F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

[BON PLAN]

Lockheed Not Cooperating Enough On F-35 Contract: Vice Adm. Winter

JSF HQ: Lockheed Martin “could be much more collaborative and cooperative but they aren’t,” the head of the Joint Strike Fighter program, Vice Adm. Mat Winter, told reporters today. “They could, but they choose not to.”

the relationship between Lockheed and the program office was “the worst I’ve ever seen”

Perhaps the most ground-shaking news of the press briefing today is that the program will, with Lot 11, put concurrency behind it.

https://breakingdefense.com/2018/02...ting-enough-on-f-35-contract-vice-adm-winter/

 

[BON PLAN]

A fighter does not need to be able to supercruise to perform 9G maneuvers. Su-35 cannot supercruise and yet it can perform 9G maneuvers.

Besides, F-35 can achieve supercruise.

I've never made a link between agility and speed.
Just that with a new and more powerfull engine for F35, it will probably be supercruise potent.

For SU35, are you sure about supercruise?

 

[asianobserve]

I've never made a link between agility and speed.
Just that with a new and more powerfull engine for F35, it will probably be supercruise potent.

For SU35, are you sure about supercruise?

It is known that Su-35 can supercruise at Mach 1.1, but only in clean configuration. An F-15 can also supercruise at Mach 1.15 in a clean config. But once it carries combat load that ability disappears.

 

[asianobserve]

Lockheed Not Cooperating Enough On F-35 Contract: Vice Adm. Winter

JSF HQ: Lockheed Martin “could be much more collaborative and cooperative but they aren’t,” the head of the Joint Strike Fighter program, Vice Adm. Mat Winter, told reporters today. “They could, but they choose not to.”

the relationship between Lockheed and the program office was “the worst I’ve ever seen”

Perhaps the most ground-shaking news of the press briefing today is that the program will, with Lot 11, put concurrency behind it.

https://breakingdefense.com/2018/02...ting-enough-on-f-35-contract-vice-adm-winter/

USAF is waging a shame campaign against LM to force it to reduce unit cost and maintenance cost. This is bare knuckle negotiation tactic which will benefit F-35 customers.

 

[Immanuel]

once again, assertion .
Last AIM9X fired in combat against a russian old horse failed miserably. Facts, only facts.

When was the last time a French A2A missile was even used in combat

 

[Immanuel]

Our inventory is filled with Russian Air to Air missiles

Well a little digging will show IAF too had many dud A2A missiles in inventory.

 

[BON PLAN]

When was the last time a French A2A missile was even used in combat

When a greek magic 2 missile fired from a Mirage 2000 shoot down the sole F16 (turkish) lost in air to air combat, my dear !

 

[BON PLAN]

The Pentagon is trying to figure out the true cost of its costliest weapons system, the F-35

• The top official overseeing the F-35 program wants to know the true price tag of the Pentagon's costliest weapons system.
• Lockheed Martin's fifth-generation stealth fighter, valued at an acquisition cost of $406.5 billion, has become one of the most challenged programs in the Pentagon's history.
• The program has experienced setbacks that include faulty ejection seats, software delays and helmet-display issues.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/28/pentagon-wants-to-know-true-cost-of-f-35-system.html

incredible. Even the US doesn't know the real price of the flying brick....

 

[scatterStorm]

Well a little digging will show IAF too had many dud A2A missiles in inventory.

Hopefully meteor and aakash A2A will fill this gap.

 

[Flame Thrower]

Every weapon system has a design philosophy.

F-35's primary role is on SEAD and DEAD to hunt Sam's like S-300 and upcoming S-400. I doubt how successful F-35 will be in that role. To counter SEAD and DEAD ops, Russia had come up with IADS and excellent point defense like Pantisr S1&S2.

F-35 had sacrificed maneuverability for low cost (one large heavy engine instead of two, commonality which screwed the internal spacing of F-35).

F-35 is only good for BVR, come WVR stealth doesn't play much and in the hands of capable pilots and super manoeuvrable planes like Su-35s, F-35 will be eaten for breakfast. Given that BVR has only 17% of chances, I wouldn't put my money on F-35.

But I don't mean that F-35 sales will be low, fighter's capabilities alone doesn't mean the sales. There are many factors that go in favor of purchasing a fighter in favor of another.

The real losers buying F-35 would be Japan and SK. Sure, as of now Chinese pilot training is not great, but if it improves to the level of Indian or American or Isreali standards, then Japanese or Korean F-35 won't stand a chance. Japs know this and that's the reason they're going for X-2. I won't surprise if X-2 gets same avionics of F-35.

 

[asianobserve]

F-35 is only good for BVR, come WVR stealth doesn't play much and in the hands of capable pilots and super manoeuvrable planes like Su-35s, F-35 will be eaten for breakfast. Given that BVR has only 17% of chances, I wouldn't put my money on F-35.

That's an oversimplification of modern WVR. The biggest factor in WVR combat or dogfight is still going to be pilot skills. But after pilot skills sensor fusion and modern IR missiles will be more important than aircraft maneuverability.

The F-35 is not exactly a slouch in maneuvering. One only need to look at F-35's Paris Air Show debut to see that only TVC-equipped fighters shows more agility, and that's for an aircraft that due to software limitations is still limited to 7G maneuvers.

Excellent sensor integration of the F-35 (between DAS, EOTS and radar with HMD) means that an F-35 pilot would most likely be able to lunch its IR missile first in a WVR. And once lunched, it's very difficult escape AIM9x or any modern LOAL, HOBS IR missiles no matter how graceful a fighter can maneuver in mid-air. Just take a look at the capabilities of AIM 9x in this video:


Of course is luck is on the side of the targeted fighter, the IR missile might malfunction, but I don't think rational fighter pilots are gamblers.

 

[BON PLAN]

One only need to look at F-35's Paris Air Show debut to see that only TVC-equipped fighters shows more agility, and that's for an aircraft that due to software limitations is still limited to 7G maneuvers.

Excellent sensor integration of the F-35 (between DAS, EOTS and radar with HMD) means that an F-35 pilot would most likely be able to lunch its IR missile first in a WVR. And once lunched, it's very difficult escape AIM9x or any modern LOAL, HOBS IR missiles no matter how graceful a fighter can maneuver in mid-air. Just take a look at the capabilities of AIM 9x in this video:

F35 is and will remain to 7G. It's far, far too late to expect an increase. The so called software limitation is only BS for some knowing quite nothing to the process of test of a fighter.

Excellent sensor integration ? It doesn't work so far. EOTS is to be reworked. DAS suffer malfunctions. Radar (AESA) and HMD are not a specificity of the F35.

AIM9X ? a old Syrian SU22 with (or without?) old flares escape to this last gen missile..... very difficult to escape you say?

 

[asianobserve]

AIM9X ? a old Syrian SU22 with (or without?) old flares escape to this last gen missile..... very difficult to escape you say?

There was clearly a malfunction of the AIM9x there, we don't know yet the cause. It could have been a variety of causes, faulty installation on rack or factory defect. And whatever the cause of that malfunction by now I'm sure is already addressed.

The design of AIM9x is sound, and if the pilot of the Russian Su-24M shot down by a Turkish F-16 can only talk he would attest to it.

 

[Immanuel]

F35 is and will remain to 7G. It's far, far too late to expect an increase. The so called software limitation is only BS for some knowing quite nothing to the process of test of a fighter.

Excellent sensor integration ? It doesn't work so far. EOTS is to be reworked. DAS suffer malfunctions. Radar (AESA) and HMD are not a specificity of the F35.

AIM9X ? a old Syrian SU22 with (or without?) old flares escape to this last gen missile..... very difficult to escape you say?

The Block 3F software enables 9 G flying. EOTS, DAS & AESA are being upgraded for Block 4 with an engine uprate. Newest Helmet has no issues and fixes are working fine. The F-35C has issues with harsh take offs and landings for the pilots but fixes are coming in for those.

The aircraft regardless of it's increasing production is still very much an aircraft in test and let's be clear no other aircraft in the world has had such an extensive testing phase where it is put through it's paces over years with dozens of aircraft.

https://www.baesystems.com/en/artic...mpletes-third-life-testing-in-unique-facility

Kathy Nesmith, F-35 Joint Program Office Airframe Team Lead, said: “The F-35 programme requires a service life of 8,000 flight hours. This is verified through durability testing to two lifetimes or 16,000 hours. Completing third life testing on the F-35A durability article will provide us the data to enable the warfighter to maintain and sustain this aircraft beyond 2050.”

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/lockheed-f-35-service-life-extended-to-2070-423536/
It's projected life span is set at 2070

 

[asianobserve]

F-35 Finally Can Use All Its Weapons In Combat

The newest U.S. Air Force F-35s, both stateside at Hill AFB, Utah, and overseas in the Pacific, finally can employ the stealth fighter’s full suite of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons in combat.

The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) has delivered the flight clearances, simulators, threat information, and logistics system required for the Air Force’s F-35As equipped with the latest software load to employ all of its weapons throughout the full flight envelope, according to the JPO, Lockheed Martin and Air Force officials.

This milestone gives the Block 3F-configured F-35As assigned to the 34th Fighter Squadron stationed at Hill and those forward-deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan—on North Korea’s doorstep—some lethal capabilities. The aircraft now can fire Raytheon’s short-range AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, the GAU-22 25mm gun, and Boeing’s precision-guided Small Diameter Bomb, all while flying up to 9Gs at 1.6 Mach.

The F-35A touched down in Kadena for its first operational deployment to the Pacific in November, a highly anticipated milestone that underlines the U.S. military’s commitment to allies in the region amid tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

The “Rude Rams” F-35As join the “Green Knights” F-35Bs of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, which is permanently stationed at Iwakuni, Japan, significantly increasing the number of stealth F-35s in the region.

The 12 F-35As from Hill will be deployed to Kadena until May, a six-month rotation, as part of U.S. Pacific Command’s theater security package.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Marine Corps short takeoff, vertical-landing F-35B and U.S. Navy F-35C carrier variant configured with the 3F software will be able to deploy with their full operational capability in May and June, respectively, F-35 Program Executive Officer (PEO) Vice Adm. Mat Winter said during a Feb. 28 media roundtable. For the F-35Cs, this means the aircraft will be able to deploy Raytheon’s AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) in combat and fly to 1.3 Mach.

There is one caveat—the final 3F simulator capability has been broken into two releases, Lockheed’s Executive Vice President for Aeronautics Orlando Carvalho said in a March 5 interview. The first release has been delivered for the 3F F-35As, he said.

Even though the F-35’s long development phase finally is drawing to a close, the JPO and Lockheed will continue working to modernize the aircraft with an updated threat library, logistics system and simulators, Winter said.

“We have warfighting capability today that is effective against the current threats and the ability to fight the fight for our U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force,” Winter said. “Is that good enough? It is absolutely effective and good enough for today, but as we look from our intelligence reports and the threat growth in 2025 [we must] ensure that we stay ahead of that growing threat so that the F-35 air system will remain technologically advanced on the battlefield well into the [century].”


http://aviationweek.com/defense/f-35-finally-can-use-all-its-weapons-combat

F-35As have 3f software at last!

 

[asianobserve]

Stealth features responsible for half of F-35 defects, Lockheed program head states

WASHINGTON —

As the production rate of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter goes up, the company is wrestling with quality escapes involving the jet’s low observability features, which now amount to about half of all defects on the aircraft, the company’s vice president of the program revealed Monday.

Last week, Vice Adm. Mat Winter, the head of the government’s F-35 Joint Program Office, slammed Lockheed for what he sees as its too-slow progress on eliminating so-called “quality escapes”— errors made by Lockheed’s workforce that could include drilling holes that are too big or installing a dinged part.

While those errors are minor, the rework done to bring the plane up to requirements is driving up the amount of money and time spent producing an airplane, Winter said.

https://www.defensenews.com/air/201...of-f-35-defects-lockheed-program-head-states/


This report shows that F-35 has very minute tolerances. This kind of build quality cannot be expected from the Chinese or Russians.

 

[BON PLAN]

The aircraft now can fire Raytheon’s short-range AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, the GAU-22 25mm gun, and Boeing’s precision-guided Small Diameter Bomb, all while flying up to 9Gs at 1.6 Mach.

1) What about AMRAAM ? F35 is becoming a WVR fighter? LOL
2) The canon fired, yes. But it induce a roll to the plane....
3) 9G ? I'm waiting for a better source. So far and during le Bourget show, it was limited to a little bit less than 7G (6.7G).
4) 9G? in what flying domain?

 

[Akshay_Fenix]

Japan's Scraps Domestic Development of 5th Generation Stealth Fighter Jet

Japan’s Ministry of Defense Acquisition Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) is expected to discontinue work on a domestically designed fifth-generation fighter jet due to budgetary concerns and critical capacity shortages in the country’s military aircraft industry, The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reports on March 5.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense will purportedly not seek funds for the development of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ experimental fifth-generation fighter technology demonstrator X-2 “Shinshin” (formerly the ATD-X) when requests by agencies and ministries are compiled this summer for the fiscal 2019 defense budget.

As of this writing, Japan’s MoD has not publicly commented on the March 5 report.

The X-2 prototype was intended to serve as the basis for the development of Japan’s first indigenously designed fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, designated the F-3. Japan is now expected to collaborate with the U.S. defense industry and other international partners to either jointly develop a next-generation stealth fighter jet or purchase jets directly from a foreign vendor.

The decision to scrap the program was not unexpected for Japan defense watchers. As I explained in July 2016, Japan had three options for procuring for the new aircraft: “First, develop an indigenous air superiority fighter. Second, partner with a foreign defense contractor and license-produce a new aircraft. Third, import or upgrade an existing platform.” The first option now appears to have been nixed.

Interestingly, U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin has been involved with the F-3 program in some unknown capacity and is a possible candidate for a future collaborative partnership. The recent news that Japan is interested in procuring at least 20 additional ready-to-fly F-35A stealth fighter jets from Lockheed Martin could be a first sign of an emerging Japan-Lockheed Martin partnership in that regard.

“The follow-up order of 25 F-35As could perhaps be part of a Japanese strategy to convince Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government to share fifth-generation aircraft technology with Japan’s defense industry,” I speculated last month. “Japan now, in collaboration with Lockheed Martin and other international partners, could aim to build a (pricier) domestic variant of the F-22.”

Japan originally intended to procure Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor, but the U.S. government refused an export license, forcing Japan to initiate its own stealth fighter jet program in the 2000s. The Japanese MoD plans to induct up to 100 fifth-generation fighter jets by the 2030s. A contract, estimated to be worth over $40 billion, was initially expected to be awarded this summer, but there has been no official progress report on the tender so far in 2018 and the decision will most likely be postponed.

According to various sources, the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) is also interested in purchasing the F-35B – the U.S. Marine Corps variant of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter capable of vertical or short takeoffs and vertical landings without requiring a catapult launcher. JSDF would deploy the aircraft on Japanese islands skirting the East China Sea and aboard Izumo-class helicopter carriers, which will make the acquisition of such platforms a politically sensitive subject in Japan.

https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/jap...opment-of-5th-generation-stealth-fighter-jet/

 

[asianobserve]

Japan's Scraps Domestic Development of 5th Generation Stealth Fighter Jet

View attachment 23705

Japan’s Ministry of Defense Acquisition Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) is expected to discontinue work on a domestically designed fifth-generation fighter jet due to budgetary concerns and critical capacity shortages in the country’s military aircraft industry, The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reports on March 5.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense will purportedly not seek funds for the development of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ experimental fifth-generation fighter technology demonstrator X-2 “Shinshin” (formerly the ATD-X) when requests by agencies and ministries are compiled this summer for the fiscal 2019 defense budget.

As of this writing, Japan’s MoD has not publicly commented on the March 5 report.

The X-2 prototype was intended to serve as the basis for the development of Japan’s first indigenously designed fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, designated the F-3. Japan is now expected to collaborate with the U.S. defense industry and other international partners to either jointly develop a next-generation stealth fighter jet or purchase jets directly from a foreign vendor.

The decision to scrap the program was not unexpected for Japan defense watchers. As I explained in July 2016, Japan had three options for procuring for the new aircraft: “First, develop an indigenous air superiority fighter. Second, partner with a foreign defense contractor and license-produce a new aircraft. Third, import or upgrade an existing platform.” The first option now appears to have been nixed.

Interestingly, U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin has been involved with the F-3 program in some unknown capacity and is a possible candidate for a future collaborative partnership. The recent news that Japan is interested in procuring at least 20 additional ready-to-fly F-35A stealth fighter jets from Lockheed Martin could be a first sign of an emerging Japan-Lockheed Martin partnership in that regard.

“The follow-up order of 25 F-35As could perhaps be part of a Japanese strategy to convince Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government to share fifth-generation aircraft technology with Japan’s defense industry,” I speculated last month. “Japan now, in collaboration with Lockheed Martin and other international partners, could aim to build a (pricier) domestic variant of the F-22.”

Japan originally intended to procure Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor, but the U.S. government refused an export license, forcing Japan to initiate its own stealth fighter jet program in the 2000s. The Japanese MoD plans to induct up to 100 fifth-generation fighter jets by the 2030s. A contract, estimated to be worth over $40 billion, was initially expected to be awarded this summer, but there has been no official progress report on the tender so far in 2018 and the decision will most likely be postponed.

According to various sources, the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) is also interested in purchasing the F-35B – the U.S. Marine Corps variant of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter capable of vertical or short takeoffs and vertical landings without requiring a catapult launcher. JSDF would deploy the aircraft on Japanese islands skirting the East China Sea and aboard Izumo-class helicopter carriers, which will make the acquisition of such platforms a politically sensitive subject in Japan.

https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/jap...opment-of-5th-generation-stealth-fighter-jet/

True 5th gen is indeed very expensive to develop by a single country.

 

[asianobserve]

1) What about AMRAAM ? F35 is becoming a WVR fighter? LOL
2) The canon fired, yes. But it induce a roll to the plane....
3) 9G ? I'm waiting for a better source. So far and during le Bourget show, it was limited to a little bit less than 7G (6.7G).
4) 9G? in what flying domain?

AMRAAM capability came with the earlier 3i software.

Cannon firing is just fine in the F-35. It's smoother than Rafale.

Dassault will not give you any info on F-35 capabilities. Seriously though 9g has always been a software issue on the F-35A. It has always been slated to come with 3f software. It's only you and some F-35 bashers who were living in an alternate universe where F-35 is a 3rd gen fighter.

That's 9gs in every flying domain.