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

[Triton]

The unofficial nickname of the F-35 is "Panther."

The public affairs shop at Nellis AFB worked with us to confirm that the elite unit does indeed call the F-35 the 'Panther.'

An email from the 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs reads:

Mr. Rogoway,

The panther patch that you're inquiring about is an F-35 Weapons School patch that the students wear. Pilots in F-35 community are referring to the jet as "Panther". As always, the official name of the jet is still F-35 Lightning II.

Source:
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/20914/the-f-35-has-a-new-nickname-given-to-it-by-the-usafs-most-elite-pilots

 

[Dragon029]

The F-35 just made its combat debut

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 has seen combat for the first time.

The Israel Defense Forces announced on its Twitter account that the Israeli version of the aircraft, using its “Adir” moniker was used in operational missions.

“The Adir planes are already operational and flying in operational missions,” the tweet said, quoting Israel Air Force head Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin. “We are the first in the world to use the F-35 in operational activity.”

The Israeli Air Force used the F-35 in two recent strikes in Syria, Norkin said, according to the news outlet Haaretz.
...

https://www.defensenews.com/breaking-news/2018/05/22/the-f-35-just-made-its-combat-debut/

...
“We are flying the F-35 all over the Middle East. It had become part of our operational capabilities. We are the first to attack using the F-35 in the Middle East and have already attacked twice on different fronts,” he said during the IAF Senior Air Force Conference in Herzilya.

Norkin made the comments while showing a picture of one Israeli F-35 flying over the Lebanese capital of Beirut during the day. He did not mention when the picture was taken.
...

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/IAF-commander-Israel-first-to-use-F-35-jet-in-combat-558030

 

[Flyaway]

Israel becomes first country to deploy 'world's most advanced' fighter jet amid doubts about funding in UK

Israel says it has become the first country in the world to carry out combat airstrikes with the new F-35 stealth fighter, the advanced warplane that will soon be used by Britain and other militaries around the world.

The UK has committed to purchasing 138 of the aircraft, built in the US by Lockheed Martin, and has so far bought 48 jets at a cost of £9.1 billion. But The Telegraph revealed last week that government is reconsidering its pledge to purchase the remaining 90 because of the vast cost of the £190 million American stealth fighter.

The Ministry of Defence is reportedly thinking of instead about buying European-made Eurofighter Typhoons, which are roughly half the cost of the F-35, and made by a European consortium that includes the UK.

A decision to go back on the F-35 purchases could spark a major row between the UK and the Trump administration, which has made a priority of selling US weapons to American allies.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/22/israel-becomes-first-country-deploy-worlds-advanced-fighter/

 

[r16]

the embargo leads to this :

a newspaper which is a Party organ announces New Turkey will not give up its rights pertaining to F-35 but Su-57 is an option . Depending on Putin's whims a limited number of Su-35s can also be bought . Economic troubles have seen Moscow agreeing to the payment of 1 billion dollars under the guise of adjustments to natural gas sales but the trump card is Typhoons , considering good relations with London . They also claim they only lack engines and a little aerodynamic finesse or they could do it from scratch already .

so , if it happens '57s might be bought as empty shells to be fitted with local software , weapons and radar . Because for all the empty talk , they DO NOT want to be cast aside by NATO and we have all seen how much hot air has arisen with the claims that the S-400s doesn't fit in .

ı understand it better than the wildest imaginations of many that the 2008-9 idea of stopping it altogether immediately at that time has fallen on deaf ears and blind eyes dazzled by the prospects of Ankara rising as a Sunni Arab power . ı trust this to be similarly ignored , because it sounds plain stupid , but we are not of the kind to be impressed with America witholding its "best" . Similarly it does not escape the attention that the 5 or 10 are all Russia ever needs and there will be no discussions . Actually a general arms embargo would be just dandy , now that any war with Iran will not happen without Turkey , which in itself is a very good thing and would do just fine to derail it all . Otherwise an absence of Turks in the field will not be a thing noted . On the basis of sooner the better .

and yeah , so New Turkey has its roundel now ? Fine , was long overdue ...

 

[SpudmanWP]

House eyes major boost in F-35 jet purchases

The House Appropriations Committee released a draft version of its annual defense bill Wednesday that provides $9.4 billion for 93 of the high-tech Lockheed Martin aircraft, which is 16 more than the 77 requested by the military.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/house-eyes-major-boost-in-f-35-jet-purchases

 

[seruriermarshal]

Four RAF F-35 fighter jets land in UK

;D

 

[Foo Fighter]

I thought they were strike aircraft. A small thing but why use the term 'fighter jets'? a bit archaic now, the need to define something as a something jet can only be needed when other fighter types are available/in use and there can be no prop driven fighter types in service/acquisition any more.

 

[sferrin]

I thought they were strike aircraft. A small thing but why use the term 'fighter jets'? a bit archaic now, the need to define something as a something jet can only be needed when other fighter types are available/in use and there can be no prop driven fighter types in service/acquisition any more.

Who cares? :

 

[SpudmanWP]

I thought they were strike aircraft.

What do you call a "strike aircraft" that defeats the F-15C more often than not while piloted by virgin F-35 pilots in BFM exercises?

Remember that the official name of the program as a whole has always been "Joint Strike Fighter" so calling it a "fighter jet" is completely normal.

 

[sferrin]

I thought they were strike aircraft.

What do you call a "strike aircraft" that defeats the F-15C more often than not while piloted by virgin F-35 pilots in BFM exercises?

Remember that the official name of the program as a whole has always been "Joint Strike Fighter" so calling it a "fighter jet" is completely normal.

I don't know why it's so difficult for people to understand that the F-35 is a modern F-16 in function. The F-16 drops bombs but nobody seems to be confused about it's air combat ability. So do the Typhoon, Rafale, and Gripen for that matter.

 

[Flyaway]

Stealth Fighters Arrive in Britain Two Months Ahead of Schedule

The first of Britain’s next-generation fighter jets have arrived home two months ahead of schedule in a major milestone for the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The first of Britain’s new cutting-edge aircraft arrived into RAF Marham their new home in Norfolk.

They touched down this evening after a trans-Atlantic flight from the United States, where Britain has more of the jets and 150 personnel in training. This is the first tranche of F-35s to arrive, with RAF Voyager aircraft providing air-to-air refuels on their trans-Atlantic journey. More jets are due in Britain later this year, and there is an overall plan to procure 138.

http://defense-update.com/20180606_f35b_uk.html

 

[Airplane]

I thought they were strike aircraft.

What do you call a "strike aircraft" that defeats the F-15C more often than not while piloted by virgin F-35 pilots in BFM exercises?

Remember that the official name of the program as a whole has always been "Joint Strike Fighter" so calling it a "fighter jet" is completely normal.

I don't know why it's so difficult for people to understand that the F-35 is a modern F-16 in function. The F-16 drops bombs but nobody seems to be confused about it's air combat ability. So do the Typhoon, Rafale, and Gripen for that matter.

Sure, its fat and ugly. It was designed around weapons bays for bomb hauling rather than missile carrying. Sure, of course it does carry missiles, 4 of them, but that is rather light. The F-16 is a "fighter" that can carry bombs and is from the age of if it looks good then it flies good - and it looks good.

 

[kaiserd]

I thought they were strike aircraft.

What do you call a "strike aircraft" that defeats the F-15C more often than not while piloted by virgin F-35 pilots in BFM exercises?

Remember that the official name of the program as a whole has always been "Joint Strike Fighter" so calling it a "fighter jet" is completely normal.

I don't know why it's so difficult for people to understand that the F-35 is a modern F-16 in function. The F-16 drops bombs but nobody seems to be confused about it's air combat ability. So do the Typhoon, Rafale, and Gripen for that matter.

Sure, its fat and ugly. It was designed around weapons bays for bomb hauling rather than missile carrying. Sure, of course it does carry missiles, 4 of them, but that is rather light. The F-16 is a "fighter" that can carry bombs and is from the age of if it looks good then it flies good - and it looks good.

Quick reminder that this topic is “NEWS ONLY”.
Let’s not re-run previous arguments (and abandoned topics) re: the F35.

 

[FighterJock]

To get back on track as a news only thread, I have just discovered this news article from the BBC about the arrival of the first four F-35's to the UK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44392148

 

[sferrin]

Sure, its fat and ugly. It was designed around weapons bays for bomb hauling rather than missile carrying. Sure, of course it does carry missiles, 4 of them, but that is rather light. The F-16 is a "fighter" that can carry bombs and is from the age of if it looks good then it flies good - and it looks good.

Wow, and here I thought I might get a serious reply. :

 

[GTX]

Pentagon and Lockheed Martin Deliver 300th F-35 Aircraft
(Source: Lockheed Martin; issued June 11, 2018)

FORT WORTH, Texas --- The F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin delivered the 300th production F-35 aircraft, demonstrating the program's continued progress and momentum. The 300th aircraft is a U.S. Air Force F-35A, to be delivered to Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

The 300th production F-35 aircraft flies off the flight line at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas.

"The F-35 weapons system is a key enabler of our National Defense Strategy and is providing our warfighters the combat proven, advanced capabilities they need to meet mission requirements," said Vice Admiral Mat Winter, program executive officer for the F-35 Joint Program Office. "The 300th production aircraft delivery is a significant milestone that highlights the effective F-35 Enterprise collaboration across the JPO, U.S. services, partners and industry. Moving forward, our F-35 team remains committed to driving costs down, quality up and faster delivery timelines across our development, production and sustainment lines of effort."

The first 300 F-35s include 197 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants, 75 F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variants, and 28 F-35C carrier variants (CV) and have been delivered to U.S. and international customers. More than 620 pilots and 5,600 maintainers have been trained, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 140,000 cumulative flight hours.

"This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our joint government and industry team as we collaborate to deliver transformational F-35 capabilities to the men and women in uniform," said Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of the F-35 program. "We are focused on reducing costs, increasing efficiencies, and ensuring the highest level of quality as we ramp to full rate production and sustainment of the operational fleet."

Increasing Production, Reducing Costs

As production volume increases and additional efficiencies are implemented, Lockheed Martin is on track to reduce the cost of an F-35A to $80 million by 2020, which is equal to or less than legacy 4th generation aircraft. With the incorporation of lessons learned, process efficiencies, production automation, facility and tooling upgrades, supply chain initiatives and more, the F-35 enterprise has already significantly reduced costs and improved efficiency. For example:

-- The price of an F-35A has come down more than 60 percent from the first contract.
-- Touch labor has been reduced by about 75 percent over the last five years.
-- Production span time has decreased by about 20 percent since 2015.

The F-35 enterprise met its 2017 delivery target of 66 aircraft, representing more than a 40 percent increase from 2016. In 2018, the team is targeting 91 aircraft deliveries and is preparing to increase production volume year-over-year to hit a rate of approximately 160 aircraft in 2023.

Economic Impact

The F-35 is built by thousands of men and women in America and around the world. With more than 1,500 suppliers in 46 states and Puerto Rico, the F-35 program supports more than 194,000 direct and indirect jobs in the U.S. alone. The program also includes more than 100 international suppliers, creating or sustaining thousands of international jobs.

With stealth technology, supersonic speed, advanced sensors, weapons capacity and range, the F-35 is the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter aircraft ever built. More than a fighter jet, the F-35's ability to collect, analyze and share data is a powerful force multiplier that enhances all airborne, surface and ground-based assets in the battlespace and enables men and women in uniform to execute their mission and return home safe.


Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

 

[kcran567]

Sure, its fat and ugly. It was designed around weapons bays for bomb hauling rather than missile carrying. Sure, of course it does carry missiles, 4 of them, but that is rather light. The F-16 is a "fighter" that can carry bombs and is from the age of if it looks good then it flies good - and it looks good.

Wow, and here I thought I might get a serious reply. :

The F-35 for a (single engine) "fighter" that has to carry internally has a fairly light/small payload for bombs and missiles. One or two bombs in the age of stealth to make the old days of 8-10 bombs on an old f-15 or f-16 seem like a luxury. Waiting for the F-35 "XL" that will be a really FAT cranked arrow F-35 for more fuel and bomb payload. Maybe in 15 years?
The f-35 in the picture should be stretched and "fatter."

 

[SpudmanWP]

Or they can carry stealth weapon pods as LM has already researched.

 

[kcran567]

That doesn't solve the range problem. Conformal tanks or a stretched/fattened "XL" version would with more bombs (and stealth pods) would be a future growth option for range and payload. By then will still not happen because would compete with 6th gen F-XX

 

[SpudmanWP]

meh... just bring along some MQ-25s.

 

[kaiserd]

Sure, its fat and ugly. It was designed around weapons bays for bomb hauling rather than missile carrying. Sure, of course it does carry missiles, 4 of them, but that is rather light. The F-16 is a "fighter" that can carry bombs and is from the age of if it looks good then it flies good - and it looks good.

Wow, and here I thought I might get a serious reply. :

The F-35 for a (single engine) "fighter" that has to carry internally has a fairly light/small payload for bombs and missiles. One or two bombs in the age of stealth to make the old days of 8-10 bombs on an old f-15 or f-16 seem like a luxury. Waiting for the F-35 "XL" that will be a really FAT cranked arrow F-35 for more fuel and bomb payload. Maybe in 15 years?
The f-35 in the picture should be stretched and "fatter."

Briefly;

1. 8-10 bombs on an “old” F-16? In what remotely representative combat scenario? The F-35 matches up well to F-16s and F-15s and all other tactical fighter-bombers in this regard.

2. Ahem...... NEWS ONLY THREAD!

 

[Flyaway]

P&W proposes electric power boost from F-35 engine

Pratt & Whitney has added power and thermal management upgrades to a list of options available now for the propulsion system for the Lockheed Martin F-35.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pw-proposes-electric-power-boost-from-f-35-engine-449423/

 

[FighterJock]

Just found this interesting article on the alleged plot by China to steal information about the F-35 by a former Rolls-Royce engineer.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/14/former-rolls-royce-engineer-arrested-officials-secrets-act-amid/

 

[bobbymike]

P&W proposes electric power boost from F-35 engine

Pratt & Whitney has added power and thermal management upgrades to a list of options available now for the propulsion system for the Lockheed Martin F-35.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pw-proposes-electric-power-boost-from-f-35-engine-449423/

Pratt & Whitney Forms Unit to Develop Military Engines Quickly, Cheaply

NEW YORK—Pratt & Whitney President Robert Leduc told reporters here Tuesday his company is ideally placed to take advantage of increases in planned US defense spending. The head of the aviation engine manufacturer made his comments to a group of aviation reporters the company brought to its Brooklyn headquarters as it announced the formation of a unit aimed at developing military aircraft engines more quickly and cheaper than conventional procurement efforts. Pointing to proposed defense increases for programs such as the Joint Strike Fighter, KC-46 tanker, and B-21 bomber, he said Pratt & Whitney is “on the right platforms.” The Joint Strike Fighter, he said, is the “No. 1 DOD priority,” while the tanker also has “high priority” and the bomber is “a strategic need.” “There is no doubt,” he said, “that we placed our bets in the right place.” Meanwhile, the company said it was setting up “GatorWorks,” a prototyping arm concentrating on quick development of dependable military engines at lower cost. The aim, the company said, is to cut the lead time and cost for engines compared to conventional procurement cycles. —Steve Hirsch

 

[bobbymike]

http://aviationweek.com/defense/directed-energy-capability-targeted-pratt-f-35-engine-upgrade-plan?NL=AW-05&Issue=AW-05_20180619_AW-05_576&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2&utm_rid=CPEN1000000230026&utm_campaign=15273&utm_medium=email&elq2=58a391b63c4a435cbf73c76fc1f4f794

Pratt & Whitney is refining its proposed upgrade path for the F135 Joint Strike Fighter engine to include increased power and thermal management (PTMS) capability following feedback on its initially proposed upgrade package from the F-35 Joint Program Office.

Additional power and thermal management capability will enable the use of directed-energy weapons and other advanced offensive and defensive systems and, if approved, would feature in an upgrade package called Growth Option 2.0 (GO2). Pratt & Whitney, which would roll PTMS into a suite of compressor and turbine enhancements originally proposed in the first upgrade package, G01, says the complete upgrade could be available within four years of getting the official go-ahead.

Growth Option 1.0, which was floated with the JPO in 2017, offered 5% fuel reductions and as much as 10% higher thrust. Offered as a cost neutral upgrade, it was always meant to form part of a longer term, two-stage improvement road map for the F-35 engine under plans first unveiled by the manufacturer in 2015. However, with the move to combine GO1 and 2 into a more complete enhancement package, Pratt is tailoring the revised proposal to closer match the F-35 upgrade road map recently outlined under the C2D2 continuous improvement strategy.

 

[LowObservable]

Don't get focused on the magician's cape and wand. Don't get distracted by his assistant in the fishnet stockings.

Keep your eye on the bunny rabbit. The thermal bunny rabbit.

 

[TomcatViP]

Oh c'mon...

 

[Flyaway]

US lawmakers intensify efforts to block F-35 delivery to Turkey

Moves by the US Senate and members of the House of Representatives to block the delivery of the Lockheed Martin F-35 to Turkey have intensified, increasing tensions with Ankara.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/us-lawmakers-intensify-efforts-to-block-f-35-deliver-449580/

UK undecided on F-35 DAS upgrade

The United Kingdom has yet to decide if it will upgrade its Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JAF) combat aircraft with the new Distributed Aperture System (DAS) announced earlier in the month.

Answering questions in the House of Commons, Guto Bebb, Minister for Defence Procurement, said that a decision on whether or not to swap the current Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-37 DAS with a new system to be developed by Raytheon will be made “once [the government] understand the time and cost implications”.

http://www.janes.com/article/81196/uk-undecided-on-f-35-das-upgrade

 

[SpudmanWP]

The Senate does not just want to block delivery, they want Turkey out of the program. I could not find any basis in the JSF MoU for forcing a partner out of the program.

EC. 1269. REMOVAL OF TURKEY FROM THE F–35 PROGRAM.

(a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings:

(1) The Government of the Republic of Turkey continues to unlawfully and wrongfully detain Andrew Brunson, a United States citizen, and continues to deny Mr. Brunson due process rights consistent with international norms.

(2) The Government of the Republic of Turkey has wrongly charged Andrew Brunson with belonging to a terrorist organization and engaging in terrorist activities.

(3) The Government of the Republic of Turkey, including the senior leadership of the government, bears direct responsibility for the health and safety of Andrew Brunson while he remains in the custody of the Government of the Republic of Turkey.

(4) Congress will not tolerate any foreign government’s efforts to use United States citizens for political leverage.

(5) President Erdogan, along with other senior officials of the Government of the Republic of Turkey, have publicly and repeatedly stated the intention of the Government of the Republic of Turkey to purchase the S–400 system from Russia, an act that is sanctionable under current United States law.

(6) Any effort by the Government of the Republic of Turkey to further enhance their relationship with Russia will degrade the general security of the NATO alliance, and NATO member countries, and degrade interoperability of the alliance.

(b) Report.—The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a plan to remove the Government of the Republic of Turkey from participation in the F–35 program, to include industrial and military aspects of the program. The plan shall include:

(1) steps required to unwind industrial participation of Turkish industry in the manufacturing and assembly of the F–35 program;

(2) costs associated with replacing tooling and other manufacturing materials held by Turkish industry;

(3) timelines associated with the removal of the Government of the Republic of Turkey and Turkish industry from participation in the F–35 program, so as to cause the least impact on the remaining international program partners; and

(4) steps required to prohibit the transfer of any F–35 aircraft currently owned and operated, by the Government of the Republic of Turkey, from the territory of the United States.

(c) Limitation On The Transfer Of The F–35 To Turkey.—The Department of Defense may not transfer the title for any F–35 aircraft to the Government of the Republic of Turkey, until such time as the report identified in subsection (b) has been submitted.

(d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.—In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(1) the congressional defense committees; and

(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2987/text?format=xml

 

[_Del_]

Probably have to buy them out unwillingly.I

Then offer their share of the program to Germany/France for the same dollars. I'm sure an existing partner or two would be willing to expand their workshare if that doesn't go anywhere.

 

[seruriermarshal]

German and France never buy F-35 .

 

[_Del_]

But they might buy the workload for the experience.

 

[TomcatViP]

Belgium?

 

[LowObservable]

But they might buy the workload for the experience.

Given that the F-35 is designed on Catia V5 and has drawn on quite a bit of Dassault's robotics technology, I question how badly they want that experience.

 

[kaiserd]

Reminder that this is a NEWS ONLY topic thread, not an idle speculation topic thread.

 

[_Del_]

I'm sure partners are getting technology transfers. Companies also typically prefer a healthy-sized pool of workers in place for production rather than having a gap in production and going the route of layoffs, furloughs, and then needing to recruit more skilled labour later for their next project. So having work for them to do is deemed somewhat critical (I don't know what the workload is for Dassault or Airbus D&S, but the idea of having another project in production for the next ten to twenty years gives you some flexibility and buys time to segue to their FCAS, NGWS, or whatever they are calling it in the 2040's). Neither the Rafale (sadly) or the Atlas lines look to have that sort of longevity.


We need an idle speculation thread again! Sorry.

 

[LowObservable]

What about hard-working, diligent and conscientious speculation?

 

[TomcatViP]

I don't think There are much left (proprietary) Dassault robotic technologies (sadly).

 

[LowObservable]

I don't think There are much left (proprietary) Dassault robotic technologies (sadly).

wat.

https://www.3ds.com/

 

[TomcatViP]

Sorry cat, that was my Robotic self but speaking about robotic, we are no taking about any hardware here (your link)