JSF

[richelieu]

Autorizzati a volare ..... però con talune restrizioni ..... ancora incerta la 'gita' a Farnborough .....

Comunicato Ufficiale ..... "F-35 Return to Flight Statement: Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby" .....
https://www.f35.com/news/detail/f-35-re ... miral-john

Reuters ..... "U.S. lifts grounding order for Lockheed F-35 fighters: sources" .....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/ ... O520140715

Flight International ..... "FARNBOROUGH: US lifts grounding on F-35, improving chances of UK trip" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... uk-401519/

AW&ST ..... "F-35 Cleared To Fly, But Not To Farnborough Yet" .....
http://aviationweek.com/defense/f-35-cl ... orough-yet
.

[richelieu]

Così parlò Pierre Sprey .....

Former Pentagon official Pierre Sprey, and frequent F-35 critic, said that micro-cracks developed in the blades before the rubbing led to a catastrophic failure.
“If the micro-cracks came first and very slightly elongated the fan blades, the rubbing plus heating that led to the ultimate disintegration would have been a consequence of far-to-early fatigue micro-cracks–and that means a redesign and requalification of the third stage,” he told USNI News.

Fonte ..... "F-35 Cleared to Fly With Restrictions, U.K. Air Show Appearance Unclear" .....
http://news.usni.org/2014/07/15/f-35-cl ... ce-unclear
.

[richelieu]

Interoperabilità ..... 'Siamo avanti noi' ..... affermano i Britannici .....

The U.K. is claiming a to be ahead of the U.S. in work to integrate its fifth-generation F-35 to be interoperable with other military assets.

Fonte ....."U.K. Claims Lead In F-35 Interoperability" .....
http://aviationweek.com/farnborough-201 ... perability
.

[richelieu]

La 'profezia' di David Axe .....

Minor fixes might get America's future warplane flying again soon - for a while.
But fundamental design flaws could vex the F-35 for decades to come, forcing the Pentagon to suspend flying far too often for the majority of its fighter fleet, potentially jeopardizing U.S. national security.

Fonte ..... " COLUMN-Pentagon's big budget F-35 fighter 'can't turn, can't climb, can't run' " .....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/ ... I920140715

"potentially jeopardizing U.S. national security" ..... e non soltanto la loro .....
.

[richelieu]

Fine della telenovela ..... niente 'gita' a Farnborough .....

Pentagon says F-35 fighter jets not going to UK air show" .....

WASHINGTON Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:36pm EDT

(Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Tuesday it had decided not to send Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets to a UK air show amid mechanical problems with the world’s most expensive weapons project.

Rear Admiral John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters the Pentagon had made the decision, which means the jet will not debut before potential buyers at the Farnborough air show this week, despite an announcement earlier in the day that limited flights had been approved for the fighter jet.

The F-35 was grounded after the massive failure of the Pratt & Whitney engine on a U.S. Air Force F-35 plane at a Florida air base on June 23.

(Reporting by Missy Ryan; Editing by Eric Beech)

Link ..... http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/ ... 8B20140715
.

[richelieu]

"I can confirm that the Department of Defense in concert with our partners in the UK has decided not to send Marine Corps and UK F-35B aircraft across the Atlantic to participate in the Farnborough air show," Kirby said.

"While we're disappointed that we're not going to be able to participate in the air show, we remain fully committed to the program itself and look forward to future opportunities to showcase its capabilities to allies and to partners."

Fonte ..... http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/ ... W320140715

Inoltre ..... il commento di AW&ST ..... "F-35 Lightning II Will Not Strike At Farnborough" .....
http://aviationweek.com/awin-only/f-35- ... arnborough
.

[richelieu]

Almeno hanno imparato qualcosa .....

The engine failure that grounded Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets and the warplane's now-cancelled appearance at two UK air shows provided key "lessons learned" for the companies that build the jets, and the military forces that use them.
While the outcome was disappointing for air show visitors and many people involved in the F-35 program, U.S. military and industry officials said both the engine incident and air show planning allowed them to learn a lot about handing future problems and taking the jets overseas.

Fonte ..... "AIRSHOW-F-35 engine mishap, UK "no show" rich in lessons learned" .....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/ ... 7T20140716



Not the real thing: Lockheed Martin's F-35 did not make the start of Farnborough, so visitors have had to make do with a mock-up .....
.

[richelieu]

Presto il casco-visore di 3^ generazione .....

F-35 test pilots with the U.S. Air Force’s 461st Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California, will begin using a third-generation helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) in the next few weeks.
The updated HMDS incorporates fixes to the current generation system, which pilots found inadequate and the Pentagon labeled as a technical risk to the F-35 program.

Fonte ..... "F-35 Test Pilots To Fly Improved Head-mounted Display System" .....
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ ... lay-system
.

[richelieu]

La Norvegia spinge avanti il suo missile ..... ma cerca, al tempo stesso, partners internazionali .....

The Norwegian air force is promoting the integration of its indigenous anti-surface warfare Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile (JSM) to other future operators of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Speaking at Farnborough air show, Lt Col Sigurd Fongen says that the Norwegian requirement for the additional anti-ship capability on-board its F-35s is not unique to the country, and other future adopters of the aircraft could choose to co-develop the munition if desired.

Fonte ....."FARNBOROUGH: Norway pushes JSM to F-35 customers" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... rs-401574/



F-35 launches two Joint Strike Missiles in this artist's depiction .....

"Raytheon and Kongsberg team to provide air-launched Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare solutions" .....
http://www.kongsberg.com/en/kds/news/20 ... 20provide/
.

[richelieu]

Ripresa dei voli ..... con moderazione .....

F-35 flights have resumed since the U.S. Air Force and Navy issued a limited flight clearance July 15.
Lockheed Martin has conducted a flight of the F-35C, a Navy variant designed for aircraft carrier arrested landings and catapult takeoffs, at its Fort Worth final assembly facility, according to spokesman Mike Rein.
U.K. F-35Bs also are flying, according to a Ministry of Defense spokesman.

Fonte ..... "F-35s Flying In Restricted Envelope" .....
http://aviationweek.com/defense/f-35s-f ... d-envelope
.

[richelieu]

RIAT ..... appuntamento all'anno prossimo (2015 - 17, 18, 19 July) .....

Però ..... qualche settimana prima (du 15 au 21 Juin 2015) si terrà il 51°Salone di Parigi e questo, più del RIAT, dovrebbe essere, sotto tutti gli aspetti, l'avvenimento aeronautico di punta della prossima stagione .....
Se poi i Britannici vorranno portare un loro F-35B alla manifestazione di Fairford .....

Farnborough 2014 .....

"F-35 To Royal Air Tattoo: Wait Till Next Year" .....

Aviation Week & Space Technology July 21, 2014 , (p. 27) - By Angus Batey, Amy Svitak, Tony Osborne

The absence of the F-35B from its highly anticipated international debut at two air shows in the U.K. was a public relations embarrassment for U.S. program leadership, prime contractor Lockheed Martin and, especially, engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, whose F135 caused the fire that grounded the entire Joint Strike Fighter fleet.

The disappointment and wisecracks circulating as a result will eventually subside, and the debut that wasn’t likely will be reduced to a footnote in the program’s storied history.

But the graver implications of a three-week full stand-down of test flights followed by a very restricted flight clearance are yet to be fully understood.
Program Executive Officer U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan said on July 10, before the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at RAF Fairford, that about 50 test-flight opportunities had been missed as of that day; flights resumed six days later.
While grounded, aircraft were updated with modifications slated for later in the test program, building extra margin that can be used for later flights, he said.

But the F-35’s return to the skies is very limited.
Pilots are restricted to Mach 0.9, 18-deg. angle of attack, -1 to 3 gs and half a stick deflection for rolls.
The overall impact on the program and its key milestones will depend on how long these limits are in place.

During the Farnborough air show, Bogdan said the U.S. Marine Corps’ initial operational capability, slated for July 1, 2015, is not yet in jeopardy.
But weapons testing must be wrapped up before then, and this typically requires drops at various parts of the flight envelope.
More pressing, however, are test points critical for maintaining plans for initial aircraft carrier trials this fall of the U.S. Navy’s F-35C, optimized for at-sea landings.

The cause of the F135 fire was traced to excessive friction between the third stage in the integrally bladed rotor and an abradable strip that lines the engine casing.
Pentagon procurement chief Frank Kendall said the friction appears to be isolated to AF-27.

Nonetheless, the entire sequence of events leading up to the F-35 no-show announcement revealed chinks in the program’s communications with the public and allies.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby made the cancellation official late July 15 in Washington.
“In concert with our partners in the U.K.—[the Defense Department] has decided not to send Marine Corps and U.K. F-35B aircraft across the Atlantic to participate in the Farnborough air show,” he told reporters at a Pentagon press briefing.
“This decision was reached after consultation with operational commanders and airworthiness authorities, despite the decision by airworthiness authorities to clear the aircraft to return to flight.”

The decision came at 7 p.m. local time in Farnborough, after show crowds had left and only hours after Kirby and other officials—including Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James—had expressed hope that the jets could perform a flying display once the Air Force and Navy lifted the grounding.
“If I were a betting woman, I would say the odds just got better” that the F-35Bs would fly at the show, James said in a speech at the U.S. Pavilion that afternoon.

Although the U.S. armed services were willing to allow a return to flight, the risk-averse aviation authorities in London apparently nixed the deployment.
Kirby insists it was a joint decision, but it was ultimately made by Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos.
British officials lay responsibility on the U.S.
“There was no [Military Aviation Authority] involvement in this decision, which was made in the U.S. by the U.S.,” a U.K. defense ministry spokesman said.

Asked if the 2011 decision to terminate the General Electric/Rolls-Royce alternate F-35 engine program should be revisited, Kendall did not take the opportunity to put pressure on Pratt.
He said the Pentagon remains confident in the F135 and its design.

Though the aircraft did not show, the Marine Corps has learned from the preparation work, says service spokesman Capt. Rich Ulsh.
Marines arrived early for RIAT with what Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Executive Vice President Orlando Carvalho says was essentially a wartime spares package backed up by the F-35 logistics system.

Grp. Capt. Paul Godfrey, the U.K. Royal Air Force’s F-35 service entry team leader, says program officials are now targeting RIAT 2015 for the debut.
“With the way the program is growing, and the amount of aircraft and people we’ll have by then, I do think it is a possibility,” he tells Aviation Week.

[richelieu]

Motore GE/RR F136 ..... c'è chi vorrebbe ripensarci .....

One day after the Pentagon lifted the fleet-wide grounding order — but with speed limitations — a Senate Appropriations Defense subcommittee (SAC-D) report on its 2015 Pentagon spending bill surfaced with language showing lawmakers are having second thoughts about approving the F136 termination.
The report states that SAC-D members believe “that had the alternate engine program continued, competition would have incentivized the F135 engine manufacturer to find creative methods to drive down prices and ensure timely delivery of a high-quality product, which is consistent with current department preference for competition in acquisitions,” states the report.

Fonte ..... "Senate Panel to Pentagon: 'Reassess' Value of Alternate F-35 Engine" .....
http://www.defensenews.com/article/2014 ... -35-Engine

..... ma gli 'esperti' esprimono le loro perplessità .....

The revival of the Pentagon’s storied F-35 alternative engine program is unlikely despite a US Senate panel raising that possibility, experts say.
Finding billions of dollars for such an effort within the Pentagon’s already capped budget would prove a herculean task, particularly if sequestration caps return in 2016, these experts say.
And even if the caps are removed through a long- or short-term congressional budget deal, the alternate F-35 power plant could threaten funding of another Defense Department engine program.

Fonte ..... "Experts: Don't Bet on Revival of 2nd F-35 Engine" .....
http://www.defensenews.com/article/2014 ... -35-Engine
.

[richelieu]

Due in un colpo solo .....



I 'Canguri' fanno le cose in grande .....

Australia’s first pair of F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft have been rolled out, during a ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth final assembly site in Texas.
They are the lead examples of at least 72 aircraft to be produced for the nation, under an acquisition worth a projected A$12.4 billion ($11.6 billion).

Fonte ..... "Australian F-35s rolled out in Texas" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... as-402030/

Australia Minister for Defence ..... "Rollout of first two Australian F-35A Joint Strike Fighters in the USA" .....
http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/2014 ... n-the-usa/


Son et lumière .....

WITH a rumble of loud rock music and a flashing light show, the curtain fell and Australia’s first new Lightning jet fighter was revealed in a hangar at Fort Worth, Texas.

Fonte ..... "Australia’s new F-35 Lightning fighter jet rolls out to rock music" .....
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... 7001124899



.

[Valerio Ricciardi]

Mamma mia che tristezza.
Degna dell'inaugurazione di un centro commerciale.

[richelieu]

Mamma mia che tristezza.
Degna dell'inaugurazione di un centro commerciale.

E' l'Ammeriga ..... ragazzo .....

Tremo al solo pensiero di cosa saranno capaci di escogitare in occasione della cerimonia per il roll-out del primo dei nostri ..... magari con la presenza del nostro infaticabile premier .....
.

[sidew]

piu che l'america qui e' la potenza del Marketing (con la M maiuscola), una delle peggiori invenzioni di questo lato dell'universo...

[MatteF88]

Mamma mia che tristezza.
Degna dell'inaugurazione di un centro commerciale.

E' l'Ammeriga ..... ragazzo .....

Tremo al solo pensiero di cosa saranno capaci di escogitare in occasione della cerimonia per il roll-out del primo dei nostri ..... magari con la presenza del nostro infaticabile premier .....
.

Io lo so già: un originalissimo toga party tra scenografie dell'Antica Roma

Magari per quella data il premier avrà migliorato il suo inglese (ammesso che ci sia ancora lui, non si sa mai)

[richelieu]

Mamma mia che tristezza.
Degna dell'inaugurazione di un centro commerciale.

E' l'Ammeriga ..... ragazzo .....

Tremo al solo pensiero di cosa saranno capaci di escogitare in occasione della cerimonia per il roll-out del primo dei nostri ..... magari con la presenza del nostro infaticabile premier .....
.

Io lo so già: un originalissimo toga party tra scenografie dell'Antica Roma
Magari per quella data il premier avrà migliorato il suo inglese (ammesso che ci sia ancora lui, non si sa mai)

Perché no ..... magari con contorno di soldati romani e Totti in costume da centurione .....



..... quanto al premier ..... boh ..... con l'aria non propriamente tranquilla che tira .....
.

[Toeloop]

Perché no ..... magari con contorno di soldati romani e Totti in costume da centurione .....

Non ci siamo: per loro noi siamo ancora pizza e mandolino, ed anche quelli che parlano con le mani (provato ieri sera al pub)
Ok, ammetto che gesticolo un pelino quando parlo

[richelieu]

Perché no ..... magari con contorno di soldati romani e Totti in costume da centurione .....

Non ci siamo: per loro noi siamo ancora pizza e mandolino, ed anche quelli che parlano con le mani .....

Se proprio lo preferisci ..... eccoti allora uno sfondo adeguato per quello che sarà sicuramente un fantasmagorico evento .....



Vedi ..... c'è pure il pennacchio ..... contento ?

[AirGek]

Ok, ammetto che gesticolo un pelino quando parlo

Quando ero in Texas mi raccontarono una "barzelletta": come rendere triste un italiano? Legargli le mani mentre parla.

[richelieu]

..... ed anche quelli che parlano con le mani .....
Ok, ammetto che gesticolo un pelino quando parlo

Questo qua, forse, ti batte ..... .....

Comunque ..... tornando in argomento ..... Bill Sweetman dice la sua sul problema motori .....

The history of such problems includes four engine-related groundings—two this June, and in January and February last year.
After a limited flight release on July 15 ended the latest episode, a Senate panel recommended a reassessment of the 2011 decision to scrap General Electric’s F136, which had been developed as an alternate engine to the F-35.

Fonte ..... Opinion: Missing Shows Points To Bigger JSF Problems - F-35 reliability is about more than Farnborough" .....
http://aviationweek.com/defense/opinion ... f-problems
.

[richelieu]

F-35 ..... la girandola dei costi continua .....

The F-35 is not just the most expensive warplane ever, it’s the most expensive weapons program ever.
But to find out exactly how much a single F-35 costs, we analyzed the newest and most authoritative data.
Here’s how much we’re paying.

Fonte ..... "How Much Does an F-35 Actually Cost? - Up to $337 million—apiece—for the Navy version" .....

[Valerio Ricciardi]

Posso dire che non sono sorpreso?

[richelieu]

Fate 'rumore' ..... così lo coprite .....

Lost in the Noise .....

—OTTO KREISHER (7/30/2014)

Although the F-35 has the capability to jam enemy radars, the commander of Air Combat Command does not want the fifth generation fighter doing broad electronic jamming during a strike into contested air space.
With its low radar signature, the stealthy F-35 could use “small and focused” jamming as needed to clear its way through enemy air defenses, said ACC boss Gen. Mike Hostage during a July 29 AFA-sponsored, Air Force breakfast in Arlington, Va.
The F-35’s active electronically scanned array radar can focus narrow beams of energy at a specific area.
But Hostage added, “I’m happy there still are fourth generation platforms out there that would bring high-powered jamming” that would “raise the noise level so I don’t have to. I just don’t want that too close to me,” Hostage said.
With the synergistic effect of the active jamming by allies, the F-35 “will disappear in the noise,” he said.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell'AFA ..... http://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Pa ... Noise.aspx
.

[richelieu]

Software e ritardi .....

Software for Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)’s F-35 jet, the Pentagon’s costliest weapons system, may be as much as 14 months late for required flight testing, according to a Pentagon review.
The projected delay to September 2017 concerns the final version needed to provide full combat capability for Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps variants of the Joint Strike Fighter, the Defense Department found in the report mandated by Congress.

Fonte ..... "Software to Power F-35 Running as Much as 14 Months Late" .....
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-2 ... -late.html
.

[richelieu]

Pista bagnata e vento di traverso ..... i Marines superano le prove .....



"F-35B passes wet runway and crosswind tests" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ts-402229/
.

[richelieu]

Conferenza stampa al Pentagono ..... parla il generale Mark A. Welsh III, CSM dell'USAF .....

So, let me start with that fighter fleet.
The F-35 is the answer, the only answer that will ensure future air campaigns are not a fair fight.
And there's good news to report on this program.
We're reaching important F-35 milestones.
Eglin Air Force Base just took delivery of the 26 F-35A in May, so the 58th Fighter Squadron at Eglin now has its full complement of aircraft.

That's a major milestone on the flight path to initial operational capability for the Air Force in late 2016.
Aircraft production costs are tracking down now well-understood, predictable price curves and both test and training programs are moving forward steadily.
The recent engine fire has gotten a lot of attention.
It slowed our flight activity as we worked both aircraft and engine manufacturers to completely understand the root cause.

We've implemented a restricted flight envelope which you've read about which will remain in effect until we understand that root cause completely, we've identified it and we've corrected it.
I do think it's important to remember, though, that engine fires happen when you fly a high-performance aircraft.
This isn't the first aircraft that's had one and it won't be the last.

I also think it's important to keep this particular fire in context.
The F-35 has now flown about 8,700 sorties and over 14,000 flight hours.
This is the first time we've had a major engine fire.
We inspected every other engine in our fleet and we didn't find any with the same level of wear and tear in the area that failed in the mishap engine.
I'm confident that the program will remain on track and that we'll reach IOC by December 2016.
This fire is not going to affect that.

Fonte ..... "Department of Defense Press Briefing on the State of the Air Force" .....
http://www.defense.gov/Transcripts/Tran ... iptID=5471
.

[richelieu]

Attenuazione .....

The Pentagon has lifted some flight restrictions on F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, while inspections will continue for the foreseeable future, according to a Defense Department official.

Speed restrictions for the 20 F-35s that make up the test aircraft fleet were relaxed late last week from Mach 0.9 to Mach 1.6, while maneuverability restrictions were increased slightly from 3 Gs to 3.2, the official said.

Fonte ..... "Some F-35 Flight Restrictions Lifted" .....
http://www.defensenews.com/article/2014 ... ons-Lifted
.

[Toeloop]

Vedendo tutti i casini che stanno uscendo fuori, ma questo aereo, allo stato attuale, ha mai raggiunto alcuna delle prestazioni di progetto (a parte il fatto che durante i voli di prova sta in aria)?

[spiridione]

Vedendo tutti i casini che stanno uscendo fuori, ma questo aereo, allo stato attuale, ha mai raggiunto alcuna delle prestazioni di progetto (a parte il fatto che durante i voli di prova sta in aria)?

.... e ti pare niente????

[Valerio Ricciardi]

a parte il fatto che durante i voli di prova sta in aria

Ecco

come promesso

[richelieu]

'Furtività' a rischio ?

JSF and the F-22 are protected from higher frequencies in the Ku, X, C and parts of the S bands. But both jets can be seen on enemy radars operating in the longer wavelengths like L, UHF and VHF.
In other words, Russian and Chinese radars can generally detect a stealth aircraft but not clearly enough to give an accurate location to a missile
But that is starting to change .....

Fonte ..... "Chinese and Russian Radars On Track To See Through U.S. Stealth" .....
http://news.usni.org/2014/07/29/chinese ... -s-stealth
.

[richelieu]

Editoriale ..... dall'ultimo numero di 'AW&ST' .....



Le domande si fanno sempre più pressanti .....

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program will certainly recover from the embarrassment of missing its intended international debut in the U.K. last month after an engine fire grounded the fleet for 13 days.
But numerous questions remain to be answered before we can be equally confident that the most costly weapons procurement in history is back on course.
The engine-related grounding—the program’s fourth since January 2013—must not be approached merely on narrow technical grounds if, as we fear, there prove to be lessons to be learned about program management, as well.

"JSF Program Has Some Explaining To Do" ..... http://aviationweek.com/defense/editori ... laining-do
.

[richelieu]

Primi diplomati presso la Eglin AFB .....

"First pipeline class of F-35 crew chiefs graduates at Eglin" .....
http://www.aetc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123421084