F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

[SeaKingTacco]

Yes, Sperwer.  How could I have forgotten that masterpiece of the French aviation industry?

 

[Loachman]

I can't.

But I did come away from the experience with a perverse grudging respect for it.

It helped that the people on my roto who needed to be brilliant actually were, and the few thuds were not in positions where they could have too much negative effect, so it worked.

 

[Kirkhill]

Telegraph article.

Canadian pitchman on the video.....

 

[Bird_Gunner45]

A humour article, but the arctic does get cold.....


Pentagon Welcomes Afghanistan As Newest F-35 Program Partner

KABUL, Afghanistan – Defense officials announced Afghanistan would be the newest partner nation to receive the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, sources confirmed today.

“This is a truly momentous day,” said Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, commander of all NATO forces in Afghanistan. “Afghanistan’s collaboration in the F-35 program shows that the country is ready to take a leading role in defense of the free world.”

When asked how the deeply impoverished country would help pay for the trillion dollar program Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi, Chief of Staff of the Afghanistan Army, said that the Afghans have already worked out an agreement with the U.S.

“With the retirement of President Karzai approaching,” Karimi said, “The $200 billion in American aid we expect to receive can now be used to pay for the project instead of padding the pockets of the Karzai family, or paying for other useless services such as education for girls.”

The Afghan government is expected to receive the F-35A (conventional aircraft) and F-35B (short take off and vertical landing, or STOVL) variants.

“We will only accept delivery of the B models once we are sure its short take off and landing features work properly. We’re not gullible idiots like the aviation generals in the U.S. Marine Corps,” added Karimi, in reference to the current problems experienced by the F-35B.

Sales of the carrier based ‘C’ model have also been discussed. “We recognize that Afghanistan currently does not have any need for carrier based airplanes. But we intend to change that in the next few years. We have already begun transferring three of our 11 Nimitz-Class carriers to the newly established Afghan Navy,” said Gen. Dunford.

Afghanistan has already received four F-35As. In true Afghan style, the military has taken to using the $125 million plane for unconventional purposes. On a cool, brisk May morning, the exhaust nozzles of the planes were hooked up to no less than 25 apartment buildings, providing essential heat to hundreds of Afghan soldiers.

“Without the F-35s, my soldiers would freeze to death,” said Sgt. Maj. Abdullah Ramatullah. “Sure, we have problems with carbon monoxide poisoning and the foul smell of unburnt jet fuel, but those are merely nuisances.”

“In retrospect, it’s pretty damn intelligent,” remarked Command Chief Master Sgt. Gustav Schroeder, a technical advisor to the Afghan military. “Before receiving the planes, the Afghans used to just take apart their RPGs and burn the explosives inside for warmth. Apart from the lack of Oxygen and CO poisoining, this is much safer. Besides, air is just a crutch, you don’t need it at this high an altitude.”

He continued: “When you realize we’ve spent hundreds of billions of dollars building a plane for which we still have no use for, and in three days the Afghans found some utility in the systems, it makes you think that we have a lot to learn from them.”

http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/07/america-welcomes-afghanistan-newest-f-35-program-partner/

 

[Kirkhill]

Gripen withdrawn from Danish fighter competition.

It appears as if Denmark and Canada are both singing from the same hymn book.

 

[AlexanderM]

Gripen withdrawn from Danish fighter competition.

It appears as if Denmark and Canada are both singing from the same hymn book.

So did they choose not to submit a bid to Canada also? 

 

[Kirkhill]

So did they choose not to submit a bid to Canada also?

http://www.airforce-technology.com/news/newssaab-withdraws-from-rcafs-cf-18-fighter-replacement-programme

Yup.

 

[AlexanderM]

I don't blame them.

 

[PuckChaser]

I have a funny feeling we're going to start seeing a lot of this, started with Boeing backing out of JUTAS

 

[observor 69]

Rough Ride for the F-35


By THE EDITORIAL BOARDJULY 27, 2014


The F-35 fighter jet was expected to be exhibited at an international air show a few weeks ago — a chance for America to showcase its state-of-the-art war plane, the world’s most expensive weapons project. But, in an embarrassing turn of events, the star-crossed, single-engine F-35 was a no-show.

Instead of making its debut at the event in Farnborough, England — where government officials, defense contractors and experts gather annually to ogle new aviation technology — the plane was back in the United States, crippled by the latest in a series of setbacks. Despite this tormented history, Congress is still pouring money into a program that is intended to produce more than 2,400 F-35s for the Air Force, the Navy and the Marines through 2037.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/26/opinion/Rough-Ride-for-the-F-35.html?mabReward=RI%3A7&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&region=CColumn&module=Recommendation&src=rechp&WT.nav=RecEngine

Useful collection of authoritative references updating the F-35 status. I found this statement particularly intriguing.
" Some experts say the Pentagon could save money and still ensure that America has a better plane than its adversaries by buying fewer F-35s and more of the F-15, F-16 and F-18 fighter jets already in the arsenal and modernizing the A-10 Warthog, a ground-attack plane."

 

[CougarKing]

Defense News

Some F-35 Flight Restrictions Lifted
Jul. 29, 2014 - 05:32PM  |  By AARON MEHTA 

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has lifted some flight restrictions on F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, while inspections will continue for the foreseeable future, according to a Defense Department official.

Speed restrictions were relaxed late last week from Mach 0.9 to Mach 1.6, while maneuverability restrictions were increased slightly from 3 Gs to 3.2, the official said.

Other restrictions remain, however, including borescope inspections of the front fan section of each F135 engine every three hours.

The restrictions are the result of a June 23 fire that severely damaged an F-35A model and led to the Pentagon grounding the fleet for a time while the cause of the problem was discovered. On July 15, the Pentagon allowed the plane to begin flying again within limited parameters.

Those restrictions are limiting the ability of the services to fully test and evaluate the planes, meaning that if the restrictions remain for a significant period, it could affect the planned initial operating capability (IOC) dates for the jet.

(...EDITED)

 

[CougarKing]

Defense News

Top USAF Officials Defend F-35
Jul. 30, 2014 - 06:18PM  |  By AARON MEHTA

WASHINGTON — Despite ongoing restrictions on the fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, the US Air Force’s top general warned against being “alarmist” when discussing the fifth-generation jet’s engine.

“Pratt & Whitney has been making pretty darn good engines for single-engine airplanes for a long time for the United States Air Force,” Gen. Mark Welsh, service chief of staff, told reporters during a media briefing. “What we found in the program so far, with these almost 9,000 sorties so far, is this engine works pretty well, too. That day it didn’t, and we need to figure out why.”

“It would be a little alarmist to assume we have a problem with the F-35 engine,” Welsh said. “The F-35 is the answer, the only answer, to ensure future air campaigns are not a fair fight.”

(...EDITED)

 

[CougarKing]

Defensetech.org

Chinese Radar May Pierce F-35 Stealth Armor: Report
by BRENDAN MCGARRY on JULY 31, 2014

Increasingly sophisticated radar in China and Russia may soon be able to pierce the stealth armor on F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, according to a news report.

The stealth coating on the U.S.-made fifth-generation fighters shields the aircraft from high-frequency radars operating in the Ku, X and C bands and some of the S band, but not from low-frequency systems utilizing L, UHF and VHF wavelengths, according to an article by Dave Majumdar at USNI News.

China and Russia are now working to develop low-frequency radars with more computing power designed to track stealth aircraft with more precision — enough to target them with a missile, according to the report, citing an unnamed former senior U.S. Navy official.

“Acquisition and fire control radars are starting to creep down the frequency spectrum,” the official told USNI News. “I don’t see how you long survive in the world of 2020 or 2030 when dealing with these systems if you don’t have the lower frequency coverage.”

To be sure, the Defense Department is aware of the increasing sophistication of enemy air defenses, known in military parlance as anti-access, area-denial, or A2-AD, environments.

(...EDITED)

 

[drunknsubmrnr]

They'd better have either an awful lot of missiles or a whacking huge warhead if they're trying to target with the lower frequencies.

 

[McG]

Some are still pushing for other Canadian procurement options.

Opinion: Why not the F-22 for Canada?
With the F-35 program in such difficulty, it's time to start thinking of a Plan B
Yan Cimon & Simon Vérronneau
Montreal Gazette
31 July 2014

Canada’s fighter-jet procurement efforts, as outlined in the 2008 Canada First Defence Strategy, have not been as successful as planned.

The F-35 program delays, the substantial increase in estimated unit cost, and constraints on the jet’s fighting abilities, all show the necessity of changing the procurement mindset. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to fighter-jet procurement, we need to consider buying a reduced number of F-35s supplemented by purchases of another fifth-generation aircraft: the F-22.

The coming decision about which fighter jet should replace Canada’s aging CF-18 has been marred by a host of complications that prompt the following question: Considering that Canada’s relevance in the world is at stake, have all opportunities been considered? Since the Royal Canadian Air Force needs to be able to fulfill its continental responsibilities within NORAD, and be fully interoperable with allies, we believe the F-35, the perceived current front-runner, is a serious but imperfect contender to win the bid. But the F-22 is not as far-fetched an option as it might seem.

First of all, the F-22 would fit with Canada’s geography and objectives. It offers technological superiority, with the added benefit that major design issues have already been dealt with. It is a dual-engine stealth aircraft that has proven itself under Arctic conditions. The F-22 is also the only current fighter jet that can dogfight with new fifth-generation Chinese and Russian aircraft.

Secondly, there is some openness in the U.S. toward relaxing export controls, for both commercial and strategic reasons. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated as early as 2008 that the administration would not object to selling the F-22 abroad, should Congress change the relevant statute. As such, U.S. exports of the F-22 would create high-value Canadian and American jobs. It would also relieve some geo-strategic pressure on the U.S., by allowing trusted allies to shoulder responsibility behind common strategic objectives in the Asia-Pacific region (with Japan, Australia) and in the Arctic (with Canada) — while improving future coalitions’ efficiency.

Exports make increasing sense now that China and Russia have competing fighter jets that are highly manoeuvrable, and that come with stealth capability. These near-peers also have fewer qualms with export sales, thus increasing the risk for the U.S., Canada and their allies.

Thirdly, it is true that the F-22 is on a production hiatus, in part because of its hefty price tag. Yet, the economics of the F-35 program, and the political environment, are changing the envelope of possibilities. A Rand Corporation study estimated in 2010 that restarting production would cost in the range of half a billion dollars; other estimates push the figure up to the $1-billion range. However, learning-curve effects, from an eventual solid number of orders, may make the F-22 a safe choice when it comes to unit cost after all. On the U.S. political front, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney had pledged in 2012 to restart the F-22 production line.

Fourthly, the F-22 and F-35 are designed to work hand-in-hand. This means Canada would be able to fulfill a greater number of operational tasks globally, with the added benefit of seamless integration with close allies’ fighter squadrons.

The real question, then, is as much a strategic one as it is an industrial one.

What gets the mission done, while maximizing industrial benefits in partner countries?

We believe that adopting a mix of F-22 and F-35 would allow the RCAF to continue fulfilling its mission of protecting Canada’s interests in the coming decades, as well as strengthen Canada’s aerospace industry.

The 2013 Jenkins report on Key Industrial Capabilities showed Canada to be a leader in many segments that may be of value not only to Canada, but also to its allies. Therefore, whatever the outcome, Canada should acquire the best single aircraft, or mix of fifth-generation aircraft, while striving to become a leader in high-value segments of supply chains for the next weapons platforms.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/story_print.html?id=10080089&sponsor=

 

[PuckChaser]

The final F-22 for the USAF rolled off the line in 2011. I fail to see how restarting an entire production line for a small number of aircraft would be a viable option and save costs over the F-35, even if it is running late.

 

[SupersonicMax]

A major issue is that the Raptor is a Air Supremacy fighter with limited strike capabilities and we want multi-role.

 

[NavyShooter]

Not to mention the absence of economic benefits to Canada to re-opening the Raptor production line....

 

[Transporter]

A major issue is that the Raptor is a Air Supremacy fighter with limited strike capabilities and we want multi-role.

I believe the authors were advocating a mix of F-22 and F-35... and I want a pony.

 

[eliminator]

Don't we still have some CF-5 FreedomFighters still in long term storage? Or did we manage to pawn them off to a third world nation? Since we're throwing all options on the table, Let's use them to offset some of the CF18 roles so that they will last until the F-35 is finally ready for prime time.

*sarcasm voice off*

Any other suggestions?