would be another publicity coup for the F-35, which is making its first UK appearance at RIAT and Farnborough. The aircraft was planned to make its international debut at Farnborough two years ago, but an engine fire led to the grounding of the fleet and the cancellation of its appearance.

This year, the Marine Corps sent three F-35Bs and the Air Force sent F-35As to RIAT for demonstrations. Both performed Friday, and the Marine Corps’ planes will also fly at Farnborough.

“It’s a big deal. For many years people thought it was a paper airplane and all they would hear about are the negative things about it,” Bogdan said. “Now they have the opportunity to see the airplane fly and to watch its incredible capabilities.”

The JPO originally expected a LRIP 9 and 10 contract early this year, but Bogdan said the government needed more time to understand the full cost of the airplane.

“It's just taken us longer to explore all of the costs all the way through the supply chain to make sure that the taxpayers are getting a good deal,” he said. “And so I don't blame anybody for the delay, other than the government had to do its due diligence on $14 billion worth of work."

The Defense Department and F-35 engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney announced a $1.5 billion agreement for F135 engines on Thursday. The company will manufacture 99 engines as part of the low rate initial production batch.

The program office is also eyeing a block buy contract in fiscal year 2017 for international partners and foreign military sales customers buying lot 12 jets, with US participation beginning in FY18 for lots 13 and 14 if approved by Congress.

“I think it is for sure on track for the services and the Congress to do that in ’18,” Bogdan said.

A full block buy, including US jets, could save anywhere from $2 billion to $2.8 billion, according to industry estimates. Without the US planes, savings would drop by “hundreds of billions,” Bogdan said.
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Thanks for the video, I hadn't realized the Marines were buying some F-35Cs.
 
FARNBOROUGH: USAF reopens door for GE to compete for future F-35 engine

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/farnborough-usaf-reopens-door-for-ge-to-compete-for-427210/

FARNBOROUGH: USMC, UK could pool some F-35 weapons

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/farnborough-usmc-uk-could-pool-some-f-35-weapons-427234/
 
Some more of the many stories coming out at the moment:

P&W propose Block 1 F135 upgrade (10% more thrust, 5-7% less fuel burn, if chosen, would enter service in 2023)
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/farnborough-pratt-whitney-proposes-block-1-engin-427150/

P&W talk about their AETP; they mention that they're working with Lockheed to potentially add space to the engine compartment.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/farnborough-pw-discusses-adaptive-cycle-upgrade-fo-427146/

GE confirms that they're specifically targeting the F-35 with their AETP program - noting however that an AETP engine will not be selected for procurement until the end of 2021, with production and entry to service likely being in the second half of the 2020s.
www.defensenews.com/story/defense/show-daily/farnborough/2016/07/12/ge-steal-f35-engine-production-aetp-farnborough/86953686/

Morten Hanche (Norwegian F-35 pilot) talks about his experience fighting Draken International Skyhawks
http://nettsteder.regjeringen.no/kampfly/2016/07/10/luftkamp-med-f-35-en-oppdatering-air-combat-in-the-f-35-an-update/#more-1833

Lockheed / JPO announces that the Blueprint for Affordability is being extended through to 2019, and that a new Sustainment Cost Reduction Initiative seeks to reduce sustainment costs by 10%.
https://www.f35.com/news/detail/phase-ii-cost-reductions-announced-at-farnborough-2016

Same thing as above, but there's a statement that these programs would cut lifecycle costs by 30% through 2070.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-airshow-britain-lockheed-fighter-idUSKCN0ZR15A

Some more news on the Israeli mods; Lockheed is confirmed to be working with Cyclone Ltd. to potentially produce optimised external fuel tanks, Spice 1000 is to be integrated, Elisra (Elbit subsidiary) may be doing an EW upgrade, IAI is creating a C4I system to augment ALIS and the F-35's CNI system.
http://aviationweek.com/mro/israel-seeks-changes-its-f-35-version

AIRCDRE Linc Taylor states that the RAF is looking at having some of the 138 F-35s potentially be A models, though a decision would be years away.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/raf-hints-that-uk-could-still-opt-for-mixed-f-35-fle-427136/
 
Raytheon Missile Fired More Than 30 Times from the Joint Strike Fighter
(Source: Raytheon Co.; issued July 12, 2016)
TUCSON, Ariz. --- More than 30 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles have been fired from all three variants of the Joint Strike Fighter since testing began in 2013. AMRAAM® is the only air-to-air missile that is currently cleared to fly on the F-35.

"AMRAAM is the most capable air-to-air weapon ever produced," said Mike Jarrett, Raytheon Air Warfare Systems vice president. "The F-35 offers several new capabilities and AMRAAM is the perfect weapon to ensure it is unequaled in the Air Dominance arena."

AMRAAM has been operational on U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs since July 2015. Integration work on the JSF will continue to ensure AMRAAM is fully compatible with each new variant of F-35 software as it is released.

The U.S. Air Force is expected to declare the F-35A operational in 2017. AMRAAM will be an essential capability on the Air Force's newest platform and will ensure the JSF excels in the Air Dominance role. The U.S. Navy is expected to follow suit with an operational capability announcement in 2018 for its F-35Cs.

Because of its ongoing modernization, AMRAAM continues to deliver a high level of dependability and versatility at a low lifecycle cost. It has also flown on more aircraft than any other air-to-air missile currently flying.

Procured by 37 countries, AMRAAM is integrated on the F-16, F-15, F/A-18, F-22, Typhoon, Gripen, Tornado and Harrier.

With more than 4,200 test firings, no other air-to-air missile in the world has been as thoroughly tested or improved as AMRAAM.

Raytheon is also working on incorporating the following weapons on the JSF:

-- AIM-9X: The most advanced infrared-tracking, short-range, air-to-air and surface-to-air missile in the world. It is configured for easy installation on a wide range of modern aircraft, including the F-15, F-16, F/A-18 and F-4 fighters, A-4, A-6 and AV-8B attack aircraft, and the AH-1 helicopter.

-- JSOW: A family of low-cost, air-to-ground weapons that employ an integrated GPS-inertial navigation system and thermal imaging infrared seeker.

-- JSM: A long-distance, anti-ship missile designed to take on high value, heavily defended targets. The long standoff range (distance from the aircraft to the target) ensures that the aircraft and pilots remain out of harm's way.

-- Paveway: A family of laser-guided bombs that has revolutionized tactical air-to-ground warfare by converting "dumb" bombs into precision-guided munitions. Paveway bombs have been put to the test in every major conflict and proved themselves time and again as the weapon of choice.

-- SDB-II: Small Diameter Bomb II can hit moving targets in all weather conditions. It employs Raytheon's revolutionary tri-mode seeker, which operates in three different modes: millimeter-wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared and semi-active laser.

AMRAAM is a combat-proven missile that demonstrates operational flexibility in both air-to-air and surface-launch scenarios. It provides today's warfighter with enhanced operational capability, cost effectiveness and future growth options/solutions.

Procured by 37 countries, AMRAAM has been integrated on the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22, Typhoon, Gripen, Tornado, Harrier, F-4 and the F-35. It is also the baseline missile for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS).


Raytheon Company, with 2015 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass.
 
If the RAF go for a mixed fleet that will save us money being as the A is cheaper.
 
http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2016/07/17/air-force-general-f-35-ready-fight-isis-if-called-upon/87073038/
 
USAF completes F-35A modifications required for IOC
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/usaf-completes-f-35a-modifications-required-for-ioc-427568/

Israel further assesses F-35B buy
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/israel-further-assesses-f-35b-buy-427486/
 
"OPINION: F-35's Farnborough debut a welcome lift"
18 July, 2016 BY: Flight International

Source:
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/opinion-f-35s-farnborough-debut-a-welcome-lift-427518/

It was still possible at the Farnborough air show in 2014 to speculate whether the Lockheed Martin F-35 programme would survive the decade.

That time has passed. Not only is a global fleet of F-35s now inevitable, the single-engined strike fighter is finally maturing before our eyes into the warplane that will soon be – for better, or worse – the world’s go-to aircraft to answer almost any crisis.

The long-belated viewing of a UK-owned F-35B in the Hampshire skies confirmed a great deal of progress. This variant is technically operational, although the US Marine Corps has no plan to deploy it until next year.

But there is still much work to do. The F-35’s sensors remain frozen at technical specifications developed early in the last decade, and a comprehensive refresh is necessary as soon as possible. A global fleet must perform coalition operations, but the US government still has not found a way to easily share information between an international F-35 formation in-flight. The logistics and maintenance systems are badly dysfunctional and late, and Lockheed must deliver on time as the production rate roughly quadruples by 2019.

The programme’s management also could be undone, with Senator John McCain keen to eliminate the Joint Programme Office and divide authority for management and upgrades between three services. The F-35 is at risk of losing a unified leadership structure.
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fredymac said:
Actual DAS imagery.
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Some interesting commentary towards the end there as well.

Here's some other real footage from the DAS as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5VuCsQJy8Y
 
fredymac said:
Actual DAS imagery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXoqb7GT6Lk
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I know this is a news thread, but is it Ok to post that it's a shame the F-35 has this wonderful sensor fusion and has to make due with only x4 120s? I was thinking that while watching the portion showing through the visor the air traffic departing and landing. If those were Su-27s, dead meat, but with firing x2 120s per target, that leaves not many targets for each 35 to engage. Sorry if this violates the rules!
 
Airplane said:
I know this is a news thread, but is it Ok to post that it's a shame the F-35 has this wonderful sensor fusion and has to make due with only x4 120s? I was thinking that while watching the portion showing through the visor the air traffic departing and landing. If those were Su-27s, dead meat, but with firing x2 120s per target, that leaves not many targets for each 35 to engage. Sorry if this violates the rules!
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Separately, studies into “super-packing” the JSF’s bays to increase the number of weapons carried have come up with a way of loading six Amraam-sized missiles internally, according to the program office. This could be an option for later F-35 capability blocks ~ Graham Warwick & Amy Butler - Aviation Week & Space Technology Sep 22, 2008 , p. 31

The Joint Strike Fighter could be upgraded to carry up to six internal AIM-120 AMRAAM Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, according to a Lockheed Martin executive. "Our spiral development program includes the ability to carry up to six internal AMRAAMs", G. Richard Cathers, senior manager of Lockheed Martin's strategic studies group, told the IQPC Fighter Conference in London on Wednesday. "It's a capability second only to the F-22."
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And if the threat environment allows it, there is always the external pylons to use as well:

file.php
 
https://news.usni.org/2016/07/25/marine-corps-f-35b-makes-red-flag-air-combat-debut
 
First Flight of AS-1 (IAF 901) fore Israel.
Do the Israeli jets have a different EOTS than other F-35's? 1st flight of the first Israeli F-35. Pic by Dave Cheng
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Source: https://twitter.com/FrankCrebas/status/757961766252978178
More Pictures
http://www.f-16.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=47609&start=15
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First ever test firing of F-35B external gun pod carried out last week on @USMC aircraft BF-01 at @NASPaxRiverPAO
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Source: https://twitter.com/IanJKeddie/status/757937789229002755
 

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https://youtu.be/yIqQGHREJ64
 
Fifth Generation Air Combat: Maintaining the Joint Force Advantage

http://media.wix.com/ugd/a2dd91_bd906e69631146079c4d082d0eda1d68.pdf
 
F-35 IOC Imminent

—John A. Tirpak

7/28/2016

​​The Air Force will declare initial operational capability of the F-35A as early as Monday, meeting a goal set three years ago. Leaders of the F-35A enterprise at Hill AFB, Utah, on Wednesday told reporters in a teleconference that “all the boxes have been checked off” of the requirements for declaring IOC. “We have achieved all our milestones,” 388th Maintenance Group Deputy Commander Lt. Col. Steven Anderson said, and “we have submitted all the data to Air Combat Command” for ACC chief Gen. Hawk Carlisle to make the declaration official. USAF officials have said to expect an IOC press conference at the Pentagon between Aug. 1-3 next week. Friday, Aug. 5, a celebration of the achievement will be held at Hill and will feature speeches from senior USAF and industry leaders connected with the program. Hill has 15 F-35A aircraft, Anderson said, and 12 of those “have completed five critical aircraft modifications” to get them to the proper configuration. Those mods included nitrogen inerting improvements to the fuel system that lifted limits on how many Gs the aircraft can pull, as well as lightning protections that lift a rule that kept the jets 25 nautical miles away from thunderstorms, making them safer “in the air and on the ground,” Anderson said. The aircraft now being delivered from Lockheed Martin—in the 3iP6.21 software configuration—have also demonstrated that the radar software instability issue has been corrected. “We are getting good aircraft off the line from Lockheed Martin,” Anderson said. Newly delivered jets don’t need as many mods because the changes have been incorporated on the production line, he said. The 16th aircraft will be delivered in August and plans call for 72 jets at Hill by the end of 2019.

IOC by the Numbers

—John A. Tirpak

​There are 222 F-35A maintainers at Hill AFB, Utah, now, and 150 more are in the pipeline, handily beating requirements for initial operational capability for the new fighter, Lt. Col. Steven Anderson, 388th Maintenance Group deputy commander, told reporters in a telecon Wednesday. The ALIS (Autonomic Logistics Information System), which has been problematic in recent months, is up to the task of supporting a six-ship deployment, as required for IOC, he said, and will improve in the months and years to come. There are a combined 21 Active Duty and Reserve pilots certified—and three more nearly certified—“combat mission ready” in the air-to-air, close air support, interdiction, and “limited” suppression of enemy air defense missions, he reported. The CAS profile is similar to that flown by F-16s in Afghanistan in recent years, Lt. Col. George Watkins, 34th FS commander said, with GPS-guided and laser-guided bombs. The 34th Fighter Squadron has actually overflown its allotted flying hours by 14.5 percent “because of the increased reliability of the Low-Rate Initial Production Lot 7 and 8 aircraft,” and nine of the 15 aircraft serving with the unit were delivered early, Anderson added. Maintainers and depot workers at Hill worked “158 days … nonstop” to achieve IOC on time by Aug. 1, he said, and completed necessary modifications to the initial 12 aircraft “33 days ahead of schedule.” The timeline for when the F-35s actually deploy for real-world missions will be up to ACC chief Gen. Hawk Carlisle, but the unit is ready, Watkins said.
 
Air Force expects to declare F-35 IOC Aug. 2


The Air Force expects to declare initial operational capability for its variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter next Tuesday, Aug. 2, multiple sources confirmed to Inside Defense.

The service's target IOC window opens Aug. 1 and extends through December. After speculation that the milestone would fall later in the year due to delays in delivery of the Autonomic Logistics Information System, Air Force officials have become increasingly confident that the service would in fact declare IOC in August, with sources confirming July 27 that Aug. 2 is the current target.

The Air Force has a number of requirements it has been tracking for IOC -- at least 12 aircraft must have all the necessary retrofits and the newest Block 3i software, pilots and maintainers must be fully trained, the jets must be able to meet performance and capability standards and ALIS must be deployable.

Gen. Herbert Carlisle, head of Air Combat Command, will make the IOC determination and will brief top Air Force leadership prior to making a public announcement. Carlisle told reporters earlier this month that IOC is coming "sooner rather than later," and noted that the most recent release of ALIS is ready to deploy in an operational environment.

The first operational F-35A unit will be located at Hill Air Force Base, UT, and representatives from the base's 34th Fighter Squadron and the 388th Maintenance Group told reporters during a July 27 conference call that the unit has met all of its IOC requirements and submitted them to Carlisle for approval.

"We have achieved all our milestones," Lt. Col. Steven Anderson, 388th Maintenance Group deputy commander, said on the conference call. "It has been checked on the sheet and we have submitted all the data to ACC for Gen. Carlisle's consideration on making that declaration."

Lt. Col. George Watkins, 34th Fighter Squadron commander, said that as of July 27, the squadron has 24 F-35 pilots trained, and 21 of them are combat mission ready. The squadron has also completed final pilot verification in the last several weeks.

To date, Hill AFB has 15 F-35s on the ramp and is expecting a 16th aircraft to arrive in late August. It has flown 854 total training sorties and currently has a 91 percent mission effectiveness rate, according to Anderson.
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http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/f-35b-stealth-fighter-how-the-us-marine-corps-could-dominate-17198
 
F-35B Tactics Evolving As Pilots’ Understanding Of Technology Matures

https://news.usni.org/2016/07/29/f-35b-tactics-evolving
 
http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2016/07/31/f-35-so-stealthy-produced-training-challenges-pilot-says/87760454/

Watkins said he can take four F-35s and “be everywhere and nowhere at the same time because we can cover so much ground with our sensors, so much ground and so much airspace. And the F-15s or F-16s, or whoever is simulating an adversary or red air threat, they have no idea where we’re at and they can’t see us and they can’t target us.”
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http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/revolutionary-f-35-fighter-reaches-its-most-important-17203
 
http://breakingdefense.com/2016/08/ioc-tomorrow-f-35a-kills-first-drone-boola-boola/
 
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Singapore's next-gen fighter?

http://www.janes.com/article/62721/f-35-joint-strike-fighter-singapore-s-next-gen-fighter
 
http://www.acc.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/5725/Article/882951/breaking-news-air-force-declares-the-f-35a-combat-ready.aspx
 
Keep the Numbers Up

— John A. Tirpak

8/3/2016

​While the Air Force’s original plan for the F-35 was to buy about 110 of the fighters per year, that goal has steadily eroded as the service’s budget has been taxed with other needs, and now achieving 60 a year will be “a challenge,” Air Combat Command Command chief Gen. Hawk Carlisle said Tuesday. “My problem is buy rate: I need more, sooner, to replace legacy airplanes” that now need service life extension work to remain credible, Carlisle told reporters at the Pentagon. Bigger annual buys create economic order quantities that “drive down costs,” he said. “I would like to see the number go up to at least 60, if I can,” he said. “Eighty would be optimum, but given the fiscal constraints that we’re under, that would be very, very hard to get to.” He did not forecast when USAF might get above the current 48 per year. Carlisle admitted that at the current rate, the last of the planned 1,763 F-35s won’t be delivered to USAF until the late 2040s. Does that suggest a change in plan? “How many we’re going to buy … (is) a decision that can be made later,” he said. In the near term, he needs the jets “as fast as I can” get them. Carlisle said the F-35, at a projected cost of $80-$85 million apiece in three years, will be comparable in cost to a fourth-generation fighter. (See also: F-35 by the Numbers, F-35 Buy Number Still Solid)
 
http://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2016/08/05/operational_assessment_of_the_f-35a_109673.html

Good read...
 
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2016/08/05/commander-receiving-f-35as-its-going-to-be-an-absolute-monster/?ESRC=todayinmil.sm
 
NeilChapman said:
http://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2016/08/05/operational_assessment_of_the_f-35a_109673.html

Good read...
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Did I read the chart correct, the 15c is better in a lot of categories? Sorry if this is just news thread and not a place to ask questions. Newer more powerful engine might correct that.
 
Airplane said:
Did I read the chart correct, the 15c is better in a lot of categories? Sorry if this is just news thread and not a place to ask questions. Newer more powerful engine might correct that.
Click to expand...
Chart 1 states that the F-15C has a better instantaneous and sustained turn rate, as well as a better ability to recover airspeed (not surprising for a dedicated air supremacy fighter; there's a reason they're keeping them for another 25 or so years), but that the F-35 has significantly better responsiveness at slow airspeeds and has better stack / scissors performance.

Chart 2 states that pilots prefer the F-15C for 9000ft perch setups, but the F-35A for everything else (although the opinion wasn't unanimous for butterfly setups).

These charts are comparing jets against a Block 3i F-35A with a 7G max load rating as well; when the next software update unlocks 9G loading the F-35's instantaneous turn rate rating will increase further as well as (presumably) its performance in some of the ACM scenarios.
 
What are Butterfly set-ups? Is that where the aircraft are in pairs one behind the other? I'm referring to a flight of aircraft as shown below;

^ ^

^ ^
 

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