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

First F-35A four-ship flies over Eglin

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Contrary views on F-35 performance expressed by unnamed F-22 and Superhornet pilots (neither of which appears to have flown the F-35 yet). http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/in-focus-lockheed-claims-f-35-kinematics-better-than-or-equal-to-typhoon-or-super-hornet-382078/
 
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-02-07/pentagon-mulls-restoring-f-35-safety-gear-to-reduce-risk
Pentagon Mulls Restoring F-35 Safety Gear to Reduce Risk

The Pentagon may restore safety equipment on Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)’s F-35 fighter after an analysis found that removing the gear to save weight made the jets more vulnerable to enemy fire.

The equipment, removed in 2008, weighs about 43 pounds (20 kilograms.) It includes a two-pound valve intended to shut off the flow of a flammable liquid.

Computer analysis last year of the pared-down F-35 design determined that the aircraft’s vulnerability to fires ignited by enemy bullets or missile fragments increased 25 percent over a 2008 assessment before the equipment’s removal, according to data from the Pentagon’s weapons testing office...
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Northrop Grumman AAQ-37 Sensor System Demonstrates Hostile Fire Detection Capability
BALTIMORE, Feb. 11, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) AN/AAQ-37 Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (DAS), developed for the F-35 Lightning II, has added hostile ground fire detection to its capabilities by successfully detecting and locating tanks that were firing live rounds during preparations for a military exercise.


A video accompanying this release is available on YouTube at http://youtu.be/fHZO0T5mDYU.


While being flown on Northrop Grumman's BAC 1-11 test aircraft, the DAS detected and located tank fire from an operationally significant distance. In addition to artillery, the system is able to simultaneously detect and pinpoint the location of rockets and anti-aircraft artillery fired in a wide area.


The AN/AAQ-37 DAS provides passive spherical awareness for the F-35, detecting and tracking aircraft and missiles in every direction simultaneously, providing visual imagery for day or night navigation and targeting purposes.


"The DAS continues to show its ability to gather and analyze data for a wide range of missions not initially contemplated for this sensor system. These flight test results are just the latest example of the situational awareness capability of this revolutionary technology in action," said Mark Rossi, Northrop Grumman's DAS business area director.


Although hostile fire detection is not an F-35 requirement for the DAS, the system design makes it ideal for this mission. This inherent capability enables DAS to harvest, process and deliver key battlespace information to ground forces and other aircraft autonomously, without the need for cueing or increasing pilot workload. The ability to gather this live fire data expands the mission possibilities of the sensor to include close air support and ground fire targeting.


Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cybersecurity, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHZO0T5mDYU


Just to be clear, this is not a Blk3 capability, but a follow-on development.


With that being said, the EODAS clarity s amazing!
 
Operational testers to receive first F-35s this month
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/operational-testers-to-receive-first-f-35s-this-month-382189/
 
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2013/02/12/Israel-gets-ready-for-F-35s-new-trainers/UPI-70191360701881/
 
Pentagon Clears F-35B To Resume Test Flights
http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130213/DEFREG02/302130016/Pentagon-Clears-F-35B-Resume-Test-Flights?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
 
There's No Way The F-35 Will Ever Match The Eurofighter In Aerial Combat

Push-back against Lockheed test pilot, Bill Flynn, and his most recent F-35 performance assertions:

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-f-35-will-never-beat-the-eurofighter-2013-2#ixzz2Kp6fwKh0

Bronc
 
F-35A Completes 3-Year Clean Wing Flutter Testing Program
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/F_35A_Completes_3_Year_Clean_Wing_Flutter_Testing_Program_999.html
 
Flightglobal:
Lockheed F-35 programma may have to be restructured under sequestration.

The entire Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme may have to be restructured if the Pentagon budget undergoes the full 10 year effects of sequestration.
Under the Congressional sequestration budgetary maneuver, the US Department of Defense's coffers would be automatically cut across the board by 10% every year for 10 years. That is on top of the $487 billion that has already been cut from the spending plan.
If the full sequestration were to take effect, "we're going to have to look completely at the [F-35] programme," US Air Force chief of staff Gen Mark Welsh told the Senate Armed Services Committee on 12 February. "It's going to be impossible to modernize."
The consequences operationally would mean that the US Air Force would not be able to operate as effectively in contested airspace as it had planned. "Our kick in the door capability would be impacted," Welsh says.
For the US Navy, the consequences of the full sequestration are as dire. Adm Mark Ferguson, vice chief of naval operations, told the Congress that if the USN had to suffer the effects of nine additional years of sequestration, the service would lose two carrier strike groups and a "proportional" number of amphibious strike groups.
The US Marine Corps may also have to "cancel major multi-year procurements such as the [Bell-Boeing] MV-22 and incur greater cost and program delay in future program buys," USMC commandant Gen James Amos says in his prepared testimony.
Sequestration is scheduled to come into effect on 1 March. Thus far, Congress and the executive branch have been in deadlock with no resolution in sight.
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If you don't pay, you don't get to play.
Official: Italian Cut in JSF Order Would Reduce Workshare

As Italian politicians call for a reduction in Italy’s Joint Strike Fighter purchase, a senior Lockheed Martin official has warned that any cut in the order will mean a corresponding cut to Italy’s workshare on the program...
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http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130214/DEFREG01/302140027/Official-Italian-Cut-JSF-Order-Would-Reduce-Workshare?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
 
Long article from Time. Dated 10 days in the future for some reason.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2136312,00.html#ixzz2KsWbxuIe
 
Canadian site Global News:

Auditor and budget officer's F-35 critiques watered down in Commons report

OTTAWA - Stinging criticism of the political and bureaucratic fiasco surrounding the F-35 by the country's budget officer and even the auditor general was edited out of the final version of a parliamentary investigation, a draft copy of the report shows.

The Conservative-dominated all-party House of Commons public accounts committee held seven hours of hearings and spent much more time arguing with Opposition members behind closed doors last spring and fall over the handling of the stealth fighter program.

A Nov. 1, 2012 copy of the draft report, obtained by The Canadian Press, shows some of the most pointed critiques of Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page and Auditor General Michael Ferguson — both of whom testified before the committee — were removed or softened in the report's final version.
MP Andrew Saxton, the Conservative who led the government charge during public hearings, did not return calls for comment Monday.
The leaked draft, which is supposed to remain secret under parliamentary rules, clearly demonstrates an attempt to "whitewash" the report, opposition members say.
The committee's final report was released last November.
The auditor set off a political firestorm last spring by declaring National Defence and Public Works lowballed the cost of the multibillion-dollar program and did not follow proper procedures in giving it the green light.

One of the most damning redactions involves Ferguson's observation that the governing Conservatives had seen the full cost of the plan, including the stealth fighter's estimated $10 billion operating cost — a figure that was never revealed until his audit.
The edited paragraph in the final version of the report focuses the blame for the missing figures on National Defence, while the draft copy noted that "this information was included in estimates provided to decision-makers" — meaning the Conservative cabinet.
The subtle but significant omission in the committee's public report shifts the blame for the lack of disclosure away from the politicians and on to the shoulders of the military.

The report also drops Ferguson's warning about not allowing the cost of owning F-35s to eat into the rest of the defence budget, as well as a passage of testimony from Page, who challenged the government's assumptions with his own March 2011 report about the aircraft's long-term price tag.
References to the fact the F-35 was selected without competition were also deleted, as was mention that the price tag per aircraft could climb to US $138 million, not the US $75 million touted by the government.
The notion that there was something to learn from how the F-35's industrial benefits also unravelled as a result was also left out.

"This committee believes that this lesson can be applied to future information prepared by Industry Canada," said the draft.
"It is important that parliamentarians and Canadians have a fair assessment of the anticipated industrial benefits of participating in the (Joint Strike Fighter) program."
Liberal MP Gerry Byrne, the deputy chairman of the public accounts committee, said the final report was not a reflection of what MPs heard.
"What is obvious to each and every one of us is that we are not doing the job that is expected of us," Byrne said.
"The committee is becoming very dysfunctional and I think, in my opinion, there has been a whitewashing."
New Democrat MP Malcolm Allen was equally dismayed.
"Our position was that we clearly did not agree with the majority report," said Allen, who was reluctant to talk about the leaked draft.
He noted both opposition parties wrote their own dissenting reports at the time the committee released its work.
The Conservatives have put the F-35 purchase on hold, and are currently doing a market analysis to determine whether they should call for a full-blown competition to replace the current CF-18 fleet.

© The Canadian Press, 2013
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FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 15, 2013 – The first Lockheed Martin production model F-35C carrier variant, known as CF-6, flew its first sortie Thursday. Upon delivery later this year, the jet will be assigned to US Navy Fighter Attack Squadron 101 (VFA-101) at Eglin AFB, Florida. The unit will serve as the Fleet Replacement Squadron, training Navy F-35C pilots and maintainers. While CF-6 will be the first carrier variant jet assigned to Eglin, it will join a fleet of nine F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) jets and 13 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jets already on station.
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Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/8476368814/
Source: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2013/february/first-f-35-production-model-takes-flight.html
 
F-35 Costs Driven Up By Production Choice: Bogdan

A decision to start production of Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-35 fighter jet before it was fully tested has driven up the $396 billion cost of the troubled project and increased risks, the U.S. general heading development of the warplane has said.

The head of the Pentagon’s F-35 programme office, Lieutenant General Chris Bogdan, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television that major challenges had been created by a production and test approach known as “concurrency”.

“A large amount of concurrency, that is, beginning production long before your design is stable and long before you’ve found problems in tests, creates downstream issues where now you have to go back and retrofit airplanes and make sure the production line has those fixes in them,” Bogdan told ABC’s Four Corners programme late on Monday...
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http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_02_19_2013_p0-550100.xml
 
Northrop: DAS Could See Action On Other Platforms Before F-35 Hits IOC With development of its next-generation Joint Strike Fighter sensor package essentially complete, Northrop Grumman is receiving requests to adapt its Distributed Aperture System to other platforms and keeping a close eye on its performance as related to the F-35's sometimes-troublesome Helmet-Mounted Display
 
Majumdar at Flight Global:


"General Electric (GE) says it completed engine core testing for its ADaptive Versatile ENgine Technology (ADVENT) demonstrator earlier this month on 6 February. The prototype variable-cycle engine reached the "highest combination of compressor and turbine temperatures ever recorded in aviation history", says the company, which is working on the programme for the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)."




http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/general-electric-completes-advent-core-testing-382542/



...program seems to be moving along on schedule. This is the ADVENT demo engine that should be developed into a package that can fit the F-35s bay by around 2020, I think.
 
Absolute Numbers: The figure of 1,763 F-35As needed by the Air Force remains the procurement objective, sequester or no sequester, said Lt. Gen. Burton Field, deputy chief of staff for operations, plans, and requirements. Speaking with reporters at AFA's Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday, Field said the F-35 objective number could change, however, if the national defense strategy is modified, as both are a function of the funds available. The F-35 buy number didn't adjust with the appearance of Chinese and Russian stealth-like fighters in recent years, said Field, principally because the Air Force presumes those capabilities will take a long time to build, develop, and sustain. "Any advancement in some kind of capability we may have to fight is obviously worrisome," he said, "but we think between the inventory we have and our national arsenal that we'll be able to handle those kinds of threats."After decades, the Air Force is getting "pretty good" at operating with stealth, but "it's still a learning experience," said Field.Nations with stealth ambitions "have a lot of learning to do to produce and sustain those aircraft over time," he said. Still, new foreign fighters and advanced air defense systems "give us the clear vector that we need the capabilities of a fifth generation aircraft in order to operate in these sort of environments," said Field. That said, "everything is on the table" in light of the possible sequester, he noted.
 
Pentagon suspends all F-35 flights due to crack in engine blade

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/22/us-lockheed-fighter-idUSBRE91L10U20130222

WASHINGTON | Fri Feb 22, 2013 2:18pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Friday suspended the flights of all F-35 fighter planes after a routine inspection revealed a crack on a turbine blade in the jet engine of an F-35 test aircraft in California.

The F-35 program office said it was too early to know the fleet-wide impact of the engine issue, but it was suspending all flights until an investigation into the issue was completed. It said it was working closely with Pratt & Whitney, the United Technologies Corp unit which builds the engine for the fighter, and Lockheed Martin Corp, the prime contractor for the radar-evading warplane, to ensure the integrity of the engine and return the F-35 fleet to flight as soon as possible.

F-35 grounding latest setback for troubled program

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/f-35-grounding-latest-setback-for-troubled-program-87953.html?hp=r3

Bronc
 
http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130225/DEFREG02/302250005/JSF-Findings-Expected-Week?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

JSF Findings Expected This Week

A preliminary report on the engine malfunction that grounded the entire F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fleet is expected by Friday, according to a program spokeswoman.

“We expect engineering findings and a follow-on report with better understanding of impact no later than Friday,” Kyra Hawn, a spokeswoman with the F-35 joint program office, told Defense News in an email.

“We still do not know enough to determine the root cause of the crack or project the actual impact,” Hawn wrote. “We should have initial structural engineering data collected, and associated analysis/recommendation by week’s end (if not earlier).”

The Pentagon grounded all JSF models currently in testing after a crack was found in an engine equipped on one of the F-35A conventional takeoff-and-landing models ordered by the Air Force. The grounding was extended to the Marine’s jump-jet F-35B and the Navy’s carrier F-35C because the engine, manufactured by Pratt & Whitney (P&W), is in all three variants.

Matthew Bates, a P&W spokesman, told Defense News that the damaged engine arrived at Pratt’s facilities on Sunday and that engineering teams are “hard at work” inspecting the crack.

“I could foresee the airplane back in the air in the next week or two,” Gen. Chris Bogdan, the JSF program head, told Agence France-Presse in Melbourne. “If it’s more than that, then we have to look at what the risk is to the fleet.”

The AFP quoted Bogdan say saying the fleet should be flying again “within a reasonable period of time.”
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Reuters: Honeywell to test some F-35 parts after smoke incident
(Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Monday an F-35 test plane was involved in an incident on February 14 that caused smoke in the cockpit, and it was sending the affected parts back to their manufacturer, Honeywell International Inc, for a detailed inspection.

Kyra Hawn, spokeswoman for the $396 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, said an initial assessment of the incident at a Maryland air base showed it was isolated, software-related, and posed minimal risk. The Pentagon has made temporary changes to prevent another smoke incident, she said.

News of the previously unreported incident comes just days after U.S. military officials grounded the entire fleet of Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 jets for the second time this year after discovering a 0.6 inch crack on a fan blade in the single jet of another test plane.
A spokesman for enginemaker Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp, said the blade assembly arrived at the company's Middletown, Connecticut, facility on Sunday evening and engineering teams were examining it now.

Honeywell builds the plane's "power thermal management system," which uses a lithium-ion battery similar to those whose failures have grounded Boeing Co's entire fleet of 787 airliners, but Hawn said there was no connection between the February 14 incident and the F-35's lithium-ion batteries.
"It has no linkage whatsoever with the lithium-ion batteries," Hawn said. She said the February 14 incident was the only one involving smoke in the cockpit of an F-35 "in recent program history."

Lockheed is building three models of the new radar-evading warplane to replace nearly a dozen fighter jets in use by the U.S. military and its allies. The Pentagon plans to buy 2,447 of the advanced fighter in coming decades.
Honeywell said it would inspect the system, which manages the distribution of hot and cold air in the F-35 fuselage, once it arrived at the company's Phoenix testing facility.

SOFTWARE ISSUE
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration grounded Boeing's 787 commercial airliner on January 16 after two separate battery failures, including one that triggered an emergency landing in Japan after the crew detected smoke in the cockpit.
Boeing's biggest rival, Airbus, a unit of Europe's EADS, has decided in the aftermath to skip using lithium-ion batteries in its new A350 airliner.
But the Pentagon earlier this month said it would continue using lithium-ion batteries on the F-35 since they were made by different manufacturers from those used on the 787, and had been found to be safe after extensive testing.

Hawn said an initial assessment of the February 14 incident involving BF-2, one of the Marine Corps' short takeoff, vertical landing variants, had linked the problem to a software issue, not a problem with the hardware on the auxiliary power unit.

The entire temperature management system was being sent to Honeywell for a closer inspection and development of a permanent fix, she said, noting that the plane was going through developmental testing specifically to find any such problems.
"This is the purpose of test, development and initial training in any program - identify discrepancies, develop fixes, and put them in place to ensure safety of operations," she said, adding that initial assessment indicated "minimal risk and (a) relatively uncomplicated resolution."
Honeywell spokesman Nathan Drevna said the company would inspect the system once it arrived at the Phoenix facility.
"The pilot landed safely. The Honeywell-related products are being shipped to our testing facility so we can quickly inspect and determine next steps with our customer," Drevna said.

SMOKE BUT NO FIRE
Lockheed spokesman Michael Rein said there was no sign that a lithium-ion battery was involved, and the battery had not been pulled from the F-35 for further review. "There is no evidence that the lithium ion batteries are a contributor to this event," he said, adding, "no battery faults were observed at any time."

One U.S. defense official familiar with the incident said the F-35 pilot reported "trace amounts of smoke" in the cockpit after he followed procedures to stop and restart the auxiliary power unit when a caution light came on.
The pilot then halted the test flight and landed safely at the base, without ever declaring an in-flight emergency, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, adding, "there wasn't any fire associated with the smoke incident."
Procedures have now been changed so that pilots do not restart the backup power unit in flight, the official said.

Honeywell's Drevna said the temperature control unit is part of a bigger integrated power package (IPP), also built by Honeywell, which uses a 270-volt lithium-ion battery to start the engine, and also provide emergency backup power. Only the temperature control system was being sent back to Honeywell.
Lockheed said the power and thermal system was not using the battery at the time of the February 14 incident and the battery checked out as fully functional during a post-flight review. The IPP also functioned as designed, he said.

A malfunctioning valve in the larger IPP system grounded the F-35 for two weeks in August 2011, but this was a separate issue, the Pentagon said on Monday.

(Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Richard Chang and Matthew Lewis)
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I've been mulling over this for some time now; "power thermal management system" = "heater" ???
 
Arjen said:
I've been mulling over this for some time now; "power thermal management system" = "heater" ???
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power thermal management system = http://www.honeywell.com/sites/servlet/com.merx.npoint.servlets.DocumentServlet?docid=D58165320-17EF-E31F-6DDC-AE4A19C2F7A8
 
Quote
Meanwhile, key radar advances are already deployed in the most advanced Russian surface-to-air missile systems, and existing IRST (infra-red scan and track) systems deployed on advanced Russian and European fighters are extending enemy detection ranges against radar-stealthy aircraft. Fighter radar pick-up capability of up to 25 nautical miles by 2020 is proposed against even ultra-stealthy aircraft like the F-22, coupled with IRST ability to identify AMRAAM missile firings and less infrared-stealthy aircraft at 50 nautical miles or more.

The F-35′s lower infrared and radar stealth levels mean that these advances will affect it more than they’ll affect the F-22. Especially if one assumes a fighter aircraft whose prime in-service period stretches to 2050.


Quote
The F-35′s explicit design goal has been stated as being the F-16′s equal in in air to air combat, at a time when the F-16′s future ability to survive in that arena is questioned. The question naturally arises: what special features give the F-35 a unique ability to prevail against the kind of advanced, upgraded 4.5 generation and better fighters that it can be expected to face between its induction, and a likely out of service date around 2050 or later?


Quote
All fighters have limitations, and fighting to your plane’s strengths is a big component of good airmanship. What’s concerning is the apparent number and extent of the F-35′s kinetic weaknesses, and the structural difficulty of fixing them. The net tactical effect is that pilots will be forced to depend even more heavily on electronics like the EO DAS and APG-81 radars, and on a stealth profile that’s less effective and more variable than the F-22A’s.


Quote
“….JSF and USAF analysts stated that against Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters the Raptor had a kill ration of 30 to 1 and the JSF 3 to 1…. Against aircraft 30 years newer, such as Su-35S, PAK-FA and the Chinese J-20, and you can imagine the results are likely to be very different…. AVM [Air Vice-Marshal] Osley advised that the JSF has some 650 ways to detect and avoid such threats…. if a JSF has to leave airspace because it detects the presence of Su-35Ss, PAK-FAs or J-20s that it cannot defeat, then the enemy wins airspace-dominance without firing a shot.”

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/The-F-35s-Air-to-Air-Capability-Controversy-05089/
 
F-35 chief Bogdan to execute, not cheerlead by australianaviation.com.au February 27 2013 http://australianaviation.com.au/2013/0 ... cheerlead/

"New program executive officer for the US Department of Defense’s F-35 program, Lieutenant General Chris Bogdan has told Avalon Airshow media that the aircraft’s development program should be judged on where it is heading rather than where it has been. “The first point I’d like to make overall is: don’t expect me to be a cheerleader for the F-35 program.

That’s not my job. My job is to execute this program. If I start becoming an advocate or a zealot for this program, I lose my credibility,” he said.

“One of the biggest problems I have is an awful lot of people with opinions on this program and not a lot of people with the facts. And those opinions are based on what I would call the tragic history of this program.

This program is getting better and is better than what it was a few years ago.” Outlining a range of past problems, Lt Gen Bogdan said it was easy to see how and why the program’s past led many people to be cynical. “Since we rebaselined in 2010-2011, this is a different program and it is getting better. It is not getting better nearly as fast as I would like it to, but … since 2011, we have fundamentally met every milestone. We are stable and on-track to meet that new plan.”

Lt Gen Bogdan said that despite the problems experienced in the past, he was confident in the ability to deliver a more advanced, survivable jet to the RAAF and other partner nations. “Relative to the schedule, if the plan which Australia intends on moving forward with stays to IOC in 2020 with the [initial warfighting capability software Block] 3i, I will tell you that Australia doesn’t have much to worry about,” he said. “Why? Because in 2015 I have to deliver the same capability to the US Marine Corp. Eight months later I have to deliver the same capability to Italy in 2016, then in the middle of 2017 I have to deliver the same capability to the Israelis. Then there will be a three year wait until we deliver to the Australians.” “So even if I screw this up royally – and I do not intend to do that – I’m pretty sure I’ll meet Australia’s 2020 date.”
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F-35 Flight Ban Should Be Lifted, Pratt & Whitney Tells Pentagon
http://bloomberg.finanza.repubblica.it/Notizie/Article?documentKey=1376-MIY6KI6VDKHX01-57KLBVGARHOPLKV1IIQ2B2C59J
 
Additional information from FlightGlobal:

F-35s cleared to resume flight operations
PrintBy: Dave Majumdar Washington DC

The US Air Force officials confirm that the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been cleared to resume flight operations after a recent grounding.
"The suspension of F-35A flight operations has been lifted for the air force," the USAF says.

USAF F-35 flight operations at Eglin AFB, Florida, will resume on 5 March because 4 March is a previously scheduled maintenance training day, service officials say. The US Marine Corps' short take-off vertical landing F-35Bs will resume flying at the Florida base on 1 March. "The Marines' F-35B will fly tomorrow afternoon at Eglin," the USAF says.
Operations at other bases are also cleared to be resumed.

All F-35s were grounded while the Joint Program Office investigated the root cause of a crack discovered on 19 February in a third-stage low-pressure turbine (LPT) blade deep inside the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine. The problem was discovered on 19 February during a borescope inspection on an F-35A at Edwards AFB, California, and confirmed by an eddy current inspection.

According to a JPO statement that was relayed to Flightglobal via P&W, comprehensive tests on the blade were conducted at the company’s facility in Middletown, Connecticut. “The engine in question is part of the F-35 test aircraft fleet, and had been operated at extreme parameters in its mission to expand the F-35 flight envelope,” the statement reads. “Prolonged exposure to high levels of heat and other operational stressors on this specific engine were determined to be the cause of the crack.”

There were no additional cracks or other signs of similar engine stress were found during inspections of the remaining F135 inventory, the JPO statement reads. The JPO adds that the engine does not need to be redesigned is required as a result of this event.
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http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201303010091
 
More information about engine troubles on Ares:
[...]
The crack was found in AF-2, which has been used for testing the aircraft at the edge of its operational envelope. "The engine in question is part of the F-35 test aircraft fleet and had been operated for extended time in the high-temperature environment in its mission to expand the F-35 flight envelope," according to a statement from Lt. Cdr. Kyra Hawn, an F-35 spokeswoman. "Prolonged exposure to high levels of heat and other operational stressors on this specific engine were determined to be the cause of the crack."

Officials at engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney have indicated this was a one-off issue, not jeopardizing other engines in the fleet.
No additional cracks were found in the fleet during post-grounding inspections.

However, this incident raises questions about the durability of the engine which pushed to its limits. AF-2 was used to test the new horizontal tail skin, and so it was run through many extra afterburner tests. Officials are sure to implement additional inspections and monitoring actions to understand more about the durability of these engines in extreme conditions.

Seventeen aircraft are being used for flight testing at NAS Patuxent River, Md., and Edwards AFB, Calif. The remainder are used for rudimentary flight training at Eglin AFB, Fla., and MCAS Yuma, Ariz.

The flight training birds are very limited in their operations to essentially conducting takeoffs, landings and flying in the pattern. So, there is likely less concern about their engines as they are not being pushed to extremes.
[...]
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More at the link.
 
Australian lawmakers confident in F-35's future
02/28/2013| 12:59am US/Eastern

Australia's conservative opposition, which is expected to win elections in September, said on Thursday it supported Lockheed Martin's troubled F-35 to be the country's next frontline warplane, despite problems and huge cost blowouts.Australia's conservative opposition, which is expected to win elections in September, said on Thursday it supported Lockheed Martin's troubled F-35 to be the country's next frontline warplane, despite problems and huge cost blowouts.

A day after the Pentagon's F-35 program chief lashed Lockheed and engine maker Pratt & Whitney for trying to "squeeze every nickel" out of the U.S. government, Australian lawmakers expressed confidence in the futuristic jet.
"The air force is supportive of the project, wants the aircraft and sees it as the future, as do we," said Senator David Johnston, defense spokesman for the opposition, which is forecast to sweep away the minority Labor government in a September 14 vote.

"It is pertinent to our immediate region and it fits into our air combat doctrine perfectly, and to some extent leads the doctrine," Johnston told Reuters from Washington on Thursday after briefings on the F-35 with U.S. officials, who told him the aircraft was "over the hump" with its development.

Australia, a close American ally, is one of the largest international customers for the F-35, with plans to buy up to 100 to replace its ageing fleet of F/A-18 Hornet fighters and already retired F-111 strike bombers, at a cost of A$16 billion.

But amid delays and development woes with the $396 billion aircraft, including the grounding of the 51 aircraft test fleet last week, Canberra is also expected to decide in June to double its fleet of 24 Boeing Co F/A-18 Super Hornets to prevent a frontline gap until the F-35 is delivered later in the decade.

That, and a decision to outfit 12 of the Super Hornets as advanced EA-18G Growlers with radar-jamming electronic weapons - means Canberra will have a mixed frontline fleet.

An announcement on the extra Hornets and the timetable for delivery of the first squadron of F-35s, also known as Joint Strike Fighters (JSF), will likely come in June with the government's release of a new defense strategy blueprint.

Johnston, the man likely to decide the purchase next year if the conservatives win, said while both of Australia's major political blocs differed on defense budgeting and timing of acquisitions, the Joint Strike Fighter had broad support.

"At this stage we are optimistic that Australia will be a customer for a very significant number, although what that number will be is still a little bit up in the air," said Johnston.

Defense analysts predict Australia might end up buying between 50 and 70 of the fighters instead of 100, although Canberra could also buy the full number but over a longer timeframe beyond 2020, depending on a budget recovery.

Australian is also closely watching the budget battle in Washington, where $85 billion worth of spending cuts are due to kick in on Friday, hitting defense and possibly orders for 2,363 F-35s among the U.S. Air Force, Marines and Navy.

Lockheed is developing three variants for the United States and eight partner countries that helped fund the plane's development - Britain, Australia, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Canada. Two other countries, Italy and Japan, have also placed orders.

Canada in December flagged it could cut plans to buy 65 aircraft, while Italy has also scaled back orders and Turkey has delayed its purchases by two years.

Australia is the second biggest international buyer after Britain, and its small air force is one of the most technically advanced in Asia and a pointer to emerging regional defense capabilities.

But a slowing of the country's resources export boom is forcing the Labor government to look for savings.

Defense Minister Stephen Smith last May deferred an order for 12 F-35s by two years, and has so far contractually committed to buying only two.

The influential Greens party, which has the upper house Senate balance of power, failed to find support in parliament on Thursday to cancel Australian F-35 orders and put the estimated $13 billion saving into development aid.

The opposition spokesman on military purchasing, Gary Humphries, said a future conservative government would continue with the F-35, as the high-tech jet would smooth cooperation with allied air forces in Japan and possibly Singapore.

"This could be the shape of air power for effectively the 21st Century. The JSF holds much greater promise for Australian air power needs than any other alternative," Humphries said.

"If the JSF fell over entirely, it would put not just the Australian air force, but other air forces around the world in a dire position."

(Editing by Dean Yates)
By Rob Taylor
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http://www.4-traders.com/LOCKHEED-MARTIN-CORPORATI-13406/news/Australian-lawmakers-confident-in-F-35-s-future-16369269/?countview=0
 
Good cop, bad cop.

Senator John McCain venting his ire on Alan Estevez, President Obama’s choice to be principal deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics. http://nation.time.com/2013/03/01/f-35-good-cop-bad-cop/#ixzz2MViRqTim
Found via www.jsfnieuws.nl.

SEN. MCCAIN:
Well, I'm sure you understand our frustration, which brings me to the F-35. Lieutenant General Bogdan has a pretty good reputation before this committee. He was in charge of the tanker program, which seems to be on track. And yet recently, actually a couple of few days ago, he said, quote, "What I see Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney doing today is behaving as if they are getting ready to sell me the
very last F-35 and the very last engine and are trying to squeeze every nickel of that last F-35 and that last engine," the general told reporters. Quote, "I want them both to start behaving like they want to be around for 40 years. I want them to take on some of the risk of this program. I want them to invest in cost reductions. I want them to do the things that will build a better relationship. I'm not getting all that love yet." And then he said asked if he had seen some improvement from the companies are they getting better at a rate that I want them to see them getting better, he said, "No, not yet." And, of course, now we know that with massive failures, massive cost overruns that Lockheed has earned a 7 percent profit since the program began in 2001. You have any justification for that?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
I can't address the past; I can address where we are today.
SEN. MCCAIN:
You can't address the past?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
I can't address, you know, what happened from 2001 till where I am today.
SEN. MCCAIN:
You can't -- you can't address that at all?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
Well, Senator, we've put new structures around that program. We have a new contracting process for that program. We nowhave a firm fixed price contract, incentive fee, 12 percent share. Lockheed will also pay the concurrency problems on that contract. So we've restructured the program. As you know, we brought in Admiral Venlet and now General Bogdan to run that program, two excellent PEOs. And we're working closely with Lockheed and Pratt to work through the problems that General Bogdan referenced in that news article.
SEN. MCCAIN:
So since 2001 -- and we're in 2013 -- we are beginning to work through the problem. Is that -- is that -- is that what I can tell my constituents, Mr. Secretary?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
I believe you can say over the last four or five years -- five years or so, we have restructured the program, and we believe we are now on track to get a successful program.
SEN. MCCAIN:
Now, you're sitting here before this committee, and you can tell me -- you can tell us there will be no further cost overruns borne by the federal government?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
I could not possibly do that, Senator.
SEN. MCCAIN:
You know, why can't you? Why can't we penalize companies for failure to live up to the obligations of their contracts?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
It's important to get the right structure of contract, Senator Levin (sic) –
SEN. MCCAIN:
After 12 years?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
On this particular airplane, I believe we do have the right structure of contract now, and we'll continue to get better contracts as we move into future development on
or production of this airplane
...
SEN. MCCAIN:
Well, if I sound frustrated, I say to the witnesses, it's because I am. This committee has been tracking this program for many years. We've had witness after witness. We've had promise after promise. We've had commitment after commitment. And yet the only thing that has remained constant is that Lockheed has earned a 7 percent profit since the program began in 2012. I -- excuse me. Since the program began in 2001, 12 years later. So maybe you can help me out. What am -- what am I supposed go back and tell my constituents about a billion dollar program that the Air Force
canceled and of course the most now expensive weapons system in history that has now reached a trillion dollars, and the aircraft is nowgrounded? Got any ideas for me, Mr. Secretary?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
Senator McCain, we're working very diligently -- Secretary Carter, Secretary Kendall, myself, our leaders across the acquisition community -- to change the culture, change the processes by which we buy our programs. And I know you've been briefed on what we call better buying power. That includes accountability for our PEOs and program managers. It includes managing affordability, it includes cost control, so that we can change the way we do this.
SEN. MCCAIN:
Well, according to one of the people who is very highly regarded by this committee because of his previous performance, General Bogdan, says, quote, "Are they getting better at a rate that I want to see them getting better? he asked. "No, not yet."
I'd say you have your work cut out for you, and I can just say that as strong an advocate as many of us are for maintaining strong national security, you cannot continue these kinds of incredible, total loss of the taxpayers'
dollars without there being an understandable backlash on the part of the taxpayers -- America -- of America, which I believe will harmour ability to defend this nation.
Click to expand...
Senator Blumenthal taking a different tack:
SEN. BLUMENTHAL:
I want to begin on the Joint Strike Fighter, if I may. I know Senator McCain has raised it with you, and all of us are fully and passionately in favor of a better procurement process. I hope that we can work together on improving that process so as to cut costs and streamline the procurement and acquisition process. But as to the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35, do you agree with Lieutenant General Bogdan's remarks on that issue?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
I can't speak for Lieutenant General Bogdan, who has a daily relationship with Lockheed and Pratt on that contract. I can appreciate his frustration and any PEO's frustration is that we are trying to get the best value, best buy for our dollar, and best capability for the taxpayer, and that puts some tension in the relationship with any contractor. We do expect our contractors and want to hold them accountable and will hold them accountable to produce.
SEN. BLUMENTHAL:
And I agree completely that they should be held answerable and accountable for the quality of the product and the costs and so forth. There's no question in your mind that this nation is committed to the F-35, is there?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
No, there is not.
SEN. BLUMENTHAL:
And that the procurement and acquisition of that plane really require us to remain as much as possible on schedule in buying the airplane because that's the best way to reduce the cost per unit?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
That's correct, Senator, though we would also say, you know, we have flattened our buys as we work through some of the issues. Now, to most extent, have resolved, but we do have some testing. Only about 50 -- a little less than 50 percent of the testing is completed. Thereare some issues that need to be worked before we ramp up production. We want to ensure that we're getting the plane that we're paying for.
SEN. BLUMENTHAL:
And the effort to test and improve the airplane really requires a close working relationship, does it not?
MR. ESTEVEZ:
It does, Senator. And it's not just at the General Bogdan PEO level. Sowe're working that, you know, up to the secretary level inside the department.
SEN. BLUMENTHAL:
My hope is that Lieutenant General Bogdan's remarks do not reflect the general attitude in terms of what that relationship has been or should be, because I know that American taxpayers would be disappointed if they believe that somehow these
contractors were in some way being disingenuous, as I think those remarks implied. And I'm not sure that the Department of Defense would agree with Lieutenant General Bogdan in that implication.
MR. ESTEVEZ:
Again, you know, I'm not going to try to speak for General Bogdan. He and I have not talked about the remarks. As reported in the newspaper, he is traveling in the world at the moment. We need and we strive to have, and I believe we do have, a strong relationship with the defense industrial base, to include Lockheed and Pratt.
SEN. BLUMENTHAL:
My own view, for what it's worth, is that that relationship perhaps could be improved. And I hope that you will endeavor to improve it but that these remarks do not reflect even the relationship as it stands now because I think there are very complex and challenging issues related to the development of this new aircraft that we
have a common interest in solving without the kind of tension that could be exacerbated by these remarks. And I have great respect for Lieutenant General Bogdan. I'm not being critical of him. As you say, these remarks were reported in a newspaper, but I know that Pratt & Whitney is fully committed to solving the technical issues and to providing the best value to the Department of Defense and the American taxpayers.
MR. ESTEVEZ:
I appreciate that. And frankly, I believe that Lieutenant General Bogdan would agree with you on that.
Click to expand...
 
F-35 Can Start to Fly Again

(Source: Norway Ministry of Defence, issued March 1, 2013)
(Issued in Norwegian only; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)

F-35 is now again ready to resume training and testing.

After less than a week on the ground the F-35 is now ready to begin testing and training again, after engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney considered the cause of crack that was found in a turbine blade. The conclusion is that this is due to wear and tear on just this engine and this one plane which have long been part of the most extreme parts of the flight test program, during which the plane was pushed all the way to the limits of what it can withstand. So this is not because of a problem with how the engine is designed or built, but because of wear after extreme stress over a long time.

“This just confirms that the development of the aircraft is good and that the routines one has to control the engines and aircraft functioning as they should. [Pratt & Whitney] has gone through all the engines on all aircraft and no other has shown similar signs of damage or wear marks.

“[Pratt & Whitney] is now taking this experience into account and adding to the planning for maintenance of the F-35 in the future. The process will otherwise go no further, and work to prepare the construction of the first Norwegian aircraft that will be delivered in 2015 can continue,” says Anders Melheim, program director of the Norwegian fighter program.

-ends-
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9905679/Dambusters-saved-from-axe-to-fly-new-fighter.html

The 617 Squadron was made famous for its heroics during the Second World War when bombers attacked dams in Germany’s Ruhr Valley using “bouncing bombs”. It was feared it would be confined to history when the Ministry of Defence replaces its Tornado aircraft with the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). But senior defence sources said the squadron has “privileged status” because of its history and its pilots will be the first in the RAF to operate the JSF.
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Via www.jsfnieuws.nl:

Final Industry Engagement Request: Capability, Production and Supportability Information Questionnaire, in English, on Public Works and Government Services Canada site.
Also available in French.

[...]
The IER will be conducted through two separate but related questionnaires. The first questionnaire seeks detailed information from identified companies on the technical capabilities associated with fighter aircraft currently in production or scheduled to be in production and associated support elements to sustain the fleet throughout its lifespan. The second questionnaire will request cost estimates of the aircraft and responses should be informed by KPMG's Life-Cycle Cost Framework that was commissioned by Treasury Board Secretariat. Information on the potential benefits to Canadian industry will be requested later in the process.

An analysis of the current marketplace for fighter aircraft currently in production or scheduled to be in production has identified five (5) companies with available fighter aircraft: Boeing, Saab, Dassault, Eurofighter, and Lockheed Martin. These five companies are being provided with a copy of this questionnaire.
[...]

Questionnaire 1 Section A: Capability, Production and Supportability Background Information
The information and definitions contained in this section are to be used to inform the Responses to the questions in the Capability, Production and Supportability Questionnaire.

Government of Canada Policy
The Canada First Defence Strategy (CFDS) provides Government policy guidance and sets a detailed road map for the modernization of the Canadian Armed Forces. It puts forward clear roles and core missions for the Canadian Armed Forces that will maintain the ability to deliver excellence at home, be a strong and reliable partner in the defence of North America, and project leadership abroad by making meaningful contributions to operations overseas.
The CFDS provides the Canadian Armed Forces with clear direction concerning their three roles:
[list type=decimal]
[*]First and foremost, to defend Canada;
[*]Defending North America; and
[*]Contributing to international peace and security.
[/list] Through the CFDS, the Government has accordingly established a level of ambition that will see the Canadian Armed Forces carry out the following missions, potentially all at the same time:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Conduct daily domestic and continental operations, including in the Arctic and through North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD);
[*]Support civilian authorities during a crisis in Canada such as a natural disaster;
[*]Support a major international event in Canada, such as the 2010 Olympics;
[*]Lead and/or conduct a major international operation for an extended period;
[*]Respond to a major terrorist attack; and
[*]Deploy forces in response to crises elsewhere in the world for shorter periods.
[/list] Canada will be assessing the capability of each fighter aircraft to contribute to the completion of each of the missions outlined in CFDS, noting that missions abroad are conducted in partnership with allies and coalition partners. Mission priorities are determined by the Government of Canada and are informed by the current strategic context and the three roles outlined above. It is important to note that no fighter capability contribution has been identified for the CFDS Mission - Support civilian authorities during a crisis in Canada, such as a natural disaster.
[...]
Click to expand...
 

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