F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

[CougarKing]

It's official: the ROKAF is getting Lightnings!

Defense News

South Korea Officially Selects F-35
Mar. 24, 2014 - 09:54AM  |  By AARON MEHTA 

WASHINGTON — The Republic of Korea has officially selected the F-35 as its next-generation fighter, the government announced this morning.

The country has agreed to purchase 40 of the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing design, with first delivery planned for 2018. South Korea becomes the third foreign military sales customer for the F-35, joining Israel and Japan. There are eight other international partners on the program.

(...EDITED)

 

[Bird_Gunner45]

I'm surprised that they would only go with 40 systems.  I wonder if they are intending to purchase something else, keep current air frames in service, or rely (more) on the US? Given the N Korean threat, it would at least appear that 40 is quite insufficient

 

[MarkOttawa]

Supposed to be sixty but cost intervened:
http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_12_02_2013_p22-640625.xml

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Griffon]

The Canadian government should just do what the Koreans did and specify a maximum RCS in the NGFS requirements! Problem fixed!  ;D

 

[MarkOttawa]

US GAO report just out:
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-322

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Quirky]

Something we already knew...decision to buy won't be until after election...

http://www.hilltimes.com/news/politics/2014/03/26/feds-to-delay-f-35-decision-until-after-next-federal-election/37978

The government has delayed its current schedule to sign a contract for an initial delivery of Lockheed-Martin F-35 stealth fighter jets to Canada until after the 2015 federal election year, The Hill Times has learned.

The Public Works Department, while insisting the deadline is “notional” as a special secretariat continues to review expected F-35 capabilities abilities and costs along with three other established fighter jets, confirmed that a U.S. Defence Department office in charge of the F-35 project has changed Canada’s “buy profile” to push back the first delivery of four of the first-strike attack fighters to 2018 from 2017.

Meanwhile, the old, expensive to maintain and unreliable CF18s will continue to fly. Go RCAF.  :nod:

 

[Journeyman]

Meanwhile, the old, expensive to maintain and unreliable CF18s will continue to fly. Go RCAF.  :nod:

I hope you'll understand if the MH and FWSAR communities don't jump onto your woe-is-me wagon. 

 

[MarkOttawa]

A year ago (near end):

... the air force head touched on the question of a replacement for the aging CF-18s. He assured Senators that the existing fighters can “easily” fly until 2025 — though some systems may need updating — as the federal government weighs what aircraft will replace them...
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/03/25/canadas_air_force_eyes_drones_for_maritime_and_arctic_patrols.html

And LGEN Blondin Jan. 2013 (scroll down):

...
On what next generation fighter technology offers:

... I’m going to be flying the F-18 for another 12-15 years  [2025-28]...
http://vanguardcanada.com/seeking-alternatives-new-rcaf-commander-turns-to-technology/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[suffolkowner]

Something we already knew...decision to buy won't be until after election...

http://www.hilltimes.com/news/politics/2014/03/26/feds-to-delay-f-35-decision-until-after-next-federal-election/37978

Meanwhile, the old, expensive to maintain and unreliable CF18s will continue to fly. Go RCAF.  :nod:

Does anyone know what that cost per hour is for the F-18's?

 

[FSTO]

US GAO report just out:
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-322

Mark
Ottawa

Wow, there are problems integrating software with warfighting capabilities? Not at all surprised. Will these computer wizards be just another hangar queen? Something tells me that there is a limit to how much software and electronic voodoo you can put into a airplane and expect it to be able to handle any sort of a high sortie rate.

Call me unconvinced that Canada will ever see a F-35 at Cold Lake or Bagotville in RCAF colours.

 

[PuckChaser]

Something tells me that there is a limit to how much software and electronic voodoo you can put into a airplane and expect it to be able to handle any sort of a high sortie rate.

And at some point people thought airplanes would never be able to be made of metal, because it was too heavy.  :facepalm:

 

[Griffon]

:rofl:

Oh man, that was good.

 

[CougarKing]

More on South Korea's F35 acquisitions:

Defense News

S. Korea Wants Lockheed To Invest in Fighter Plan
Mar. 29, 2014 - 10:47AM  |  By JUNG SUNG-KI

SEOUL — South Korea will ask Lockheed Martin to invest in the country’s KF-X fighter jet development project as part of offset deals over its selection of the F-35 joint strike fighter.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) made a final decision March 24 to buy 40 F-35As through the US Foreign Military Sales program.

A final contract on the deal will be signed by September, according to the arms agency, with the first delivery in 2018. The deal is expected to be worth around 7.4 trillion won ($6.8 billion).

Seoul redrew the terms of a $7.8 billion tender to buy 60 fighters last year after dropping an option to buy Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle in favor of purchasing a fighter with stealth capabilities. Seoul subsequently reduced the purchase to an initial 40 planes.

(...EDITED)

Randy Howard, director of Lockheed’s F-35 business development, said he expects the F-35’s cost to take a downward path that will lead to a unit recurring flyaway cost for an F-35A of between US $80 million to $85 million.

But South Korean officials are cautious about Lockheed’s estimate. “It appears that Lockheed presupposes the best scenario for the progress of the F-35 program,” a Defense Ministry source said.

(...EDITED)

 

[Quirky]

Something tells me that there is a limit to how much software and electronic voodoo you can put into a airplane

That is horse poop. We shouldn't stop building complex fighter jets because they are hard. You want simple and stupid that doesn't work, go buy from Russia. They'll sell you anything, capable or not. As a race we shouldn't be placing limitations on technology advancement, despite what all the religious nut-jobs say. (not calling you one)

 

[Good2Golf]

Perhaps you could pull your neck in a bit before slagging the Russians.  Read up on the major technology paper that served as the basis of the original HAVE BLUE program and all 'stealth' that followed...hint: it was written in Cyrillic.  Technology also includes disciplines other than electronics, and when it comes to fighter aircraft, Russian aerodynamicists are amongst the best.  Just because something isn't hugely expensive doesn't mean either: a) it won't be effective; or b) it isn't continuing to move the technological yardstick to the right.

:2c:

 

[Quirky]

Perhaps you could pull your neck in a bit before slagging the Russians.  Read up on the major technology paper that served as the basis of the original HAVE BLUE program and all 'stealth' that followed...hint: it was written in Cyrillic.  Technology also includes disciplines other than electronics, and when it comes to fighter aircraft, Russian aerodynamicists are amongst the best.  Just because something isn't hugely expensive doesn't mean either: a) it won't be effective; or b) it isn't continuing to move the technological yardstick to the right.

:2c:

Agreed, but I believe that Russian aircraft, more so their new pakfa, are grossly overrated compared to the latest stuff from the western world. I'm not calling Russians stupid but their industry has suffered since the collapse of the USSR. All the smart engineers have left for greener pastures and $$.  :2c:

 

[Good2Golf]

I must have misunderstood your words then:

You want simple and stupid that doesn't work, go buy from Russia.

 

[Journeyman]

But Quirky does get Spec Pay......you're merely a pilot; like you know anything about aircraft.    :stirpot:


        op:

 

[Quirky]

you're merely a pilot; like you know anything about aircraft.

That's debatable.  ;D

 

[The Bread Guy]

The latest ....

F-35 decision back in government’s court as air force completes major study

The countdown on a decision over the F-35 has begun now that air force officials have completed a highly anticipated study of the controversial stealth fighter and its competitors.

The Harper government accepted the “options analysis” report late last week, officially putting the issue back in their laps after more than a year-and-a-half with the Defence Department.

Officially, the government doesn’t have to rush on deciding what to do about the jet fighter; Canada has already missed its window to order F-35s this year. It will now have to wait until January 2015, at the earliest, if it does decide to go ahead with a purchase.

However, the schedule could be tighter if the government decides to hold an open competition – hoped for by the F-35′s competitors as well as opposition parties – since that could take years to conduct.

In either situation, delivery of the first new aircraft won’t happen until around three years after an order is placed.

Canada’s existing CF-18 fighter jets are set to be completely retired by 2020, unless the government decides to invest to keep them flying longer.

Complicating matters is next year’s federal election. The F-35 was an issue in the last election in 2011, although that was before Auditor General Michael Ferguson released a scathing report about the project and turned it into a true political hot potato. Any future decision will require cabinet approval and prompt widespread political attention, both in Canada and abroad ....

Postmedia News, 13 Apr 14