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

[aonestudio]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KNc0ue9AbQ

 

[helmutkohl]

Japanese defense budget released
they will buy 12 more F-35s.. 8 A versions and 4 B versions

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www.tokyo-np.co.jp

also will make a longer range Type 12 Ashm which could be launched from the ground, and potentially the P-1

 

[AN/AWW-14(V)]

The Pentagon on Monday awarded Lockheed Martin a $49.05 million contract that provides engineering and other related activities in support of the design and development of a Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft variant tailored for an unspecified Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customer.

The identity of this FMS customer buying this ‘tailored JSF variant,’ could be the matter of much speculation. Currently, barring Israel, all other JSF customers receive the standard variants. Only Israel has been allowed to have its own variant called F-35I ADIR AS-1.

Work on the new JSF variant is expected to be completed in December 2026 and will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (77%); Redondo Beach, California (14%); Orlando, Florida (6%); Baltimore, Maryland (1%); Owego, New York (1%) and Samlesbury, United Kingdom (1%), a Pentagon contracts announcement said.

FMS funds in the amount $49,059,494 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The Pentagon contract in favor of the unspecified FMS customers comes just a couple of weeks after the U.S. indicated that it is keen to move forward with the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the U.A.E. after the latter called off procurement talks citing stiff end-user conditions.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had to conduct some “reviews” but was prepared to move forward with the sale.
"We've wanted to make sure, for example, that our commitment to Israel's qualitative military edge is assured, so we wanted to make sure that we could do a thorough review of any technologies that are sold or transferred to other partners in the region, including the UAE," Blinken said.

Defense World

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www.defenseworld.net

 

[Kaanere]

Maybe a lower tech, more export-friendly variant for countries like Turkey, UAE and India? Turkey in particular, as they were barred from the original variants despite being involved in the project early on.

Otherwise I don't know what operator would warant a dedicated variant.

 

[Fluff]

Maybe a lower tech, more export-friendly variant for countries like Turkey, UAE and India? Turkey in particular, as they were barred from the original variants despite being involved in the project early on.

Otherwise I don't know what operator would warant a dedicated variant.

50 million dollars, that’s not going to go far in F35 world, either it’s removing a function, or adding a very small function.

 

[GTX]

Defense World

View News at Defense World

www.defenseworld.net

 

[GTX]

Maybe a lower tech, more export-friendly variant for countries like Turkey, UAE and India?

It's reported for a particular customer so I doubt that it is a new 'broad' variant. Moreover, I can't see anyone taking up such a development even if it did exist - shades of F-16/79 anyone?

I suspect it might be for Finland or Switzerland and as mentioned above, will probably be a very minor addition/change to a subsystem.

 

[Josh_TN]

Maybe equipping with a drag chute?

 

[perttime]

Add a search light, like Finnish and Swiss Hornets have? That might be major, though.

 

[Fluff]

Maybe equipping with a drag chute?

I thought Norway already has this?

 

[Flyaway]

Maybe equipping with a drag chute?

I thought Norway already has this?

They do. They had a develop the system for it at LM especially that it didn’t compromise the stealth characteristics, so I imagine this will be something similar.

 

[GTX]

Indeed:

How it Works: The F-35A Drag Chute System

Using a parachute to safely bring personnel, cargo or equipment to the ground is one thing. Using those same basic aerodynamic drag principles to bring a stealthy 5th Gen fighter jet to a jarring halt is another.

www.f35.com

 

[Fluff]

Add a search light, like Finnish and Swiss Hornets have? That might be major, though.

The stealth guys will be going nuts. Can you fit it in a pod?

 

[GTX]

Why would you need a searchlight these days?

 

[Fluff]

Why would you need a searchlight these days?

I think its visual confirmation, during air policing, i.e. it is a civil 747 not a C-135 recon etc. Also tends to wake up the crew.....

 

[GTX]

Visual confirmation could be done using much more modern DAS these days.

 

[Fluff]

Visual confirmation could be done using much more modern DAS these days.

We maybe have different interpretations of visual? The DAS will give him an indication of what aircraft it is, but at night in peacetime, before shooting down 400 civilians, it might be useful to light it up, in the visible spectrum, A wakes up the crew, and B its hard to disguise a military recon as a civil flight, easy to do by flight ID's, not visually.

 

[perttime]

For the Finnish and Swiss airforces, air policing is a major peace time task. And it can be useful to also get clear photos of who exactly was approaching or passing by very near. They operate in pretty tight space and time frames. The unknown could be just minutes away from the capital city.

Here's a Russian discussion during an intercept. There's also subtitles in English.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8GifZ0g2MQ

 

[kitnut617]

RCAF F-18's also have the search light.

 

[GTX]

RCAF F-18's also have the search light.

But they were fitted with such back in the early 1980s. My point is that technology has moved on in the subsequent 40 odd yrs and that the same requirement can be achieved by different means now. Either way, I am confident that we won't be seeing a big spotlight fitted to any F-35s in the future.

 

[TomcatViP]

Please, remember that we have generally switched toward diode lights. Dedicated Spot lights are then not that as much a necessity as they were before. If it comes to providing light to an intercepted a/c (since most fighters have now much better low vis/night vision system), mostly it will be for general aviation incidents where most probably the landing gear could be lowered with to use of the landing lights.

 

[dan_inbox]

Please, remember that we have generally switched toward diode lights. Dedicated Spot lights are then not that as much a necessity as they were before. If it comes to providing light to an intercepted a/c (since most fighters have now much better low vis/night vision system), mostly it will be for general aviation incidents where most probably the landing gear could be lowered with to use of the landing lights.

It is not so much a matter a night vision systems, it is a matter of policing rules for intercepting traffic in peacetime.

The "phare de police" on a Mirage 2000:

 

[TomcatViP]

Yes. That's what I am referring to (having somewhat forgotten its presence on the Mirage!). What I describe above is using the lowered landing gear light to provide the same function.

An F-35 landing gear might certainly have something like a 280, 300kt max deployable speed.

 

[Fluff]

I think normally the air policing lights shine sideways, I'd suggest a head on approach to ID an airliner/recon might be quite exciting at night, but hitting the landing light would certainly get a response....

 

[kitnut617]

RCAF F-18's also have the search light.

But they were fitted with such back in the early 1980s. My point is that technology has moved on in the subsequent 40 odd yrs and that the same requirement can be achieved by different means now. Either way, I am confident that we won't be seeing a big spotlight fitted to any F-35s in the future.

I was just mentioning it because it's often overlooked. But also the Swiss and Finnish aircraft were also fitted with the light about the same time.
But I understand your point about modern technology, and I wasn't dispelling it.

 

[RavenOne]

Could be the new mystery operator be Singapore?

Anonymous F-35 Customer Is Getting A New Variant Of The Stealth Jet

An intriguing contract announcement reveals Lockheed Martin is working to design and develop a bespoke F-35 version for a foreign customer.

www.thedrive.com

Cheers

 

[helmutkohl]

im guessing its the UAE

 

[TomS]

Add a search light, like Finnish and Swiss Hornets have? That might be major, though.

The stealth guys will be going nuts. Can you fit it in a pod?

Maybe built into one of the external Sidewinder pylons, which would likely be carried for air policing anyway.

 

[GTX]

 

[Kaanere]

Air force eyes F-35 stealth jets

The Royal Thai Air Force is eyeing the procurement of eight US-made F-35 stealth jets, the world

www.bangkokpost.com

The Royal Thai Air Force is eyeing the procurement of eight US-made F-35 stealth jets, the world's most advanced warplane, to strengthen national defence, said its commander-in-chief ACM Napadej Dhupatemiya.

ACM Napadej said the air force needs a new fleet of fighter jets as the ageing F-5 and F-16 aircraft have been in service for more than three decades.

ACM Napadej said the budget planning for an F-35 acquisition project will be initiated in the 2023 fiscal year, which started in October, and the air force is prepared to answer all questions if it chooses to press ahead with the purchase.

A panel will be set up to study the aircraft procurement programme to justify the air force's request for funding, he said.

 

[helmutkohl]

an interesting part in that article

With the new Swedish-made Saab Gripen priced at $85 million per unit, Lockheed Martin's product is not out of reach, ACM Napadej said. Depending on negotiations, unit prices of the F-35 can be brought down to just above $70 million each, he said.

 

[GTX]

an interesting part in that article

With the new Swedish-made Saab Gripen priced at $85 million per unit, Lockheed Martin's product is not out of reach, ACM Napadej said. Depending on negotiations, unit prices of the F-35 can be brought down to just above $70 million each, he said.

Also of interest is the talk of Loyal Wingman and the possible thinking of teaming with F-35s so as to have a reduced fleet.

 

[NeilChapman]

The Swiss Picked the F-35 on Price. The Pentagon Should Listen

After a three-year competition between the UK/German Eurofighter, the French Rafale, Boeing’s F/A-18E/F, and Lockheed Martin’s F-35A, the Swiss government has selected the Joint Strike Fighter to replace their aging F/A-18s. The Swiss determined the F-35A was the most capable of the three...

www.heritage.org

Interesting to note author does not include expected annual flight hours. I mean, it's the Swiss. How much can they be flying each year? The country is over 2.5 times smaller than Ohio.

 

[GTX]

The Swiss Picked the F-35 on Price. The Pentagon Should Listen

After a three-year competition between the UK/German Eurofighter, the French Rafale, Boeing’s F/A-18E/F, and Lockheed Martin’s F-35A, the Swiss government has selected the Joint Strike Fighter to replace their aging F/A-18s. The Swiss determined the F-35A was the most capable of the three...

www.heritage.org

Interesting to note author does not include expected annual flight hours. I mean, it's the Swiss. How much can they be flying each year? The country is over 2.5 times smaller than Ohio.

I don't know the exact numbers but looking at the fact that the Swiss put 50,000 flying hrs on their Hornet fleet in about 10yrs, one is looking at something in the vicinity of 5000hrs/yr for the main fighter fleet (excluding the F-5s).

 

[perttime]

The Swiss Picked the F-35 on Price. The Pentagon Should Listen

After a three-year competition between the UK/German Eurofighter, the French Rafale, Boeing’s F/A-18E/F, and Lockheed Martin’s F-35A, the Swiss government has selected the Joint Strike Fighter to replace their aging F/A-18s. The Swiss determined the F-35A was the most capable of the three...

www.heritage.org

Interesting to note author does not include expected annual flight hours. I mean, it's the Swiss. How much can they be flying each year? The country is over 2.5 times smaller than Ohio.

I don't know the exact numbers but looking at the fact that the Swiss put 50,000 flying hrs on their Hornet fleet in about 10yrs, one is looking at something in the vicinity of 5000hrs/yr for the main fighter fleet (excluding the F-5s).

Also, there's flying, and there's flying.
I've understood that US military jets spend a lot of time just cruising along: going from point A to point B. Not sure about Swiss flight profiles but the Finnish ones tend to have you manoevring soon after take off. You don't necessarily need long distances to fly lots of hours and pull lots of Gs.

 

[GTX]

Not sure about Swiss flight profiles but the Finnish ones tend to have you manoevring soon after take off. You don't necessarily need long distances to fly lots of hours and pull lots of Gs.

Something similar used to occur with the RAAF and RCAF F/A-18s which were building up a different fatigue profile to the USN/USMC due to the different profiles they typically flew. Hence the joint Canadian and Australian F/A-18 International Follow-On Structural Test Project

 

[aonestudio]

Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Deploys With Marine F-35C Squadron - USNI News

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) departed on a scheduled deployment with the first Marine Corps unit to fly F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters embarked aboard the carrier. The Nimitz-class Abraham Lincoln pulled out of its homeport in San Diego, Calif., shortly before 9 a.m. local time. The...

news.usni.org

750 F-35s in Service as 2022 Begins, Lockheed Martin Says - Seapower

FORT WORTH, Texas — Lockheed Martin completed another successful year as the F-35 program continued to expand its global footprint and enhance operational capabilities, the company said Jan. 3. In 2021, two new countries, Switzerland and Finland, selected the F-35 for their...

seapowermagazine.org

 

[rooster]

How many are in the 3 services?

 

[GTX]

How many are in the 3 services?

Of which country??

 

[Jason Dykstra (Wyvern)]

750 F-35s Now Delivered, Navy To Put Some Of Its Oldest Test Models Into Storage

The F-35 program has hit a major production milestone as primary test efforts are finally spinning down.

www.thedrive.com