F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

[Cloud Cover]

Interesting RAND Report on the future of CAS. 

Army prefers gatling guns over smart bombs (even small diameter bombs)
F35 is nowhere near the type of CAS platform of the A10 today,  ground forces will have to change entire approach to CAS when/if A10 is retired.
F35 carries less ammunition than A10, cannot loiter as long, and is probably too fast for psychological ground effects.
A10 has at least 20-25 years more life, costs are "sunk" and maintenance is less expensive than F35, and fewer A10 required to perform CAS than F35.
No direct or indirect equivalent (ie F16 strafing or B1 bombing) can match capabilities of manned A10.

Looks like RAND isn't making any friends over at Lockheed.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The IDF reports they have used the F-35 on combat missions, won't say where though. Lockheed adding "Combat Proven" to their marketing material in 5,4,3,2.....

 

[MarkOttawa]

Price still coming down, multi-year block buy looks fairly close:

Exclusive: Lockheed F-35 jet price falls 6 percent to below $90 million - sources

The United States has struck a preliminary deal to buy F-35 jets from Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) worth about $13 billion, clearing the way for a larger multi-year purchase that aims to bring the cost per jet down to $80 million by 2020, sources said.

The deal for 141 F-35s lowers the price of the F-35A, the most common version of the stealthy fighter jet, to about $89 million, down around 6 percent from $94.3 million in the last deal struck in February 2017, the sources familiar with the talks said.

Bringing down the cost of the world’s most expensive defense program is crucial to securing more orders, both in the United States and abroad...

The current “handshake” deal will be solidified along with pricing and other terms in a contract that will be announced in the coming weeks, the sources said, on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.

The agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense removes a crucial road block from the ongoing negotiations for a multi-year deal for the fighters that is expected to consist of three tranches over fiscal years 2018-2020.

The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin “have made progress and are in the final stages of negotiation,” the Pentagon’s head of acquisitions Ellen Lord said in a statement, adding the two sides had reached “a handshake agreement which symbolizes the Department of Defense’s commitment to equip” U.S and allied forces, while giving “great value” to the U.S. taxpayer.

Last summer, Reuters reported that F-35 customers including Australia, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, South Korea, Britain and the United States had aimed to procure 135 or more jets in fiscal year 2018 for delivery in 2020 for about $88 million per jet...
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-airshow-f35/exclusive-lockheed-f-35-jet-price-falls-6-percent-to-below-90-million-sources-idUSKBN1K50D3

See also:

Farnborough
4 ways Lockheed’s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program
https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/farnborough/2018/07/10/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Czech_pivo]

The CDN dollar has fallen more than that so far this year, so these ‘gains’ have been wiped out already....

 

[PuckChaser]

The CDN dollar has fallen more than that so far this year, so these ‘gains’ have been wiped out already....

Wiped out against any fighter we buy, US or Euros. Our dollar sucks, it should not be a factor in our procurement process as it equally sucks.

 

[MarkOttawa]

US SecDef on Turkey and F-35:

Jim Mattis warns Congress not to block Turkey from F-35 program

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is urging Congress not to bar Turkey from purchasing the Lockheed Martin F-35, arguing that to do so would trigger an international “supply chain disruption” resulting in delays and higher costs for the $100 million aircraft.

“At this time, I oppose removal of Turkey from the F-35 program,” Mattis said in a letter to lawmakers negotiating over the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. Turkey, a NATO ally who has invested $1.25 billion in the program since 2002, plans to buy 100 aircraft.

“If the Turkish supply chain was disrupted today, it would result in an aircraft production break, delaying delivery of 50-75 F-35s, and would take approximately 18-24 months to re-source parts and recover.”

Pentagon plans call for acquiring a total of 2,456 F-35s. Allies are expected to purchase hundreds of additional F-35s, and eight nations, including Japan, South Korea, Denmark and Norway, are cost-sharing partners in the program with the U.S.

The Senate’s defense policy and appropriations bills include language to delay sales of the jet to Turkey over its plans to buy the Russian S-400 air defense system and its detainment of American pastor Andrew Brunson.

Mattis, in the July 7 letter, assured lawmakers the Trump administration was pressing Turkey on both issues and acknowledged Congress’s concerns with Turkey’s “authoritarian drift and its impact on human rights and the rule of law.”..
https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2018/07/23/jim-mattis-warns-congress-not-to-block-turkey-from-f-35-program/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

Getting closer to block buy, also better security for foreign buyers:

1) Lockheed Poised to Get $11 Billion F-35 Contract Despite Delays
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-22/lockheed-poised-to-get-11-billion-f-35-contract-despite-delays

2) Foreign F-35 Users Spend Millions To Stop Jet's Computer From Sharing Their Secrets:
Operators will now be able to block the F-35's systems from sending data back to the United States, but other security concerns may remain.
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/23052/foreign-f-35-users-spend-millions-to-stop-jets-computer-from-sharing-their-secrets

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Nose wheel just collapsed on a US F35, had just landed and parked. Belongs to the 58th Fighter Squadron.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Nose wheel just collapsed on a US F35, had just landed and parked. Belongs to the 58th Fighter Squadron.

.... apparently the pilot just got back from the all you can eat buffet at the hotel

 

[MarkOttawa]

New F-22s with F-35 characteristics (for Japan too, would lower US development costs)?

Lockheed Pitching F-22/F-35 Hybrid to U.S. Air Force

With a Raptor’s body and the JSF’s brain, the new jet would aim to answer the next decade’s Russian and Chinese threats.

Lockheed Martin is quietly pitching the U.S. Air Force a new variant of the F-22 Raptor, equipped with the F-35’s more modern mission avionics and some structural changes, Defense One has learned.

It is one of several options being shopped to the U.S. military and allies as Lockheed explores how it might upgrade its combat jets to counter Russian and Chinese threats anticipated by military officials in the coming decade, according to people with direct knowledge of the plan.

“You’re building a hybrid aircraft,” David Deptula, a retired Air Force lieutenant general who is now dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “It’s not an F-22. It’s not an F-35. It’s a combination thereof. That can be done much, much more rapidly than introducing a new design.”

The new variant — similar to one Lockheed is pitching to Japan — would incorporate the F-35’s more modern mission system and “other advancements in the stealth coatings and things of that nature,” according to a person familiar with the proposal.

“There’s a lot of potential in this idea,” Deptula said. “I’m not sugesting that we jump right into it and embrace it, but from the Japanese perspective when they are looking at and willing to invest in this kind of an alternative as opposed to trying to build an indigenous aircraft that’s not going to get close to what an F-22 can already deliver. It’s a smart move on their behalf.”

A Lockheed spokeswoman declined to comment about the project...
https://www.defenseone.com/business/2018/08/lockheed-pitching-f-22f-35-hybrid-us-air-force/150943/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MilEME09]

At the rate we procure this new aircraft might be eligible for our f18 replacement

 

[MarkOttawa]

Lots more on hybrid F-22/F-35, esp. Japan angle (and Trump):

Lockheed Pitching U.S. Air Force On F-22-F-35 Hybrid Fighter Intended For Japan
There is an increasing possibility that the United States and Japan may join forces on the project, which could offer big benefits to both countries...
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/23284/lockheed-pitching-u-s-air-force-on-f-22-f-35-hybrid-fighter-intended-for-japan

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

Congress gung-ho on F-35 (this is the actual spending bill for FY18 starting Oct. 1):

F-35 inventory soars in new Pentagon spending bill

Having flown beyond the 77 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters authorized by the 2019 defense policy bill, congressional appropriators are adding another 16 for a total of 93.

Congressional conferees on Thursday finalized a $674.4 billion defense spending bill for next year packaged with funding for the departments of Education, Labor, Health and Human Services, or Labor-HHS — and a continuing resolution through Dec. 7 for some other parts of the government.

As usual, appropriators used their annual defense spending bill to offer tweaks to the existing shopping list for military hardware from the previous version, which President Donald Trump signed into law last month.

The new compromise spending bill, which trumps the authorization bill, buys three littoral combat ships instead of two and 13 Bell-Boeing V-22 Ospreys instead of seven — among other differences.

The Navy and Marine Corps continue to invest in vertical takeoff aircraft and announced a $4.2 billion contract for dozens of new V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft just weeks ago...
https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2018/09/14/f-35-inventory-soars-in-new-pentagon-spending-bill/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

LRIP 11 deal done, prices still coming down:

Pentagon, Lockheed Martin Agree to New F-35 Contract

The cost of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is dropping by millions of dollars per plane under a new production contract agreed to by Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon, which was announced today.

The $11.5-billion contract covers a batch of 141 fighters known as Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 11. The bulk of the aircraft covered by this contract – 91 fighters – will be delivered to the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. The remaining 35 aircraft are for delivery to international partners [emphasis added], according to a Lockheed Martin statement.

“Driving down cost is critical to the success of this program,” Vice Adm. Mat Winter, the F-35 Program Executive Officer, said in a statement. “We are delivering on our commitment to get the best price for taxpayers and warfighters. This agreement for the next lot of F-35s represents a fair deal for the U.S. Government, our international partnership and industry. We remain focused on aggressively reducing F-35 cost and delivering best value.”

Under the LRIP-11 contract, Lockheed Martin was able to reduce the cost of each F-35 variant as follows:

    The F-35A, the variant flown by the U.S. Air Force and most international partners, will cost $89.2 million per aircraft under LRIP-11, representing a 5.4-percent price drop from the $94.3-million cost per aircraft under the contract for the previous F-35 production lot.
    The F-35B, the vertical takeoff and landing variant flown by the U.S. Marine Corps, will cost $115.5 million per aircraft under LRIP-11, representing a 5.7-percent price drop from the $122.4-million cost per aircraft under the contract for the previous F-35 production lot.
    The F-35C, the arrested landing variant for aircraft carrier flight operations used primarily by the U.S. Navy, represents the most significant price drop. LRIP-11 F-35C variants will cost $107.7 million each, an 11.1-percent price reduction from the $121.2 million it cost to build each F-35C under the contract for the previous production lot...

The contract announced Friday appears to have accomplished much of what both sides had hoped. Winter had previously stated the LRIP-11 contract would increase production to 130 aircraft. With 141 aircraft under this contract, the entire production rate moves closer to what Lockheed Martin officials have long stated is their goal – to build 150 F-35 per year.
https://news.usni.org/2018/09/28/pentagon-lockheed-martin-agree-to-new-f-35-contract

More:

F-35 LRIP 11 Signed: $89M For An F-35A, Including Engine
https://breakingdefense.com/2018/09/f-35-lrip-11-signed-89m-for-an-f-35a/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Kirkhill]

Interesting point about the relative costs of the F35A, B and C.

F35A - 89.2 MUSD per aircraft - but requires a couple hundred meters of hard-surfaced runway in the near vicinity of operations from which to operate
F35B - 115.5 MUSD per aircraft  (or 25.7 MUSD more) but needs much less infrastructure from which to operate compared to both the A and C models
F35C - 107.7 MUSD per aircraft  (or 7.8 MUSD less than the B) but requires either the same infrastructure as the A or an even more expensive launch and trap mechanism

It is kind of like asking the question, when comparing cars and buses to aircraft whether the cost of the road is included in the calculation.

 

[Rifleman62]

https://www.businessinsider.com/f-35-crashes-in-south-carolina-2018-9

Marine Corps F-35 crashes in South Carolina — the first crash for America's most expensive weapon of war - 28 Sep 18 (0948 Local)

A US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter crashed in South Carolina on Friday, less than one day after an F-35B made its combat debut in Afghanistan. It's the first F-35 crash in the history of the F-35 program, though there have been several other incidents like fires and equipment malfunctions.


A US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter crashed on Friday in South Carolina just outside Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, several news outlets including ABC News reported, citing military officials. The military aircraft, recognized as America's most expensive weapon, went down 5 miles from the air station just before noon ET, The Herald reported, citing the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office and the Marine Corps. A spokesman for the sheriff's office told the newspaper that the pilot ejected safely but was being evaluated for injuries.

The Marine Corps described the crash as a Class A mishap, a serious incident involving more than $2 million in damages or the destruction of the aircraft.

The air station's website says it is home to five F/A-18 squadrons and one squadron of F-35Bs, according to The Herald. On Thursday, a US Marine Corps F-35B achieved a major milestone in Afghanistan, making its combat debut against Taliban targets. While there have been accidents, fires, and incidents involving the F-35 in recent years — such as when an F-35B burst into flames two years ago — this marks the first F-35 crash, the Marine Corps told Business Insider.

Photo Cation: @SamRichardsonAM  Military plane crash in Beaufort near Joe Allen Drive area. Appears to have crashed on a bluff/island owned by Clarendon Plantations. Not usually many people over there. Praying for the safety of all involved!

 

[tomahawk6]

Lockheed lowers price on new F35's.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/lockheed-agrees-to-cut-price-of-new-f-35-fighter-jets/ar-BBNFtRl?ocid=spartanntp

 

[MarkOttawa]

F-35 program director still has problems as plane moves forward--lucky we'll be buying the fighter pretty late, if we ever do:

Despite crash and cost concerns, F-35 faces bright future, program chief says
...
COST CONCERNS: While he’s decidedly upbeat about the future of the F-35 program, Winter has two big concerns. The plane is costing too much and taking too long to build, due to inefficiencies on the production line that require too many things to be reworked, repaired or scrapped as the plane moves down the line. “Right now, Lot 10 aircraft are coming off defect-free, but these quality issues during the production line process are causing those late monthly deliveries and increased cost to the contractor,” Winter said. Hence the focus on financial incentives pinned to increasing efficiency.

The other big concern is sustainability — the cost of keeping the planes operating in the field and maintaining a high mission-capable rate. The solution, Winter says, is getting more maintenance depots up and running, stockpiling more spare parts, giving more autonomy to mechanics on the flight line, and upgrading the plane’s sophisticated software, which has a tendency to false-report that parts need to be replaced when they don’t...
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/despite-crash-and-cost-concerns-f-35-faces-bright-future-program-chief-says

Meanwhile:

DOD To Finalize F-35 Acquisition Strategy Within Weeks

The Pentagon will finalize the Joint Strike Fighter acquisition strategy in a few weeks, and the service acquisition executives have signed the document, the program executive officer (PEO) says.

Vice Adm. Mat Winter, F-35 PEO, told reporters Oct. 1 that the strategy document is with the staff of Ellen Lord, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, and is under “final administrative engagements.”

The strategy document will describe the program’s continuous capability development and delivery (C2D2) methodology “appropriately,” Winter says. But he declined to divulge additional details. Winter first described the C2D2 proposal in September 2017 when he compared it to running app updates on a mobile phone.

Skeptics have criticized the concept. They see the methodology as a way for the program to defer planned Block 3F capability. The Pentagon operational test and evaluation director’s (DOT&E) office called the C2D2 plan “not executable” because of limited test aircraft. The independent office also criticized the six-month software production cycle because it does not update the logistics system or mission data files...
http://aviationweek.com/defense/dod-finalize-f-35-acquisition-strategy-within-weeks

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

Getting there:

Lord OKs F-35 Operational Test And Evaluation

It’s official — the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will begin operational test and evaluation next month, marking one of the most significant transitions for the closely watched program. Next summer, presuming no show stoppers appear during OTE, the program will move to full production [emphasis added].

“On October 2, 2018, Undersecretary of Defense Ellen Lord convened an operational test readiness review, which assessed the readiness of the F-35 system and supporting resources required to execute the operational test plan,” her spokesman, Lt. Col. Mike Andrews, says in an email. “Ms. Lord certified readiness to enter operational testing after concurring with the F-35 Program Executive Officer’s recommendation on his plan to start mid-November.”

I knew the Joint Strike Fighter Operational Test Team (JOTT) had approved the move to OTE on Sept. 23, clearing the path for likely approval by Lord. But her decision also depended on any last-minute objections from Robert Behler, the congressionally-mandated Director of Operational Test and Evaluation. Behler has been much less oppositional in his language about the F-35 than his predecessor, but has continued the careful work of preparing what some call the largest, most expensive and most complex operational test in modern military history.

What does this mean for the program? “Along with its first combat sortie last week, this demonstrates the maturation of the F-35 as the centerpiece of modern US aerospace power,” Dave Deptula, a member of the Breaking D Board of Contributors and head of the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute, says in an email...
https://breakingdefense.com/2018/10/lord-oks-f-35-operational-test-and-evaluation/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

This looks like end for LockMart proposal for F-22/F-35 hybrid for JASDF (and USAF):

Japan to Replace F-2 Fighter Aircraft with Locally-made Jet

Japan will develop a new aircraft to succeed its F-2 fighter after rejecting proposals Lockheed Martin, Boeing and BAE System to supply new jets.

Some 92 F-2s of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force are expected to reach the end of their service life in the 2030s to replace which the Japanese government has sought bids from Lockheed Martin for its F-22, Boeing for its F-15, and BAE Systems for its Eurofighter Typhoon. All three failed to meet the cost and technical parameters set out in the procurement program, Mainichi Shimbun reported Thursday quoting unnamed MoD officials.

The new fighter jet development project will be part of the next five-year mid-term defense program to be drawn up at the end of the year. The new jet could be a joint development program with foreign companies with Japanese companies developing the engine and some other main components while a second option calls for the jet to be fully developed domestically.

Rejecting the F-22 proposal, the source told Mainichi Shimbun, "no clear explanation was given about the possibility of the United States government lifting the export ban on the aircraft.” The two other proposals (Boeing F-15 and BAE Systems Typhoon) also failed to meet the ministry's requirements...

The government is also exploring the possibility of teaming up with British or German-French partners who are looking at developing fifth generation fighters but is unsure if their respective projects will meet its F-2 replacement deadline.

Japan is part of the F-35 program and has signed up to buy 42 F-35A aircraft. While four have been built in the US, the remaining 38 are slated for assembly in Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in Nayoga Japan.
http://www.defenseworld.net/news/23482/Japan_to_Replace_F_2_Fighter_Aircraft_with_Locally_made_Jet#.W7jtQfZReM8

Mark
Ottawa