F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

[CougarKing]

more on South Korea's F-35 purchase from earlier this year:

Agence-France-Presse via the Business Times (Singapore)

S. Korea to pay $7B for 40 F-35A fighter jets
By: Agence France-Presse
September 24, 2014 6:52 PM


SEOUL  - South Korea is to pay 7.3 trillion won ($7 billion) for 40 F-35A fighter jets under the terms of a deal with Lockheed Martin announced Wednesday by the state arms procurer.

Seoul has been in talks with the US defence firm on terms of the deal since March after Seoul picked the F-35A as its next-generation fighter jet.

"We held negotiations from March to September on technology, price and trade-off conditions", a spokesman of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said.

"The purchase price per unit is around 120 billion won," he was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.

South Korea wants to start deploying the new combat planes from 2018, he said.

As part of the deal, Lockheed Martin will transfer technologies in 17 sectors including flight control and fire-extinguishing functions, Yonhap said, quoting unnamed DAPA sources.

(...SNIPPED)

 

[MarkOttawa]

Start of "Highlights" at US GAO report Sept. 23:

F-35 Sustainment: Need for Affordable Strategy, Greater Attention to Risks, and Improved Cost Estimates

What GAO Found

The Department of Defense (DOD) currently has or is developing several plans and analyses that will make up its overall F-35 sustainment strategy, which is expected to be complete in fiscal year 2019. The annual F-35 operating and support (O&S) costs are estimated to be considerably higher than the combined annual costs of several legacy aircraft (see fig.). DOD has begun some cost-savings efforts and established sustainment affordability targets for the F-35 program, but DOD did not use the military services' budgets to set these targets. Therefore, these targets may not be representative of what the services can afford and do not provide a clear benchmark for DOD's cost-savings efforts. In addition, DOD has not fully addressed several issues that have an effect on affordability and operational readiness, including aircraft reliability and technical-data rights, which could affect the development of the sustainment strategy...
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-778

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

Now a need for stealthy NORAD interceptors?

MiG-31 interception near North America suggests Russia changing offensive air ops
...
When the two services were merged in 1998, the VSS found itself in control of assets that it was unfamiliar with and required a review of the post-Cold War security environment to determine how the new combined services roles and missions might need to change.

This resulted in modifications to the aircraft - the MiG-31BM variant - that included a modernisation of its NIIP N007 Zaslon radar and avionics configuration and the addition of an air-to-air refuelling probe that extends its internal fuel range from 1,450 km to 5,400 km.

The most significant change was the integration of a new missile that is a derivative of the Vympel R-33 (AA-9) air-to-air missile, most recently designated the RVV-BD (Missile Air-to-Air - Long Range).

The RVV-BD was originally intended to take out NATO battle management assets, such as the USAF Boeing E-3 AWACS. It now appears to be envisioned as being employed to intercept incoming cruise missiles or to equip fighters that escort bomber missions flying over the polar regions to attack targets in North America.

Developing a new mission for aircraft such as the MiG-31 took some time "because during Soviet times the two services of the VVS and PVO never conducted joint exercises," said the Russian aircraft designer, "but this incident shows that it has now been fully adapted for an offensive mission."
http://www.janes.com/article/43640/mig-31-interception-near-north-america-suggests-russia-changing-offensive-air-ops

Hmm.

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Been reading elsewhere that if the F35 engine problems are an internal issue it's manageable, but if the engine issue is due to airframe flexing then they have a huge problem on their hands, anyone else know more about this?

 

[RyanHealy29]

http://breakingdefense.com/2014/09/gao-draft-slams-f-35-on-unaffordable-costs-8-8b-over-legacy-fighters/?utm_source=Breaking+Defense&utm_campaign=47b62b457e-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4368933672-47b62b457e-408453121

Saw this a couple days ago. Didn't see it posted here.

 

[MarkOttawa]

GAO report via this earlier post:
http://milnet.ca/forums/threads/22809/post-1329474.html#msg1329474

Mark
Ottawa

 

[CougarKing]

The sage of the F-35 on Capitol Hill continues:

Defense News

Despite Troubles, Veteran Senator Calls F-35's Political Support 'Fairly Strong'
Sep. 25, 2014 - 02:34PM  |  By JOHN T. BENNETT

WASHINGTON — There are no political wolves moving to sink their teeth into the Pentagon’s F-35 fighter program, despite a speckled past, says one veteran US senator.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., who has seen political pressure doom many US weapon programs, sees “basically fairly strong support” for the Lockheed Martin-made F-35.

He did offer a qualifier, saying he expects that support to remain intact as long as there is “no major disruption.”

The F-35 program is the most expensive in Pentagon history, and has been plagued by poor management, developmental problems and other mishaps for years. Most recently, the fleet was grounded for several weeks following an engine fire.

Over breakfast Tuesday with reporters, Levin acknowledged the initiative has “had some bumps” but he said the “further along it gets,” the stronger the political support on Capitol Hill will become.

What’s more, he said, the closer to completion the program becomes, the more invested the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps become.

(...EDITED)

 

[CougarKing]

The C models in the spotlight soon...

Defense News

F-35 'On Track' for Carrier Tests in November
Sep. 25, 2014 - 01:56PM  |  By AARON MEHTA 

WASHINGTON — The F-35 joint strike fighter is on track to conduct trials aboard a US Navy aircraft carrier in November, but there are still variables as to what may be tested, the program’s top official said today.

“The November deployment will happen,” Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, the head of the F-35 joint program office, said during a news briefing in Oslo. “It will most likely happen with two airplanes. Whether both those airplanes are fully capable of doing all the work remains to be seen.”

“We have some work to do as we lead up to that point in November,” he added.

That work will decide what trials the pair of F-35C models will end up performing while aboard the US Navy’s carrier Nimitz, located off the west coast of the US. The biggest question is whether both jets can perform catapult launch and arrestment trials or if only one is ready for that.

(...EDITED)

 

[CougarKing]

The USAF prepares for the eventual arrival of their A models:

Military.com

$100M in F-35 Construction Going on at Hill Air Force Base

Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah | Oct 01, 2014 | by Mitch Shaw

HILL AIR FORCE BASE -- What will ultimately be more than $100 million worth of construction associated with the F-35A has Hill Air Force Base in a major transitional phase.

With work scattered across the installation, 388th Fighter Wing spokesman Nathan Simmons said there are currently 23 projects ongoing at Hill that must be completed between now and July 2015, before the F-35s begin arriving in September 2015.

The construction includes a bevy of different items, ranging from completely new hangars, renovation and expansion of a buildings to new flight simulators and earth-covered bunkers for aircraft munitions.

Another 13 projects will be completed by the time construction associated with the jet finally concludes in 2019.

(...SNIPPED)

 

[CougarKing]

...while the US Navy awaits its C models:

Military.com

Lemoore Navy Station to be Home Base for New F35-C Fighter Jets

Fresno Bee | Oct 03, 2014 | by Jim Guy

Lemoore Naval Air Station will be the home base for the new F-35C fighter jets, the Navy announced Thursday.

The F35-C will replace the Navy's FA-18 Hornet aircraft. Beginning in 2016, a total of 100 F-35-Cs will be based at the Kings County facility, according to Rep. David G. Valadao, who released the information on his website.

"The basing of the F-35C fleet is estimated to require 751 new military and contractor personnel for mission support," Valadao said. "With an estimated $35.5 million in annual payroll, this will inject much-needed economic stimulus into our suffering region."

(...SNIPPED)

 

[CougarKing]

And more on possible threats to the F-35:

Defense News

China Touts Anti-stealth Radar
Oct. 4, 2014 - 03:37PM  |  By WENDELL MINNICK

TAIPEI — America’s most advanced stealth fighter poses a great risk to China’s air defense network — and the military is going to great lengths to learn how to shoot one down.

China claims it has a radar capable of identifying stealth aircraft, including the more advanced F-22 Raptor fighter based at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam.

The claims appeared in the last week of September in Chinese-language media outlets stating that the F-22 and Europe’s Neuron unmanned combat aerial vehicle are “obsolete” against China’s new DWL002 radar.

Marketed by Beijing-based CETC International, the DWL002 passive-detection radar system was displayed during the 9th China International Defense Electronics Exhibition in Beijing in May. It comprises one master reconnaissance station and two slave stations. The systems can be expanded to four stations and outfitted on trucks. The DWL002 has a detection range of 400 kilometers for fighter aircraft and 600 kilometers for airborne early warning and control aircraft, such as the US E-3 Sentry and E-2 Hawkeye.

At 400 to 600 kilometers, the DWL002 can cover all of Taiwan and the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, but is not within range of US military bases on Okinawa. Nor can it reach the Philippines.

(...EDITED)

 

[MarkOttawa]

At Aviation Week and Space Technology by noted program critic Bill Sweetman:

Canada’s Hornet Upgrade Delays New Fighters
Canada extends hornet life, delays new fighter decision
http://aviationweek.com/defense/canada-s-hornet-upgrade-delays-new-fighters

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

IHS Jane's:

US government could more than double industry’s F-35 ‘affordability’ investment

The US government plans to offer USD300 million towards a two-year Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter production affordability plan announced by the company in September, a top executive told IHS Jane’s during a 6 October interview.

…Joe DellaVedova [spokesman for the Pentagon's F-35 Joint Program Office] told IHS Jane’s via email. If the next round of affordability investments is successful, the estimated cost for an F-35A aircraft purchased in 2019 will be between USD80 million and USD85 million in inflation-adjusted dollars, or about USD70 million to USD75 million in 2012 dollars, DellaVedova added. That price includes the airframe, engine, mission systems, profit, and concurrency…”
http://www.janes.com/article/44214/us-government-could-more-than-double-industry-s-f-35-affordability-investment

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

AvWeek again (note drag chute and Canadian company at end):

Norway Paves The Way For F-35 Acquisition
F-35 worth the cost to extend Norway’s reach
...
Basing their figures on the U.S. Presidential Budget and those from the F-35 Joint Program Office, the Norwegian government currently expects their future F-35 fleet to cost up to 20% more to operate than its current F-16 fleet, but that issue does not seem to generate concern here in Oslo.

The program might be Norway’s largest and most expensive defense project to date, but officials say the new capabilities the F-35 will bring, such as enabling the country’s air arm to carry out long-range strikes, make it a price worth paying. Since 2008, they note, the cost to Norway has increased by just 5.58% and currently stands around 248 billion krone ($38 billion) for the 56-year lifetime of the program as of January this year...

Initial operating capability (IOC) is expected in 2019 and full operational capability by around 2024...

The Norwegian government has opted to position its F-35 fleet at a single location—Orland air base—near the coastal city Trondheim...

Further investments may also be needed in terms of weaponry. A large portion of the program will be devoted to the introduction of the Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile (JSM) (see page 23), which will give Norway its first taste of a strategic stand-off capability. The country had hoped it could repurpose many of the weapons it uses on the F-16, but the IRIS-T—Norway’s primary short-range air-to-air weapon—is not slated for integration onto the F-35, prompting Oslo to look at the AIM-9X Sidewinder. Officials are also considering the MBDA Meteor [emphasis added]...

Perhaps the most significant change required by the Norwegians is the addition of a brake parachute to handle the enhanced braking capability needed during their harsh winters. The modification requires changes in the construction of the rear fuselage section to create a compartment to hold the parachute system. On top of this is a large canoe fairing, which will open on landing. Despite its large size, the fairing—designed to minimize any impact on the radar cross-section—is fitted between the two vertical tails.

The addition of the brake chute also requires cockpit modifications to deploy it on landing. Svensson says that when the brake chute is not needed the fairing could be removed and the compartment for the chute could potentially be used for other systems. Canadian company Airborne Systems is developing the braking parachute.

Norway is covering the cost of developing the system for the F-35A. Under a contract announced on Sept. 30, Norway will pay as much as $246.6 million to develop and test the installation. The cost includes some modifications to the airframe around the brake-chute pod. These will be incorporated as an in-line retrofit to early aircraft—starting with the first two Norwegian production aircraft and included in later aircraft from the start of manufacture. Norway will also receive a royalty on any F-35s sold to other air forces with the parachute installed; Canada [emphasis added], Denmark and the Netherlands are leading candidates.
http://aviationweek.com/defense/norway-paves-way-f-35-acquisition

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Kirkhill]

At Aviation Week and Space Technology by noted program critic Bill Sweetman:

Mark
Ottawa

Was that statement issued before or after the decision was made to increase the burn rate on the residual life of the fleet?

The Baltic for Four after Romania and now Six for Iraq extendable.  Not to mention Libya in 2011. 

Unless they are planning on wing and centre barrel replacements those beasts must be getting short.

 

[AlexanderM]

At Aviation Week and Space Technology by noted program critic Bill Sweetman:

Mark
Ottawa

It says in this article that about half the fleet have undergone centre barrel replacement.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Note:

CF-18 and F-35: Interesting 2004 US Embassy Ottawa Message
...
3. (C) EVEN WITH THE MODERNIZATION PROCESS STILL UNDERWAY, CONCERNS HAVE ARISEN ON FLEET AVAILABILITY AND ESTIMATED LIFE EXPECTANCY(ELE). OF THE EIGHTY MODERNIZED AIRCRAFT, ONLY HALF WILL RECEIVE CENTER BARREL FUSELAGE REPLACEMENTS GIVING THEM A SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED ELE [see” “Canada’s New Fighter: Over a Barrel?“].
http://www.cdfai.org/the3dsblog//?p=884
BECAUSE OF COSTS, OF THE 80 MODERNIZED AIRCRAFT ONLY 48 WILL ASSIGNED TO FOUR OPERATIONAL SQUADRONS (TWO AT CFB COLD LAKE, ALBERTA AND TWO AT CFB BAGOTVILLE, QUEBEC [now just one at Cold Lake and one at Bagotville). GIVEN EVEN OPTIMISTIC READINESS RATES OF 70  PERCENT AND NO OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENTS, THIS MEANS THAT CANADA WILL ONLY HAVE A MAXIMUM OF 34 F/A-18 AIRCRAFT AVAILABLE ON ANY GIVEN DAY...
http://www.cdfai.org/the3dsblog/?p=1066

Lots more.

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Stirring the stick here, looking at the current new mission and last few, it seems the majority of our missions need a bomb truck, with good range and a good targeting system. In fact the "fighter" bit almost seems to be a far distant nice to have.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Further to this post,
http://milnet.ca/forums/threads/22809/post-1331700.html#msg1331700

more on Norwegians:

Norway To Invest In Six Additional F-35 Aircraft [new buy, not more aircraft total]
http://www.defenseworld.net/news/11252/Norways_To_Invest_In_Six_Additional_F_35_Aircraft#.VDabFRZ0YVm

Final sentence should star"By 2025..."

Mark
Ottawa

 

[WingsofFury]

Stirring the stick here, looking at the current new mission and last few, it seems the majority of our missions need a bomb truck, with good range and a good targeting system. In fact the "fighter" bit almost seems to be a far distant nice to have.

A self escorting bomb truck...there's a bit of a difference there.  Hence why the term multirole is so prevalent.

This is one of the reasons why the F-35 is quite the viable platform; its ability to carry internally a total of 8 small diameter bombs along with 2 AMRAAM's while maintaining its low observable profile is something that no other multirole fighter can do.  It will have a decent loiter time and with air to air refueling will be able to stay up as long as is necessary to complete any mission, just as the current Hornet fleet can.

Now, while I know that people will say that the advanced Super Hornet could do the same thing, the difference comes down to the targeting system and the cost factor. Truth is, we don't know how much an advanced Super will cost, and yes, while we've heard that Boeing is going to peg the price, if there isn't any type of mass production (more than 65) then what will that do for the cost? Especially once the Super Hornet line itself closes in 2 years time?

Speaking off the cuff...I would like to see Boeing offer the Slam Eagle which beat out the Dassault Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Sukhoi Su-35 in competition or even the SG variant which beat out the Rafale as well.  Sure, it's a bit pricier...but I like Eagles, always have and always will.

Sadly unless recruitment goes up the number of platforms will be capped at 65 as the continued downsizing of the Forces will affect how many people we have to support, maintain, and fly the aircraft. That is the biggest travesty...for me anyways.