F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

[MarkOttawa]

Pentagon--and others--trying to cost contain (one presumes some Canadian representation at the Norway meeting mentioned in the stories):

DOD wants to block-buy 450 F-35 jets from Lockheed [for US and foreigners]
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/update-dod-wants-to-block-buy-450-f-35-jets-from-lockheed-412894/

The Pentagon Is Trying To Make Its $400 Billion Fighter Jet Cheaper To Fly [ops and maintenance]
http://www.defenseone.com/management/2015/05/pentagon-trying-make-its-400-billion-fighter-jet-cheaper-fly/114037/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

Italians:

Italian Budget Protects JSF Buy

Italy appears set to push ahead with its order of 90 F-35 joint strike fighters, and has said it will buy 38 by 2020, despite simmering pressure from politicians to trim the program.

In its definitive budget plan for 2015, published in May, the Italian Ministry of Defense said it would spend €582.7 million (US $634.3 million) to maintain JSF purchases this year. So far, Italy has ordered eight F-35As, including three from low rate initial production (LRIP) lot 6 for delivery this year and next year, three from LRIP 7 for delivery next year, and two from LRIP 8 for delivery in 2017 [see end here: https://cdfai3ds.wordpress.com/2014/09/10/mark-collins-f-35-lrip-8-contract-looks-close/ ].

In March, the first JSF rolled off the assembly line built at Cameri in northern Italy, making it the first JSF assembled outside the US.

Italy’s stated ambition to order 38 aircraft by 2020 follows criticism of the program by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who said the JSF program would be “revised” after he took office last year.

Then, with many in his own party criticizing spending on the JSF as Italy struggled to balance its budgets, Renzi said in August last year that “the biggest weapon to create peace is not the F-35 or the Eurofighter but schools.”

In June, with six aircraft ordered, Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti responded to opposition to the program by stating she was freezing new orders until the completion of a new white paper on defense which would set out Italy’s defense priorities.

However, in October, the Pentagon announced that Italy would be among the countries taking aircraft from LRIP 8.

Meanwhile, the white paper has been issued and contains strategic priorities, but officials have said that translating that into the number of aircraft Italy needs will be put off until the military General Staff carries out its own strategic review based on the white paper.

The new defense budget does respond to complaints about JSF costs from Italian politicians, stating that savings will be made on the program “in the medium to long term,” up to 2026. After investing €3.5 billion to date, the industrial return for Italy, in terms of contracts signed, amounted to €1.6 billion, the document states.

The government’s bid to keep up the pace on JSF orders is based partly on wishing to avoid losing industrial benefits…
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/policy-budget/budget/2015/05/30/italy-budget-joint-strike-fighter-f35-jsf-alenia-naval-law/28094429/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[tomahawk6]

Wow !! What a platform.Its alot more aircraft than the Harrier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAFnhIIK7s4

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Yes, I think this version is going to shine far brighter than it's cousins.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Makes me wish we'd get ourselves one or two LHD's, like the Aussies'.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Hmmm, some Sea King pilots I've had exposure to in the past were insufferable enough without the thought of the same guys being fighter jocks instead.  Otherwise, yes.  Yes.  Yes...

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Which is the real reason the Army, Marines and the navy want drones, airplane things with no pilots stealing their dates..... 8)

 

[jollyjacktar]

;D

 

[Rifleman62]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4HTXBTkcpg

Carrier Pitching Flight Deck - Landing and Take-offs with Bad weather Condition

Thirty foot seas. Day and night. Not F-35B, which would be interesting to land on a pitching deck.

 

[Kirkhill]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTTMMWFKOlo

Harrier landing on a stool at sea because its nose wheel failed to drop.  And the Harrier is manually controlled...

In the Falklands the Harriers were able to land under VFRs in rough seas, fog and low light conditions because they could sidle up to the carriers the way those F35s were.

 

[OTR1]

Indeed. From the start of hostilities (from memory, May 1) to surrender at Stanley, sea states and vis would have precluded all fixed-wing ops in a USN CVN for about 70 per cent of the time, even in war parameters. STOVL single-handely allowed the Brits to maintain three racetrack CAP patterns. That said, the pilots would be the first to admit to some brown-trouser landings in fog and when the deck was doing a first class impression of a trampoline.

Re the F-35B: much, much, much, much, much easier to deck land than the Harrier. No comparison.

 

[SupersonicMax]

How many traps in the Harrier and JSF, OTR1?

 

[OTR1]

None.

My apologies for giving that impression.

Comment above derived from people who have, although in the F-35 he was out of the programme before the first sea trials.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

VTOL means you get to pick the portion of the flight deck that is moving the least, well as long as it is not on the stern....

 

[quadrapiper]

VTOL means you get to pick the portion of the flight deck that is moving the least, well as long as it is not on the stern....

The Good Idea Fairy just perked up: hey, maybe we can base something VTOL on the CSC... it's just like a helicopter, right?

 

[MarkOttawa]

One or two USAF A models:

Lockheed F-35s get major role in U.S. military exercise
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/06/02/lockheed-fighter-exercises-idINL1N0YO01820150602

EX Green Flag West lower left here:
http://www.nellis.af.mil/library/flyingoperations.asp

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Colin Parkinson]

or you could have a boom off a frigate to refuel your Harrier/F35 in flight, the boom was to be limited to a 30degree arc as I recall.

 

[tomahawk6]

The nice thing is that you dont need a runway.You could forward deploy them almost anywhere.

 

[Loachman]

F-35 Lightning II: Busting Myths:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtZNBkKdO5U

F-35 Lightning II: Busting Myths - Episode 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyHlp7tJrxY

 

[MarkOttawa]

As for future:

Sensor upgrades top USAF wish list for F-35 Block 4

Improving two of the Lockheed Martin F-35’s key sensors should be priorities for a future operational standard called Block 4, says a top US Air Force general.

Upgrading the Lockheed electro-optical targeting system and adding a wide-area high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode – dubbed “– Big SAR” to the Northrop Grumman APG-81 active electronically scanned array (AESA) are must-haves, says Gen Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, chief of Air Combat Command...
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/sensor-upgrades-top-usaf-wish-list-for-f-35-block-4-413070/

Mark
Ottawa