F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

[MarkOttawa]

Loachman: maybe you can get the RUSI article via Google:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=rusi+%22The+Limits+of+Stealth%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=LL2-VKy1OoyhNsSvgcgO

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

Flightglobal on DOT&E report:

F-35 missed key software testing goals in 2014
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/f-35-missed-key-software-testing-goals-in-2014-408176/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

IHS Jane's 360 on DOT&E report:

F-35A testing took back seat to F-35B IOC preparation in 2014
http://www.janes.com/article/48184/f-35a-testing-took-back-seat-to-f-35b-ioc-preparation-in-2014?from_rss=1

Mark
Ottawa

 

[CougarKing]

For those who want to watch the F-35As flyover a crowd soon...

Defense News

F-35 Flyover Planned for Pro Bowl

(...SNIPPED)

Four F-35A conventional take off and landing models, based at Luke AFB, will fly over the University of Phoenix Stadium around 6 PM local time to kick off the game. Chances are it will coincide with the national anthem, as these flyovers tend to do.

For aviation watchers, it will be a rare chance to see the F-35 flying in front of a crowd. For the service, it could be a chance to show that their oft-criticized jet is actually flying as it inches closer to going operational.

(Insert joke about how no one will be watching the Pro Bowl so the F-35 will be extra stealthy here.)

(...SNIPPED)

 

[Loachman]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/27/us-lockheed-martin-results-idUSKBN0L01H220150127

Lockheed Martin revenue beats as F-35 fighter jet demand rises

Tue Jan 27, 2015 8:33am EST

(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), the Pentagon's largest arms supplier, reported a better-than-expected 8.6 percent rise in quarterly revenue, helped by higher demand for its F-35 fighter jets.

The company said strong growth in its international businesses also boosted results in the fourth quarter.

U.S. weapons makers have increased their exposure outside the United States to offset a drop in spending by the U.S. military.

The Pentagon is trying to cut about $1 trillion in projected spending from its budget over a decade as required by a 2011 law.

Lockheed, which also makes satellites and coastal warships, announced in October a $1 billion contract from General Dynamics Corp (GD.N) to provide turrets for tanks ordered by Britain's armed forces.

The company, which got about 17 percent of its revenue from international markets in 2013, did not break up sales by geography on Tuesday.

Revenue at the company's aeronautics division increased 6 percent to $4.14 billion. The business, Lockheed's largest, makes the F-35 fighter jets, which is the world's most expensive defense program with an estimated cost of $400 billion.

F-35 production contracts rose by about $260 million in the quarter ended Dec. 31, the company said.

Total revenue rose to $12.53 billion from $11.53 billion.

Analysts on average expected revenue of $11.89 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Net earnings jumped 85 percent to $904 million, or $2.82 per share, from $488 million, or $1.50 per share, a year earlier.

Lockheed's shares closed at $195.68 on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. Up to Monday's close, the stock had risen 33 percent in the past 52 weeks, compared with a 15 percent rise in the S&P 500 index .SPX.

(Reporting by Sagarika Jaisinghani in Bengaluru; Editing by Joyjeet Das and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)

 

[MarkOttawa]

Excerpt from longish piece by Amy Butler at AvWeek:

Proliferating Threats Open Door To F-35 Follow On
Senior Pentagon officials consider a future where the F-35’s crown jewels are compromised
...
There is a “growing concern” among senior officials in the Office of the Secretary of Defense about the proliferation of advanced air defense radars and anti-aircraft weapons, says an industry official familiar with these discussions. “We took a long time on this. The threat is taking some turns on us.” Senior officials are loath to cause alarm and jeopardize the coalition behind the F-35 and are thus tight-lipped about it...
http://aviationweek.com/defense/proliferating-threats-open-door-f-35-follow

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

AvWeek's Bill Sweetman (note USN CNO Adm. Greenert near end):

F-35Cs Cut Back [rate of acquisition] As U.S. Navy Invests In Standoff Weapons
http://aviationweek.com/defense/f-35cs-cut-back-us-navy-invests-standoff-weapons

More Adm. Greenert:

CNO Greenert: Navy’s Next Fighter [F/A-XX] Might Not Need Stealth, High Speed
http://news.usni.org/2015/02/04/cno-greenert-navys-next-fighter-might-not-need-stealth-high-speed

Meanwhile for LRIP 10:

Pentagon budget 2016 [starts Oct. 1, 2015]: USD11 billion F-35 request would fund 57 more aircraft
http://www.janes.com/article/48670/pentagon-budget-2016-usd11-billion-f-35-request-would-fund-57-more-aircraft

Mark
Ottawa

 

[CougarKing]

Testing for if these aircraft would be based at forward operating locations like at Inuvik?

Military.com

F-35 Pilots Test Aircraft in Extreme Sub-Zero Conditions
Feb 11, 2015 | by Kris Osborn

F-35 test pilots are starting the aircraft's engine and simulating takeoffs in extreme cold temperatures with special arctic gear as a way to prepare the stealth fighter to perform in combat.

The testing, which will finish up at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in March, assesses the ability of the aircraft to start up, launch afterburners and even function in short-takeoff-and-landing, or STOVL, mode -- in extreme arctic temperatures,  F-35 test pilot Cmdr. Tony "Brick" Wilson said.

"I was there for negative 15 degree Fahrenheit testing. It is really, really cold. It was kind of a surreal experience. When I walked into the cockpit, the plane had been sitting in negative 20 degrees for more than 24 hours. We would dress in arctic gear as we went out to the aircraft to start the evolution," he said. "The testing begins by ensuring that the entire place is either hot soaked or cold soaked."

(...SNIPPED)

Amazing shots of a frozen F-35 Lightning II jet during all-weather climatic testing

the aviationist - Jan 30 2015

-

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

-20 Fahrenheit !  That is not even -30 C. You'll get much colder in Bagotville and Cold Lake, let alone Inuvik, me thinks.

 

[Loachman]

Temperatures at high altitude get even colder than that.

 

[Good2Golf]

Temperatures at high altitude get even colder than that.

-56C above the Troposphere, give or take....

 

[SupersonicMax]

-20 Fahrenheit !  That is not even -30 C. You'll get much colder in Bagotville and Cold Lake, let alone Inuvik, me thinks.

We generally hangar them overnight when it's cold. 

Flying in colder temperature at altitude is not normally an issue since all systems are running and warm.  Starting a cold aircraft is more of an issue...  Seals are stiff, fluids are thick, oleos collapse, pressure in hydraulic systems is not sufficient, etc....  Once everything is running for a bit, it's no different...

 

[McG]

Are there plausible scenarios where the overnight hanger is not a option?

 

[Good2Golf]

Are there plausible scenarios where the overnight hanger is not a option?

Yeah, at Airfield 21...oh, wait...

 

[SupersonicMax]

At military airfields (I certainly don't see potential  F-35s landing at civilian airfields anytime soon), unlikely. 

 

[MarkOttawa]

USAF F-35A IOC supposed to be August 2016:

The F-35A Might Be Late. And It’s Because of the A-10.
http://intercepts.defensenews.com/2014/10/the-f-35a-might-be-late-and-its-because-of-the-a-10/

Now:

USAF says it needs maintainers to reach initial operating capability for F-35
Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James said the date of initial operating capability for the F-35 is "getting closer" but required sufficient maintenance personnel to stay on track.

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The date of initial operating capability for the F-35 joint strike fighter is "getting closer," the Secretary of the Air Force said, but to stay on track the program requires sufficient maintenance personnel.

At a media roundtable at the Air Force Association's annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition in Orlando, Fla., Sec. Deborah Lee James said she believed the Air Force would still reach the projected IOC "within a several-month time frame," but noted that the maintenance situation for the F-35 "has been a very tough nut to crack because what we need are a certain amount of experienced maintainers, and we simply don't have that experience level sitting on the bench."..

The maintainer shortage stems from the Air Force's attempt to retire the decades-old A-10 Warthog and gradually divert maintenance crews to the F-35 -- a measure that was rejected by Congress.

Congress allowed the Air Force to put 36 A-10s into a status called Backup Aircraft Inventory -- essentially second-string replacement aircraft for planes that become unserviceable -- but James notes that "there's really probably no sensible way to take the full 36 and put them into BAI, unless you would take down an entire unit. And we know that this is not the desire of Congress."

She said it was likely a smaller number of A-10s would be put into BAI status, but that would free up fewer maintainers for transition to the F-35.

"So we'll have to take other measures, to include contract maintenance, some additional use of our National Guard and Reserve, to put additional mandates to pay for some additional people – and maybe some other things as well," James said...
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2015/02/13/USAF-says-it-needs-maintainers-to-reach-initial-operating-capability-for-F-35/6411423856853/?spt=su

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

IOC planned for 2018:

Ex-[US] Navy air boss: F-35s 'essential' for carrier air wings
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/tech/2015/02/15/former-navy-air-boss-f-35s-carrier-air-wings-david-buss/23142875

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

At 90, down from 131:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/26/us-italy-politics-f-idUSBRE95P13K20130626

Italy to maintain F-35 jet orders despite political pressure -sources
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/16/us-italy-defence-f-idUSKBN0LK1D720150216

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Fishbone Jones]

:sarcasm:

Dateline - 2020

Press Release - Lockheed Martin

Today, Lockheed Martin announced the termination of the F-35 JSF program. Company officials cited the inability to continue fleecing various governments around the world to fund the program.

"We appreciated the billions of dollars we've been able to suck out of your various defense budgets. However, you finally wised up and as a result, because you will no longer fund it for our profit and global expansion, the project is dead. Countries that have sunk billions, some up to 30% of their GDP are deserving of our apologies and well wishes. We did not intend for it to end up this way, but when we realised we had a dodo on our hands and like a drug addict, we were too engaged to stop. Some countries have asked for the flyable prototypes in return, so they can use the technology their dollars developed. Sadly, the F-35 was a ruse. It is nothing more than an F-16 with a cardboard shell to make it look like something spectacular. It worked for awhile and would have likely continued so, but some beany eyed pilot that dropped in unexpectedly spotted it. 

Well, that's the long and short of it. By the time you read this, Lockheed Martin will have petitioned and received permission to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. There's nothing to give back, we spent it all on bonuses and payoffs.

Please watch for the phoenix to rise from the ashes, as Martin Lockheed, at which time we will announce the 10th generation intergalactic Starfighter. Again, we will be happy to look forward to your undying, unequivocal and blind support to our next program

Thank you."

CEO LM Yurall Idjits refused to take questions after his address, citing some Cuban cigars, single malt scotch and 'some hot babes and maybe some nubile young guys' as his reason for retiring for the night, from the company bash. Well attended and insightful, the party included a number of politicians whose ridings provided the cardboard for the fake skin of the F-35.

Washington's elite, from both Congress and the House were also in attendance. Not to be outdone, President Obama and his close interagency group of lackeys were also in attendance and toasting the masses for their gullibility for which he is used to preying on.

Industry insiders have claimed to have seen the non flying prototype of the new fighter, the F-40, in a storage shed out back and it appears to be great, with great potential, in their opinion.

Any country willing to sign onboard within the next 364 days will be given a 10% discount pending a $19 billion, non refundable down payment.

Filed by Ima Guillable, Independent News Agency.

All rights reserved."  :sarcasm:

 

[MarkOttawa]

At Defense Industry Daily:

F-35 Mission Software Needs Some Debugging, Cost-Cutting Process Working Around the Edges
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/f-35-mission-software-needs-some-debugging-cost-cutting-process-working-around-the-edges-029614/

Mark
Ottawa