F-35 Lightning II news

F-35B lifts off for first flight at Eglin

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

May 22, 2012 (by Chrissy Cuttita) - An F-35B Lightning II made its first flight at Eglin Air Force Base today, two months after 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing officially introduced the Marine Corp's fifth generation fighter to the world at the 33rd Fighter Wing.

Marine Maj. Joseph Bachmann, a VMFAT-501 pilot, takes off in his first F-35B sortie from Eglin AFB on May 22, 2012. The historic flight was airborne during the Marine Corps' 100th year of aviation, two months after 2nd MAW officially introduced the service's fifth generation fighter to the world at the 33rd FW.

"Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 has had an exciting year with the arrival of our first three aircraft in January, the official roll out ceremony in February and now generating sorties along with other military service and contract partners here," said Lt. Col. David R. Berke, commanding officer of VMFAT-501.

The goal for Marines was to start local area operations and conventional flights, beginning the process of gradually expanding the envelope to short takeoffs and vertical landings (STOVL) and more complex aerial training.

The F-35B is part of the Marine Corps' ongoing effort to modernize its aging fleet of aircraft and to take advantage of fifth generation technology that will greatly enhance its capabilities as America's expeditionary crisis response force. Once fully fielded, the Joint Strike Fighter will replace the F/A-18 Hornet, EA-6B Prowler and AV-8B Harrier.

With a fully-fielded fleet of F-35Bs and F-35Cs, America will maintain 22 capital ships - 11 carrier and 11 amphibious assault - with strike assets capable of projecting influence and conducting strike operations.

"It's another milestone in what we are calling our execution year," said Col. Andrew Toth, 33rd FW commander. "Adding more aircraft to the fleet, filling up the flying schedule with two aircraft variants and certification classes ongoing at our F-35 Academic Training Center are testimonies of our wing's success in standing up our nation's Joint Strike Fighter training for future generations."

Since 2009, the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have sent their best aviators and aircraft mechanics to pave the way for this execution year and beyond. Each service's operational squadron is collocated on the 33rd FW flight line, sharing capabilities although each reports through its own chain of command. VMFAT-501 reports to 2nd MAW, headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.

Maintainers have been preparing for today's launch with engine runs and taxi operations for approximately eight months since F-35 aircraft began arriving here last summer. Utilizing virtual trainers, developing pilot curriculum and hosting small group tryouts has been the focus for personnel readying themselves for flight operations to come.

"It's amazing to believe 100 years ago Marine Corps aviation started and here today we launched a fifth generation aircraft," said Marine Sgt. Eric Spence, VMFAT-501 plane captain for the first F-35B sortie. "It's history in the making. Every time one of those engines fires up I get pumped up and today it was a little extra."

The power plant mechanic said he prepared for the last six months by being involved in any F-35 maintenance training he could at the 33rd FW.

January's arrival of the first F-35Bs to Eglin Air Force Base was called an historic event in Marine aviation history by the Deputy Commandant for Aviation, Lt. Gen. Terry G. Robling.

"With the arrival of that evolutionary aircraft, the first in a line of 420 Joint Strike Fighters that we will integrate into the force, we have come full circle nearly a century since our first aviator took flight," he said.

Courtesy of Team Eglin Public Affairs

Related articles:

Two F-35Bs ferried To Eglin - 25th DOD delivery (2012-05-10)
Eglin launches first F-35 sortie (2012-03-07)
Lockheed Martin delivers 1st F-35 Weapons Load Training System to Eglin AFB (2011-10-17)
Other
News archive for May 2012

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Finally ... First F-35B Flight out of Eglin (5 replies)

Additional images:

Marine Sgt. Eric Spence, a plane captain with VMFAT-501, and Marine Maj. Joseph Bachmann prepare life support equipment for their first F-35B sortie on May 22, 2012.

Two F-35Bs ferried To Eglin - 25th DOD delivery

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

May 10, 2012 (by Mike Rein) - Two Lockheed Martin F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) production aircraft were ferried to Eglin Air Force Base, on May 10th, marking the 24th and 25th F-35 deliveries to the Department of Defense.

F-35B BF-10 takes off for its ferry flight to Eglin AFB on May 10th, 2012.

The 5th Generation multirole fighter jets were delivered to the United States Marine Corps and are now assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wingâs Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron 501 residing with the host 33d Fighter Wing.

U.S. Marine Corps pilots Maj. Joseph Bachmann and Lt. Col. Matt Kelly piloted the aircraft, known as BF-9 and BF-10 respectively, which departed Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas at 13:26hrs. and 13:42hrs. CDT for an approximate 90-minute flight to Floridaâs Emerald Coast. The jets became the 10th and 11th F-35s to join Eglinâs fleet. Both jets will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the F-35 Integrated Training Center there.

One additional STOVL production jet, BF-11, will join the fleet at Eglin in the coming days. All three jets were formally accepted by the U.S. Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) on behalf of the Marine Corps with the signing of Department of Defense Form 250 (DD-250). BF-9 and BF-10 were accepted May 4 while BF-11 was accepted May 5. Prior to acceptance, the three F-35Bs underwent a series of company and government checkout flights at Lockheed Martinâs F-35 production facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least nine other countries.

Courtesy of Lockheed Martin

Related articles:

Eglin launches first F-35 sortie (2012-03-07)
First two USMC F-35s arrive at Eglin (2012-01-11)
First US Marine pilots F-35 (2009-03-19)
USMC and Navy JSF assembly reaches milestones (2006-12-20)
Other
News archive for May 2012

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Two Lockheed Martin F-35Bs Ferried To Eglin (8 replies)

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F-35B BF-09 takes off for its ferry flight to Eglin AFB on May 10th, 2012.

DSCA notifies possible sale of F-35s to Japan

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

May 1, 2012 (by Charles Taylor) - The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress April 30 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Japan for an initial four F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft with an option to purchase an additional 38 F-35 CTOL aircraft. The estimated cost is $10 billion.

F-35A - CTOL

All aircraft will be configured with the Pratt and Whitney F-135 engines, and 5 spare F-135 engines. Other Aircraft Equipment includes: Electronic Warfare Systems, Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence/Communication, Navigational and Identifications (C4I/CNI), Autonomic Logistics Global Support System (ALGS), Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), Flight Mission Trainer, Weapons Employment Capability, and other Subsystems, Features, and Capabilities, F-35 unique infrared flares, reprogramming center, and F-35 Performance Based Logistics.

Also included: software development/integration, flight test instrumentation, aircraft ferry and tanker support, spare and repair parts, support equipment, tools and test equipment, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support.

The proposed sale of aircraft and support will augment Japan's operational aircraft inventory and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defense capability. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's F-4 aircraft will be decommissioned as F-35âs are added to the inventory. Japan will have no difficulty absorbing these aircraft into its armed forces.

The prime contractors will be Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas, and Pratt and Whitney Military Engines in East Hartford, Connecticut. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will require multiple trips to Japan involving U.S. Government and contractor representatives for technical reviews/support, programs management, and training over a period of 15 years. U.S. contractor representatives will be required in Japan to conduct Contractor Engineering Technical Services (CETS) and Autonomic Logistics and Global Support (ALGS) for after-aircraft delivery.

Related articles:

Japan selects F-35 Lightning II (2011-12-19)
Other
News archive for May 2012

External link:

Full DSCA Report (PDF)

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Japan is Buying F-35s (32 replies)

Additional images:

On February 16th, 2012 the first external weapons test mission was flown by an F-35A, AF-1 Conventional Take-off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft at Edwards AFB.

UK's first F-35 makes inaugural flight

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EST

April 16, 2012 (by Laurie Quincy) - BK-01, the United Kingdom's first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II production aircraft, flew its inaugural flight April 13, 2012.

The UK's first F-35B BK-01 seen air-to-air during its first flight on April 13th, 2012.

Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti took the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet through a series of functional flight checks during a sortie that lasted 45 minutes. The jet will complete a series of company and government checkout flights prior to its acceptance by the U.K. Ministry of Defence.

The U.K. MOD will use this 5th Generation fighter for training and operational tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., beginning later this year.

"Not only is this a watershed moment for the Joint Strike Fighter program, since BK-01 is the first international F-35 to fly, but it also brings us one step closer to delivery of this essential 5th Generation capability for the U.K., " said Group Captain Harv Smyth, the Joint Strike Fighter U.K. National Deputy.

Courtesy of Lockheed Martin

Related articles:

U.S. Navy and U.K. Royal Navy F-35 unable to get aboard ship (2012-01-08)
First U.K. service pilot flies F-35 (2010-01-27)
UK approves third F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (2009-12-22)
UK announces F-35 JSF purchase (2009-03-19)
UK F-35 confidence as MOD orders aircraft carriers (2007-07-25)
Other
News archive for April 2012

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UK's first F-35 flies [the IRONIC 'B' Model] :-) (28 replies)

Additional images:

First flight of F-35B BK-01 seen air-to-air with Bill 'Giggs' Gigliotti at the controls on April 13th, 2012.

The UK's first F-35B BK-01 lands after its first flight on April 13th, 2012.

Bill 'Giggs' Gigliotti pilot for first flight of F-35B, BK-01, poses with a UK flag in front of the jet on April 13th, 2012.

Canadian F-35 acquisition plan stalled by audit

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EST

April 7, 2012 (by Eric L. Palmer) - Canadian Defence officials have been accused of misleading Parliament over the proposed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) acquisition after the release of an Auditor General report this week.

Canadian Auditor General report accused Defence of misleading Parliament

Back in February 2011, Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay stated the following about the troubled F-35 program, which had a limit of $9B for the procurement of 65 F-35s.

- âMany figures have been circulated on the cost,â the minister said in a speech Friday before the Conference of Defence Associations. âLet me repeat it. $9 billion. I have no idea where these other figures are coming from. Theyâre simply made up â or theyâre guessing.â-

Adding 20 years of maintenance at a cost of $7B for a total of $16B was what Defence claimed for the total capability. Defence proponents of the F-35 stated that the project was likely to come in under that total number; closer to $14.7B.

The Canadian Auditor General report asserts that Defence had known that the total program costs would be $25B. The report also claims that Defence officials kept this figure from elected officials. There is also the possibility that the current government buried this higher figure in order to keep controversy away from the program during the last election.

When news of the contents of the Auditor General report leaked out some weeks ago, Defence Minister Mackay reasserted that $9B is the limit for acquisition for a CF-18 Hornet replacement.

The Canadian government has also released its latest budget plan. In it, it states that a CF-18 replacement has to be "affordable". It also states that operations undertaken by this capability will be for at home and abroad.

It is unlikely that 65 aircraft are enough to sustain home defence operations and contingencies abroad. 72 aircraft (as a minimum) for a CF-18 replacement is a more solid number if operations abroad are confirmed as being needed by Parliament. Years ago at the start of the program, Canada stated they needed 88 F-35s.

As a result of the Canadian Auditor General report, the acquisition management responsibility for a CF-18 replacement will be taken away from Defence and handed over to the Public Works department.

The Montreal Gazette reports this response from Defence:

-In a statement issued later Thursday, the government said it was reporting the cost of purchasing the stealth fighters, and did not roll in operating and salary costs because they would have been incurred no matter what aircraft was chosen to replace the CF-18s.-

This is misleading or just demonstrates the kind of poor advice given to the minister. There was nothing wrong with the stated categories of acquisition and maintenance produced by Defence. What was wrong were the rosy assumptions of affordability with no clear evidence to back it up given the immaturity of the F-35 program.

For instance, Defence Minister MacKay was told that the unit cost of the aircraft was in the $70M region and that Canada would be purchasing their aircraft during "peak-production" in the program. These talking points also show up on the Canadian Defence website. Unfortunately, there is no sold information to verify such a scheme. Reports from the U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO)--an organisation that has been consistently accurate about program risks--doesn't agree with Mr. MacKay's claims.

Also, Canada expects to replace their CF-18s by the year 2020. There are so many known risks tied to the F-35 program that it won't be in any go-to-war configuration by then. If anything, the very nature of F-35 program risks to cost, technical problems and schedule disqualify it as a CF-18 replacement.

Canadian Defence officials also state they have been routinely briefed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) F-35 program office. However this very office has been if anything, suffering from over-optimism and no solid program management methodology. For example, one of the previous DOD F-35 program bosses General Davis was consistently wrong in almost all of his program briefings on risk, schedule and cost up to and through the year 2008 and until he left the posting. His replacement was fired for over-optimism. And, the current program boss, Admiral Venlet, has gone native to the program stating things are fixable when the current pile of massive risks show that to be unlikely.

Current political fallout from the results of the Canadian Auditor General's report will take a long time to resolve.

Related articles:

Australia may delay 12 of 14 F-35s in initial order (2012-01-30)
Mismanagement of F-35 program results in budget cuts (2012-01-29)
DOD report â F-35 problems will take years to fix (2011-12-13)
Other
News archive for April 2012

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First JSF for The Netherlands rolls out of Fort Worth

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EST

April 4, 2012 (by Jason Hodgkiss) - The first F-35 Lightning II for Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNlAF) rolled out of the F-35 production facility on April 1. This is the latest step in the production process leading to its eventual assignment to Eglin AFB, Fla., later this year.

The first F-35 Lightning II for The Netherlands (AN-01) rolled out of the F-35 production facility on April 1st, 2012. The Netherlands will use the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) jet, for training and operational tests for pilots and maintainers.

The Netherlands will use the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) A model jet, known as AN-1, for training and operational tests for pilots and maintainers. AN-1 will undergo the standard functional fuel system checks before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests in the coming weeks.

The RNlAF continues to be at the forefront of flight testing and pilot training and remains at the leading edge of advanced 5th Generation fighter technology. Most of the 85 aircraft to be produced will be manufacture in part by Stork Aerospace, now called Fokker Aerospace Group.

Related articles:

Two test F-35s for the Netherlands (2008-03-02)
Netherlands agrees to continue JSF project (2006-09-30)
Dutch government sticking to F-35 as successor to F-16 (2006-05-12)
More JSF engine parts to be made in the Netherlands (2005-07-08)
Other
News archive for April 2012

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F-35A completes first night refueling mission

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

March 29, 2012 (by Jason Hodgkiss) - In the first of many missions the JSF completed it's first night refueling of the Lockheed Martin F-35 program was completed last Thursday (March 22nd) at Edwards Air Force Base.

The first F-35 night refueling mission with F-35A AF-04 happaned on March 22nd, 2012 at Edwards AFB.

Lt. Col. Peter Vitt, 461st Flight Test Squadron director of operations took AF-4, the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A variant, rendezvoused in an orbital track with an Air Force KC-135 tanker and successfully received fuel through the F-35âs boom receptacle. The sortie lasted over three hours.

The F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards AFB will also be conducting night refueling tests with the KC-10, however no date has been announced for this yet.

Related articles:

Eglin launches first F-35 sortie (2012-03-07)
F-35 successful in first probe-and-drogue aerial refueling (2009-08-15)
First F-35 air-to-air refueling test complete (2008-03-13)
Other
News archive for March 2012

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The first F-35 night refueling mission with F-35A AF-04 happened on March 22nd, 2012 at Edwards AFB.

F-35A AF-4 successfully received fuel from an Air Force KC-135 tanker through the F-35âs boom receptacle.

The first F-35 night refueling mission with F-35A AF-04 happened on March 22nd, 2012 at Edwards AFB.

Eglin launches first F-35 sortie

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

March 7, 2012 (by Chrissy Cuttita) - No matter what uniform they wear, service members of the 33rd Fighter Wing know the launch of the first F-35 Lightning II flight on March 6 is a small step into the next half century of air dominance.

The F-35A Lightning II JSF lifts off for its first training sortie on March 6th, 2012 at Eglin AFB. Itâs the first flight of any 33rd FW F-35 since their arrival to the base.

Morale was high even though the sortie was abbreviated by the pilot's determination of "in flight emergency."

"Our first sortie is truly a milestone for the program," said Col. Andrew Toth, 33rd FW commander. "Unfortunately things happen. We didn't want it to happen today but we were prepared. Our pilot did the exact right thing in returning the jet back to Eglin. Although there were issues we are doing whatever we can to move the program forward safely and effectively."

Pilots and maintainers will meet later today to discuss the potential fuel leak finding that caused the precautionary end of the sortie at 15 minutes versus the 90 minutes scheduled to be airborne to complete the operational check flight.

"We met both objectives today; get the aircraft airborne and start local area operations," said Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the Air Force's first F-35 pilot who tested the aircraft at Edwards AFB, Calif. "Our team did the most conservative thing by deciding to bring the plane back. We trained for this many times in the simulator for this exact reason."

The crowd on the flight line present for take-off kept the cheers for their integrated team's first aircraft launch and feel the day was still a success.

"It's a wonderful experience to know I made history launching the first F-35," said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Houser, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, who saluted Smith in the cockpit before the jet taxied down the ramp.

Maintainers have been preparing for today's launch with engine runs and taxi operations for approximately eight months since the aircraft began arriving here last summer. Utilizing virtual trainers, developing pilot curriculum and hosting small group tryouts has been the focus of personnel to ready themselves for flight operations to come.

"This is our execution year," said Toth, who is proud of his team for laying the foundation to get the nation's training program ready to go. "The cohesion we developed between the services make this not just about the Air Force, but about the wing's program to launch the F-35A as a baseline for the JSF program's future. It's taken the entire team, all services and contractors to build this up. Had the partnership not been there, I don't think we'd be here today."

Since 2009, Air Force, Navy and Marines sent their best aviators and aircraft mechanics to develop the next generation warriors of the joint strike fighter program here.

"I can't wait until we fly more and show our stuff to the world," said Senior Airman Arthur Verchot, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief launch assistant.

More pilot students will flow into the program at the right time so the wing has the correct number of people in each phase of the program. With people as the main training product, the 33rd FW focuses on preparing for an anticipated 2,200 students a year and 900 "on campus" at any given time at full capacity.

According to Air Education and Training Command, they are taking an event-driven approach to assess when to begin transitioning the entire JSF training system, including the aircraft, to a point where the wing can initiate the training syllabus.

"We will continue to make steady progress towards our goal of standing up a world class training program at Eglin," said Gen. Edward Rice Jr., commander of AETC, who approved F-35 flight operations to begin shortly after the Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center awarded an airworthiness certificate to the service for their variant of the joint strike fighter.

Courtesy of Team Eglin Public Affairs

Related articles:

First two USMC F-35s arrive at Eglin (2012-01-11)
First F-35 arrives at Eglin (2011-07-15)
Lockheed Martin delivers first production F-35 to Eglin AFB (2011-07-14)
Officials recommend Eglin as preferred alternative F-35 base (2010-07-28)
Other
News archive for March 2012

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First flight means first step toward future air dominance (48 replies)

Additional images:

The F-35A Lightning II JSF taxis out for its first training sortie followed by an F-16 chase aircraft on March 6th, 2012 at Eglin AFB.

Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th FS director of operations, puts on his helmet as SSgt. Jeremy Houser, 33rd AMXS crew chief, assists prior to the first F-35A Lightning II JSF training sortie at Eglin AFB on March 6th, 2012.

Australia may delay 12 of 14 F-35s in initial order

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

January 30, 2012 (by Eric L. Palmer) - Today, Australian Defence Minister Smith has stated he is considering delaying purchase of 12 of the initial 14 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft for at least 3 years due to concerns of more problems with the program.

The first production model F-35 Lightning II assigned to the 33rd FW at Eglin AFB

Smith has stated that Australia is contractually bound to purchase 2 of the 14 aircraft for "training purposes" in the United States.

In 2009, then Defence Minister Faulkner approved a commitment to go forward with acquiring 14 F-35s for $3.2B dollars. Before then and since then, the program has suffered significant delays and price blow-outs due to technical defects.

It is unclear what worth the 2 F-35 training aircraft will have. Presently there is a raft of significant technical problems over 10 years after Lockheed Martin was given the contract to develop and produce the F-35. This includes the much delayed pilot training program at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida being effectively grounded. Production aircraft that have been delivered there are unsafe to fly. There is no known date when the F-35 will be cleared for safe flight to train pilots.

Some of the unresolved technical problems include paper-thin weight margins; performance problems, thermal issues, software delays, a faulty helmet cueing system (the aircraft has no heads-up-display like other fighter aircraft), unknown airframe fatigue life knowledge, and numerous other concerns. Fixes for some of these problems won't show up in production aircraft until 2016 at the earliest.

The following quote from a recent U.S. government report had this to say about the current status of the F-35 as a potential weapon's system:

"Operational Assessment

The JSF Operational Test Team completed an operational assessment of the F-35 program and determined that it is not on track to meet operational effectiveness or operational suitability requirements. The JSF Operational Test Team assessed the program based on measured and predicted performance against requirements from the JSF Operational Requirements Document, which was re-validated in 2009."

Australia was originally supposed to see its first delivered F-35 in 2012. Given the technical problems it is unlikely the RAAF will have a working F-35 by 2020, if ever. Australia's current classic Hornets procured in the 1980s will have trouble with airframe fatigue issues before the year 2020.

With all of the current development problems, it will be years before any military service sees an F-35 in anything representing a go-to-war configuration.

Air Power Australia, who have been consistently accurate in predicting risks of the F-35 program have stated time and again that the government and senior defence leadership have been lax at appreciating the certainty of losing regional air superiority if continuing down the current path.

While the government may go for the purchase of more Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to fill the capability gap, it is doubtful that this is the right solution. A 2004 briefing by Australia's New Air Combat Capability Office (NACC) stated if the JSF was "not suitable", that the government would "revert to an open competition" in looking for a replacement for its aging fighter aircraft.

Related articles:

Mismanagement of F-35 program results in budget cuts (2012-01-29)
DOD report â F-35 problems will take years to fix (2011-12-13)
Faulkner's Folly (2009-11-25)
Other
News archive for January 2012

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Mismanagement of F-35 program results in budget cuts

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

January 29, 2012 (by Eric L. Palmer) - Where are the large orders that are to produce "economies of scale" and "affordability" for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)? Apparently in someone's imagination from 2001.

F-35 BF-1 STOVL move to Final Assembly on October 20th, 2007

Consider that everything low-rate-initial-production (LRIP) batch 5 and before has little value because hardware that drives the final Block 3 software does not arrive until LRIP-6. Many of the various fixes for the F-35s other problems do not arrive until LRIP-7 or LRIP-8; at the earliest. And it will take some years for Block 3 software--which in part signifies the F-35 is ready to move on to full-rate production--to work in anything resembling a final go-to-war jet. Yet, delays to fixing technical problems are the consistent metric in the F-35 program.

The Joint Strike Fighter Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is what joint strike fighter partner nations--Australia, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, the U.K. and the U.S.--agree upon for their yearly order projections. These yearly order projections mentioned in MOU's over the years are more imagination, than a plan based on hard analysis.

Because of the 2nd Nunn-McCurdy U.S. DOD budget breach and various restructures to the program, the most recent MOU is April of 2010. Since then, more discovery of technical defects have created numerous kinds of problems for political decision makers.

And, who wants to buy a bunch of incomplete mistake-jets? So far it seems, the U.S., the U.K. (who now have a F-35B STOVL aircraft that is completely irrelevant to future air operations; is riddled with technical defects and has no credible working mission systems) and the Netherlands who have shown tremendous political confusion over the F-35 in recent years with purchase of "training" aircraft.

This graphic compares the April 2010 MOU to the recent U.S. DOD budget announcement. It illustrates U.S. per year F-35 orders are lacking. (Note: I have converted the MOU from calendar year to U.S. Fiscal year). Claims of "economies of scale" in the F-35 program seem a long way off. As a historical perspective here are some previous (and very optimistic projections) of F-35 orders. See a pattern?

And some say buying in 2016 is good because it represents "peak production" and low price. That faith-based idea, like others is dead.

What about Israel and Japan? What about Korea?

What about them? Israel, while being an interested security partner in the F-35 program has procurement of U.S. military equipment handled in a special way. Japan and Korea are run under the U.S. foreign military sales program (FMS). Those countries are expecting an F-35 with a mature design. Evidence of that has not surfaced. Also curious, is that FMS customers will get better home industry compensation than non-U.S. F-35 partner nations.

But didn't U.S. Defense Secretary Panetta recently state commitment to the program? Yes. And, it is an election year. That "commitment" comes with a U.S. DOD plan to cut 179 F-35 orders between FY2013~2017 due to numerous unresolved technical defects which are the source of program delay and price blow-outs. That is on top of previous cuts from previous restructures.

Until further notice, FY2011 seems to be "peak production" for the F-35.

Related articles:

U.S. Navy and U.K. Royal Navy F-35 unable to get aboard ship (2012-01-08)
DOD report â F-35 problems will take years to fix (2011-12-13)
Warning signs to watch with the F-35 program (2011-11-14)
Other
News archive for January 2012

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First two USMC F-35s arrive at Eglin

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

January 11, 2012 (by Mike Rein) - The first two Lockheed Martin production model F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft were delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps today. The two jets are now assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron 501 residing with the host 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla.

BF-6, the first F-35B STOVL production jet delivered to the USMC, arrives at its new assignment with the 2nd MAW's VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB on January 11th, 2012. The 5th Generation fighter jet, piloted by USMC pilot Maj. Joseph Bachmann, touched down on Floridaâs Emerald Coast at 15.13h CST after a 90-minute ferry flight.

The aircraft, known as BF-6 and BF-8, flew separately arriving at 15.13h. and 16.39h. CST respectively after their approximate 90-minute ferry flights from Fort Worth, Texas. U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Joseph Bachmann piloted BF-6 while U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matt Taylor flew BF-8. Both 5th Generation fighters will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the new F-35 Integrated Training Center.

"Today marks the beginning of a new era of advanced capabilities for the U.S. Marine Corps," said Larry Lawson, Lockheed Martin's F-35 program executive vice president and general manager. "The F-35B's versatility, as demonstrated onboard the USS WASP (LHD-1) last fall, will revolutionize our nationâs expeditionary combat power in all threat environments by allowing operations from major bases, damaged airstrips, remote locations and a wide range of air-capable ships. This aircraft will give our warfighters the ability to accomplish their mission, wherever and whenever duty calls."

F-35 STOVLs met many critical milestones in 2011. In October, F-35Bs conducted their first set of ship trials, known as Developmental Test 1, 20 miles off the coast of Wallops Island, Va. During the 19-day testing period, BF-2 and BF-4 conducted 72 vertical landings and short takeoffs, accomplishing all test milestones during the mission. For the year, F-35Bs accomplished 333 System Development and Demonstration test flights and 268 vertical landings.

BF-6 and BF-8 are the first two F-35 deliveries to the Department of Defense in 2012 and the seventh and eighth F-35 aircraft delivered to Eglin AFB since July 2011. Previously, six U.S. Air Force F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) jets were delivered to the base.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least nine other countries.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.

Courtesy of Lockheed Martin

Related articles:

F-35 completes successful vertical landing aboard USS Wasp (2011-10-03)
First US Marine pilots F-35 (2009-03-19)
USMC and Navy JSF assembly reaches milestones (2006-12-20)
Other
News archive for January 2012

Forum discussion:

F-35B arrives at Eglin AFB (20 replies)

Additional images:

The second production model F-35B STOVL aircraft to be delivered, BF-8, arrives at Eglin AFB on January 11th, 2012. BF-8 was delivered to the USMCs 2nd MAW's Marine VMFAT-501 at Eglin. BF-8 followed the first production model STOVL, BF-6, which was delivered earlier the same day.

The second production model F-35B STOVL aircraft to be delivered, BF-08, arrives at Eglin AFB on January 11th, 2012.

U.S. Navy and U.K. Royal Navy F-35 unable to get aboard ship

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

January 8, 2012 (by Eric L. Palmer) - The U.S. Navy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) known as the F-35C is at serious risk of never being able to land aboard an aircraft carrier. This also poses a risk to the U.K. aircraft carrier program which is supposed to use the F-35C at the end of the decade.

CF-1 takes off on its first flight on June 6, 2010. Pilot for the 57 minute flight was Lockheed Martin Test Pilot Jeff Knowles.

Back in 2007, a Lockheed Martin year in review video stated that the F-35C carrier variant (CV) JSF had passed critical design review (CDR). The video and similar public statements said, "2007 saw the completion of the critical design review for the F-35C. The completion of CDR is a sign that each F-35 variant is mature and ready for production."

Yet, a November 2011 U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) quick-look report relating to engineering challenges arising from what is being called âconcurrency issuesâ revealed that all eight run-in/rolling tests undertaken at NAS Lakehurst in August 2011 to see if the F-35C CV JSF could catch a wire with the tail hook have failed.

The report also mentions that the tail hook on the F-35C CV JSF is attached improperly to the aircraft. The distance from the hook to the main landing gear is so short that it is unlikely the aircraft will catch the landing wires on a ship's deck. This graphic from the review explains part of the problem. It illustrates the distance between the main landing gear and the tail hook of previous warplanes qualified to operate from aircraft carriers and compares these distances with that found on the F-35C CV JSF. In this regard, the report refers to the F-35C CV JSF as âan outlierâ.

An industry expert who is a graduate Flight Test Engineer (FTE) of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS), Peter Goon, stated that, "Given the limited amount of suitable structure at the back end of the JSF variants, due primarily to the commonality that was being sought between the three variant designs and the fact that the STOVL F-35B JSF is the baseline design, there was always going to be high risk associated with meeting the carrier suitability requirements."

He also points to well known and well understood military specifications that address tail hook design requirements, such as MIL-A-81717C and MIL-D-8708C.

(update: the first one should read MIL-A-18717C not MIL-A-81717C as first reported)

When asked how such things could have been missed, Peter suggested they likely werenât, at least by the engineers, but their concerns would have just as likely been ignored.

He said this should come as no surprise, given the level of stove-piping that had been applied to the F-35 program's engineer community and the dominance of âform over substanceâ and âa total indifference to what is realâ being hallmarks of the program â âAffordability is the cornerstone of the JSF Programâ being but one example.

It is highly probable that this design fault could be the last straw for the F-35C. The program will attempt some more rolling tests with a different hook design, but this does not address the problem of the poor location of the tail hook on the airframe.

Other F-35 program problems identified in the QLR Report included the helmet visual cueing which is seriously affected by design issues and airframe buffet in the heart of the combat envelope. Also, all F-35 variants suffer from paper-thin weight margins, unsafe fuel dumping, flight restrictions on diving, speed and proximity to lightning hazards to name a few. And, it can only be flown during the daytime.

An August 2011 DOD F-35 program briefing revealed that the engineers will have to be reorganized because they were not getting access to all the information/data they needed for design nor, it would appear, were organised and structured in an environment that was being properly managed and transparent. This reorganisation should complete in 2012.

The program's pilot training program was supposed to start at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in 2011 after previous delays. With the design issues mentioned above, pilot training is effectively grounded due to safety concerns. There is no known date when pilot training can start. This along with the aircrafts engineering defects strongly suggest that it will be a long time until military services see any F-35 variant in a go-to-war configuration.

Related articles:

DOD report â F-35 problems will take years to fix (2011-12-13)
Warning signs to watch with the F-35 program (2011-11-14)
Carrier version of F-35 cleared for production (2007-06-23)
Other
News archive for January 2012

Forum discussion:

U.S. Navy and U.K. Royal Navy F-35 unable to get aboard ship (127 replies)

Japan selects F-35 Lightning II

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

December 19, 2011 (by Mike Rein) - The Japan Ministry of Defense has announced its selection of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II as the Japan Air Self Defense Force's (JASDF) next generation fighter aircraft, following the F-X competitive bid process.

The F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant (CTOL) was offered by the United States government with participation from Lockheed Martin. The initial contract will be for four jets in Japan Fiscal Year 2012, which begins April 1, 2012.

"We are honored by the confidence the Japanese government has placed in the F-35 and our industry team to deliver this 5th Generation fighter to the Japan Air Self Defense Force," said Bob Stevens, Lockheed Martin chairman and chief executive officer. "This announcement begins a new chapter in our long-standing partnership with Japanese industry and builds on the strong security cooperation between the U.S. and Japan."

Global participation is a centerpiece of the F-35 program and essential for its success and affordability through economies of scale. The program is comprised of nine partner nations: the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway. The United Kingdom and Netherlands have ordered test aircraft, and Italy and Australia have committed long-lead funding for their initial operational aircraft.

In October 2010, Israel selected the F-35A as the Israel Air Forceâs next generation fighter and is scheduled to receive the F-35 through the U.S. governmentâs Foreign Military Sales process.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.

Courtesy of Lockheed Martin

Related articles:

US trying to sell the F-35 to India (2011-11-21)
Norway approves F-35 buy (2011-06-17)
F-35I for Israel (2010-10-07)
Other
News archive for December 2011

Forum discussion:

Japan is Buying F-35s (32 replies)

Additional images:

F-35A - CTOL

DOD report â F-35 problems will take years to fix

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

December 13, 2011 (by Eric L. Palmer) - An internal U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) report states that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has multiple complex problems which will take years to fix.

USAF pilot Lt. Col. Dwayne Opella and Lockheed Martin test pilot Mark Ward fly F-35A aircraft AF-6 and AF-7 from Edwards AFB for maturity flight software testing on July 15th, 2011.

An Aviation Week article by Bill Sweetman includes a link to the full report which was marked for official use only âFOUO / U.S. Onlyâ.

Aviation Week cites several of the problems in the report. Of interest is how the F-35 program spins events to make them sound like progress. For instance, it was reported in the media recently that the F-35 reached Mach 1.6 in a test. Few glowing statements were spared. Not reported was that after the flight, the aircraft program was limited to Mach 1 performance because of damage to the horizontal stabilisers and engine thermal protection.

Glowing media reports have also stated that the F-35 helmet and distributed aperture system (DAS) have been working great. The DOD report shows otherwise. It reports that the helmet and DAS problems are so severe that the F-35 will not meet operational requirement document (ORD) goals. The temporary replacement helmet has similar visual problems and will not (and never was) able to use DAS capability. Also, an extended range of buffet in the aircraft's flight performance limits the ability to take advantage of visual cueing symbology displayed in the helmet.

Multiple thermal issues, which were reported by the U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) and other sources some years ago, have made little progress in being fixed. Using the fuel system as a heat-sink, one of the core beliefs in resolving thermal issues, has not been successful. This even includes heat causing the computer-driven main display panels to not function properly. Add to this, the aircraft is yet to be flown in operationally relevant scenarios which will stress thermal management to the maximum. Given the other problems of basic flight with the F-35, expect to hear more about thermal management.

With this, the report states that the aircraft will not be able to perform air-to-air or air or air-to-ground missions.

Pilot training has not started at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida because the aircraft is unsafe to fly. There are restrictions on diving the F-35 because the fuel inerting system (common on aircraft like the F-16) does not have the capacity to make empty portions of the fuel system fire resistant. Also the aircraft has poor resistance to lighting strikes. It cannot be used within 25 miles of lighting conditions. Anyone that has been to Florida knows that this kind of weather is common.

The integrated power pack (IPP)âa critical aircraft systemâis significantly unreliable. The IPP was expected to fly on a jet for over 2000 hours before needing to be replaced. Stopping flight test to replace the IPP is now a frequent task. It has taken up to 48 hours of continuous work to change this device.

The report goes on with several more problems of significant mention to do with weight margins that will have a negative affect on range and flight performance. Block 3 software, which was to be completed inside the system design and development phase of the program will not be finished until sometime around 2016; assuming no more delays. Also, the tail hook for the carrier F-35C variant is in the wrong place on the aircraft. A critical design review in 2007 certified the F-35C as good to go.

Realistically the original Joint Strike Fighter partner nations (or any other potential customer) has not much more to look forward to than a flying question mark. System complexity and over-optimism have thrown the program into confusion. Maybe sometime in the 2020's, an intelligent purchaser of military aircraft can consider evaluating the F-35. Until then, any report of F-35 program progress will require verification. Press releases from the marking pukes don't count.

Related articles:

Warning signs to watch with the F-35 program (2011-11-14)
F-35 flight test progress report (2011-09-20)
Time for MacKay to stop misleading the public (2011-09-12)
F-35 defeated in air combat simulation (2011-09-07)
Other
News archive for December 2011

Forum discussion:

Start a discussion about this article in the F-16.net forum.

BK-1, First international F-35 rolls out

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

November 22, 2011 (by Mike Rein) - The first international F-35 rolled out of the factory Sunday evening. The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence will use the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet, known as BK-1, for training and operational tests.

The first international F-35 Lightning II rolls out of the factory on November 20th, 2011. The United Kingdom MoD will use the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet, known as BK-1, for training and operational tests.

BK-1 will undergo functional fuel system checks before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests in the coming months. The jet is scheduled to be delivered in 2012.

"This first F-35 for the first international program partner is symbolic of the proud partnership we share with the United Kingdom," said F-35 Executive Vice President and General Manager of Program Integration Tom Burbage. "Working together in a spirit of collaboration, we are providing the men and women of the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy with unmatched 5th Generation capabilities, while delivering advanced technology sector jobs to the U.K."

Group Captain Harv Smyth, the U.K.'s Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) national deputy stated, "This is a major milestone in the JSF Programme for U.K., and we look forward to starting to operate the first British F-35s next year. JSF is ideally suited for U.K.'s future Combat Air capability needs, since it provides a world-class 5th Generation air system, which is capable of operating from both the land and our new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier."

The U.K. will play a vital role in the F-35âs global production, follow-on development and sustainment over the next 40 years, bringing strong economic benefits to the country.

"This program delivers unrivalled Combat Intelligence , Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (Combat ISTAR) capability to the U.K. Armed Forces, as well as being a major economic driver by sustaining thousands of jobs in the U.K. over more than two decades," added Lockheed Martin Aero U.K. Director Paul Livingston.

The program is comprised of nine partner nations; the United States, U.K., Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway. In October 2010, Israel selected the F-35A as the Israel Air Force's next generation fighter and is scheduled to receive the F-35 through the U.S. government's Foreign Military Sales process. Additionally, Japan and the Republic of Korea are currently considering the F-35 to recapitalize their fighter fleets.

Related articles:

Dramatic cuts announced in U.K. F-35 program (2009-10-25)
U.K. may drop the STOVL F-35 for carrier variant (2009-08-06)
UK announces F-35 JSF purchase (2009-03-19)
UK F-35 confidence as MOD orders aircraft carriers (2007-07-25)
Other
News archive for November 2011

Forum discussion:

BK-1 First UK F-35 Rollout (17 replies)

Additional images:

BK-1 is the first international F-35, moving from final assembly to the fuel barn on November 20th, 2011.

F-35 Lightning II news

F-35B lifts off for first flight at Eglin

Two F-35Bs ferried To Eglin - 25th DOD delivery

DSCA notifies possible sale of F-35s to Japan

UK's first F-35 makes inaugural flight

Canadian F-35 acquisition plan stalled by audit

First JSF for The Netherlands rolls out of Fort Worth

F-35A completes first night refueling mission

Eglin launches first F-35 sortie

Australia may delay 12 of 14 F-35s in initial order

Mismanagement of F-35 program results in budget cuts

First two USMC F-35s arrive at Eglin

U.S. Navy and U.K. Royal Navy F-35 unable to get aboard ship

Japan selects F-35 Lightning II

DOD report â F-35 problems will take years to fix

BK-1, First international F-35 rolls out

DOD report â F-35 problems will take years to fix