Per la serie "Accà nisciuno è fesso" ..... la Norvegia vuole garanzie .....
Norway pushes for further assurances over JSM integration on F-35 .....
Norway's deputy defence minister Eirik Øwre Thorshaug is to meet with officials from Lockheed Martin and the F-35s Joint Program Office in the first week of December, as Oslo seeks further assurances over the integration of the Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile (JSM) on to the stealthy fighter.
Oslo has committed to acquiring an initial four examples of the F-35A conventional take-off and landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, but securing the ability to field Kongsberg's "fifth-generation" munition was a pre-requisite for its order. It could eventually acquire up to 52 aircraft to replace its fleet of Lockheed F-16s, in a procurement exercise worth a total of NKr61.2 billion ($10.8 billion).
Pare sia in arrivo un nuovo missile a guida radar, di dimensioni ridotte così da poter essere trasportato in 12 esemplari nelle stive del JSF (dalla foto se ne vedono 12)
“Cuda is a Lockheed Martin multi-role Hit-to-Kill (HTK) missile concept. Lockheed Martin has discussed the missile concept with the United States Air Force. The Cuda concept significantly increases the internal carriage capacity for 5th generation fighters (provides 2X to 3X capacity). Combat proven HTK technology has been in the US Army for over a decade. Bringing this proven HTK technology to the USAF will provide potentially transformational new capabilities and options for new CONOPS.”
L'immagine in questione è stata tratta da un servizio fotografico apparso, come spiegato da Cenciotti, sul numero di Novembre dell'organo dell'Air Force Association ..... il mensile "Air Force Magazine" .....
Alla "Technology Exposition 2012" era stato anche presentato il "mock-up" di un AgustaWestland AW101 armato di cannoncini multicanna a tiro rapido ..... del quale si può vedere una foto nel PDF stesso.
Raggiunto un accordo di principio fra LM e Pentagono sul contratto relativo al 5° lotto .....
Lockheed reaches agreement with Pentagon on F-35 LRIP-5 .....
The Department of Defense has reached an agreement in principle with Lockheed Marin to build 32 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters under the lot 5 contract for low-rate initial production (LRIP-5).
The agreement ends more than 18 months of contentious negotiations that led to complaints on both sides.
On Nov. 29, the Norwegian company Kongsberg and the Norwegian Ministry of Defence unveiled the first fuselage of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) that is being developed for the F-35.
All three variants of the stealth fighter—the Air Force's F-35A, Marine Corps' F-35B, and Navy's F-35C—contributed to those flight hours, according to the office's Nov. 30 release.
That includes F-35s, both developmental test aircraft and production airframes, flying from Lockheed Martin's production facility in Fort Worth, Tex., as well as at Edwards AFB, Calif., Eglin AFB, Fla., and NAS Patuxent River, Md.
The first flight of an F-35 occurred in December 2006.
..... became head of the F-35 program, the Defense Department's largest-ever acquisition effort, on Thursday during a ceremony at the Pentagon.
Bogdan, who'd been serving as the F-35 deputy program executive officer since July, replaced Vice Adm. David Venlet, who led the joint program office since May 2010 and is retiring after a 36-year Navy career, according to the JPO's Dec. 6 release.
"The work by Admiral Venlet and the team over the past two-plus years on the most complex program in history is incredible," said Bogdan, who received a third star for this assignment.
He added, "We are now very well-positioned for the future."
Bogdan led the Air Force's KC-46 tanker project before shifting to the F-35 program, which aims to develop and deliver some 2,443 stealthy strike fighters to the US military, including 1,763 for the Air Force, and additional airframes for international partners.
"I'm committed to delivering these aircraft to our warfighters," said Bogdan, who raised eyebrows in September when he offered a candid assessment of the state of the F-35 program and industry-government relationship.
Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan became head of the F-35 joint program office during a ceremony at the Pentagon on Dec. 6, 2012.
Bogdan, who'd been serving as the F-35 deputy program executive officer since July 2012, replaced Vice Adm. David Venlet, who led the JPO since May 2010 and is retiring after a 36-year Navy career.
Here, Bogdan (left) shakes hands with Venlet during the change-of-command ceremony.
(Posted by Christina Mackenzie 7:34 AM on Dec 07, 2012)
Canada has cancelled its intended purchase of 65 F-35s according to a report in the Ottawa Citizen which you can read here.
The newspaper reports that the imminent release of an audit report by accounting firm KPMG showing the total projected life-cycle costs of the aircraft would be above $30 billion, incited the federal Cabinet to scrap the program.
The KPMG audit is due out next week.
Another nail in the F-35's coffin was put in by chief of the Defense Staff Thomas Lawson who told the House of Commons defense committee on Nov. 29 that the aircraft was not the only modern fighter aircraft that could be qualified as stealthy. The F-35's stealthiness had been one of the primary arguments for buying the aircraft.
Stewart Webb, a visiting research fellow at Ottawa's Rideau Institute, has long been an advocate against Canada's purchase of the F-35. In a paper co-written with Michael Byers, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia, in this volume of the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal published last February, he concluded that the F-35 was “ill-suited for Canada's needs” and recommended “a more cautious approach that mixes existing CF-18s with a smaller number of new non-stealth jet fighter aircraft as well as, increasingly, unmanned aerial vehicles.”
The two also wrote an interesting article in the National Post, which you can read here on October 30, in which they argue that, according to a Lockheed Martin information package posted on the internet by the Norwegian government, the F-35 will only finish its development at the end of Block 7 in mid-2021. Canada was proposing to acquire its 65 F-35s between 2016 and 2022 and so although these follow-on developments are voted upon by all countries purchasing F-35s because the weight of the vote is proportional to the number of aircraft purchased so the United States, which plans to purchase some 2,450 of the planned 3,100 aircraft, will have majority control on every upgrade decision leaving Canada – and others - “virtually powerless” when it comes to voting … and yet it would have had to pay its share of the costs.
Ultima modifica di richelieu il 7 dicembre 2012, 15:38, modificato 1 volta in totale.
(Posted by Christina Mackenzie 8:13 AM on Dec 07, 2012)
Stewart Webb, whom I mentioned in my earlier post about Canada's withdrawal from the F-35 program and whom I wasn't able to call at the time because it was too early in British Columbia (!), just sent me the following reaction to the news:
"The government has withheld the KPMG report for over a week now. The leak of withdrawing from the F35 decision shows that the government is finally understanding the predicament it cornered itself into and that the aircraft will not be some technological "magic bullet" wonder that our government has portrayed. It has been a controversy since the beginning, including the press conference announcing the decision with an F35 mock-up that cost the taxpayer over $40,000. The government will now have to undertake an open competition which might have an impact on the decisions of other countries."
Too true. How will this impact other wavering countries, notably smaller, northern European ones?
Canada's new chief of defence staff has contradicted Defence Minister Peter MacKay by suggesting that other fighter jets do offer some of the stealth capabilities the military needs.
Tom Lawson said during testimony Thursday before the Commons defence committee about the planned $25-billion purchase that most fighter jets offer some degree of stealth capability, including Canada's aging fleet of CF-18s.
Boeing's Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon have been suggested as alternatives to Lockheed Martin's F-35, which until now appeared to be the only fighter jet Canada was considering.
Canada to restart fighter search, could buy F-35: source .....
Canada is restarting its search for new fighter jets but could still choose Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35, which Ottawa had initially said it would buy before losing enthusiasm as cost estimates soared, a government source told Reuters on Friday.
Prepariamoci dunque ad una nuova, lunga, appassionante ..... telenovela .....
"A photographer takes pictures of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland in this January 20, 2012 file photo.
Canada is restarting its search for new fighter jets but could still choose the Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35, which Ottawa had initially said it would buy before losing enthusiasm as cost estimates soeared, a government source told Reuters December 7, 2012."
REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
Maybe Another F-35 Defection...How Much Should It Matter? .....
The recent news that Canada has once again opted to shop around for an F-35 alternative didn’t come as a shock. Ottawa has long been embroiled in a controversy over whether the government was too eager to accept early -- and some say questionable -- cost estimates on buying and operating the aircraft.
Ho sentito parlare bene di Prepar3D, prima o poi lo provo...
Appena ho un po di calma me lo rileggo bene il blog. La mia affermazione era volutamente ironica, perche se sale il costo unitario, i clienti possono rifiutarlo... e se non ricavi nulla,con cosa copri i costi....
sidew ha scritto:Ho sentito parlare bene di Prepar3D, prima o poi lo provo...
Appena ho un po di calma me lo rileggo bene il blog. La mia affermazione era volutamente ironica, perche se sale il costo unitario, i clienti possono rifiutarlo... e se non ricavi nulla,con cosa copri i costi....
Mutatis mutandis, mi viene in mente la questione dei Tomcat, ho letto ( Tomcat, shipborne superfighter della Osprey Aviation...mica bruscolini) che i primi tot esemplari rappresentarono un vero e proprio dissanguamento economico per la Grumman, che si salvó anche grazie all'ordine dello Shah di Persia per 80 aerei...
PS: sono in treno e non ho la fonte sotto mano per controllare i dettagli, il succo comunque è quello.
MatteF88 ha scritto:Mutatis mutandis, mi viene in mente la questione dei Tomcat, ho letto (Tomcat, shipborne superfighter della Osprey Aviation...mica bruscolini) che i primi tot esemplari rappresentarono un vero e proprio dissanguamento economico per la Grumman .....
Infatti .....
Tomcat production put Grumman under severe financial stress, as the contract with the Navy had specified a fixed delivery cost and the late 1970s were a time of abnormally high price inflation in the US.
Grumman was forced to plead with the government for changes in the contract before the Tomcat drove the company out of business, and the government did agree to modify the arrangement.
OT: gran sfiga, bastava 1 miglio in più per riportarlo a casa....nel video dell'incidente (c'è quello ripreso dal chase plane e quello ripreso da terra) si vede proprio la testata pista di Calverton e il Tomcat che si infila tra gli alberi e i piloti che si eiettano...
Australia seeks information for more Super Hornets .....
By: Ellis Taylor (Singapore - December 13)
Source: Flight International
Australia has sent a letter of request (LOR) to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency seeking information on costs and availability for a possible purchase of 24 additional Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets.
According to a joint statement from Australia's defence minister Stephen Smith and defence materiel minister Jason Clare, the LOR is the latest step in a process assessing Australia's air combat capability options in the light of delays to the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter and the retirement of the Royal Australian Air Force's 71 F/A-18A/B Hornets.
"The sending of this LOR does not commit Australia to purchase more Super Hornets," it says. "It is being sent so that the Australian Government can consider all options in 2013 with the latest cost and availability information."
The timing of any decision indicates that this may be left for a new government, with elections due in 2013.
In May, Smith announced that it was pushing back the acquisition of an initial 12 F-35As until 2014-2015 to reduce costs, adding that it would launch an transition plan to assess options to ensure that a gap does not emerge in the RAAF's air combat capability.
Australia received its 24 Super Hornets between March 2010 and October 2011, which were acquired by the previous government to cover the gap between the retirement of the General Dynamics F-111 fleet and the introduction of the F-35A.
In August, Canberra committed to transition 12 of the aircraft to the electronic warfare EA-18 Growler configuration at the end of 2020.
Inoltre .....
Australia will now send a Letter of Request (LOR) to the United States seeking cost and availability information for up to an additional 24 Super Hornet aircraft through the United States Foreign Military Sales program.
The Australian Government has not made a decision to purchase more Super Hornets. The sending of this LOR does not commit Australia to purchase more Super Hornets. It is being sent so that the Australian Government can further consider all options in 2013 with the latest and best cost and availability information. This has been made clear to both US officials and to the Defence industry.
Following receipt of the LOR response, Government will further and fully consider Australia’s Air Combat Capability in 2013.
Australia Considers More F/A-18s if Joint (Strike) Fighter Delayed .....
By Reuters (via "AW&ST") - December 13, 2012
Australia will look at buying 24 more Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets in the event of any major new setbacks to the controversial Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter project, Defence Minister Stephen Smith said on Thursday.
That means Australia could buy fewer stealth F-35 Joint Strike Fighters than originally planned and is another sign that development partners are growing frustrated by delays and cost overruns to the $396 billion programme, which is the costliest programme in Pentagon procurement history.
The announcement comes a day after Canada also said it would look to other options for its jet fighters due to mounting concerns over the development and cost of the F-35s.
“Australia’s air combat capability is a vital part of our national security framework. The government will not allow a gap in our air combat capability to occur,” Smith said on Thursday.
Australia foreshadowed the decision in May, when it delayed orders for its first squadron of F-35s by two years to help with budget savings and to put Australia’s F-35s on the same timetable as those for the United States.
Australia originally planned to by up to 100 F-35s, for up to $16.4 billion, but has made no commitment beyond its first 14 aircraft. Australia has committed to two joint strike fighters to be delivered in 2014-15, but they will remain in the United States for testing and pilot training.
It was due to decide by the end of this year on the timing of its next order of 12 F-35s, but that decision has now been pushed back to next year, while the government considers options to replace its Classic F/A-18s.
Australia’s fleet of 71 Classic F/A-18 Hornets entered service between 1985 and 1990 and were due to retire by around 2020.
Australia also has 24 of the new generation F/A-18F Super Hornets, which entered service in 2010 and 2011, and 12 of those have been upgraded with sophisticated U.S. jamming equipment.
Smith said Australia would write a letter of request to the United Sates, seeking cost and availability information for an extra 24 Super Hornet under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales programme. But he said no decision had been made to buy more Super Hornets.
Australia is one of the eight international partners helping fund the development of the F-35, although delays and increased costs, as well as budget pressures, have prompted some countries to wind back or delay their orders.
The United States has also delayed orders, while the Netherlands and Italy have both cut back on their orders. The other partner countries are Britain, Norway and Turkey.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $127,740,214 fixed-price-incentive-fee and cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to the previously awarded F-35 Lightning II Program Air System Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 5 contract (N00019-10-C-0002).
This effort is required to complete the definitization for the previously announced Undefinitized Contractual Action (UCA) for a total of 32 F-35 Air Systems.
This modification procures LRIP 5 production requirements including: manufacturing support equipment; two program array assemblies; ancillary mission equipment, including pilot flight equipment; preparation for ferry of aircraft; and diminishing manufacturing sources redesign.
This effort includes requirements for the international partner governments as well as for the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy.
Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Fla. (10 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); and Baltimore, Md. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2014.
Contract funds in the amount of $127,740,214 will be obligated at time of award, $112,863,361 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The contracting activity is Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md.
L'USAF ufficialmente autorizzata ad iniziare l'addestramento presso la Eglin AFB .....
Dal "Daily Report dell' AFA di questa mattina .....
Eglin Cleared to Start F-35 Training .....
The 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla., is ready to conduct F-35A pilot training beginning in January, announced Air Education and Training Command on Monday.
Some 36 Air Force pilots are expected to go through the training program next year, according to Eglin's Dec. 17 release.
AETC Commander Gen. Edward Rice made the decision following his review of the results of an independent operational utility evaluation that gauged the wing's ability to execute the training mission.
"The OUE showed the men and women at Eglin are ready" and "can conduct safe and effective flying operations in addition to academic training," said Rice.
He added, "I'm very proud of both those in uniform and the contracted support who put in years of hard work."
The OUE included classroom and simulator training, along with six flights, for four primary and two backup student pilots transitioning from the A-10 and F-16, according to the release.
The student pilots' performances "were superb," said Lt. Col. Lee Kloos, commander of Eglin's 58th Fighter Squadron.
At full capacity, Eglin's training operations are expected to support 100 student pilots a year, along with 2,100 maintenance students, states the release.
Dal "Daily Report" dell' AFA di questa mattina .....
Lockheed Martin Awarded $4.8 Billion for F-35 Work .....
Lockheed Martin last week received $4.8 billion in undefinitized modifications to the previously awarded advance acquisition contract supporting the F-35 strike fighter's sixth low-rate initial production lot for 31 aircraft.
The first agreement provides $3.678 billion for the procurement of 18 Air Force F-35A airplanes, six Marine Corps F-35Bs, and seven Navy F-35Cs, along with associated ancillary mission equipment, according to the Defense Department's list of major contracts for Dec. 28.
The second modification is worth up to $753 million for non-recurring sustainment and logistics support, which includes site stand-up and depot activation activities, states the description in the list.
The third contract modification supplies $374 million for the manufacture and delivery of initial spares for the Lot VI jets as well as those subsequently built in Lot VII.
The Navy let these contracts.
Last month, DOD announced that it had reached an agreement in principle on the final terms of the Lot V LRIP production contract for 32 F-35s.
La Turchia fa un passo indietro ..... almeno per ora .....
Technical issues delay Turkish F-35 order .....
By: Tolga Ozbek (Istanbul) - 4 hours ago (January 14, 2013)
Source: Flight International
Turkey has decided to delay the purchase of its first two Lockheed Martin F-35s by one year, citing technical factors and a "high cost yield".
The Turkish government approved an initial two-aircraft purchase on 5 January 2012, before launching talks with Lockheed to finalise a deal. However, an order for the pair has been put on hold because the technical capabilities of the aircraft are "not at the desired level yet", the nation's Undersecretary of Defence Industries procurement agency says. Ankara still intends to buy 100 of the combat aircraft in the long term, it notes.
According to budget figures released in 2011, Ankara's eventual 100-aircraft F-35 programme should cost about $16 billion. Its plans call for two aircraft to be delivered in 2015 to support pilot training activities in the USA, with subsequent examples to arrive in Turkey from 2016.
Pentagon Report Cites 'Lack Of Maturity' Of Lockheed F-35 .....
Lockheed Martin Corp’s’s new F-35 fighter jet has completed over a third of its planned flight tests, but it still faces problems with the helmet needed to fly the plane, software development and weapons integration, according to a report by the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester.
..... A Defense Technology Blog
