F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

[MarkOttawa]

This will sure please Trump and Lockheed Martin--PM Shinzo Abe knows how to handle the president a lot better than Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland:

With massive F-35 increase, Japan is now biggest international buyer

Japan will officially increase its order of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, including procurement of the F-35B model — making the Pacific nation the second-largest buyer of the Lockheed Martin-made jet.

Tokyo previously planned to procure 42 F-35A models. However, a source close to the program confirmed that Japan will be adding 63 F-35A models, as well as 42 F-35B models, for a total of 147 F-35 fighters.

The announcement, anticipated for weeks, was rolled out as part of Japan’s new defense plan Tuesday [Dec. 18].

The package would make Japan second only to the United States in terms of procured F-35s, with the United Kingdom (138 total fighters [that's pretty iffy, esp. with Brexit in view and likely declining pound]) now third. Japan also becomes the fourth user of the "B" model, joining the U.S. Marine Corps, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force and the Italian Navy [emphasis added].

From an operational standpoint, the decision to procure the F-35Bs are notable, as it comes hand in hand with a plan to use an existing ship design as an aircraft carrier. The presence of Japanese carriers armed with F-35Bs would be a clear signal of power projection to China, analysts have said, and also ease coordination with U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs already stationed in Japan [emphasis added]. Japan is in the process of standing up its first operational F-35 unit.

Since coming to office, U.S. President Donald Trump has made increasing arms sale abroad a key effort, with Japan a frequent target.

In a company statement, prime contractor Lockheed Martin called the decision “a testament to the aircraft’s transformational capability and its increasing role in promoting regional stability and enhancing the US-Japan security alliance.”
https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2018/12/18/with-massive-f-35-increase-japan-is-now-biggest-international-buyer/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[tomahawk6]

Put F35B's on destroyers and then you can protect ships from aircraft.

 

[Kirkhill]

Put F35B's on destroyers and then you can protect ships from aircraft.

WHAT a good idea!

 

[tomahawk6]

They can fly vertically just like a Harrier. Make every surface vessel a carrier. ;D

 

[dimsum]

They can fly vertically just like a Harrier. Make every surface vessel a carrier. ;D

Which is cool, I guess, until you realize that you lost a helicopter that can do ASW, ASuW, SAR and utility lift.

Not many nations have long range or carrier-borne aircraft.  Lots of nations now have submarines.

 

[Spencer100]

The Japanese call their carrier a destroyer. Be it a 27,000 ton "destroyer". Plus it looks like a flat top

 

[Kirkhill]

And to be fair, Dimsum.....

You never know when a spare flat spot could come in handy.

Of course we might have to pay for some of that special heat resistant paint if we wanted to be able to use the ship again.

 

[MarkOttawa]

And the flat spot on land:

...
The Royal Air Force, having a different mission, remained satisfied with the GR-1, the follow-up GR-1A and eventually the GR-3, each version’s performance improved by a larger engine than its predecessor. Its ability to operate off short stretches of roadway and open fields gives Harrier the unique capability of being stationed near the FEBA (the Forward Edge of the Battle Area)...

http://www.historynet.com/british-aerospace-harrier.htm

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Colin Parkinson]

There was a bright idea of having a crane on the back of a destroyer to hot refuel a Harrier while hover just off the side of the ship, crane was supposed to stay stationary through 15 degrees of roll.

 

[Kirkhill]

The Sky Hook wasn't just for refuelling.  It was intended to grab the Harrier in the hover and stow it then remove it from stowage and hang it over the side until it achieved hover.

And all of that with a manually controlled Harrier.

 

[YZT580]

The americans experimented with that concept using a trapeze on the B47 (I think).  The intent was to allow long range bombers to carry their own air defence fighters and they weren't nearly as controllable as the Harrier.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Actually was with B-36--project FICON:

http://www.air-and-space.com/ficon.htm

There was also the XF-85 Goblin developed specifically to be carried as self-escort:

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/military-vehicle-news/xf-85-goblin.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[tomahawk6]

During SDD the USAF saw the F-35 fire 2 AMRAMs at 2 drones at once could be a game changer.


https://www.foxnews.com/tech/f-35-air-to-air-missiles-can-now-hit-2-drones-at-once-changing-air-combat

 

[SupersonicMax]

During SDD the USAF saw the F-35 fire 2 AMRAMs at 2 drones at once could be a game changer.


https://www.foxnews.com/tech/f-35-air-to-air-missiles-can-now-hit-2-drones-at-once-changing-air-combat

Did the game really change?!

 

[tomahawk6]

You're the pilot so give us an opinion. ;D

 

[MarkOttawa]

Singapore buying in slowly (Bs too?), fourth customer in Asia:

Singapore commits to “small” F-35 procurement

Singapore has confirmed that it will replace its Lockheed Martin F-16s with the F-35, but will assess a “small number” before deciding on its long-term fleet.

The country’s defence ministry announced the decision to acquire to acquire the F-35 in a brief statement on its website.

“Our F-16s will have to retire soon after 2030,” said defence minister Ng Eng Hen in a tweet. “Happy to report that [Defence Science and Technology Agency] and [the air force] have completed their technical evaluation for the replacement, and have decided that the F-35 would be the most suitable replacement fighter.”

This will see Singapore become the first F-35 operator in Southeast Asia, and the fourth in the Asia-Pacific after Australia, Japan, and South Korea. It will also become the first Southeast Asian air force equipped with a stealth aircraft.

“The technical evaluation also concluded that the RSAF should first purchase a small number of F-35 JSFs for a full evaluation of their capabilities and suitability before deciding on a full fleet,” said the ministry’s statement.

“In the next phase, [the ministry] will discuss details with relevant parties in the US before confirming its decision to acquire the F-35 JSFs for Singapore's defence capabilities.”

Neither the ministry nor Ng’s tweets stated how many F-35’s Singapore will obtain or in which variants. The tweet was accompanied by two images, apparently shot at different times, of Ng assessing the aircraft.

In the first, he is having a discussion with an officer in front of a US Air Force F-35A with the registration 11-5039. The second image shows him peering into the cockpit of an F-35B, the short take-off and vertical landing version of the jet, with the outline of the door for the jet’s vertical lift fan visible behind the cockpit.

Singapore has made no secret of its interest in the F-35, with senior officials expressing positive views about the programme in recent years. It is believed to have special interest in the F-35B given the highly urbanised nation’s scarcity of land, which makes basing challenging [emphasis added].

For several years, Lockheed has displayed a mock-up of the F-35 at the Singapore air show in RSAF markings. Singapore is a security co-operation participant in the programme, giving it access to programme data and allowing it to request special studies.

In an interview with Flight Daily News earlier this year, air force chief major-general Mervyn Tan stated that Singapore’s lack of strategic depth means that it needs to prioritise airpower.

“After careful studies, we have concluded that the most cost-effective approach will be to upgrade the F-16s to extend its lifespan, while evaluating the F-35 as a potential candidate to strengthen our fighter force and maintain our combat edge into the future,” he said.

“[The Ministry of Defence] is still evaluating the F-35 JSF. Decisions to acquire new and advanced capabilities are important and will be made after careful and thorough evaluation. We have to ensure that our investment not only meets our defence requirements, but is also cost-effective.”

Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Singapore has 60 in service F-16 Block 52 C/D fighters, the average age of which is 17.8 years. These jets are in the process of being upgraded with active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, new avionics, and upgraded cockpits. Singapore also operates 40 F-15SGs with an average age of 6.9 years.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/singapore-commits-to-small-f-35-procurement-455116/

Meanwhile Japan gets smart, saves money:

Japan to cease in-country assembly of F-35 jets

Japan has confirmed it will not use in-country final assembly facilities for its next lot of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.

A spokesperson from the U.S. ally’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, or ATLA, told Defense News it will instead acquire aircraft imported from overseas for its upcoming fiscal 2019 contract.

The ATLA spokesperson referred Defense News to Japan’s Defense Ministry when asked why Japan will stop local assembly and checkout for its F-35s. The ministry has yet to respond to inquiries.

However, the recent defense guidelines and five-year defense plan released by the Japan government in late December said the country wants to “acquire high-performance equipment at the most affordable prices possible” and “review or discontinue projects of low cost-effectiveness.”..

Japan has taken the local final assembly and checkout, or FACO, route since 2013 for the final assembly of F-35As it previously ordered. According to the ATLA spokesperson, the FACO facility, which is operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, will continue to carry out production work until FY22 to fulfill the F-35As contracted by Japan between FY15 and FY18.

Japan has struggled to sustain its local industrial base, with recently released defense guidelines acknowledging it needs to overcome “challenges such as high costs due to low volume, high-mix production and lack of international competitiveness.”

According to Japanese budget documents, the country agreed to purchase 24 of the F-35As, with each aircraft costing an average $144.2 million, although the cost per aircraft has been on a downward trend, with the FY18 batch costing $119.7 million each. (Both figures are based on current exchange rates and do not take into account currency conversion fluctuations.)

In addition to the 42 F-35As, Japan has also indicated it intends to procure a further 105 F-35s, which will include 42 of the F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant. The defense plan has called for the acquisition of 45 F-35s over the next five years, of which 18 will be F-35Bs [emphasis added].
https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2019/01/17/japan-to-cease-in-country-assembly-of-f-35-jets/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

The year ahead:

OPINION: Can F-35 hit programme targets in 2019?

As years go, 2018 was about as good as it gets when casting a historical eye at the various trials and tribulations which have affected - and at times afflicted - the Lockheed Martin F-35 over the past decade or so.

First Israel, then the US Marine Corps used the fifth-generation type in anger for the first time, striking ground targets in the Middle East. Then, as the year drew to a close, Italy and the UK each declared reaching initial operational capability with the fighter. A protracted, 11-year system development and demonstration phase was at last wrapped up, and successful landing trials were also conducted aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Potential order boosts were hinted at by existing recipients Japan and the Netherlands, and Belgium also opted to advance discussions to buy the A-model jet as a successor for its long-serving Lockheed F-16s. All good news for a programme which will stand or fall on the volume and longevity of its production run.

There were of course setbacks, including a brief suspension of deliveries to the US Air Force amid a dispute over corrosion repair costs, a first-ever crash, involving a USMC F-35B, and the heating up of a simmering spat with Turkey over Ankara's parallel procurement of the Lightning II and Russian-made surface-to-air missile systems. Still to be resolved, this issue could impact Washington's plans to deliver an eventual 100 new aircraft to its NATO ally.

Meanwhile, a record 91 deliveries were also made, from Fort Worth in Texas and national final assembly and check-out lines in Italy and Japan: an impressive rise from the 66 examples transferred in 2018 and 46 the year before. Unit prices also continued to fall, as promised.

The challenge now facing Lockheed is to repeat this achievement as output jumps by a further 40%, to at least 130 aircraft during 2019 [emphasis added].

After eight years of production deliveries, the coming 12 months will provide the sternest test yet for Lockheed, its manufacturing partners BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman, and countless other companies throughout its sprawling supply chain for the Lightning II. Success should keep the programme on a path to delivering an $80 million F-35A from 2020 [emphasis added], but any fresh turbulence could deter additional prospective buyers, and offer encouragement to rival producers such as Boeing, Dassault, Eurofighter and Saab.

Outside the three US services, which our data shows have a combined 264 F-35s in active use, nine other nations have now taken delivery of the type, boosting the global inventory beyond 350. While the Lightning II has at times polarised opinion and perhaps still has more than its fair share of detractors, it is rapidly growing in not only capability, but also operational relevance to the countries which have invested so heavily in it.

Lockheed's ability to keep the programme on target has never been more important.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/opinion-can-f-35-hit-programme-targets-in-2019-455120/

More, quite a bit on foreign customers:

ANALYSIS: F-35 production ready to soar in 2019
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-f-35-production-ready-to-soar-in-2019-455123/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Kirkhill]

Singapore buying in slowly (Bs too?), fourth customer in Asia:
Meanwhile Japan gets smart, saves money:

Mark
Ottawa

Japan can more easily acquire the F35s by selling cars, generators and TVs.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Is split buy with Super Hornet for nuke role still a possibility (USN SH-s have no nuclear capability)? What about risk to FCAS next-gen fighter program with France/Airbus if don't go all Typhoon?

Germany officially knocks F-35 out of competition to replace Tornado

Germany’s Ministry of Defence has officially ruled out the F-35 joint strike fighter as a choice to replace its aging Tornado fleet, Defense News has learned.

An official from the ministry confirmed that the F-35 is not a finalist in the competition, which seeks a replacement for the 90-jet fleet. The news was first reported by German site AugenGeradeaus.

The move is not altogether surprising. Berlin for some time has officially favored an upgraded version of the fourth-generation Eurofighter Typhoon, built by a consortium of Airbus, Leonardo and BAE Systems., as the Tornado replacement. The main argument is to keep European companies involved in building combat aircraft and, perhaps even more importantly, staying clear of disturbing Franco-German momentum in armaments cooperation.

However, the decision leaves open the question of certification for nuclear weapons. The Typhoon is not certified to carry the American-made nuclear bombs that Germany, as part of its strategic posture, is supposed to be able to carry on its jets.

Competing against the Typhoon is Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.



Before the German MoD confirmed that the F-35 was officially out of the running, Reuters on Thursday reported that the ministry was considering splitting the buy between the Typhoon and either the F-35 or Super Hornet.

Ordering both the Typhoon and an American aircraft would make it easier to continue carrying out the NATO nuclear mission, while also lending support to the European industrial base. However, it could complicate logistics, adding more expense and forcing the German air force to maintain two supply chains.

It is worth noting that despite complaints about the cost of keeping the ageing Tornados flying, keeping around a certain number of them always has been considered a painful, but not impossible, proposition among some defense experts. That is especially the case for the nuclear mission.

“There does not have to be a nuclear Tornado replacement,” Karl-Heinz Kamp, president of the Federal Academy for Security Policy, a government think tank, told Defense News last August. He noted that any German government is acutely averse to the publicity surrounding Berlin’s would-be atomic bombers.

“That’s why they will keep flying the Tornados, despite the price tag and despite having asked about a Eurofighter nuclear certification in Washington,” Kamp predicted at the time.

This story will be updated.
https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/01/31/germany-officially-knocks-f-35-out-of-competition-to-replace-tornado/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[CBH99]

I know I asked this once before, a while back in a different thread...but just to confirm...

What makes an aircraft capable of fulfilling the nuclear mission, or not being able to fulfill that mission, is simply a matter of software - am I correct?


Because most jets fly high enough & fast enough that escaping the immediate effects of a nuclear blast are pretty much uniform, regardless of the airframe.  It's the software that dictates whether the nuclear weapon can be armed/released?