F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

Someoneforyou

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F-35B starts electromagnetic testing for ship trials
UNITED STATES - 30 JUNE 2011

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- F-35B test aircraft BF-4 rests the evening of June 21 after a day of testing at the Naval Electromagnetic Radiation Facility. The NERF testing simulates the shipboard electromagnetic environment to identify any potential issues prior to initial ship trials this fall on board USS Wasp (LHD 1). The F-35B is the short take-off, vertical landing variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps and international partners, and is undergoing test and evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet.




Source: U.S. Naval Air Systems Command
 

Tshering22

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I don't know whether the Japanese are in the mood to continue on their Shin Shin or take up this US outsource offer. Japan would make a very logical partner, alongside South Korea.
 

mattster

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Wow, I didn't realize that with STOVL, the US Marines are going to have their own fighter squadron group that are parked on these smaller ships. Man, you have the Air-force, Navy and now even the Army has it's own fighter squadron.

It seems crazy and the cost of having 3 different air wings will be crazy.
 

asianobserve

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Wow, I didn't realize that with STOVL, the US Marines are going to have their own fighter squadron group that are parked on these smaller ships. Man, you have the Air-force, Navy and now even the Army has it's own fighter squadron.

It seems crazy and the cost of having 3 different air wings will be crazy.
The US Army now has a fighter squadron? Are they arming predators now with AMRAAMs and Sidewinders?
 

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F-35 Jet Blast Deflector Testing Underway at Lakehurst
UNITED STATES - 7 JULY 2011

LAKEHURST, N.J., July 7th, 2011 -- F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft CF-2 is performing Jet Blast Deflector (JBD) tests at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. The JBD, located behind the catapults aboard aircraft carriers, deflects high energy exhaust from the engine to prevent damage and injury to other aircraft and personnel located in close proximity.

JBD testing is one portion of the tests required to ensure the F-35C is compatible aboard the aircraft carrier. Testing continues with varying distances between the aircraft and JBD, and at power settings up to and including maximum afterburner power. CF-2 arrived at Lakehurst on June 25 for JBD tests.





Source: Lockheed Martin
 

Someoneforyou

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First F-35 arrives at Eglin U.S. Air Force Base
UNITED STATES - 15 JULY 2011

EGLIN U.S. AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- DoD's first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft touched down at its new home here July 14, marking a major milestone in the nation's military history.

Upon arrival, AF-9 officially became part of the Air Force inventory. It now belongs to the JSF training unit, the 33rd Fighter Wing.

Flying it in was Lt. Col. Eric Smith of the 58th Fighter Squadron, the first Air Force qualified F-35 pilot.

"It was a smooth ride in," said the colonel of the hour and 40 minute flight. "The jet behaved awesomely. I'm just so proud to bring it home to Eglin."

A crowd of anxious 33rd FW people braved the 90 degree heat to watch the fifth generation fighter touchdown and taxi in. Col. Andrew Toth, the 33rd Fighter Wing commander, was the first to greet his pilot upon arrival.

"It's an exciting day here at the wing, where our joint and integrated team has been preparing for this day since October 2009," said Toth. "I have no doubt the caliber of the Airmen, Sailors, Marines and contractors will provide safe and effective training operations at Eglin. Now we look forward to the start of classes later this year."

Pilot and maintenance training is on the schedule for tail number 747. Now that the aircraft is on station, F-35 maintainers will train and be certified here at home.

"It's pretty exciting," said Tech. Sgt. Brian West, the crew chief for the new aircraft. "We're thrilled to be able to train with one of our own."

As the world's first multi-role stealth fighter, the JSF is known for its superior range, cutting-edge avionics and next-generation sensor fusion. Each model shares breakthroughs in combat performance, survivability and support, while each is specifically tailored for unique service needs.

This next-generation belongs to the 58th FS. Squadron commander, Lt. Col. J.D. Wilbourne, was thrilled to see his first aircraft arrive, one day before his change of command.

"This is the best week ever," said the commander, who flew chase with 0747 in an F-16 Fighting Falcon. "This aircraft ensures air dominance for the next 30 years and today marks the first step toward that goal."


DOD's first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter soars past the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline with two F-16 Fighting Falcon chase aircraft before landing at its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14. Its pilot, Lt. Col. Eric Smith, of the 58th Fighter Squadron, is the first Air Force qualified JSF pilot.



DOD's first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter soars past the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline with two F-16 Fighting Falcon chase aircraft before landing at its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14. Its pilot, Lt. Col. Eric Smith, of the 58th Fighter Squadron, is the first Air Force qualified JSF pilot.



DOD's first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter soars over the Northwest Florida airspace before landing at its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, July 14. Its pilot, Lt. Col. Eric Smith, of the 58th Fighter Squadron, is the first Air Force qualified JSF pilot.



DOD's first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter soars past the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline with two F-16 Fighting Falcon chase aircraft before landing at its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14. Its pilot, Lt. Col. Eric Smith, of the 58th Fighter Squadron, is the first Air Force qualified JSF pilot.




F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter crew chief, Tech. Sgt. Brian West, watches his aircraft approach for the first time at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14. Aircraft 0747 is DoD's newest aircraft.



A 33rd Fighter Wing maintainer watches as the first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter taxis in to its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14.



The Air Force's first joint strike fighter pilot, Lt. Col. Eric Smith, of the 58th Fighter Squadron, taxis his squadron's newest aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II, to its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14.



DoD's newest aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, taxis across the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14.



The Air Force's first joint strike fighter pilot, Lt. Col. Eric Smith, of the 58th Fighter Squadron, taxis his squadron's newest aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II, to its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14.



The Air Force's first joint strike fighter pilot, Lt. Col. Eric Smith, of the 58th Fighter Squadron, looks at the monitor in his squadron's newest aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II, after piloting it to its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14.
 

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F-35A may need mods to fix range shortfall



An internal report predicts the Lockheed Martin F-35A conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant is falling short on a key performance requirement, forcing programme officials to consider a range of aircraft modifications to fix the problem.Combat radius, the maximum distance of an out-bound leg with a full load of weapons and fuel, has dropped to 1,080km (584nm) for the F-35A, according to a leaked copy of the 2010 F-35 selection acquisition report (SAR).

That falls slightly below the specification for a minimum combat radius of 1,091km, one of seven mandatory "key performance parameters" that apply to the CTOL variant, the 31 December report states.

The SAR report shows combat radius for the other two F-35 variants has also declined, but remain above the threshold mandated by Lockheed's development contract.

The CTOL variant was originally expected to exceed the minimum combat radius by 185km, flying almost 1,280km one-way before needing to return to base or refuel in-flight.

But the number has been falling for several years and dropped by 41.8km this year based on a set of new assumptions.

The F-35"²s propulsion and avionics are running at higher temperatures than expected. To compensate, more bleed air from the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine is used for cooling, but this reduced propulsion efficiency and shortened range by 19.3km, according to sources familiar with the design issues. Another 16.1km of range was lost by new estimates about the aircraft's actual fuel capacity. Finally, the weight and drag of the aircraft's electro-optical targeting system was factored into the F-35"²s performance calculations, further reducing range by 6.4km.

As a result, the programme office is considering "realistic aircraft modifications to add fuel capacity" in an effort to meet the requirement, according to the SAR report.

One simple change under review is a software tweak that would maximise the amount of fuel taken onboard during in-flight refuelling. Another relatively simple fix is to raise shut-off valves higher inside the fuel tank to create slightly more capacity, a source said, adding: "That gets you back a lot of the fuel that you need to recover" to meet the range mandated by the contract.

A more complex solution also being considered is to install new fuel tanks in a small number of hollow spaces within the aircraft's structure.

But programme officials are also debating whether to change how the range of the F-35A is calculated, the source said. The equation does not include a buffer margin of 5% of fuel capacity, which is intended to be preserved through the end of the flight test period in 2016. Eliminating the buffer margin adds another 72.4km to the aircraft's combat radius, the source said.


F-35A may need mods to fix range shortfall | idrw.org
 

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F-35C Launches to New Milestone
UNITED STATES - 27 JULY 2011

Catapult launches F-35C for the first time

LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The F-35C Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) completed its first steam catapult launch July 27 marking another milestone toward initial ship trials in 2013.

A TC-13 Mod 2 test steam catapult was used to launch F-35C test aircraft CF-3 into the sky. Steam catapults are currently used on board U.S. Navy aircraft carriers to launch various aircraft.

The F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants. It has larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for slower catapult launch and landing approach speeds and deck impacts associated with the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment.

Assigned to the F-35 integrated test facility on board Naval Air Station Patuxent River, CF-3 is the designated carrier suitability testing aircraft.

"It was great to be able to be a part of this milestone in the F-35C test program," said Navy test pilot Lt. Chris Tabert. "Due to the hard work of the entire test team, the event went very well and I look forward to seeing the airplane operate from the carrier."

Tabert is the most junior test pilots to fly any variant of the F-35, which reflects a deliberate shaping of the test force which balances experienced military and contractor test pilots with more newly- qualified test pilots with more recent experience.

"Our first trip here to Lakehurst went very smoothly because of the true collaboration and hard work from the integrated team," said Tom Briggs, government air vehicle engineering manager. "We look forward to another productive visit and staying on track for initial ship trials."

In addition to the catapult launches at varying power levels, the integrated test team will execute a test plan over three weeks to include dual-aircraft jet blast deflector testing and catapult launches using a degraded catapult configuration to measure the effects of steam ingestion on the aircraft.

The ability to degrade the catapult is unique to the test facilities at Lakehurst.

"We are pleased to have NAVAIR Lakehurst support the first F-35C steam catapult launch," said Kathleen Donnelly, senior executive for Support Equipment and Aircraft, Launch and Recovery Equipment(ALRE). "Our dedicated personnel, along with our shipboard representative steam catapult, enable the Navy to have accurate and timely test data necessary to evaluate the compatibility of this critical weapons system with ALRE systems."

The F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to eventual delivery to the fleet.


PATUXENT RIVER, Md. (July 19, 2011) An F-35C test aircraft CF-3 is brought to launch position on a test catapult by Navy test pilot Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus. The test demonstrated proper catapult hook-up in preparation for the first launches at Lakehurst, N.J., scheduled for later this month. CF-3 is the designated carrier suitability test aircraft. The F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with its larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for greater control in the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment. The F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River before eventual delivery to the fleet.



LAKEHURST, N.J. (July 27, 2011) An F-35C test aircraft piloted by Lt. Christopher Tabert launches from a steam catapult for the first time. CF-3 is the designated carrier suitability test aircraft. The F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with its larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for greater control in the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment. The F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River before eventual delivery to the fleet.



LAKEHURST, N.J. (July 27, 2011) An F-35C test aircraft piloted by Lt. Christopher Tabert launches from a steam catapult for the first time. CF-3 is the designated carrier suitability test aircraft. The F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with its larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for greater control in the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment. The F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River before eventual delivery to the fleet.
 

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USS Wasp Prepares for Joint Strike Fighter
UNITED STATES - 22 JULY 2011

ATLANTIC OCEAN --- The crew of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) is preparing the ship to become the first at-sea test platform for the U.S. Navy's test variant of the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

Recently, four members of Wasp's Air Department traveled to one of the Navy's premier test facilities at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., to help give them a good idea of what WASP can expect when testing begins. The group consisted of Cmdr. Stephen McKone, Wasp's Air Boss; Lt. Michael Curcio, Wasp's Aircraft Handling Officer and F-35B Ship Integration Project Officer; Ens. Maguel Brooks, Wasp's Air Bos'n; and Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handler) Richard McCray.

"The F-35B is a really unique aircraft," said Lt. Curcio. "It possesses characteristics on par with our legacy fighter/attack aircraft; it is the first Short Take Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft to possess both stealth and supersonic capability. This aircraft alone has the potential to completely revitalize the utility of large-deck amphibious platforms by adding significant strike capability to their resumes."

The F-35B will replace the Department of Navy's current Vertical and /or Short Take Off/Landing (VSTOL) aircraft, the AV-8B Harrier. The Harrier has been in the U.S. arsenal since 1984 and has been extensively used during both Persian Gulf Wars. It is also assigned to Marine Air Groups (MAGs) and Marine Expeditionary Units to support Marines on the ground and to facilitate amphibious assault operations around the globe.

During Wasp's four-month maintenance availability conducted earlier this year, major modifications were completed to various elements of the ship including the flight deck and combat systems equipment. These modifications included moving the flight deck's "Tram Line," or yellow line, which is used by pilots to guide them when performing short landings, closer to the port side of the ship. Also, the aft NATO Sea sparrow missile launcher mount was removed and replaced with a "dummy" launcher.

"The ship has had a few physical changes made to it," said Curcio. "Some of these are necessary to accommodate the physical differences between the Harrier and the F-35B, while others will help the engineers to collect data on both the ship's effect on the aircraft and the aircraft's effect on the ship. For example, the flight deck tramline was shifted slightly to port to accommodate the F-35B's larger wingspan, while the operational aft NATO Sea Sparrow launcher was replaced with an a test launcher laced with sensors to measure heat, vibrations, overpressure, and sound levels."

Many places aboard Wasp will be tested for a wide range of reasons in support of the F-35B. Some of these spaces will be tested for heat stress and other hazards.

"The Engineering Log Room will be looked at closely by the flight test engineers," said Curcio. "The area above the log room is one of the primary landing spots for the aircraft and will be subjected to the most stress. We want to know exactly how much heat and sound is transmitted through the flight deck and into that space to see if there will be any issues for those crew members who regularly work in there."

In addition to the ship itself being prepared for this momentous occasion, Wasp Aviation Boatswain's Mates (AB) from Air Department will also attend training at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

"We will take a contingent of AB's to Pax River with us to work with the real-life jets that will be flying out," said Curcio. "So they can practice every evolution that could possibly happen on the flight deck, both planned and contingency, during flight test operations.

According to Curcio, only five F-35B test aircraft have been delivered to flight test operations at Pax River from the factory. These prototypes are the product of millions of man hours of work and represent the full ingenuity and industrial strength of the United States.

"Though they cost a lot, one cannot really put a price tag on the capability they will bring to the fleet," said Curcio. "They are truly priceless and the goal is to have absolutely no surprises when it comes to operating them at sea. The Wasp Air Department team will be prepared to address any situation, routine or emergency."

As Wasp and her crew prepare to help test one of the world's most technologically advanced jet fighters, Curico realizes that this will be a tremendous team effort.

"With any new piece of equipment being tested, there will some road blocks," said Curico. "Since the crew will be working together on this, Wasp will be writing the book on how to operate the Joint Strike Fighter at sea."



USS Wasp (LHD-1) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship. The Wasp class amphibious assault ship is a group of United States Navy ships designed to land forces on hostile shores and transport troops by helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps. The class's ships are the largest vessels of this type in service anywhere in the world.

Each Wasp-class warship has a hospital with 600 patient beds and six operating rooms. All Wasp-class ships have been built at the Ingalls Shipbuilding company, in Pascagoula, Mississippi.


U.S. Navy Wasp-class amphibious assault ships (LHD):

USS Wasp (LHD-1)
USS Essex (LHD-2)
USS Kearsarge (LHD-3)
USS Boxer (LHD-4)
USS Bataan (LHD-5)
USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6)
USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7)
USS Makin Island (LHD-8)


File Photos: USS Wasp (LHD-1). Length: 257 meters.


 

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Video: First F-35C catapult launch


LAKEHURST, N.J., July 27, 2011 - The F-35C Lightning II completes another step toward initial ship trials as it launches from a land-based catapult at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., earlier today. Navy test pilot Lt. Chris Tabert flew the milestone mission, which was the first of several planned catapult launch tests for the F-35C carrier variant.
 
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First Air Force F-35 pilot part of aviation history
UNITED STATES - 1 AUGUST 2011

EGLIN U.S. AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- With the arrival of the joint strike fighter, the military continues setting the historic milestones for the worldwide aviation industry in preparing the first F-35 Lightning II pilots.

Lt. Col. Eric Smith became a part of history himself recently as the first Airman to fly the new stealth fighter for his service, an honor he said he never expected during his 16 years in an Air Force flight suit.

"It all came to light six months ago," said Smith, who moved to the 33rd Fighter Wing in 2009 after spending two years as a developmental test pilot with the 46th Test Wing here. "I was picked because of my test background and the training I had in 2005."

At Eglin, he was able to apply his experience flying A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and F-16 Fighting Falcons to the test mission before transferring over to the 33rd FW just as the wing ended its era of F-15 Eagle air dominance.

"Taking off in the F-35 for the first time, I experienced an adrenaline rush like I hadn't felt since I flew an A-10 for the first time," Smith said. "The difference this time is the fact that the F-35 is such a new airplane. If something goes wrong, you may be the first pilot to deal with the problem with only your previous fighter experience to rely on. Fortunately, my first flight went off without a hitch."

As an A-10 pilot, he knew the risks of flying in a single seat aircraft.

"Your first flight in an unfamiliar airplane means it's also your first solo flight," he said. "Once you leave the ground you have the next two hours to figure out how to safely land the jet."

The pilot spent a month flying F-35 test missions to ensure the Air Force's smooth transition from developmental test flights at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to the training flights that are scheduled to begin here by the end of the year.

Air Force Materiel Command's training program at Edwards is designed for test pilot school graduates with flight hours in a variety of airframes, Smith said. The pilot completed courses in F-35 academics, emergency procedures via simulator, engine run and high-speed taxi with three F-35 flights, while an instructor pilot flew in a chase plane.

"I'm extremely thrilled to be honored as the first Air Education and Training Command F-35 instructor pilot," Smith said. "It means a lot to me but more for the 33rd FW who can now execute the training plan they have been working on for two years. We have a great team and will soon begin training F-35 pilots and maintainers."

Smith will oversee flight operations of the initial F-35 pilot cadre as the director of operations for the 58th Fighter Squadron. He said the training program here will be more robust than what he needed to qualify in the F-35.

A student pilot at Eglin will receive approximately 200 hours of academics, 14 simulators, a high-speed taxi and six flights in the airplane before deemed qualified. Technological advances in virtual reality pilot and maintenance training is the biggest difference 33rd FW students will experience with the military's latest weapons system.

"I've got 80 hours in the simulator and only logged nine actual flying hours," Smith said. "That is a testament to how good the simulator is. Everything is digital."

Other new devices to be introduced are the F-35's unique set of pilot flight equipment, including an anti-gravity suit, a jacket with integral arm restraints and a helmet-mounted display system.

"It forced me to change all of my habits when it came to 'strapping on' the jet (for the first time)," Smith said. "The HMD is an extremely complex piece of equipment that uses two projectors to display independent images on the pilot's display visor."

The pilot said it took approximately six hours to fit and focus the helmet that will eventually give pilots a full 360-degree view around them in flight using cameras located around the exterior of the aircraft.

The F-35 helmet-mounted display system provides a combination of impact protection, heads-up display information and night vision, combining legacy aircraft systems into a single unit, according to officials with Lockheed Martin.

Smith's experiences will be shared among an integrated team of 33rd FW Nomads, who now prepare for a pipeline of students from three different branches of service.

With the success of 5th generation stealth aviation training at the wing, the F-35 will provide air dominance to the U.S. and its coalition partners for the next several decades, he said.

As for Smith, he'll continue to support the Air Force test mission at Edwards temporarily and return to Eglin as a senior leader for a squadron to which he personally delivered the first aircraft.


Lt. Col. Eric Smith, of the 58th Fighter Squadron, talks with his squadron and wing commanders after piloting the first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter to its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14, 2011.



The Air Force's first joint strike fighter pilot, Lt. Col. Eric Smith, of the 58th Fighter Squadron, taxis his squadron's newest aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II, to its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 14, 2011.
 

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Lockheed finds new structural weakness on two F-35 variants

Lockheed Martin will retrofit the first 64 production models of the F-35A and F-35B, after discovering a second aluminium part supplied by US-based producer Alcoa failed in durability tests.

The redesigned wing forward root rib forgings will be installed on new aircraft ordered by the US Air Force and US Marine Corps in the fifth yearly lot of low-rate initial production, according to the F-35 joint programme office (JPO).

The new structural problem was revealed even as the test fleet was cleared to resume un-monitored flying on 26 August, after Lockheed fixed a problem with the F-35's power system.

On 2 August, the Honeywell integrated power package failed, after a valve malfunctioned during a routine ground test on the AF-4 test aircraft.

All test aircraft were cleared to resume monitored flights on 18 August, with un-monitored tests cleared eight days later.

Early production aircraft remain effectively grounded, however, until a software modification can be installed in late September or October, the JPO said.

The production models have been cleared to complete one ferry flight from Fort Worth, Texas, to Eglin AFB, Florida, as they are delivered.

The structural problem is the second design change to be discovered in the 16,000h regimen of durability tests started last year.

The first problem was revealed when the Alcoa-supplied 496 bulkhead in the rear fuselage of the F-35B cracked unexpectedly only 10% through the durability test cycle.

Lockheed designed a patch to ensure the test fleet could survive long enough to complete the flight test programme.

According to the JPO, Lockheed's engineers were aware of the weakness problem in the root rib forgings as the aircraft entered durability tests.

The only surprise was that cracks appeared slightly later than expected, at 2,800h - about 17.5% through durability tests, the JPO said.

Despite the 16-day flight test hiatus in August, the flight test programme has not fallen far behind schedule.

Full article :- Lockheed finds new structural weakness on two F-35 variants
 

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Pentagon may delay work on 100 more F-35 fighters




(Reuters) - Senior Pentagon officials are considering postponing production of an additional 100 F-35 fighter jets by Lockheed Martin Corp as part of the next five-year defense plan to be sent to Congress, according to three people familiar with the program.

"No decision is likely to be made until November or December, but this is clearly a major option that would help the Department of Defense meet the savings mandates under the Budget Control Act," said one person who was not authorized to speak on the record.

The program has already been restructured twice over the past two years, postponing production of over 224 fighter planes -- moves that tend to drive up the price of each airplane in the short-term.


Pentagon may delay work on 100 more F-35 fighters | Reuters
 

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F-35B set for sea trials next week











Thursday Sep 29, 2011 11:38:36 EDT
The Marine Corps F-35B short-take off vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter will begin sea trials next week, the service's top aviation officer said.


"They start on 3rd October, and should last only two weeks," said Lt. Gen. Terry Robling, the Marine's deputy commandant for aviation. "But we have the USS Wasp for six weeks in case there are some anomalies."


Robling expressed confidence that the sea trials would go well.


According to Lockheed Martin F-35 program manager, Tom Burbage, both the Lightning II aircraft and the amphibious assault ship Wasp have been instrumented for the trials.


Successful sea trials would be a coup for the Marines and the F-35B program, which then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates placed on two-year probation last year.


Demonstrating the F-35B on the Wasp is crucial to the program's success, said analyst Richard Aboulafia at the Teal Group, Fairfax, Va.


"It certainly shows progress," Aboulafia said.


Moreover, it will also help the service make the case for the STOVL aircraft in the forthcoming Pentagon budget battles, he said.


"That gives the Marines ammunition to get this B-model in the clear," Aboulafia said. "When something is on probation, it becomes an easy target."


If all goes well, F-35B should be arriving at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in November, Robling said.


"All is on track," he said.


F-35B set for sea trials next week - Military News | News From Afghanistan, Iraq And Around The World - Military Times
 

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[h=2]F-35B lands on USS Wasp. [/h]
:thumb:
 
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Panetta Says Budget Cuts May Kill Lockheed's F-35 Jet

(Updates after eighth paragraph with Pentagon budget projections and CBO data.)

Nov. 14 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham that defense budget cuts of as much as $1 trillion may lead to the termination of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 jet.

In a letter today to the two Republican lawmakers, Panetta said reductions beyond the $450 billion, 10-year defense budget cuts already planned would reduce the "size of the military sharply."

If a special committee of lawmakers fails to reach agreement on U.S. deficit reduction, that would trigger a so- called sequestration. That would involve at least another $500 billion in defense cuts over a decade and reduce Pentagon programs in 2013 by 23 percent if the president exercises his authority to exempt military personnel, Panetta said.

Panetta said such funding reductions might lead to termination of major programs such as Lockheed's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, major space initiatives, silo-based U.S. nuclear missiles and ground combat vehicle modernization.

Such cuts also would damage shipbuilding and construction projects, and cause termination of the Littoral Combat Ship, Panetta wrote.

"You cannot buy three quarters of a ship or a building," he wrote the lawmakers urging them to ensure that Congress finds deficit reduction through other means.

Nov. 23 Deadline

A congressional supercommittee, seeking at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reductions, has until Nov. 23 to get an agreement. If Congress fails to approve the panel's plan, federal spending would be cut automatically, including about $500 billion from the Defense Department, not including interest.

The sequestration would call for the reduction of as much as $100 billion a year from the Pentagon's "topline" projections, starting in 2013, Panetta said.

The Pentagon as recently as February anticipated spending $571 billion in 2013, or 1 percent real growth over the fiscal $553 billion basic request. The projections grow to $611 billion in 2016.

Pentagon budget planners now anticipate the Office of Management and Budget may allow only about $522.5 billion annually in 2014-2017, according to Defense Department data. The estimates are calculated in fiscal 2011 dollars and don't assume sequestration.

The projections assume war funding of $50 billion in 2014, $30 billion in 2016 and $20 billion in 2017. That's down from $117 billion proposed this fiscal year.

The Congressional Budget Office has projected that the Pentagon's budget may be cut by $882 billion through 2021, starting with $83 billion in 2013, increasing to $91 billion in 2016 and $110 billion in 2021.



Panetta Says Budget Cuts May Kill Lockheed’s F-35 Jet - Businessweek
 

SpArK

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GE, Rolls Royce Stop Funding F-35 Alt Engine


General Electric (GE) and partner Rolls Royce have stopped financing their F136 afterburning turbofan designed for the F-35 Lightning II, the two companies announced Dec. 2.


The pair had been privately funding the developmental effort - dubbed the alt-engine - after the U.S. Defense Department formally terminated the project in April.


"The decision, reached jointly by GE and Rolls-Royce leadership, recognizes the continued uncertainty in the development and production schedules for the JSF Program," the companies said in a joint statement. "Following termination, the GE Rolls-Royce [Fighter Engine Team] had offered to self-fund F136 development through fiscal year 2012, but will now end its development work."


The two companies' decision marks the end of a 15-year effort to develop an alternative to the Pratt and Whitney F135 engine that would eventually be fitted into later F-35 production lots. The process was supposed replicate the so-called "Great Engine War" between the GE F110 and Pratt and Whitney F100, which power different blocks of Lockheed Martin's F-16 Fighting Falcon. Lockheed also builds the F-35.


The Defense Department, however, had been trying to cancel the F-136 program for the last five years because it said it can't afford to fund an extra engine. Until last year, DoD had been thwarted by Congress in those efforts.


Before DoD issued a "stop work" order March 24 for the 43,000-pound-thrust-class engine, GE claims that F136 development was about 80 percent complete. Six developmental engines had accumulated more than 1,100 hours since early 2010, the company said.


The two companies often touted advantages the F136 potentially offered over its Pratt and Whitney rival.


"The engine demonstrated significant thrust margin for much lower operating temperatures than the competing JSF engine," the GE and Rolls Royce statement reads. "This creates up to a 25 percent maintenance cost advantage for the F136 because of the engine's higher airflow design."


GE, Rolls Royce Stop Funding F-35 Alt Engine - Defense News
 

JAISWAL

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Trillion-Dollar Jet Has Thirteen Expensive New Flaws

Trillion-Dollar Jet Has Thirteen Expensive New Flaws | Danger Room | Wired.com
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The most expensive weapons program in U.S.
history is about to get a lot pricier.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, meant to replace
nearly every tactical warplane in the Air Force,
Navy and Marine Corps, was already expected to
cost $1 trillion dollars for development,
production and maintenance over the next 50
years. Now that cost is expected to grow, owing
to 13 different design flaws uncovered in the last
two months by a hush-hush panel of five
Pentagon experts. It could cost up to a billion
dollars to fix the flaws on copies of the jet already
in production, to say nothing of those yet to
come.
In addition to costing more, the stealthy F-35
could take longer to complete testing. That could
delay the stealthy jet's combat debut to sometime
after 2018 — seven years later than originally
planned. And all this comes as the Pentagon
braces for big cuts to its budget while trying to
save cherished but costly programs like the Joint
Strike Fighter.
Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's top weapons-
buyer, convened the so-called "Quick Look
Review" panel in October. Its report — 55 pages
of dense technical jargon and intricate charts —
was leaked this weekend. Kendall and company
found a laundry list of flaws with the F-35,
including a poorly placed tail hook, lagging
sensors, a buggy electrical system and structural
cracks.
Some of the problems — the electrical bugs, for
instance — were becoming clear before the Quick
Look Review; others are brand-new. The panelists
describe them all in detail and, for the first time,
connect them to the program's underlying
management problems. Most ominously, the
report mentions — but does not describe — a
"classified" deficiency. "Dollars to doughnuts it
has something to do with stealth," aviation guru
Bill Sweetman wrote. In other words, the F-35
might not be as invisible to radar as prime
contractor Lockheed Martin said it would be.
The JSF's problems are exacerbated by a
production plan that Vice Adm. David Venlet, the
government program manager, admitted two
weeks ago represents "a miscalculation." Known
as "concurrency," the plan allows Lockheed to
mass-produce jets — potentially hundreds of
them — while testing is still underway. It's a way
of ensuring the military gets combat-ready jets as
soon as possible, while also helping Lockheed to
maximize its profits. That's the theory, at least.
"Concurrency is present to some degree in
virtually all DoD programs, though not to the
extent that it is on the F-35," the Quick Look
panelists wrote. The Pentagon assumed it could
get away with a high degree of concurrency
owing to new computer simulations meant to
take the guesswork out of testing. "The
Department had a reasonable basis to be
optimistic," the panelists wrote.
But that optimism proved unfounded. "This
assessment shows that the F-35 program has
discovered and is continuing to discover issues at
a rate more typical of early design experience on
previous aircraft development programs," the
panelists explained. Testing uncovered problems
the computers did not predict, resulting in 725
design changes while new jets were rolling off
the factory floor in Fort Worth, Texas.
And every change takes time and costs money.
To pay for the fixes, this year the Pentagon cut its
F-35 order from 42 to 30. Next year's order
dropped from 35 to 30. "It's basically sucked the
wind out of our lungs with the burden, the
financial burden," Venlet said.
News of more costs and delays could not have
come at a worse time for the Joint Strike Fighter.
The program has already been restructured twice
since 2010, each time getting stretched out and
more expensive. In January, then-Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates put the Marines' overweight
F-35B variant, which is designed to take off and
land vertically, on probation. If Lockheed couldn't
fix the jump jet within two years, "it should be
cancelled," Gates advised.
Tasting blood in the water, Boeing — America's
other fighter-plane manufacturer — dusted off
plans for improved F-15s and F-18s to sell to the
Pentagon, should the F-35 fail. Deep cuts to the
defense budget certainly aren't helping the F-35"²s
case.
Humbled, Lockheed agreed to share some of the
cost of design changes, instead of simply billing
the government. The aerospace giant copped to
its past problems with the F-35 and promised
better performance. "There will not be another re-
baseline of this program. We understand that,"
Lockheed CEO Robert Stevens said in May.
But another "rebaselining," or restructuring, is
likely in the wake of the Quick Look Review. F-35
testing and production should be less concurrent
and more "event-based," the panelists advised. In
other words, the program should worry less
about meeting hard deadlines and more about
getting the jet's design right. It'll be ready when
it's ready. Major production must wait, even if
that means older warplanes — the planes the
F-35 is supposed to replace — must stay on the
front line longer.
Needless to say, that's got some members of
Congress up in arms. "It is at this exact moment
that the excessive overlap between development
and production that was originally structured into
the JSF program "¦ is now coming home to
roost," said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona
Republican and the ranking member of the Senate
Armed Services Committee. "If things do not
improve — quickly — taxpayers and the
warfighter will insist that all options will be on the
table. And they should be. We cannot continue
on this path."
 

Drsomnath999

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Country flag

ANKARA --- Turkey has officially decided to purchase Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets. As a member of the international F-35 consortium, this was the country's first official expression of commitment in buying the aircraft. The top decisive body of Turkish defense has also chosen Bell Helicopter as the next generation light copter for police

Turkey's top decision-making body yesterday paved the way Turkey's formal participation in a U.S.-led program for the production of next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II fighter aircraft.

"The defense industry executive committee has authorized the Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry [SSM, Turkey's procurement agency] to conduct talks for the aircraft's purchase order," the committee said in a statement after its meeting. The committee's members include Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, Defense Minister Ä°smet Yılmaz, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Neçdet Özel and procurement chief Murad Bayar.

SSM and Lockheed Martin, the plane's main manufacturer, now are expected to sign a formal document for the sale of the first two aircraft. This decision enables Turkey to begin the reception of the aircraft in 2015. Turkey is a member of the F-35 consortium but earlier had not been committed officially to buy the aircraft. It plans to operate around 100 aircraft eventually.

Other members of the consortium include the U.S., Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Norway and Denmark. But there are other countries that would buy the aircraft that are not members of the consortium, including Israel. A recent decision by Japan to buy the F-35 has been a major boost for this aircraft program. Japan and Israel are expected to receive deliveries in 2016.

Textron copters for police

The committee also has chosen the U.S. Bell Helicopter Textron as the main producer of the Turkish police force's next light helicopter type.

The committee's decision came at a time when the Turkish police prepare to assume a larger role in the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Security Directorate will buy up to 15 light helicopters in a first batch to bolster the force's capabilities.

Bell was competing against Italy's AgustaWestland and Eurocopter Deutschland, the European Eurocopter's German arm. Bell later is expected to manufacture more light helicopters for the Turkish police force in follow-up batches. The company also is expected to cooperate in the production with the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Turkey's state-owned aerospace company.

The Turkish Security Directorate's present helicopter fleet is made up of mainly U.S.-made MD600 light helicopters, which are getting older and more difficult to operate. The new helicopters should better perform police tasks, including tracking suspected criminals and intervening in incidents that could erupt during mass demonstrations, industry sources said.

The committee also decided that SSM would buy 10 Anka unmanned aerial vehicles from TAI. After the first three tests of the vehicle ended with crash-landings, the final three flight tests held recently were successful. TAI already would have delivered three Ankas to the military this year, but the committee's decision paves the way for the serial production of the 10 platforms.

-ends-
Turkey Formally Decides to Buy US-Made F-35 Fighter Aircraft
 

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