F-35 Lightning II

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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Vie Jul 27, 2012 8:32 am

Se alcanza un acuerdo con Israel: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=279106
By REUTERS07/27/2012 00:24

Deal reached on $450m. program to enhance electronic warfare equipment on the F-35 fighter jet, integrate Israeli-unique systems.

The Pentagon has reached an agreement with Lockheed Martin Corp on a $450 million program to enhance electronic warfare equipment on the F-35 fighter jet, and integrate Israeli-unique systems beginning in 2016, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

The deal, to be finalized in coming weeks, marks a big step forward for Israel's $2.75 billion agreement to buy 19 F-35 jets, which was signed in October 2010 and includes options for up to 75 of the radar-evading fighters.

"This agreement kicks off the Israeli program," said one of the sources, who was not authorized to speak on the record. "Now all of the agreements are in place."

The F-35 will allow for even greater collaboration in the coming years with Israel, a critical strategic ally for the United States at a time when much of the Middle East is in turmoil.

The deal comes as US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta prepares to visit Israel next week where he will discuss heightened tensions with Iran, which on Thursday underscored its support for Syria despite its brutal crackdown on a 16-month uprising.

It also provides a vote of confidence in the embattled F-35 program, whose cost and technology challenges have overshadowed a year of progress in flight testing.

The deal will allow increased participation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program by Israeli companies, including Elbit Systems Ltd and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, which will start building wings for the radar-evading warplane.

IAI already builds wings for the F-16 fighter jet, the world's most widely used fighter, also built by Lockheed. Elbit, in a joint venture with Rockwell Collins, makes the advanced helmet used by pilots on the single-seat F-35.

Agreement on development of the new Israeli version of the F-35 will allow Israel to install its own radio and datalink systems, as well as other equipment, on the jets it is buying.

But the deal also covers enhancements to the airplane's electronic warfare capabilities that will benefit the United States, Israel and the other nine countries that either have already ordered fighter planes, or plan to in coming years.

The radar-evading, multirole F-35 is the Pentagon's costliest arms purchase, expected to top $396 billion for 2,443 aircraft in three models through the mid-2030s.

Lockheed and its subcontractors are building the stealthy warplane for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps along with Britain and seven other co-development partners -- Italy, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands.
...
Work on the electronic warfare enhancements will be done largely by BAE Systems, the sources said.

Nuevo software de control de vuelo facilita las aproximaciones en el modelo C: http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... asier.html
(Source: US Naval Air Systems Command; issued Jul 25, 2012)

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- Flying approaches for a carrier landing just might be a little easier in the future.

The F-35 Integrated Test Force here completed the first dedicated test flight May 4 to evaluate the F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter’s approach handling characteristics with new flight control laws.

The new flight control software, called Integrated Direct Lift Control (IDLC), translates pilot commands into choreographed changes to engine power and control surface movement, greatly improving glide path control, according to one test pilot.

“I’ve landed [F/A-18] Hornets on a carrier, and I can tell you there is a lot less lag in the F-35C with the IDLC,” said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matthew Taylor, an F-35 test pilot. “I would have been comfortable making the approaches in the carrier environment after just two to three passes.”

Precise glide path control is critical to landing safely on the carrier as a pilot concentrates on maintaining glide slope, angle of attack and lineup.

“Landing on a carrier with current fleet aircraft requires the pilot to make dozens of precise three-part power corrections,” said Lt. Cmdr. Robert Bibeau, carrier suitability department head for Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23. “It’s an acquired skill, needs practice and intense concentration, like hitting a baseball.”

Pilots typically qualify to land on a carrier by completing around 30 landings while in initial flight training and at their fleet replacement squadrons.

“We have to spend a significant amount of training time on carrier landings, especially night landings,” Bibeau said. “To make all the little high-pressure adjustments takes headwork, intellect and reflexes. It’s unforgiving.”

But with the new flight control software IDLC in the F-35, Taylor sees “the potential to reduce the training burden for new pilots going to the ship.”

The F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with its larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear to withstand catapult launches and deck landing impacts associated with the demanding aircraft carrier environment. The F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet.
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Sab Jul 28, 2012 7:54 am

RU recorta el número de F-35B: http://www.janes.com/products/janes/def ... l=business
By Robert Hewson

7/27/2012

UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has signalled a major revision to the UK's plan for procuring the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), with a sizeable cut in the expected number of F-35B short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft purchased and the possible acquisition of a second variant: the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35A.

In remarks on 19 July in the United States, Hammond said the UK would order 48 F-35Bs to equip the UK's future carrier strike force. He added that a follow-on F-35 buy would be set out in a future Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), with the aim of replacing the Eurofighter Typhoon in UK service.

Hammond was in the US to attend the handover of the UK's first F-35B (BK-1) at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth facility. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed his comments, telling IHS Jane's : "The defence secretary said that initially the UK would buy 48 jets for the aircraft carriers and announce at a later date what the final numbers would be. We will not finalise our decisions on the F-35 programme until SDSR in 2015."SDSR in 2015."

Y en Israel ya hay debate, sobre si pedir un segundo lote de F-35s o por el contrario gastarse el dinero en más Namer: http://www.israeldefense.com/?CategoryI ... cleID=1492
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Vie Ago 03, 2012 8:30 am

Nuevo líder para el F-35, esta vez proveniente de la USAF: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... me-375051/
By: DAVE MAJUMDAR WASHINGTON DC 11 hours ago Source:

US Air Force Maj Gen Christopher Bogdan is being nominated to become the next head of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme.

Bogdan, who until recently was the programme manager for the USAF's prized Boeing KC-46 tanker effort, is currently serving as the deputy to current F-35 chief Vice Admiral David Venlet. Bodgan was also nominated for his third star and will appointed to the rank of Lieutenant General when he takes over the programme later this year.


Meanwhile, the USAF announced its second training location for the F-35 earlier today. 72 of the single engine stealth aircraft will be stationed at Luke AFB, Arizona. The desert base currently serves as the main training base for the USAF's Lockheed F-16 fleet, but those aircraft will be shifted to Holloman AFB, New Mexico.

Holloman's current fleet of Lockheed F-22 Raptors will move to Tyndall AFB, Florida, where they will fly with the soon to be reformed 95th Fighter Squadron.
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Sab Ago 04, 2012 8:46 am

Continuando con la anteriror noticia, las primeras unidades para Luke AFB podrían llegar el año que viene: http://www.azcentral.com/community/glen ... -2013.html
by Sonu Munshi - Aug. 3, 2012 08:41 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com
...
The base is expected to get 72 F-35A Lightning IIs, which could begin to arrive as early as fall 2013.

Some residents near the base had raised concerns about noise, but many more supported the F-35, calling the mission a matter of pride and economic security for Arizona

Politicians across the West Valley and beyond hailed the decision.

"The military industry is one of the largest industries in our state, and Luke serves as the anchor," said Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs, who co-chaired a campaign to land the F-35.

She said the mission "will bring with it decades of tremendous military value to our national security and sustainable economic benefits to our region and state."

The mission would bring an estimated 1,000 direct and indirect permanent jobs and $17 million annually in local, state and federal tax revenues with 72 jets placed at Luke.

Y una curiosidad "supersónica": http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx? ... c09177c61f
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Vie Ago 17, 2012 8:44 am

Vuela el primer F-35 holandés sin ningún tipo de publicidad: http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... tices.html

Sobre el programa canadiense, incluyendo las últimas intenciones de realizar una auditoría sobre las cifras proporcionadas por el DND sobre costes: http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Can ... ets-05739/

Entre otros datos interesantes, la línea temporal:

Imagen
Imagen

El AG-1, después de completar satisfactoriamente las pruebas estáticas en RU, vuelve a Fort Worth: http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... to-us.html
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Lun Ago 20, 2012 10:58 am

Y algo más sobre los costes en Canadá: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology ... story.html

Resulta que desde que se anunció el 3 de abril un plan de revisión de 7 puntos no se ha hecho ningún pago al programa. En teoría, las unidades para este país comenzarán a salir de la LRIP-9, en 2014-15, que a pesar de todo asegura que sigue adelante. Por cierto, de momento han recibido contratos por valor de $400 millones.

El precio total, recordemos que varía según fuentes desde $14.700 (departamento de Defensa) a $29.000 millones (Kevin Page, de la oficina presupuestaria del Parlamento).
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor Orel el Lun Ago 20, 2012 2:39 pm

Información del forista InternationalPirate en http://typhoon.starstreak.net/forum/ (ha demostrado estar bien informado)

Las empresas de defensa surcoreanas se han levantado contra la oferta del F-35.
Han filtrado los retornos ofrecidos por Lockheed (datos que no eran confidenciales), y básicamente estos son cero, EEUU no les da nada de retorno por el F-35 (es decisión del DoD). Lo cual, obviamente, les ha cabreado.
Bueno sí, ofrecen unos pocos elementos de baja tecnología, nada nuevo para los fabricantres locales.

Todo eso después de decirles que no les dejarán ni volar el F-35 para probarlo ni siquiera hacer seguimiento con otro caza.

Vamos, que ofrecen el F-35 "con la boca pequeña", quieren colarles el Silent Eagle y punto. Se están preguntando cómo Japón pudo aceptar unos términos semejantes.
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Mié Ago 22, 2012 8:31 am

Más y más de Canadá. Ahora resulta que ante tanto revuelo un "experto" dice que no deberían comprarlo antes de que lo prueben los pilotos canadienses: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/poli ... xpert-says

Pues menudo experto... si la decisión dependiese de los pilotos estaría todo más que firmado, en Canadá y en cualquier otro país del mundo.
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Jue Ago 23, 2012 8:26 am

Los marines comenzarán a entrenarse con el F-35 en Florida: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/ ... 4S20120822

Según esta noticia, ya se han entregado 10 unidades de la versión B.

Rolls Royce enseña el simulador del F-35: http://www.indystar.com/article/2012082 ... nav%7Chead

Como curiosidad, una encuesta revela que los holandeses sugieren recortar más el gasto en defensa, y en concreto eliminar el F-35: http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... nding.html

Por supuesto también opinan que se debería cortar las ayudas al desarrollo al resto de países europeos.

La decisión, como sabeis, ha sido retrasada y la tomará el próximo gobierno.
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Dom Ago 26, 2012 9:01 am

En Eglin ya se han volado 200 misiones: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ie-375794/

Ya han comenzado a volar el Block-1B (mejoras en software y alguna en hardware), aunque de momento la envolvente de vuelo sigue bastante restringida. Han dejado de necesitar un avión distinto como acompañante (las misiones las realizan ahora parejas de F-35s) y en las próximas semanas comenzarán los repostajes en vuelo.

Por cierto, de momento nada de versión de guerra electrónica, por lo menos para los marines: http://defensetech.org/2012/08/24/no-pl ... w-variant/

Un saludo.
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Lun Ago 27, 2012 8:22 am

Como sabeis, Australia dotará de capacidad EW a la mitad de sus 24 Super Hornet (por $1.500 millones...), lo que implicará dos flotas de aviones durante varias décadas. Pues bien, la consecuencia directa de esta política es que no podrán costearse las 100 unidades planeadas inicicalmente del F-35: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/br ... 6459094127
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Mar Ago 28, 2012 11:51 am

100 vuelos en 44 días: http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm ... y_ID/29240

Entregadas las primeras piezas australianas para sus unidades: http://www.defensenews.com/article/2012 ... |FRONTPAGE

El nuevo jefe de defensa en Canadá, un enamorado del F-35: http://www.leaderpost.com/news/defence+ ... story.html
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Jue Ago 30, 2012 9:05 am

$207 millones para incorporar electrónica israelí: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ms-375899/

En principio en 2016 debería estar listo, por lo que las primeras unidades para este país ya incorporarán las modificaciones.

Parece ser que los fondos para pruebas se han recortado bastante: http://defense.aol.com/2012/08/28/penta ... -ote-plan/

El informe al que hace referencia, manifiesta dudas sobre todo en el programa de pruebas de los sistemas de guerra electrónica.

Comentarios sobre la versión B: http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... ation.html
(Source: US Marine Corps; issued Aug. 28, 2012)
...
Col. Arthur Tomassetti, vice commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing, Air Education and Training Command at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and a seasoned pilot with more than 3,200 flight hours in 35 different aircraft, has been with the Joint Strike Fighter program since its inception. His knowledge and experience have helped shape the F-35B into the ideal STOVL aircraft for the Marine Corps.

“Whatever you want to believe about the F-35 today, we finally built the STOVL airplane we’ve been trying to build for 60 years,” Tomassetti said.
...
“This is where we talk about a fifth generation airplane versus a fourth generation airplane,” Tomassetti said. “Most of what people want to lock into with fifth generation is stealth, low observable, and the cool pieces of it. That’s great and you want as much of that as you can get. But the other piece of fifth generation is that data link and that networking capability. We used to have F/A 18s go in as the fighter cover and F/A 18s and Harriers go in as the ones that were dropping the bombs and EA-6Bs as support from an electronic attack. All those airplanes were needed to go after one target that was heavily defended. Now, we have four F-35s. They can do the fighter mission; they can do the bombing mission; they can do the electronic attack mission. They can go after that same target with a lot less airplanes.”

From his earliest days working with the X-35, Tomassetti was committed to making the new aircraft easier to handle.

“Anytime you have to spend a lot of time practicing for something, that means it’s hard,” Tomassetti said. “And things shouldn’t be hard. We should always be striving to make things easy. When you’re flying airplanes in combat, there’s enough hard things going on that you don’t want simple things like navigating from point A to point B, and your take off and landing to be the hardest things you do all day. You’ve got other stuff when you’re in the battle space that should be the hardest things you do each day.”

In keeping with this desire, the F-35B is equipped with only two joystick controls, instead of the three that the Harrier has. Also, the simulator designed to teach the pilot to fly is so similar to the airplane that the pilot can fly with confidence after mastering the simulator.

“If you ask anybody who has flown the airplane or anyone who’s flown the simulator – regardless of their aviation background – they all say, wow that’s easy; I thought it would be harder,” Tomassetti said.

Pues eso, que lo han hecho muy fácil de volar, y en parte por eso no existe versión biplaza.
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor champi el Vie Ago 31, 2012 3:28 pm

En breve comenzarán los vuelos a grandes ángulos de ataque y más de separación de municiones: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... fb-375964/
By: DAVE MAJUMDAR WASHINGTON DC 13 hours ago Source: Flight International

Test pilots at Edwards AFB, California, are set to begin high angle-of-attack (AOA) flights and weapons separation testing on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

So far this year, pilots at the isolated desert base have flown about 350 sorties, says Lt Col George Schwartz, director of the F-35 integrated test force and commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron. Much of the activity has focused on high speed tests which have seen the F-35 being repeatedly pushed out to its maximum speed of Mach 1.6 and 700 knots calibrated airspeed-often fully laden with internal weapons.

Another ongoing theme for the Edwards test pilots is maturity testing for the software required for the F-35 training mission currently underway at Eglin AFB, Florida. The test pilots at the base have also flown night aerial refueling missions and have completed all of the engine air starts required for the F-35A conventional take-off and landing variant (CTOL).

For the engine air start tests, the F-35 needed some modifications, one of which was the addition of a second cockpit pressurization system. The added pressurization system was necessary because the tests involved shutting down the jet's engine at high altitude. "We finished that up with two engine restarts at 40,000ft and 37,500ft," Schwartz says.

Though the air start sorties were challenging in a single-engine fighter, the testing was necessary in order to move onto exploring particularly difficult parts of the jet's flight envelope. "That allowed us to go into high AOA testing where we will start expanding the envelope from 20° AOA all the way up to 50° AOA," Schwartz says. "It's going to start probably in September."

Right now, engineers are in the final stages of attaching an anti-spin parachute to aircraft AF-4. "We've finished almost everything for that," Schwartz says. The next step will be to test deploying the chute during runway taxi trials in order to make sure it works properly.

Initially, test pilots will simply push the F-35 out to 50° AOA. But then the veteran aviators will have to intentionally depart the aircraft from controlled flight in order to gauge how the jet behaves under those conditions. They will also evaluate the F-35's departure recovery procedures and its departure resistance characteristics. "It's the kind of stuff a test pilot dreams of doing," Schwartz says.

Like the transonic region of the flight envelope, high AOA testing flight is particularly tricky. While there have been improvements made, there are still some transonic roll-off problems--where the aircraft begins an uncommanded roll at speeds between Mach 0.9 and Mach 1.2--that have yet to be fully ironed out on the F-35. Those problems are being fixed with tweaks to the F-35's flight control laws. But Schwartz says, similar discoveries are possible in other challenging parts of the envelope like high AOA flight. "We expect to find stuff and we'll get it corrected," Schwartz says. "That's why we're here."

There are also ongoing trials with external weapons loads and pilots at Edwards hope to start testing weapons separations soon. Currently, all weapons pit drop tests required for the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase, save for the 250lbs GBU-39 small diameter bombs, have been completed. "We're just getting ready to do our first weapons separation and that'll be in the October timeframe," Schwartz says. "We're going to do a GBU-31 and an AIM-120."

In addition to physical tests of the airframe and weapons, there are also extensive mission systems trials ongoing at Edwards. The integrated test force has already finished vetting the F-35's Block 1B software, which begins to fuse some of the data from the jet's myriad sensors, Schwartz says. That software is now being deployed with the training fleet at Eglin AFB. So far, the software has become more and more stable as testers wring out the problems and the code is corrected in later releases. But there have been some "minor integration issues," Schwartz says.

Currently, Edwards is testing the "very last part" of software Block 2A. Schwartz says that testing is complete for the low rate initial production Lot 4 jets' software. The test force is hoping to be flying with the Block 2B software load starting in the fall. "That's the one that going to be going into the first big operational test period," Schwartz says. It is also the software block that the US Marine Corps hopes to declare initial operational capability with on the F-35B.

Mission systems testing will accelerate in the next year. There are currently six F-35s at Edwards, but three more are scheduled to arrive by early 2013. Two of those will be USMC short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B-model jets while one will be a US Navy F-35C carrier variant aircraft. "Those jets will be dedicated to mission systems testing," Schwartz says. "Especially with the mission systems testing, it's in the heart of the development right now."
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Re: F-35 Lightning II

Notapor Orel el Sab Sep 01, 2012 11:28 am

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