JSF

[richelieu]

Olandesi a Edwards .....

"RNLAF F-35s Go To Edwards Air Force Base" .....
http://aviationweek.com/blog/rnlaf-f-35 ... force-base

[richelieu]

La Cina ..... smentisce .....

China dismissed accusations it stole F-35 stealth fighter plans as groundless on Monday, after documents leaked by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden on a cyber attack were published by a German magazine.

Fonte ..... "China Denies Snowden Leak That Beijing Hackers Stole F-35 Plans" .....
http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-china-c ... 015-1?r=US
.

[richelieu]

Nellis AFB (USAF Weapons School) ..... un piano in tre fasi per formare il personale .....

Nellis’ F-35 Plan .....

Marc V. Schanz (1/21/2015)

​The USAF Weapons School is implementing a three-phase plan to build F-35 "patch wearers" needed for the first operational Joint Strike Fighter squadrons, officials told Air Force Magazine.
During the first phase of the plan, which is now approved by Air Combat Command, USAF will bring weapons officers from other aircraft to attend an "F-35 transition course".
The officers will then move to the 16th Weapons Squadron at the USAFWS for two years during the second phase, before finally going to Hill AFB, Utah, where they will help bring the first operational F-35s online.
The second, so-called "seasoning" phase, is critical because it will leverage lessons from the school's F-22 standup effort, and will allow F-35 weapons officers to become tactical experts before they arrive at operational units, officials said.
During this phase weapons officers will fly both sorties as part of the 16th WPS and 442nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, and participate in simulator sessions to help develop and write F-35 tactics.
The involvement of 16th WPS weapons officers in tactics development will provide "unique knowledge" of the necessary skill set for F-35 pilots and how to teach those skills, said Lt. Col. David Epperson, the 16th WPS commander.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....
.

[richelieu]

Il nuovo rapporto annuale del 'DOT&E' (Director, Operational Test and Evaluation) .....
..... qualche passo avanti ..... molti passi indietro ..... e l'implacabile Bill Sweetman affonda (ancora una volta) la lama .....

"JSF Program Ditches Tests To Protect Schedule" .....
http://aviationweek.com/defense/jsf-pro ... t-schedule

Il rapporto ..... vedasi alla voce 'F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)' p. 39 .....
"Director, Operational Test and Evaluation - FY 2014 Annual Report" .....
http://www.dote.osd.mil/pub/reports/FY2 ... Report.pdf
.

[richelieu]

Se la Cina smentisce ..... il Pentagono ..... rassicura .....

"Classified F-35 information is protected and remains secure," the program office said in a statement released Tuesday.
It said all potential cyber-attacks were taken seriously and the 2010 incident was not expected to cause any negative impact to the program.
In a statement, the Pentagon's F-35 program office said it remained "ever vigilant" about potential cyber attacks.
It said the Pentagon was taking specific measures to counter evolving cyber threats against all fielded weapons systems, including the F-35.

Fonte ..... "Pentagon says classified data on U.S. F-35 jet fighter program remains secure" .....
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/01/2 ... nnel=11709
.

[richelieu]

Ancora sul rapporto del 'DOT&E' (Director, Operational Test and Evaluation) .....

"F-35 missed key software testing goals in 2014" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... 14-408176/

[richelieu]

NON può fallire ..... afferma un parlamentare USA .....

Too Big to Fail ? .....

Autumn A. Arnett (1/23/2015)

The F-35 program, despite cost overruns and schedule delays, cannot fail, said House Armed Service Committee Chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) on Thursday.



There is no “option of saying ‘OK, never mind, we don’t need this plane anymore,’” he told reporters during a morning breakfast meeting in Washington D.C.
“We have to learn the lessons of why it has taken longer and cost more than we expected,” but the program must move ahead, because “not only the United States, but many of our allies, are dependent on the F-35 being successful.”
The chairman also acknowledged that the F-35 is not the first or only program to face bumps in its acquisition, but he said all of the programs have come with lessons that need to be learned.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA.....
.

[richelieu]

Surgelato .....

F-35 skeptics might see these photos and declare with delight that the program is on ice.
Not so, the Pentagon continues to throw its support behind the $400 billion project.

Fonte ..... "New Photos: Chilled Lightning" .....
http://aviationweek.com/blog/new-photos ... -lightning

[richelieu]

Quattro 'lucciole' nel cielo sopra lo stadio dell'università di Phoenix .....





Da 'DefenseNews' ..... "[UPDATED] F-35 Flyover Planned for Pro Bowl" .....
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... /22220865/
.

[richelieu]

La base aerea di Marham ospiterà la OCU degli F-35B britannici .....

The UK’s future operational conversion unit for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is expected to begin providing training using five of the stealthy aircraft, the Ministry of Defence has revealed.
According to planning information disclosed by parliamentary under secretary of state Lord Astor of Hever on 22 January, five short take-off and vertical landing F-35Bs will be used to deliver in-country OCU services from July 2019.
The unit will be located at the Royal Air Force’s Marham base in Norfolk.

Fonte ..... "UK details operational conversion unit plan for F-35" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... 35-408306/

Botta e risposta .....

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Questions:

Asked by Lord West of Spithead:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the decision has been made as to the location of the Operational Conversion Unit for the F35B aircraft. [HL4164]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con):
The Lightning II (F-35B) Operational Conversion Unit will be located at RAF Marham.

22 Jan 2015 : Column WA335

Asked by Lord West of Spithead:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to stop using VMFAT-501 squadron for pilot training on the F35B aircraft, and, if so, on what date; and where will training for that aircraft be conducted.[HL4165]

Lord Astor of Hever:
Under current planning assumptions, the UK will stop assigning UK pilots to VMFAT-501 for pilot training on the F-35B from July 2019, when the UK Operational Conversion Unit will begin pilot training at RAF Marham.

Asked by Lord West of Spithead:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 29 July 2014 (HL1320), how many F35B aircraft will initially be allocated to the Operational Conversion Unit.[HL4166]

Lord Astor of Hever:
Based on current planning assumptions, five aircraft will be allocated to the Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Marham when it begins pilot training in July 2019.

Fonte ..... http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lo ... hever/3428
.

[richelieu]

I Marines sbarcano a ..... Eglin AFB .....

First Marine Corps F-35C Arrives at Eglin .....

(1/27/2015)

The first F-35C built for the Marine Corps touched down at Eglin AFB, Fla., where it will join a Navy unit for training pilots of the carrier-optimized variant of the strike fighter, according to a base release.

http://www.aetc.af.mil/News/ArticleDisp ... riant.aspx

The airplane arrived at the Florida installation, on Jan. 13 from Lockheed Martin’s production plant in Fort Worth, Texas.
It is the first of five Marine Corps F-35Cs that will serve in the pilot training role with the Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 101, states the release.
“This is a big day for the Marine Corps tactical air community,” said Lt. Col. J.T. Ryan, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501 detachment commander.
“It marks the beginning of our training in the carrier variant and puts us that much closer to standing up our first F-35C operational fleet squadron.”
In addition to buying 240 F-35B short-takeoff jets, the Marine Corps is on tap to procure 80 F-35Cs for use aboard aircraft carriers.
The Marine Corps’ first operational F-35C fleet squadron, VMFA-115, is scheduled to stand up at MCAS Beaufort, S.C., in 2019, states the release.

​
U.S. Marine Lt. Col. J.T. “Tank” Ryan, Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 detachment commander and F-35 pilot, delivers the first Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II carrier variant to Navy Attack Fighter Squadron 101 on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Jan. 13, 2015.
Ryan flew the aircraft from the Lockheed Martin plant, Fort Worth, Texas, as the first of five Marine Corps F-35C model aircraft to be delivered to the VFA-101.
The F-35C model brings 25% more range and a bigger weapons bay.
It also allows the Marine Corps to fly aboard Navy aircraft carriers, which continues an effective and long-standing tactical air integration program between the Navy and Marine Corps.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marleah Robertson)

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....
.

[richelieu]

Ancora sui tests climatici .....

Pushing Environmental Limits .....

(1/30/2015)

An F-35B strike fighter from the Patuxent River Integrated Test Force in Maryland has spent the last four months undergoing extreme weather testing at the Air Force’s 96th Test Wing at McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin AFB, Fla., to ensure the aircraft can deploy around the globe, officials announced Thursday.

http://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Do ... 202015.pdf

A total of 13 countries are involved in the program, so the fifth-generation fighter must be able to operate in a variety of weather conditions, from extreme heart to Arctic cold.
“While we are testing in the world’s largest climatic testing chamber, we’re pushing the F-35 to its environmental limits—ranging from 120 degrees Fahrenheit to negative 40 degrees, and every possible weather condition in between,” said F-35 test pilot Billie Flynn, who performed extreme cold testing on the aircraft.
“To this point, the aircraft’s performance is meeting expectations … In its final days of testing, it will fly through ice and other conditions such as driving rain with hurricane force winds.”
The aircraft was ferried to Eglin last September to begin a six-month assessment of the aircraft’s performance “in wind, solar radiation, fog, humidity, rain intrusion/ingestion, freezing rain, icing cloud, icing build-up, vortex icing, and snow,” states the release.


An icing cloud test calibration fixture is shown in front of an F-35B Lightning II aircraft as it undergoes cold weather testing at the 96th Test Wing's McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin AFB, Fla.
Photo by Michael D. Jackson, F-35 Integrated Test Force.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....
.

[richelieu]

Un simulatore di missione per l' Italia .....

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $10,581,620 modification to the previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-11-C-0083) in support of the F-35 Lightning II Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot VI for the Government of Italy.
This modification provides for the F-35 Italian National Database, including a Database Generation System to support delivery of the first Italian full mission simulator.
Work will be performed in Turin, Italy (80 percent) and Orlando, Florida (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2017.
International Partner funds in the amount of $10,581,620 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland is the contracting activity.

Fonte ..... "CONTRACTS - January 29, 2015" ..... http://www.defense.gov/Contracts/Contra ... actID=5468
.

[richelieu]

Un problema molto ..... british .....

Former head of the Navy, Lord West of Spithead, has called for naval tradition to be observed in the naming of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, which is currently known as the F-35B Lightning II in UK service.
Lord West would like it to be christened the “Sea Lightning”.

Fonte ..... "Should the Navy's new jet be called F-35B or Sea Lightning?" .....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... tning.html


.

[richelieu]

Ritardi e ..... cattivi pensieri su una tecnologia che si teme già compromessa .....

There is a saying in Washington defense circles: The threat always gets a vote.
It means that a valid strategic threat can influence decision-makers to derail or accelerate a weapons program.
In the case of the most expensive aircraft program in history, the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), senior Pentagon officials have begun considering what might happen if the still-developmental F-35 were compromised by the proliferation of ever-more-capable air defenses.
It is not news that the single-engine F-35, developed by Lockheed Martin, is being introduced into service about eight years late.

Fonte ..... "Proliferating Threats Open Door To F-35 Follow On" .....
http://aviationweek.com/defense/prolife ... -35-follow
.

[richelieu]

Un commento di Silvio Lora Lamia (di 'Analisi Difesa') che, in occasione della recente pubblicazione del rapporto del 'Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E)', fa il punto sulla situazione dell'Italia .....

"F-35: la “battaglia” per la FACO" ..... http://www.analisidifesa.it/2015/01/f-3 ... r-la-faco/

[richelieu]

Le affermazioni dell'ammiraglio Greenert sul 'caccia di 6^ generazione' (vedasi discussione ad hoc) non hanno mancato di suscitare, secondo gli analisti, contraccolpi nel programma JSF/F-35C .....

The top officer of one of three services projected to spend tens of billions of dollars on stealthy new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, now says "stealth may be overrated."
During a speech last week to a Washington audience, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert described what he's looking for in the next generation of strike aircraft — and it doesn't look like the controversial F-35.
----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Greenert was speaking about the next generation of fighter aircraft, but his comments could just as easily be applied to Lockheed Martin's F-35C, the carrier-based version of the joint strike fighter.
Aviation analysts who watch the F-35 program closely say Greenert's comments reflect ambivalence among naval aviators about the F-35 as a strike fighter, especially compared to the tried-and-true F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets.

Fonte ..... "Analysts: Navy brass view F-35C's stealth as overrated" .....
http://www.navytimes.com/story/military ... /22949703/
.

[FAS]

Un commento di Silvio Lora Lamia (di 'Analisi Difesa') che, in occasione della recente pubblicazione del rapporto del 'Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E)', fa il punto sulla situazione dell'Italia .....

"F-35: la “battaglia” per la FACO" ..... http://www.analisidifesa.it/2015/01/f-3 ... r-la-faco/

audit non passati
corrective actions non applicate nei tempi richiesti
e adesso piangono.......

[richelieu]

La 'Lightning Force' britannica al lavoro ..... in California .....

The U.K. has become the first nation outside of the U.S. to begin "organic" Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter test operations following the standing up of the Royal Air Force 17 (Reserve) Squadron at Edwards AFB, California.
The joint RAF-Royal Navy operation will conduct operational testing and evaluation of the F-35B using three of the U.K’s initial four aircraft. Although initial operational capability

Fonte ..... "U.K. ‘Lightning Force’ Stands Up F-35B Operations At Edwards AFB"
http://aviationweek.com/defense/uk-ligh ... dwards-afb

Inoltre ..... "RAF's 17 Sqn assumes control of F-35 test and evaluation" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... on-408880/
.

[richelieu]

F-35A dell' USAF ..... IOC nel 2016 ..... ma con qualche 'acrobazia' per quanto riguarda il personale ..... e riaffiora l'inevitabile lamentela sulla carenza di specialisti ..... che sarebbero trattenuti in reparti che operano con velivoli considerati ormai di scarsa utilità .....

F-35A Will Make IOC .....

Arie Church and John A. Tirpak (2/13/2015)

The Air Force will make its F-35A Lightning II initial operating capability deadline in 2016 but not without some maintenance and manpower gymnastics, Gen. Hawk Carlisle, head of Air Combat Command, said.
“It’s a tremendous challenge … there’s a couple of ways we're looking at to potentially do it,” he said at a panel discussion at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium on Thursday.
Without maintainers freed up from retiring the A-10, USAF leadership is looking at contract maintenance to support F-35 training at Luke AFB, Ariz., and to be able to fully man its combat-coded F-35 unit at Hill AFB, Utah, Carlisle said.
USAF is also looking at standing down some legacy squadrons earlier than planned to free maintainers for the F-35, he added.
However, “All of those things are a short-term fix … I think we have a way forward to get to (initial operational capability) ... in ’16 sometime between August and December, but that’s just the beginning,” he said.
“We’re going to be buying [F-35s] at a fairly high rate, and we’re not going to buy them and park them. We have to grow that maintenance capability.”
Demand will increase from some 300 maintainers to nearly 2,000 over the next five years “so we have got to figure out how to retire some aircraft and replace them with F-35s,” Carlisle said.
Air Education and Training Command chief Gen. Robin Rand, in a press conference the same day, said he hasn't been asked to accelerate F-35 maintenance training.
"Do we have more capacity? Not really ... We have to try to figure out ... how can we harvest more maintainers who need less training."

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....
.

[richelieu]

Secondo l'agenzia di informazioni Reuters .....

"Italy to maintain F-35 jet orders despite political pressure - sources" .....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/ ... TO20150216

[richelieu]

Il generale Bogdan si dichiara 'cautamente ottimista' .....

The executive officer of the Lockheed Martin F-35 joint programme office is cautiously optimistic that the aircraft is on track to achieve key objectives, and that unit costs will continue to fall for the platform.
Speaking to journalists at the biennial Avalon air show, USAF Lt Gen Chris Bogdan said that memories of severe delays and problems prior to the F-35's "re-baselining" exercise in 2010-11 continue to overshadow the programme, but much progress has been made in finding ways to drive down costs.
Crucially, the relationship between the US government and key contractors, Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney, has improved.
"The programme is seeing slow, steady progress," he says.

Fonte ..... "AVALON: F-35 programme chief cites slow, steady progress" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ss-409362/

'Cauto ottimismo' ..... un termine di sapore prettamente 'politico' ..... chissà che nelle parole del generale non vi sia la segreta aspirazione per una futura sistemazione 'parlamentare' .....

[richelieu]

Attivata la procedura che porterà alla scelta di altre tre basi destinate ad ospitare gli F-35A dell' USAF .....

Next Three F-35A Basing Locations Defined .....

Michael C. Sirak (2/24/2015)

​The Air Force’s new F-35A fleet basing strategy lays out the parameters for the next three operational locations for the stealth jet, service spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told Air Force Magazine on Monday.
She said the Air Force just notified Congress of the new strategy.
Two of these three locations will be Air National Guard bases; they are expected to receive their first F-35As in July 2022 and January 2023, respectively, she said.
The third location will be an Air Force Reserve Command site slated for its first F-35A in May 2023, she said.
It will be the first F-35A base for the Reserve.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James tweeted that she briefed the 54 National Guard adjutants general on the new operational locations on Monday.
Stefanek said the Air Force plans to use its “standard basing process to determine the locations.”
She added, “We hope to be able to create active associations for all three.”
The new strategy builds upon the Air Force’s first F-35A fleet basing strategy from 2009.
Under the latter, the Air Force set the stage for its first three Active Duty operational locations, the first Air Guard location, and two training sites.
After the process of determining candidate sites and measuring factors like cost and environmental impact, the Air Force chose as these locations, respectively: Eielson AFB, Alaska; Hill AFB, Utah; RAF Lakenheath, Britain; Burlington ANG Station, Vt.; Eglin AFB, Fla.; and Luke AFB, Ariz.
The service still has to issue the record of decision for Eielson to codify that choice.

Intanto ..... la Nellis AFB riceve il secondo velivolo destinato alla 'Air Force Weapons School' .....

Weapons School Double Lightning .....

(2/25/2015)

A second F-35A touched down at Nellis AFB, Nev., last week, joining the Air Force Weapons School less than a month after the first Lightning II arrived.
"The long-term goal for the F-35 in the Weapons School is for it to completely integrate with all of the other platforms, to bring out its capability, and to add to the capability of the other fighters," Air Force Warfare Center Commander Maj. Gen. Jay Silveria (1) said in a release (2).

(1) ..... http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/D ... veria.aspx

(2) ..... http://www.nellis.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123439623

The school will operate a fleet of 24 Lightning IIs, and plans to launch its first full-up weapons course in January 2018.
Until then, the school's F-35s will be engaged training weapons instructors and honing curriculum.
The second F-35 arrived at the schoolhouse Feb. 18, according to officials.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....
.

[richelieu]

Singapore potrebbe essere il prossimo acquirente ..... e non sarà certamente l'ultimo ..... lo afferma, in occasione del salone australiano di Avalon, il generale Bogdan .....

"US Program Chief: Singapore Nearing F-35 Buy" .....
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... /23927983/

[richelieu]

Dall' Australia ..... alla Norvegia .....

The Australian and Norwegian defence ministries have strengthened their relationship on the latter’s in-development Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile (JSM), boosting the chances of Canberra acquiring the weapon for its future fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35s.
Under an expanded agreement discussed at the Avalon air show near Melbourne, the ministries will work together to investigate the potential of both air forces acquiring the weapon.

Fonte ..... "Australia ups interest in Norway's Joint Strike Missile .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... che-409590/
.

[richelieu]

Se lo dicono i Marines .....

The Marine Corps, the first Lockheed Martin F-35 customer slated to declare IOC, is using the 2B software package to stand up its first squadron of aircraft at MCAS Yuma, Arizona.
Although the 2B is limited to employing three weapons—the 1,000-lb. GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition, GBU-12 500-lb. Laser-Guided Bomb and Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile AIM-120 series—the F-35B will surpass the current capability of the AV-8B Harrier jump jet and F/A-18C twin-engine Hornets, the Marines say.

Fonte ..... "Late Software Not Expected To Jeopardize U.S. Marine Corps F-35 IOC" .....
http://aviationweek.com/defense/late-so ... s-f-35-ioc
.

[richelieu]

"Dutch parliament approves first F-35 production order" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... er-409673/

Questo passo dell'articolo interessa particolarmente l'Italia .....

Three further batches of eight aircraft each will be ordered between 2016 and 2018, before a final three are expected to be purchased in 2019, to complete an operational buy of 35.
All of these will be delivered from a final assembly and check-out centre built at Cameri air base in Italy under a joint venture between Lockheed and Alenia Aermacchi.

.

[richelieu]

Per un controllo rapido della verniciatura .....

"New tool checks F-35 paint for damages in minutes" .....
http://flightlines.airforcetimes.com/20 ... n-minutes/

'infiniSCAN' ..... http://www.sensorconcepts.com/product_sci_is.html
.

[richelieu]

Roll-out di AL-1 ..... il primo esemplare italiano .....

" Nella fabbrica del super caccia: “Ecco il primo F-35 italiano” " .....
http://www.lastampa.it/2015/03/12/itali ... agina.html

"F-35: completato primo caccia italiano" ..... http://www.ansa.it/piemonte/notizie/201 ... bd778.html

"AL-1 the first Italian made F-35" ..... http://www.f-16.net/forum/viewtopic.php ... 4&p=287080
.

[richelieu]

Lockheed Martin ..... "First-Ever Italian F-35a ‘Rolls Out’ Of Cameri Production Facility" .....
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/p ... 312ae.html

DefenseNews ..... "Italy Produces First F-35 Outside US"
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... /70212662/

[richelieu]

Mentre il primo F-35A assemblato in Italia mette, senza sventolii di bandiere e squilli di fanfare, il muso fuori dal capannone della FACO di Cameri .....

"First Italian-assembled F-35 rolls off the line" ..... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ne-410113/

..... dal sito 'War is Boring' parte una pesante bordata contro il programma .....

The F-35 continues to fail the most basic requirements for combat aircraft and common sense.
Despite reforms, the F-35 continues to be unaffordable, its engines continue to be susceptible to fire, and the Pentagon continues to misrepresent its performance.

"F-35 Still Years Away From Being Ready for Combat" .....

.

[richelieu]

Nel frattempo ..... sono iniziate, ad opera di piloti britannici, le prove di decollo da 'ski-jump' .....

Two UK pilots will test the ability of the new warplane to take off from upward-sloping ski-jump ramps used on aircraft carriers like those operated by Britain and Italy.
The ramps launch the jets forward and upward, reducing the thrust needed.

Fonte ..... "Lockheed F-35 heads for the ski jump in next key round of tests" .....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/ ... AK20150224
.

[richelieu]

Stealth ..... le misure di contrasto ..... crescono .....

Bill Sweetman ci erudisce sul tema .....

Counterstealth technologies, intended to reduce the effectiveness of radar cross-section (RCS) reduction measures, are proliferating worldwide.
Since 2013, multiple new programs have been revealed, producers of radar and infrared search and track (IRST) systems have been more ready to claim counterstealth capability, and some operators—notably the U.S. Navy—have openly conceded that stealth technology is being challenged.

Fonte ..... "New Radars, IRST Strengthen Stealth-Detection Claims - Counterstealth technologies near service worldwide" .....
http://aviationweek.com/defense/new-rad ... ion-claims
.

[richelieu]

Dal portale dell' Aeronautica Militare .....

"F-35 Made in Italy - Mostrato a Cameri il primo velivolo F-35 assemblato interamente in Italia" .....
http://www.aeronautica.difesa.it/News/P ... talia.aspx



.

[richelieu]

Amy Butler ci relaziona sugli F-35 attualmente in prova presso la Edwards AFB .....

With the F-35 development program 60% complete and two years to go, the test program is operating at a high pace.
Among the test aircraft at Edwards AFB are five added since the development started in 2001 to boost a focus on mission-systems flight trials, largely associated with the aircraft’s complex software.

Fonte ..... "Meet The F-35 Developmental Test Fleet At Edwards AFB" .....
http://aviationweek.com/defense/meet-f- ... dwards-afb
.