JSF

[richelieu]

Gli Olandesi ..... si esibiscono .....

Testo, immagini e filmato .....

"Watch the F-35 perform its international airshow debut with an Air Power Demo" .....

[SuperMau]

Buongiorno monsignore !

Come promesso, c'ero anche io a vedere il plasticone, peccato per il meteo infame (pero' quando c'e' molta umidita' qualche effetto carino si vede ).

Dammi tempo per fare un po' di selezione tra le mila foto, nel frattempo di mando due anteprime....

[richelieu]

Buongiorno monsignore !
Come promesso, c'ero anche io a vedere il plasticone, peccato per il meteo infame (pero' quando c'e' molta umidita' qualche effetto carino si vede ).
Dammi tempo per fare un po' di selezione tra le mila foto, nel frattempo di mando due anteprime ....

Ti ringrazio moltissimo e resto ..... anzi restiamo (perché mi sembra ovvio che la cosa non interessi soltanto a me) in attesa di altre immagini .....

[richelieu]

Il Canada si orienta su un altro aereo ..... e 'mamma Lockheed' che fa ?
Minaccia .....

As Canada considers a purchase of Super Hornet fighter jets from Boeing, Lockheed Martin is threatening to cut Canadian companies out of work on the F-35.
But defense analysts and industry sources say such punitive measures could take years to follow through with and might ultimately backfire against the U.S. defense giant.
Lockheed Martin went on a public-relations push last week and on the weekend, telling Canadian media outlets a decision not to buy the F-35 would put in jeopardy hundreds of millions of dollars of contracts that could be awarded to Canadian firms for work on the aircraft.

Fonte ..... "Lockheed Goes on the Offensive in Canada’s F-35 Debate" .....

Agenzia Reuters ..... "Lockheed may shift F-35 fighter work away from Canada" .....
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[richelieu]

Danimarca ..... l' industria si aspetta qualcosa .....

While the Danish government has vowed to work closely with the country’s defense industry to gain the maximum spin-off contract value from the F-35A Lightning II buy, there is concern within industry circles that the long-term dividend will not amount to a "stimulus package" but instead may benefit only a select few across Denmark’s defense sector.
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Denmark has no substantive supply-side industrial agreement with F-35 maker Lockheed Martin covering collaboration with Danish firms.
Nevertheless, the government hopes the eventual value in spin-off contracts could exceed the acquisition project’s total capital investment cost of $8.5 billion.
In contrast to Lockheed, Boeing’s F-18 Super Hornet bid and Airbus’ Eurofighter Typhoon offer provided firm guarantees of industrial partnerships and sub-contract work to companies in Denmark’s defense sector.

Fonte ..... "Danish F-35 Promises Leave Local Companies Wary" .....
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[richelieu]

Mountain Home AFB ..... il Lightning II passa i tests a vele spiegate .....

Col. David Lyons, commander of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, Utah, said a June 6-17 deployment of seven F-35As to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, “proved” the fighter can deploy, operate, and fight.
During the evaluation, the Autonomic Logistics and Information System (ALIS), “performed the way it was supposed to,” and he reported “zero” problems with the jet’s 3i software, with no need to reboot it.
“We flew 88 of 88 scheduled sorties,” Lyons said, flying both alongside and against F-16s and F-15Es in a variety of scenarios against a representative heavy air defense system.

Fonte ..... "F-35 Passes Deployment Test" .....

Anche qui ..... "F-35 Software Runs Smoothly During Mountain Home Deployment" .....

Già che ci penso ..... quell' aereo mica ha le vele .....
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[richelieu]

Il primo di Israele .....

Israeli and U.S. government leaders joined Lockheed Martin to celebrate the rollout of the first Israeli Air Force F-35A Lightning II, marking a major production milestone for the future of Israel’s national defense.
“Israel is proud to be the first country in the area to receive and operate it,” said Avigdor Liberman, Israel’s Minister of Defense.
“The F-35 is the best aircraft in the world and the choice of all our military leadership at its highest level.
It is clear and obvious to us and to the entire region that the new F-35, the Adir, will create real deterrence and enhance our capabilities for a long time.”

Fonte ..... " Lockheed Martin and Israel Celebrate Rollout of Israel’s First F-35 ‘Adir’ " .....

[richelieu]

Ormai ..... riuscire a stare dietro ai vari 'lotti' ..... è un pò come vincere al lotto .....

Budget austerity and a resistant Congress is reining in a F-35 block buy for the US government that would include lot 12 of low-rate initial production, but the government is examining the potential of a hybrid block buy, the Joint Strike Fighter’s program executive officer said on 22 June.
The US does not have adequate funding in Fiscal 2017 to enter into a block buy that would include lot 12, which would begin in 2018, Bogdan says.
The US revealed its planned procurement quantities for lots 12, 13 and 14 in a 16 June 16 announcement posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website, although the notice did not refer to the lots under a block buy.
Lot 12 would include 100 F-35As, 26 F-35Bs and six F-35Cs, according to the notice.
Lot 13 would include 104 F-35As, 26 F-35Bs and 12 F-35Cs, while lot 14 would call for 88 F-35As, 30 F-35Bs and 18 F-35Cs, the notice shows.

Fonte ..... "US pursuing smaller, hybrid block buy for F-35" .....
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[richelieu]

Clamoroso .....

The US Air Force is looking into the possibility of replacing the Martin-Baker ejection seat on the F-35 joint strike fighter with the United Technologies ACES 5 model, Defense News has learned.
While still in the earliest stages, such a move could have have massive repercussions for the F-35 supply chain, impacting the workshare strategy that forms the backbone for the international fleet of the Lockheed Martin-designed fighter.

Fonte ..... "Exclusive: USAF Weighing Replacement F-35 Ejection Seat" .....
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[richelieu]

La ¨star¨ di Farnborough ..... due anni dopo .....

Two years after its aborted international debut in the UK, the F-35 Lightning II is set to finally turn up in force for the upcoming Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) and the Farnborough Air Show next month.
The US Defense Department and aircraft prime Lockheed Martin are making up for the no-show in 2014, which was caused by engine troubles, with as many as five jets arriving in the UK to display at the back-to-back aviation shows.

Fonte ..... ¨All Eyes on Farnborough, and F-35¨ .....
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... /86236940/
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[richelieu]

Fairford ..... arrivano gli F-35B .....

Two years after the US Marine Corps' planned first transatlantic crossing with the short take-off and vertical landing F-35B was thwarted by an engine fire, a trio of the jets have touched down at RAF Fairford in the UK.
Arriving at the US Air Force-operated site late on 29 June, the aircraft include two USMC examples and one UK aircraft used to support initial operational test and evaluation of the Joint Strike Fighter in the USA.
Piloted by Royal Air Force Sqn Ldr Hugh Nichols, the latter – ZM137 – is one of three delivered to the UK customer so far for this purpose.

Fonte ..... https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... ut-426833/

Anche qui ..... https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/f-35-la ... tic-ocean/
..... e qui ..... http://airheadsfly.com/2016/06/29/new-f ... in-europe/

Dovrebbero poi arrivare i due F-35A dell' USAF che, secondo quanto annunciato a inizio mese da DefenseNews, non parteciperebbero al salone di Farnborough ..... http://www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... /85302804/
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[richelieu]

Eccitazione ..... e altre cose .....

FARNBOROUGH: Excitement builds around F-35's UK debut.....

30 June, 2016
By: Beth Stevenson - London

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s promised appearance at Farnborough is one of the most anticipated highlights of the show.
Two years ago the type’s planned UK debut was cancelled after an engine fire grounded the fleet on the eve of the 2014 event.
That Pratt & Whitney F135 fire destroyed one aircraft and although there remained a glimmer of hope that the US government would authorise another example’s transit to the UK, caution prevailed over air show glitz.
Now, two years on, UK air show visitors can expect to see US Marine Corps F-35Bs – the model the UK is acquiring – in displays at both the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in Fairford and the Farnborough air show a week later.
A US Air Force F-35A will display at RIAT, but it is unclear if it will also make a Farnborough appearance.
The type is going through the processes to allow it to transit to the UK, and when it does, a formation arrival flight with the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows’ BAE Systems T1 Hawk aerobatics display team is expected to take place on 11 July.
“The plan for F-35 aircraft to take part in air shows here in the UK this summer is a significant milestone – for our RAF and Royal Navy personnel training hard to fly the F-35; for British industry who are contributing an impressive 15% of every aircraft; and for the British public who will have their first opportunity to see this remarkable aircraft in action,” defence secretary Michael Fallon said of the F-35’s debut appearance in the UK.
UK F-35 commander Air Cdre Harvey Smyth told a conference in London in May that 617 Sqn – the first frontline F-35B unit for the UK – is in the process of forming ahead of standing up in January 2018.
The UK’s second frontline squadron – 809 NAS – will stand up in April 2023, and full operational capability will then be declared for the UK’s F-35 fleet, which will require two established frontline squadrons, plus the operational conversion unit (OCU).
The Royal Air Force and Royal Navy have an initial requirement for 48 F-35Bs of an eventual 138 aircraft; all are B models, to enable carrier- or land-based operations, but those first 48 will all be based at RAF Marham in Norfolk.
Marham will eventually host four frontline squadrons, one OCU and the sustainment fleet. It is planned for the OCU to be established in the coming months, Smyth adds.
The criteria for initial operational capability (IOC) is undisclosed, but it is planned for land-based IOC to be achieved at the end of 2018; carrier strike IOC will be declared in 2020.
As the UK’s first Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier nears completion, Smyth says that sea trials on board the vessel are expected to take place off the US East Coast at the end of 2018.
While land-based operations are the short-term goal, the UK is “doing lots of work on the carrier power projection piece” to re-establish its lost capability in this area.
“It will have to be a step-up in our training to get that right,” Smyth adds.
The UK is testing its future fighter at Edwards AFB in California, where the dedicated test and evaluation squadron – 17 Sqn – is carrying out independent assessment of the type.
Both RAF and Royal Navy personnel make up the squadron, which works to ensure that the aircraft is interoperable with the UK’s regulations and its other assets, including the aircraft carriers.
Weapons to be integrated onto UK aircraft include Raytheon Paveway IV laser-guided bombs and AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, plus the MBDA advanced short-range air-to-air missile (ASRAAM).
The first examples of the latter were shipped to the US in January for flight testing.
BAE Systems is leading the weapons integration on the UK’s F-35s, and flight trials and air-launch tests of the first British-built missile on the type are expected throughout 2016.
Carried out at NAS Patuxent River in Maryland and Edwards AFB in California – the latter is where 17 Sqn is based – the trials will include environmental data gathering, safe separation from the aircraft, weapons integration testing, firing trials and target engagement.
The short-range, infrared-guided missile, capable of flying at Mach 3, is also carried by the RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoons and Panavia Tornado GR4s.
A future armament integration for the UK F-35s is the developmental Spear 3 missile.
In May, MBDA was awarded a £411 million ($282 million) contract by the UK Ministry of Defence for further development of the missile, which is derived from the company’s Brimstone precision-guided air-to-surface munition used on board the Tornado and will also be on the Typhoon as of 2018.
The four-year contract covers critical design and development work to integrate the missile into the internal weapons bay of the JSF, and the type will benefit from replacing the missile’s rocket motor with a turbojet engine, ensuring a range of some 60 miles, MBDA says.
It is expected to enter service on the F-35 in the mid-2020s.
Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer database shows that of the UK’s 138-aircraft F-35 requirement, four have been delivered and are undergoing test and evaluation work in the US, with 10 more on order and four more planned orders pending.
The test and evaluation work has seen an RAF Airbus Defence & Space A330 Voyager tanker deployed to Patuxent River to carry out air-to-air refuelling trials, which were expected to be completed in mid-June.
Voyager became the fourth non-US tanker to be certificated to refuel the JSF, and during the trials was expected to carry out some 20 contacts to transfer fuel, helping move the UK closer to its land-based IOC date of 2018.
Voyager joins the Royal Australian Air Force’s A330-derived KC-30A, Italian air force Boeing KC-767A, and Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) Boeing KDC-10 in being qualified to refuel the fighter.
European operators of the ubiquitous fighter are also passing operational milestones in their acquisition of the type, the most recent significant one being the first Eastern transatlantic transfer of the F-35 to the RNLAF at Leeuwarden air base in the Netherlands on 23 May.
Two examples were ferried across to the Netherlands, carrying out a 4,780nm (8,850km) flight from California via Patuxent River.
Supported by the KDC-10 and a NATO Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport, the journey to Europe was only a short-lived one, and they were transferred back to Edwards AFB some three weeks later.
A key reason for the visit was to test the difference in noise levels between the F-35 and the Lockheed F-16 that it is replacing in the Netherlands.
The defence ministry on 27 May said that the testing yielded “only minor differences” in noise between the two types when assessed by participating members of the public.
Afternoon and evening flights were carried out at Leeuwarden and Volkel air bases, the defence ministry says, which included an afterburner take-off.
The F-35 flew alongside an F-16, as would normally be the case, and flew 28 sorties in order to give local residents the opportunity to assess noise levels.
The Netherlands Aerospace Centre conducted the noise level test during these flights, with results presented to members of the Commission for Consultation and Awareness for Environmental Health.
The RNLAF has a requirement for up to 37 F-35As, with only the two delivered examples being on order so far, Fleets Analyzer shows.
The Dutch flight was not the first transatlantic crossing of the F-35, however, as this was carried out by the Italian air force in February when an Italian pilot flew an F-35A from Cameri air base in Italy to Patuxent River via Portugal and Canada.
Supported by the KC-767A, aircraft AL-1 of Italy’s 32nd Wing was set to remain in Maryland for two to three months of electromagnetic environmental effects testing before continuing on to Luke AFB in Arizona to join the multinational training team.
Five Italian F-35s are expected to fly to Arizona to add to the training programme, and the sixth example will become the first operational aircraft of the 32nd Wing.
Leonardo assembles Italian and Dutch aircraft from the final assembly and check-out facility at Cameri.
Rome has received three F-35As that are being tested in the US and has five more on order.
It also has a requirement for a number of F-35Bs, although none have been delivered to date.
Most recently, Denmark decided to opt for the type, as parliament authorised the acquisition of 27 A-model examples.
They will be operated from Skrydstrup air base and will be delivered between 2021 and 2026, the ministry of defence says, replacing F-16s, the last of which will be retired in late 2024.
Despite being led by a US prime and a heavy amount of deliveries headed for its domestic customer, the JSF programme has been touted as a multinational effort, which Smyth says is providing numerous opportunities for training: “We’re very much in a transition here. We’re going through various iterations of CONOPS [concept of operations] development. We need to ensure that the training remains fit for purpose.”
The deployment of a large number of RAF aircraft to the Middle East to support coalition efforts in Iraq and Syria also means that there is currently a shortage of frontline assets to train with in the UK, Smyth notes.
“I wouldn’t have a [Boeing RC-135] AirSeeker available to plug into even if I wanted to,” he says.
“We need to do the live training in a representative environment somewhere.”
The basing of US jets at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk is “too good an opportunity to miss”, he adds, suggesting that the nations should make their aircraft available for joint training.
“We can’t just sit in two stovepipes 30 miles apart. That would be a travesty,” he says.
Several teaming opportunities are available to the UK, including in Canada, at the Woomera test range in Australia, plus the Pitch Black and Red Flag exercises, which the UK already participates in.
Smyth says there is more room to network with partner nations, both on the interaction side and the physical networking, although “we’re not quite there yet” with linking training.
“We are procuring this [the F-35] because of the proliferation of some very high threats, so we have to train to that,” he adds.
The other driver for overseas training is the lack of airspace available in the UK.
“From a fighter perspective, there is more intense scrutiny for closing down the airspace,” he says.
“Airspace is more and more of a challenge for us. The UK just simply isn’t big enough, hence the need for synthetic and overseas training.”

Fonte ..... FlightGlobal .....
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[richelieu]

Pagina riassuntiva ..... "F-35 Lightning II" .....

[richelieu]

Una scottante questione di ..... condivisione .....

The Lockheed Martin’s F-35’s newest snag doesn’t come from a technological issue, but an international policy problem, according to the director of the US Air Force’s F-35A Integration Office.
In order for the aircraft to become fully operational across the nine partner nations and three foreign military sales customers participating in the program, the F-35 must be able to share data in a cloud-based architecture, Maj. Gen. Jeff Harrigian said at an Air Force Association event Thursday.
These mission data files, which are meant to be common across the US services and its allies, allow aircrews to make critical decisions, including identifying friend or foe.
But sovereignty issues and concerns over where data comes from have hindered that flow of information among international partners, he said.
That lack of a common operating picture has become a sticking point for the program .....

Fonte ..... "Sharing secret F-35 data gives USAF new problem" .....

Anche qui ..... "F-35 Facing Policy Kinks in Mission Data Files" .....

..... e qui ..... "The Importance of Data Sharing" .....
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[richelieu]

Sono tre (e non due come precedentemente annunciato) gli F-35A dell' Air Force atterrati in Gran Bretagna .....
E con i tre F-35B già arrivati ..... fanno sei .....

Lockheed Martin and the US military collectively breathed a sigh of relief Thursday as three F-35As landed in England after the US Air Force’s first transatlantic flight with the A-variant, two years after an engine fire prevented the aircraft from making its international debut at Farnborough Air Show.
The aircraft touched down at Royal Air Force Fairford at approximately 8:00 p.m., about a week before the aircraft’s first UK appearance at Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT).
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Three F-35As from Luke Air Force Base’s 51st Fighter Wing took off from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia at about 8:00 a.m., meeting with KC-10 and KC-135 tankers over the Atlantic Ocean to be refueled.
The planes flew over Greenland, south of Iceland and the west coast of Scotland into England.
A fourth spare F-35 returned to the US midway.

Fonte ..... "US Air Force F-35s Land in UK After First Transatlantic Flight" ......

Anche qui ..... "F-35s Cross The Atlantic Ready for UK Show Debuts" .....
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[richelieu]

Dove si parla degli accessi ad ALIS e del perché gli F-35A dell' USAF non presenzieranno a Farnborough .....

MSgt. Ed Deleon, chief maintainer for the RIAT mission, reported that the F-35’s Autonomic Logistics Information System, or ALIS, has worked perfectly during the deployment, but was being accessed through secure internet, and not through the ALIS “deployment” package.
The deployment is slated to last about 20 days, and is being supported by 12 Lockheed Martin technicians already in the UK, who will also support Marine Corps F-35Bs performing at RIAT and the Farnborough Air Show.
The F-35As will not perform at Farnborough because they are not yet operational, Andreotta said.

Fonte ..... "First F-35A Overseas Deployment" .....

Intanto ..... gli F-35B (uno britannico, l' altro dei Marines) hanno visitato, dall' aria, le future basi che ospiteranno i velivoli nel Regno Unito ..... "F-35B Lightning II visits new homes for the first time" .....
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[richelieu]

Checchè ne diciate ..... NOI riusciamo a vederlo .....

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is the most advanced aircraft in the Pentagon's arsenal, but Russia's powerful over-the-horizon Podsolnukh (Sunflower) radar is capable of detecting and tracking the stealth fifth-generation plane or any other fighter jet that was designed to avoid detection, Svobodnaya Pressa reported.

Fonte ..... "I See You: Russian-Made Sunflower Radar is Capable of Detecting F-35 Jets" .....

Подсолнух радиолокационная ..... http://bastion-opk.ru/podsolnuh/



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[richelieu]

Ecco perché su AW&ST non sono più apparsi gustosi articoli critici di Bill Sweetman sul Lightning II .....



Non avendone più visti ..... ho fatto un pò di ricerche ..... e questo è il risultato .....

"Today is Bill Sweetman’s last day as a journalist" .....

In casa LM avranno di sicuro tirato un sospiro di sollievo .....

Un vero peccato ..... speriamo trovi ora il tempo di scrivere, come aveva fatto in passato, qualche buon libro di argomento aeronautico ..... magari proprio sul tanto discusso velivolo .....

[richelieu]

Per gli Israeliani l'aereo difetta nel settore della sicurezza informatica .....

En terme de cybersécurité comme dans la guerre électronique, il est toujours difficile d’obtenir des informations et pour cause.
Pour les israéliens, le F-35 pose plusieurs problèmes en matière de cybersécurité : d’une part l’avion est composé de millions de lignes de codes qui composent les logiciels.
Ceux-ci sont peuvent devenir une véritable faiblesse voir le « talon d’Achille » de ’avion en cas de pénétration de la part de hackers.
De plus, le système de maintenance ALIS (Autonomic Logistics information System) centralisé au Etats-Unis pour l’ensemble des utilisateurs n’offre pas les sécurités nécessaires en matière de cyberguerre.
Il faut dire que, si un hacker arrive à pénétrer le système ALIS, qui communique depuis chaque avion directement au sol, il aura accès à l’ensemble de la gestion de la maintenance cellule, des systèmes de missions et des clés cryptographiques utilisées sur chaque F-35 en service.
Inutile de préciser que, si l’ennemi accède à ces données, il pourra les modifier à son aise et clouer la flotte de F-35 au sol.
De plus il aura également accès aux données des autres nations utilisatrices de l’avion.

Fonte ..... con tanto di punto esclamativo ! .....
..... "Pour Israël le F-35 est insuffisamment protégé en cybersécurité !" .....
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[Lampo 13]

Mah!
Sembra sempre di più che con questo "coso" gli americani abbiano preso una topica clamorosa e che ci obblighino tutti a comprarli per ripartire il costo faraonico di un progetto pieno di difetti.

[richelieu]

I Marines fanno il bis .....

The Marine Corps’ second F-35B Joint Strike Fighter squadron stood up today, as the AV-8B Harrier-flying Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 211 became Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211.
A re-designation and change of command ceremony was held at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona today, with Lt. Col. William Maples taking command of the second operational JSF squadron.
The squadron flew its final Harrier flight on May 6 and received its first two JSFs three days later.

Fonte ..... "Second F-35B Squadron Stands Up At Marine Corps Air Station Yuma" .....
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[richelieu]

AW&ST a bordo del KC-10 che appoggiava la prima trasvolata atlantica degli F-35A dell' USAF .....

"Video: KC-10 Crew Supporting USAF F-35As First Transatlantic Crossing" .....

[richelieu]

Gli F-35B dei Marines hanno ottenuto dalle autorità britanniche il beneplacito per l' esibizione all' imminente Salone di Farnborough .....

Two US Marine Corps F-35Bs on Tuesday completed validation flights with the UK government, clearing the jets to perform at Farnborough International Airshow next week.
During a validation flight, the UK Ministry of Defence confirms that an aircraft’s flight profile meets regulations and approves it for the show.
The two jets took off around 2 p.m. from RAF Fairford and flew to Farnborough, landing back at Fairford after about 20 minutes.

Fonte ..... "US Marine Corps F-35s Cleared for Farnborough" .....
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[richelieu]

Martin-Baker e Joint Program Office (JPO)..... reagiscono .....

As the US Air Force considers an alternative supplier for its F-35 joint strike fighter (JSF) ejection seats, incumbent developer Martin-Baker is pushing back at the idea their design will not be sufficient to ensure pilot safety.
In a statement released Monday to Defense News, James Martin, Martin-Baker’s co-chief executive, defended the company’s US-16E model and said testing of new safety elements is on track to be fully qualified by the end of year, with the end of flight restrictions on lightweight pilots to follow shortly thereafter.
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Notably, the statement from Martin-Baker includes a comment from Gen. Chris Bogdan, the F-35 program executive officer supporting the Martin-Baker design.

Fonte ..... "Martin-Baker, JPO Push Back at F-35 Ejection Seat Concerns" .....

Martin-Baker ..... "PROGRESS BEING MADE WITH MARTIN-BAKER SEAT TESTING" .....

[richelieu]

C' è il timore che, quando sarà il momento di stanziare gli F-35A dell' USAF in Europa, le basi non saranno ancora in grado di accoglierli .....

The first overseas US Air Force base to get the F-35 joint strike fighter is already making preparations for the jet’s arrival in the early 2020s, but its commander is worried that the service will not be able to build the new facilities needed to beddown the plane as quickly as anticipated.
Col. Robert Novotny, commander of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England, told Defense News that he is eager to receive the first joint strike fighter jets, but first new facilities must be built and old ones refurbished in order to support the aircraft.
The service announced earlier this year that the base — located in in Suffolk, England — had been chosen to receive 54 F-35s in 2020.
That timeline has already been pushed back to the 2021-2022 time frame, Novotny said.

Fonte ..... "Construction Projects Could Hamper First Overseas F-35 Beddown" .....
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[richelieu]

F-35B & Ski Jump ..... un balzo in avanti rispetto al predecessore .....

"How it Works: An F-35B Ski Jump Takeoff" .....

YouTube .....
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[richelieu]

F-35B ..... presto di nuovo a bordo ..... magari con un pizzico di mal di mare .....

Lockheed Martin’s F-35B is due to embark on a third phase of ship-based developmental testing (DT) in October, the final step before it begins qualification trials on the UK’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier.

Two examples of the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant will embark on the USS America amphibious assault ship for three weeks at the end of October.
It will evaluate operations at the minimum requirement of sea state five, but is expected to go up to sea state six.

Fonte ..... "Plans under way for October F-35B sea-based test" .....
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[richelieu]

Initial Operational Capability (IOC) ..... l' USAF tenta di anticipare i tempi .....

The head of the US Air Force’s Air Combat Command is hopeful that the service will declare initial operational capability (IOC) for its Lockheed Martin F-35A as early as August, following a successful first off-station deployment of the type.
Gen Herbert Carlisle told a media briefing at the Royal International Air Tattoo on 7 July that the USAF is “about to declare IOC” for 34 Sqn.
He hopes that this will be towards the front of an August-to-December objective for achieving the milestone.

Fonte ..... "USAF sets aggressive IOC schedule for F-35A" .....
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[richelieu]

Ripensamenti d' oltremanica .....

A Royal Air Force official has revealed that the UK has not ruled out acquiring a mixed fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35s, as the short take-off and vertical landing F-35B that is currently contracted carries out its first display to the British public.
Speaking at the Royal International Air Tattoo on 8 July, where a British F-35B flew, along with US Marine Corps aircraft and US Air Force F-35As, Air Cdre Linc Taylor, assistant chief of staff for capability delivery, combat air said the UK’s commitment to a full acquisition of 138 aircraft may leave room for discussions on also operating the conventional take-off and landing variant.
The UK committed to the acquisition of all planned F-35s in its Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) released in November 2015, although this raised questions about whether it might consider acquiring a mixed fleet of the type.

Fonte ..... "RAF hints that UK could still opt for mixed F-35 fleet" .....
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[richelieu]

Da DefenseNews ..... un pò di miscellanea .....

Un contratto per P&W ..... "Pratt & Whitney Picks up $1.5B Deal for F-35 Engines" .....

Ancora sulla IOC ..... "Air Combat Command Head Suggests F-35A Approaching IOC Soon" .....

..... e sul seggiolino ..... "F-35 Ejection Seat Concerns Have Not Reached Lockheed Martin" .....
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[richelieu]

Dal Daily Report dell' AFA .....

Raggiunto un traguardo significativo in vista dell' imminente IOC degli F-35A dell' USAF .....
"F-35 Depot Finishes Milestone Modification" .....

..... aerei che si intende inviare a rotazione in Europa (e altrove) già a partire del prossimo anno .....
"Air Force Planning F-35 Rotations For Next Year" .....
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[richelieu]

LRIP (Low Rate Initial Production) 9 & 10 .....
Ci siamo vicini ..... e se chi lo dice è il 'generalissimo' .....

The Defense Department’s long awaited contract for F-35 low rate initial production lots 9 and 10 is in its final stages, and may be settled in time for Farnborough International Airshow next week.
"My guys are back at home right now finishing up this deal,” F-35 Joint Program Executive Officer Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan said Saturday at the Royal International Air Tattoo.
“We think we're close enough such that my contracting officers can close this deal out."
The timing of the agreement, which will cover more than 140 aircraft valued at approximately $14 billion for US and international customers, will be up to aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin, Bogdan said.

Fonte ..... "Bogdan Hints F-35 Contract Could Be Announced at Farnborough" .....
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[richelieu]

Pratt & Whitney propone migliorie .....

"FARNBOROUGH: ​Pratt & Whitney proposes Block 1 engine upgrade for F-35" .....

"FARNBOROUGH: P&W discusses adaptive cycle upgrade for F-35" .....

[richelieu]

I programmi dei Marines ..... che propongono, fra l'altro, ai Britannici l' uso in comune di alcuni tipi di armamenti .....

Under current plans, the USMC will buy 420 F-35s, including 353 short take-off and vertical landing F-35Bs and 67 carrier variant F-35Cs to replace its Boeing AV-8Bs, F/A-18s and Northrop Grumman EA-6Bs.
It will eventually have 14 active duty F-35B squadrons, four F-35Cs squadrons – which will be deployed on board the US Navy aircraft carriers – and two reserve F-35B squadrons.
So far, the service has taken delivery of 45 F-35Bs and five F-35Cs. In addition to VMFAT-501, the first operational squadron is VMFA-121, based at MCAS Yuma in Arizona, and VMFA-211 stood up in late June with six aircraft at the same location.

Fonte ..... "FARNBOROUGH: USMC, UK could pool some F-35 weapons" .....
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[richelieu]

General Electric ..... potrebbe rientrare dalla finestra .....

The US Air Force has contractually re-opened the door for GE Aviation to challenge Pratt & Whitney for a potential propulsion upgrade for the Lockheed Martin F-35.
Both companies received separate $1 billion deals in early July to complete detailed designs of rival versions of an adaptive cycle engine, which includes a fuel-saving mode in cruise flight that can extend the range of a fighter by 20% to 30%.
Both deals also include priced options that, if exercised, could have GE and P&W run competing adaptive cycle engines in an F-35 after 2021, says Jean Lydon-Rogers, president of GE military engines.
P&W also confirms receiving the same priced option in the contract awarded under adaptive engine transition programme (AETP).
The deals give GE an opportunity to re-enter the F-35 programme six years after Congress ordered the US Department of Defense to cancel the company’s F136, which was being developed as an alternate engine to the P&W F135.

Fonte ..... "FARNBOROUGH: USAF reopens door for GE to compete for future F-35 engine" .....

Il precedente ..... "Adaptive cycle engine enters final phase of development" .....
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