JSF (F-35 Joint Strike Fighter) News

[RandomlyGenerated]

Italian AF, Navy Head for F-35B Showdown
ROME — Italy’s decision to slash its overall F-35 Joint Strike Fighter order from 131 to 90 jets has kick-started a debate over how the Italian Air Force and Navy can divide a shrinking number of F-35B short-takeoff, vertical-landing (STOVL) versions in the package.
With both services wanting the jet and neither likely to get the number they want, talks are underway at the Ministry of Defense to find a solution, with a pooled fleet a growing possibility, officials and analysts said.

Before Defense Minister Giampao-lo di Paola announced the JSF reduction in February, prompted by defense spending cuts, the Air Force had planned to acquire 69 conventional F-35As to replace its Tornados and 40 F-35Bs to replace its AMX fighter bombers, citing a need to field STOVL aircraft to exploit short landing strips. That left the Navy with 22 STOVL versions to replace its aging AV-8 Harriers on its new carrier, the Cavour.
In a recent interview with the Italian publication Airpress, Air Force chief Gen. Giuseppe Bernardis said, “The Air Force will have 75
F-35s, of which 15 will be B, adding to the Navy’s 15.”
His prediction, however, followed statements from Rear Adm. Paolo Treu, head of Italian naval aviation, that 22 STOVL aircraft, not 15, is the absolute minimum number the Navy can order. That suggests the talks at the MoD will be heated.
“If the Navy is asked to go down to 15 aircraft, it will fight to the very end against it,” said Silvio Lora-Lamia, who has covered Italy’s JSF acquisition for Bologna-based defense publication Analisi Difesa.
Bernardis’ prediction envisions the Air Force losing nine F-35As and 25 F-35Bs. The Navy would lose fewer STOVLs — just seven. But Navy officials claim that 22 F-35Bs is just enough to keep a full contingent aboard Cavour during operations.
With three aircraft likely to be kept in the U.S. as a contribution to a pilot training pool and five predicted to need maintenance at any given time, 14 would be left. They and six helicopters complete Cavour’s line-up.

More:http://www.defensenews.com/article/2...text|FRONTPAGE

Jesus... this just proves how convenient and well set ut the italian system is....

[Beast of war]

Pentagon's Best-Kept Secret: F-35 Fighter Is Progressing Nicely

If you pay any attention to media coverage of the F-35 fighter program, then you know the Pentagon’s biggest weapons program is “troubled” (to use the favored adjective of reporters). Flight tests are lagging, costs are skyrocketing, and overseas partners are beginning to get cold feet. So the Joint Strike Fighter, as it used to be called, is looking like another black eye for the Pentagon’s fouled up acquisition system, right?
Wrong. The reality is that for the third straight year flight tests are ahead of schedule, the cost to build each plane is falling fast, and international partners are so enthused that new customers are getting in line for the F-35 on a regular basis (South Korea will be next). So how come you don’t know any of this? The reason you don’t know it is that political appointees have decided they can score points with Congress by attacking their own program, and national media always lead with the most sensational information.
For instance, Pentagon officials recently disclosed that the cost of building and operating the F-35 had risen to $1.5 trillion — without mentioning that a third of that total is unprovable estimates of future inflation and two-thirds of supposed increases from the program baseline reflect changes in how costs are calculated rather than real increases. Officials also didn’t mention it would cost two or three times more to stick with the current fleet of fighters, given the cost of maintaining aging aircraft. Most news accounts just cited the trillion-dollar price-tag, preferring to stick with the “troubled program” theme. Easy to write, no thinking required.

There’s another side to this story, and it’s mostly positive. It helps explain why none of the three services receiving the plane is going to cancel its version and why none of the allies who signed on to the program when economies were stronger is now going to back out. F-35 is well on its way to being the most capable, cost-effective tactical aircraft in the history of warfare, and you can see that fact clearly reflected in how the flight-test program is progressing, the production cost is falling, and other countries are jockeying to get the plane.
Flight tests. Let’s start with the flight tests that are steadily verifying all the performance features of the aircraft. The program has surpassed its goals for flight testing in each of the last three years, doing 15 percent better than planned in 2011 and 20 percent better than planned so far in 2012. Collectively, the three versions of the F-35 have now flown well over 2,000 times, accomplishing more than a quarter of the planned tasks in a comprehensive testing regime. By the end of this year, the most common version of the plane — the one that will be used by the Air Force and exported to most foreign customers — will be 45 percent of the way through all its flight tests.

MORE:http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthomps ... d=rss_home
From F-16.net

[GigantorX]

Pentagon's Best-Kept Secret: F-35 Fighter Is Progressing Nicely

If you pay any attention to media coverage of the F-35 fighter program, then you know the Pentagon’s biggest weapons program is “troubled” (to use the favored adjective of reporters). Flight tests are lagging, costs are skyrocketing, and overseas partners are beginning to get cold feet. So the Joint Strike Fighter, as it used to be called, is looking like another black eye for the Pentagon’s fouled up acquisition system, right?
Wrong. The reality is that for the third straight year flight tests are ahead of schedule, the cost to build each plane is falling fast, and international partners are so enthused that new customers are getting in line for the F-35 on a regular basis (South Korea will be next). So how come you don’t know any of this? The reason you don’t know it is that political appointees have decided they can score points with Congress by attacking their own program, and national media always lead with the most sensational information.
For instance, Pentagon officials recently disclosed that the cost of building and operating the F-35 had risen to $1.5 trillion — without mentioning that a third of that total is unprovable estimates of future inflation and two-thirds of supposed increases from the program baseline reflect changes in how costs are calculated rather than real increases. Officials also didn’t mention it would cost two or three times more to stick with the current fleet of fighters, given the cost of maintaining aging aircraft. Most news accounts just cited the trillion-dollar price-tag, preferring to stick with the “troubled program” theme. Easy to write, no thinking required.

There’s another side to this story, and it’s mostly positive. It helps explain why none of the three services receiving the plane is going to cancel its version and why none of the allies who signed on to the program when economies were stronger is now going to back out. F-35 is well on its way to being the most capable, cost-effective tactical aircraft in the history of warfare, and you can see that fact clearly reflected in how the flight-test program is progressing, the production cost is falling, and other countries are jockeying to get the plane.
Flight tests. Let’s start with the flight tests that are steadily verifying all the performance features of the aircraft. The program has surpassed its goals for flight testing in each of the last three years, doing 15 percent better than planned in 2011 and 20 percent better than planned so far in 2012. Collectively, the three versions of the F-35 have now flown well over 2,000 times, accomplishing more than a quarter of the planned tasks in a comprehensive testing regime. By the end of this year, the most common version of the plane — the one that will be used by the Air Force and exported to most foreign customers — will be 45 percent of the way through all its flight tests.

MORE:http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthomps ... d=rss_home
From F-16.net

A solid read, but that comment section was pretty harsh.

At the end of the day how many F-35's does the U.S. military actually see?

[C.Puffs]

A solid read, but that comment section was pretty harsh.

Probably people who feed at the trough of Bill Sweetman and Carlo Kopp.

[PMI]

Probably people who feed at the trough of Bill Sweetman and Carlo Kopp.

Nah it was the isolationist, miniscule military spending budget warrior types rather than the Eric Palmer brigade.

Although the comment claiming the JSF is in trouble because it may not win the KFX bid was amusing.

[GigantorX]

Nah it was the isolationist, miniscule military spending budget warrior types rather than the Eric Palmer brigade.

Although the comment claiming the JSF is in trouble because it may not win the KFX bid was amusing.

Yeah, the poster saying it was only being considered for KFX to lower other bids and give a wink and a nod to LM/U.S. govt. was a bit off.

[Dompedidomp]

It is official, the JSM will be a F-35 weapon.

US support for integration

Today Defence Minister Espen Barth Eide announced that the Norwegian Government has decided to start the process to finalize the development of JSM and integration on F-35. The decision comes as a consequence of Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s confirmation of US support for integration.
Through the development of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), the Norwegian Armed Forces has established KONGSBERG and other Norwegian industry in the top tier as a supplier of long-range, precision strike missiles that will meet military requirements in a 20 to 30-year perspective.
“It is of great importance that the US authorities have confirmed their support for the integration of the JSM on the F-35. In doing so, the operational needs of the Norwegian Armed Forces and international partners will be met. Furthermore, this will be an important contribution to the industrial content of the F-35 procurement. JSM is the world leader in its category and further strengthens the F-35's operational capacity", states Walter Qvam, CEO of KONGSBERG.
Open up new opportunities

“KONGSBERG has involved a number of Norwegian subcontractors in the first phases of the JSM development. Today's decision for the integration of JSM on F-35 open up new opportunities for a long-term Norwegian industrial success that may be worth as much as NOK 25 billion. In future full-scale production, the JSM programme could translate into 450 jobs at KONGSBERG and significant assignments for more than 100 Norwegian subcontractors for several decades", comments Harald Ånnestad, president of Kongsberg Defence Systems.
As part of the JSM development programme, new operational capabilities will be developed and tested for subsequent upgrading of KONGSBERG's Naval Strike Missile (NSM). The NSM is now in production for the Armed Forces of Poland and Norway

http://www.kongsberg.com/en/kog/news...orwayjsmorder/

[Beast of war]

Norway Orders 1st 2 F-35s in $10B Deal
OSLO — Norway said on June 15 it had authorized orders for the first two of dozens of F-35 fighter jets it plans to buy from the United States as part of its largest-ever government spending project.
“Norway today commenced the largest public procurement project in its history,” the government said in a statement.
Defense Minister Espen Barth Eide hailed the 60-billion-kroner ($10 billion) deal for a total of 52 jet fighters.
“The F-35, which Norway selected in 2008, represents a completely new generation of combat aircraft that will form a corner stone of the future Norwegian Armed Forces,” he said in the statement.
Norway agreed in 2008 to buy 52 Lockheed Martin-built F-35A Lightning II planes from the United States, but it had put off placing its orders until it got the green light from U.S. authorities to integrate a Norwegian-made weapons system into the plane earlier this week.
“We will begin preparations for the final phase of Joint Strike Missile development after receiving confirmation from U.S. authorities of their support for the integration of the missile into the F-35,” Barth Eide said.
“Securing such support has been an important precondition for many of our partner nations before they would themselves commit to supporting the JSM,” he said.
Although securing U.S. support does not automatically mean that the Norwegian missile system will be integrated into all F-35s, Oslo voiced optimism that other users of the planes would opt to take it.
“Total market potential for the JSM is estimated to be between 20 and 25 billion kroner,” the government said.
It said the two planes authorized June 15 would be joined by two more in 2016 and would be based in the United States “as part of a joint partner training center.”
“They are to be followed by up to 48 additional aircraft from 2017 that are to be based at Oerland Main Air Station in central Norway,” it said, adding that the overall cost of the procurement phase of the project was estimated at 60 billion kroner.
“Norway’s parliament yesterday approved a significant increase in defense spending in order to finance the purchase and to increase the general operating budget of the armed forces,” Barth Eide said.
Link:Norway Orders 1st 2 F-35s in $10B Deal

[Beast of war]

Photo Release: First asymmetric weapons load test for F-35B

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – On June 14, F-35B Joint Strike Fighter test aircraft BF-2 completed the first test flight for the short takeoff and vertical landing variant with an asymmetric weapons load. Cmdr. Eric Buus flew BF-2 with an AIM-9X Sidewinder inert missile on the starboard pylon, a centerline 25 mm gun pod, and a GBU-32 and AIM-120 in the starboard weapon bay. Significant weapons testing for the F-35B and F-35C variants is in progress, including fit checks, captive carriage environment characterization, and pit drops. Aerial weapons separation testing is scheduled for this summer.

The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings for use on amphibious ships or expeditionary airfields to provide air power to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The F-35B is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)

[Beast of war]

Northrop Grumman's F-35 DAS and Radar Demonstrate Ability to Detect, Track, Target Ballistic Missiles

LINTHICUM, Md. --- Northrop Grumman Corporation recently demonstrated the ballistic missile detection, tracking and targeting capabilities of the company's AN/AAQ-37 distributed aperture system (DAS) and AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, both of which are featured on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft.

A video accompanying this release is available on YouTube at http://youtu.be/qF29GBSpRF4


Leveraging NASA's Science Mission Directorate-sponsored Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment launch operation, the demonstration was coordinated with NASA and the U.S. Air Force to ensure that it did not impact NASA's primary science mission goals. The systems were demonstrated in flight onboard the company's BAC1-11 testbed aircraft.

Northrop Grumman's DAS and APG-81 autonomously detected, tracked and targeted multiple, simultaneous ballistic rockets. The DAS autonomously detected all five rockets, launched in rapid succession, and tracked them from initial launch well past the second stage burnout.

"Northrop Grumman demonstrated these ballistic missile tracking modes with only minor modifications to the baseline F-35 JSF radar and DAS software," said Jeff Leavitt, vice president of Northrop Grumman's combat avionic systems business unit. "Since DAS is always staring simultaneously in every direction, an operator does not have to point the sensor in the direction of a target to gain a track. The F-35 pilot could continue the primary mission while the sensors automatically observe ballistic missile threats."

The APG-81 AESA radar demonstrated the ability to provide acquisition and weapons quality tracks independently, and also via pointing cues from DAS for expedited and extended range target acquisition. The radar maintained each track from initial acquisition until the rocket exited the radar's field of view.

Leavitt added that Northrop Grumman is currently exploring how the existing DAS technology could assist in several additional mission areas, including irregular warfare operations.

The multifunction AN/APG-81 AESA radar is capable of the full range of air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities complemented by significant electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance functions. The AN/AAQ-37 DAS provides passive spherical awareness for the F-35, simultaneously detecting and tracking aircraft and missiles in every direction, and providing visual imagery for day/night navigation and targeting purposes.


Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.
(Source: Northrop Grumman; issued June 26, 2012)

[Beast of war]

PICTURES: MBDA sharpens Spear missile design for F-35 integration
European manufacturer MBDA has unveiled a UK-developed design for a next-generation air-to-surface weapon suitable for internal carriage by the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
To be shown for the first time as a full-scale mock-up at the Farnborough air show, the Spear concept would use a turbojet engine and a wing kit to provide a stand-off range of about 100km (54nm). "Speed and range are the two main drivers" behind this configuration, says Rob Thornley, export working group leader for MBDA UK.
"Another key requirement is to provide multiple load-out on the F-35," says Thornley. The company expects to be able to fit up to four Spear weapons and one Meteor beyond visual-range air-to-air missile in each of the F-35's two weapons bays.


Firm decisions have yet to be made on the final Spear configuration, but MBDA says it will be about 2m (6.5ft) long, carry a multi-effect warhead and use a multimode seeker. The high subsonic-speed weapon will also feature INS/GPS guidance, and be able to receive mid-course updates via an onboard datalink.

The basis of the concept is now in an assessment phase study for the UK Ministry of Defence's Spear Capability 3 requirement. This activity is due to conclude in 2014 with an airframe and propulsion system demonstration using a representative weapon design.

"We are on track, and continue to mature the technologies," says business executive Adrian Monks. However, MBDA acknowledges that the UK's recent decision to revert to the short take-off and vertical landing F-35B "brings some challenges", as the type's weapons bays are shorter than those found on the carrier variant F-35C previously favoured by London.
More:PICTURES: MBDA sharpens Spear missile design for F-35 integration

[Beast of war]

Lockheed: F-35 Partners Won’t Suffer Unduly from Production Slowdown AIN Defense Perspective » February 17, 2012 by Chris Pocock

"...Under F-35 procurement procedures, the partners pay the same unit recurring flyaway cost as the U.S. for the aircraft that they order in each annual or (eventually) multi-year buy. Smaller order quantities should mean higher unit prices, but countering this trend, Scott told AIN, is the fact that “as we refine the supply chain and the production processes, the price will continue to reduce.”

Scott noted that six of the eight partners now have committed to or ordered aircraft. “They’re all in it together, and have been for 10 years now,” he said, referring to the system design and development phase in which all of them made contributions. These ranged from $2 billion from the UK, a Level 1 partner, to $1 billion from Italy and $800 million from the Dutch as Level 2 partners to $125 million to $175 million from the remainder, as Level 3 partners.

The British (three) and the Dutch (two) have already ordered aircraft, Scott noted. Australia (two) and Italy (four) are placing their first orders in Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 6, and have already funded long-lead production items. Turkey is following in LRIP 7, and Norway (four) in LRIP 8. Canada and Denmark are the two partners who have yet to commit. The first deliveries to Israel and Japan will be from LRIP 8...."

[...]

Source: http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ ... n-slowdown

[Szarko32c]

They won't suffer if they they pay $65 million LM promised, but since production is still "LRIP" they will wait until 200+ annually rate. Dutch will fly 40 F-16 at time JSF arrive (good reason to buy 40 instead of 85). Denmark already plan to buy no more than 30, but after... transparent competitive procurement process.
Only UK struggles itself against admitting that they will have to cut the number of 138.

[icefrog]

Japan buys F-35 stealth jets despite price rise

Japan will buy four US-made F-35 stealth jets despite a sharply higher price tag, it said today, in Tokyo's first confirmed order for the next-generation aircraft which has been plagued by delays.

An official from the defence ministry said Japan would now pay 9.6 billion yen (USD 120 million) per aircraft, up from the USD 110 million originally earmarked.He added US officials had said the price rise was unavoidable and Tokyo accepted the situation."We learned that the reason for the price hike is because the United States decided to postpone its domestic procurement of 179 aircraft in the next five years due to its tight budget," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ja...e-rise/968308/

[Beast of war]

US, Japan Sign Deal On First Four F-35 Fighters
WASHINGTON --- Japan on Friday signed a formal agreement with the United States to buy an initial four F-35 fighters built by Lockheed Martin Corp and other equipment for 60 billion yen ($756.53 million), a company spokesman said.

The letter of offer and acceptance, which was signed in Japan, includes four conventional takeoff variants of the F-35 fighter at a cost of 10.2 billion yen ($128.61 million) each, a slightly higher price than the 9.9 billion yen ($124.83 million) than Japan initially budgeted to spend.

But the cost of the two simulators and other equipment dropped to 19.1 billion yen ($240.83 million) from the anticipated level of 20.5 billion yen ($258.48 million) so the overall price remained at 60 billion yen.

The signing was good news for Lockheed and the F-35 program, which is looking to orders from Japan and other countries to help maintain economical production rates at Lockheed's main F-35 plant in Fort Worth, Texas, despite cuts in U.S. orders.

Japan (…) announced in December that it plans to buy a total of 42 F-35 fighters.
Click here for the full story, on the Reuter s website.