JSF

[JT8D]

4 velivoli F-35A del 32° Stormo dell’Aeronautica Militare sono atterrati nei giorni scorsi in Islanda per prendere parte all’Operazione NATO di Air Policing Northern Lightning III.

https://www.md80.it/2022/05/02/aeronaut ... tning-iii/

Paolo

[richelieu]

4 velivoli F-35A del 32° Stormo dell’Aeronautica Militare sono atterrati nei giorni scorsi in Islanda per prendere parte all’Operazione NATO di Air Policing Northern Lightning III.

https://www.md80.it/2022/05/02/aeronaut ... tning-iii/

Paolo

Grazie, Paolo!
Anche un reparto di F-35A della Vermont Air National Guard è stato rischierato in Europa ...

At least eight F-35A stealth aircraft, belonging to the 158th Fighter Wing of the U.S. Air Force are currently deploying to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, to support Enhanced Air Policing mission on NATO’s Eastern Flank.
The aircraft launched from their base at Burlington ANGB, Vermont, early on May 2, 2022.
Supported by at least four tankers, the “Green Mountain Boys” of the 158th FW are due replace the F-35A jets belonging to the 388th FW and 419th FW from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, that have been operating out of Spangdahlem since Feb. 16, 2022.
In the beginning, the VT ANG will not completely replace the Hill AFB’s F-35s but they will complement the Hill AFB F-35s as the Lightning II jets of the various active, ANG and Reserve’s jets are expected to operate together from the German base for some weeks.

… theaviationist.com … Vermont Air National Guard’s F-35s On Their Way To Germany To Support NATO In Eastern Europe …

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F-35 JSF ... il più recente "Rapporto al Congresso" ...

... s3.documentcloud.org ... https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/ ... 2-2022.pdf ...

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Motori AETP (Adaptive Engine Transition Program) per gli F-35 ... se ne parlerà nel prossimo Bilancio della Difesa degli Stati Uniti ...

Whether the F-35 fighter will get new engines from the Air Force’s cutting-edge Adaptive Engine Transition Program is a question that needs to be resolved at the Defense Department level, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers May 17 - and he anticipates an answer in the 2024 budget.
“There are a number of options to improve the performance of the F-35 engine,” Kendall told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee.
“The problem we have is that it’s a fairly complicated situation.”
For months now, members of Congress, Air Force officials, industry partners, and the F-35 Joint Program Office have talked about potential changes to the F-35’s F135 engine manufactured by Pratt & Whitney.
Options have included either a modernized F135 “Enhanced Engine Package” or an advanced engine from AETP, which would provide substantial increases in performance and efficiency.

… airforcemag.com … Decision on New F-35 Engines Predicted in 2024 Defense Budget …

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Contratto relativo al lotto 16 degli F-35 ...

Il Dipartimento della Difesa degli Stati Uniti ha ampliato un contratto già in essere con Lockheed Martin, aggiungendo circa 400 (397,7) milioni di dollari per l’iniziale supporto tecnico degli F-35 Lightning II Lotto 16 di produzione.
Quest’ampliamento contrattuale permetterà l’acquisizione di parti di rispetto e l’approvvigionamento di kit pezzi di ricambio per il supporto iniziale a livello globale degli F-35 Lotto 16 dei servizi statunitensi (USAF, US Navy ed USMC), dei Paesi partecipanti al programma JSF e dei clienti FSM.

… aresdifesa.it … A Lockheed Martin un contratto per il supporto iniziale degli F-35 Lotto 16 …

Il testo originale (dalla pagina "Contracts" del DOD del 13 Maggio 2022) ...

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $397,726,298 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00003) to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract (N0001921D0001).
This modification exercises options to procure initial spares in support of F-35 Lightning II Lot 16 deliveries, as well as procures global spares pool and afloat spares package/deployment spares packages for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales customers, and non-U.S. Department of Defense participants.
Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in December 2024.
No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued.
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

[richelieu]

F-35 JSF ... verranno effettuati nuovi controlli ad alto livello onde verificare vari aspetti relativi al comportamento del velivolo in occasione dei rischieramenti oltremare ...

The U.S. comptroller general, who oversees the Government Accountability Office, would assess sustainability challenges of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and report back to Congress by March 2023 under a House Armed Services subcommittee markup of the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.
The readiness subcommittee tasked the comptroller general, Gene L. Dodaro, with what amounts to a lessons - learned evaluation of how well F-35s have fared when deployed - as well as how the left-behind aircraft in their units do during those deployments - to assess the adequacy of spare parts and other elements of the F-35 support enterprise.
The subcommittee has been vocal about its displeasure with F-35 sustainment costs and availability rates.
Panel chair John Garamendi (D-Calif.) has pledged to fight hard to block his colleagues from adding more F-35s than the Pentagon asks for, noting that adding aircraft before the support enterprise is ready for them only worsens the readiness problem.
Congress has added a dozen aircraft to the Air Force’s F-35 request for several years running.
--- --- ---
Specifically, the comptroller would examine:

* whether the F-35 met expectations when deployed ...
* whether the F-35 experienced sustainment challenges when deployed ...
* whether current stocks of spare parts and consumables were adequate to unit needs when deployed ...
* challenges of “operating and maintaining F-35s that remain at the air bases or stations from which F-35s are deployed” and ...
* ... “any other topics” relative to operating the fighter that the comptroller thinks are relevant ...

… airforcemag.com … New F-35 Sustainability Review Ordered by HASC Readiness Panel …

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F-35 JSF ... assegnati tre contratti per uno studio destinato allo sviluppo di una nuova arma di attacco contro obiettivi terrestri ...

The U.S. Air Force has awarded contracts to three companies for the first phase of a new program to develop an air-to-ground stand-in attack weapon that the F-35 jet could use to destroy enemy air defenses.
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and L3Harris Technologies said this week the service selected them for phase one of the SIAW program.
The three-month contracts, each for $2 million, were awarded May 25, Lena Lopez, a spokeswoman for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Armament Directorate, said Wednesday.
The Air Force signaled it was preparing to move forward with the SIAW in supporting documents for its proposed fiscal 2023 budget, which for the first time requested $78 million to start procuring 42 of the weapons.

… defensenews.com … US Air Force awards contracts to start designing F-35 weapon …

Anche qui … airforcemag.com … Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, Northrop Grumman Get Stand-in Attack Weapon Contracts …

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F-35 JSF ... ora anche nel ruolo di "Aggressore" ...

The U.S. Air Force has re-established the 65th Aggressor Squadron within the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB, Nevada, to operate Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs in the “Red Air” dissimilar air combat training role.
Immediately prior to the June 9 establishment ceremony, Air Combat Command chief General Mark Kelly flew an F-15E Strike Eagle in mock combat against the 65th AGRS’s first F-35A, which was piloted by the new squadron’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Mauta.
--- --- ---
The decision to allocate early-production F-35As to the adversary role was made in 2019, part of an overall program to improve fighter tactics as a result of the growing fifth-generation fighter threats from China such as the Chengdu J-20 and, to a lesser extent, Russia's Su-57 ...
“Due to the growing threat posed by PRC fifth- and sixth-gen fighter development, we must use a portion of our daily fifth-generation aircraft today at Langley, Elmendorf, Hill, Eielson, and now Nellis, to replicate adversary fifth-generation capabilities,” said Kelly.
“Precisely because we have this credible threat, when we do replicate a fifth-gen adversary, it has to be done professionally. That's the Aggressors.”

… ainonline.com … U.S. Air Force Stands Up F-35 Aggressor Squadron …

Anche qui … blogbeforeflight.net … U.S. Air Force Stands Up F-35 Aggressor Squadron …

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F-35 JSF ... ora anche nel ruolo di "Aggressore" ...

Se ne parla anche qui … airforcemag.com … First Ever F-35 Aggressor Squadron Stands Up at Nellis …

E qui … thedrive.com/the-war-zone … First F-35 Aggressor Dedicated To Replicating Chinese Threats Unveiled …

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Il CSM USAF Generale Charles Q. Brown Jr. ha visitato il Canada per parlare, fra le altre cose, anche dello F-35 ...

... Brown also “further welcomed” Canada’s decision to buy the F-35, the USAF readout states.
The Canadian government picked the F-35 in March as the preferred bidder for its next fighter jet, announcing plans to buy 88 of the fifth-generation aircraft.
Deliveries would be slated to start in 2025.
However, the final contracts with Lockheed Martin have not been signed as negotiations are ongoing, and according to Global News, Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi has warned that it is not guaranteed that a deal will be reached.
Canada’s history with the F-35 is a fraught one.
Initial plans from 2010 to buy 65 of the jets became a political issue, and then-candidate for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised on the campaign trail in 2015 to cancel any F-35 orders.
Now in office, Trudeau and his government have reversed course, but critics say they remain frustrated by the delays.
Brown, for his part, “noted that the increased capabilities and interoperability afforded by a common platform would bolster the continental defense partnership,” according to the USAF release.
Should Canada finalize a deal for F-35s, it would join the U.S., Finland, Norway, and Denmark as Arctic nations that either operate or have agreed to buy F-35s.

… airforcemag.com … Brown Visits Counterparts in Canada to Talk Arctic, NORAD Modernization, F-35 …

&

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Sarà quella di Rovaniemi la base ove verranno schierati i primi F-35 finlandesi ...

On May 27, Finnish Air Force Commander Juha-Pekka Keranen announced: “The F-35 squadron will first enter service with the air force at Rovaniemi in Lapland in 2026.”
This base is located 7 km north of Rovaniemi city – which is famous for the village of Santa Claus, the hometown of Santa Claus.

… morningexpress.in … Finland’s F-35 squadron will be Santa’s ‘neighbor’ in Lapland …

[richelieu]

Assegnato un contratto miliardario a "Pratt and Whitney Military Engines" per la fornitura di motori F135 destinati agli F-35 dei lotti 15 e 16 ...

Dalla pagina "Contracts" del DoD del 14 Giugno 2022 ...

Raytheon Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is awarded a not-to-exceed $4,385,492,639 undefinitized modification (P00005) to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price incentive (firm-target) contract (N0001920C0011).
This modification adds scope for the production and delivery of Lot 15 and 16 F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter propulsion systems to include 152 F135-PW-100 propulsion systems (108 for the Air Force, 29 for the Navy, and 15 for the Marine Corps); and 26 F135-PW-600 propulsion systems for the Marine Corps, as well as long lead-time components, parts, and materials associated with F135-PW-100 and F135-PW-600 propulsion systems for non-U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.
Additionally, this modification provides global spares requirements to include spare engines, power modules, and other hardware.
This modification also provides a Block 4 Short Take-Off Vertical Landing developmental test engine for flight test efforts.
Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (17%); Indianapolis, Indiana (10%); Middletown, Connecticut (8%); Kent, Washington (7%); North Berwick, Maine (4%); El Cajon, California (3%); Cromwell, Connecticut (3%); Whitehall, Michigan (3%); Portland, Oregon (2%); San Diego, California (2%); South Bend, Indiana (2%); Columbus, Georgia (1%); Hampton, Virginia (1%); Manchester, Connecticut (1%); Cheshire, Connecticut (1%); Elmwood Park, New Jersey (1%); various locations within the continental U.S. (27%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (7%), and is expected to be completed in September 2024.
Fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $533,202,564; fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $486,934,274; fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $499,194,377; fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $379,564,738; fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $5,355,067; fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,355,066; non-U.S. DOD participants funds in the amount of $636,195,308; and FMS customer funds in the amount of $355,166,432 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Anche qui … airforcemag.com … Raytheon’s Pratt & Whitney Gets $4.4 Billion F-35 Engine Deal …

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Andranno a Büchel gli F-35A della Luftwaffe ...

As expected, the Luftwaffe (GAF, German Air Force) Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft will be based at Büchel air base in the Eifel region.
The air base has been closed early June 2022 for an intensive upgrade and reconstruction programme that is expected to be finished in February 2026.

… scramble.nl … Luftwaffe F-35A Lightning II at Büchel air base …

[richelieu]

F-35 JSF ... ora anche nel ruolo di "Aggressore" ...

Erano emersi dubbi che ora sono stati chiariti ...

The new “Splinter” camouflage on aggressor F-35s at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., shouldn’t negate or interfere with their low observability, meaning they can truly play the role of a stealthy sparring partner for USAF fighters, according to a Nellis spokesperson.
The first two F-35s to appear in camouflage were revealed June 9 at a Nellis ceremony to reactivate the 65th Aggressor Squadron, wearing a paint scheme reminiscent of both the Russian Su-57 Felon and Chinese J-20 fighters.
“Nellis maintenance personnel applied alternate paint to create the unique camouflage scheme after coordination with the F-35 Joint Program Office,” the Nellis spokesperson said in an emailed response to a query.
“While the application of the alternate paint is a first, we do not anticipate it will have any adverse impacts on the F-35’s low-observable properties,” the spokesperson said.
“The alternate paint can be removed at any time to return our aircraft to the original configuration.”

… airforcemag.com … USAF Doesn’t Expect New Aggressor F-35s’ Camo to Interfere With Stealth …

[richelieu]

F-35 JSF ... assegnati nuovi contratti ...

Dalla pagina "Contracts" del DoD del 30 Giugno 2022 ...

Raytheon Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is awarded a $68,985,890 fixed-price incentive (firm-target), cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001922F2574) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001922G0001).
This order provides non-recurring engineering for early identification, development, and qualification of corrections to potential and actual F-135 propulsion system operational issues, to include safety and reliability/maintainability problems identified through fleet usage.
Additionally, this order provides for continued engine maturation; evaluates component life limits based on operational experience; improves operational readiness; and reduces engine maintenance and life cycle costs in support of the F-35 Lightning II program.
Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (90%); and Indianapolis, Indiana (10%), and is expected to be completed in December 2025.
Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $22,000,000; and fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $11,957,500 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year.
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Anche qui … airforcemag.com … Pentagon Awards $80 Million for Work on F-35 Engines, Weapons Integration …

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"F-35 Joint Program Office" ... il Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt è il successore del Lt. Gen. Eric Fick quale nuovo funzionario esecutivo del programma ...

Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt was sworn in as the new program executive officer for the F-35 Joint Program Office on Tuesday.
Schmidt, who was previously PEO for command, control, communication, intelligence and networks at Hansom Air Force Base in Massachusetts, succeeded Lt. Gen. Eric Fick, who is retiring.
Schmidt, who on Monday tested positive for COVID-19, teleconferenced into the ceremony at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C.
Schmidt is now responsible for steering one of the most complex and vital programs in the Defense Department, the fifth-generation fighter flown by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as multiple international partners.
Schmidt said he is “honored and excited to … lead the biggest and best program in the entire world,” and is looking forward to continuing to develop the F-35.
He also thanked Fick for his work leading the program.

… defensenews.com … New leader takes over at F-35 program office …

Anche qui … breakingdefense.com … The Pentagon’s F-35 program office has a new top leader …

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Ancora a proposito del cambio della guardia allo "F-35 Joint Program Office" ...
Sul sito dell'Air Force Association è apparso un articolo che rivela che la selezione di Schmidt potrebbe indicare che il Pentagono si sta preparando - come ha indicato il Congresso - a smantellare il "JPO" in modo tale che ogni servizio gestisca la propria flotta di F-35 ...

Sources also said Schmidt’s selection may be an indication that the Pentagon is preparing - as Congress has directed - to break up the program office such that each service manages its own fleet of F-35s.
The Air Force operates F-35As, which take off and land conventionally and which comprise by far the largest component of the all-variant F-35 inventory, worldwide.
The Marine Corps’ F-35Bs have short takeoff/vertical landing capability, while the Navy/Marine Corps F-35Cs can operate from conventional aircraft carriers.
Congress has said it believes F-35 sustainment costs could be sharply reduced if the services were allowed to organize sustainment according to their own needs.

… airforcemag.com … Schmidt Succeeds Fick as New F-35 PEO; Two USAF Directors in a Row May Signal JPO Break-Up …

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F-35 ... il centro di manutenzione italiano di Cameri apre i battenti ai clienti internazionali con un jet norvegese ...

Italy’s F-35 final assembly line has been qualified to start offering maintenance to European jets and this month received its first customer: a Norwegian F-35.
The Norwegian fighter flew in July 4 after the facility at Cameri in northern Italy achieved full operational capability for F-35 overhauls last month, F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin said.
A spokeswoman for the firm said the DoD joint program office for the fighter certified Cameri’s Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul, and Upgrade (MROU) facility as achieving full operating capability in June.
Cameri, an Italian air force base which started life as a final assembly line for Italy’s expected order of 90 jets and delivered the first in 2015, is owned by the Italian government and operated by Italian state-controlled defense firm Leonardo in partnership with Lockheed Martin.

… defensenews.com … Italy F-35 maintenance hub opens for international customers with Norwegian jet …

[richelieu]

Il motore dell'F-35 è a un bivio, con in gioco miliardi di dollari per l'industria ...
E i militari dovranno prendere decisioni su quale motore adottare entro non troppo tempo ... ma, a quanto pare, la situazione è parecchio complicata ...

The Pentagon and industry agree the F-35 engine needs improvements.
But despite years of development and debate, the path forward isn’t yet clear.
With the fifth-generation fighter’s missile capacity, electronic warfare, and targeting systems advancing beyond what was originally conceived, and the U.S. Air Force concerned about the potential for war against China, the service is planning to put more power and cooling ability on the F-35.
But there remain multiple options for how to get there.
One approach is making a series of upgrades to the existing Pratt & Whitney-made F135 engine currently powering the F-35 through the Enhanced Engine Program.
Another potential path is an entirely new replacement engine using cutting-edge technology such as a third stream of air to improve fuel efficiency and thrust.
Pratt & Whitney and General Electric Aviation have each developed competing versions as part of the Adaptive Engine Transition Program, known as AETP.
Officials from the Air Force and Defense Department so far have not decided whether the F-35 will receive a new adaptive engine or an upgraded F135.
But within the next year, the companies expect the military’s future plans to come into focus.
The military’s decision will determine the future power and propulsion capabilities of the cornerstone of the Air Force’s fighter fleet - not to mention where billions of defense dollars will ultimately go.

… defensenews.com … The F-35 engine is at a crossroads, with billions of dollars for industry at stake …

[richelieu]

Raggiunto l'accordo fra LM e JPO per i lotti 15-16-17 ...

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/f-35-jpo-an ... -aircraft/ ...

... defensenews.com ... https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022/07 ... -of-f-35s/ ...

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Anche su AW&ST ...

... aviationweek.com ... https://aviationweek.com/shownews/farnb ... 5-contract ...

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General Electric studia l'opzione del motore adattivo XA100 per l'F-35B ...

With ongoing ground tests of the General Electric XA100 adaptive cycle combat engine set to end soon, the engine-maker is studying how the advanced propulsion system - proposed for the Lockheed Martin F-35A/C - could be adapted to include the short-take-off-and-vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35B version.
The study is being undertaken with the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), Lockheed Martin and Rolls-Royce, the provider of the lift fan system which enables the F-35B version to operate in STOVL mode.
Results of the study - which will outline the feasibility of modifying the variable cycle engine for operation in future versions of the variant now flown by the U.S. Marine Corps, Japan, UK, Singapore and Italy - will be available in time for the fall meeting of the JSF Executive Steering Board.
“We offer a 100% common solution between the F-35A and the F-35C -no structural redesign of either aircraft is required,” says David Tweedie, vice president and general manager of GE Edison Works Advanced Products unit.
“For the B model that was initially outside the scope of what we undertook, but it's been 10 years of hard effort to really mature this technology and get this design to the point that we think we're ready to launch.”

… aviationweek.com … GE Studies XA100 Adaptive Engine Option For F-35B …

[richelieu]

Motore General Electric XA100 AETP per l'F-35 ... “La tecnologia è pronta e le esigenze sono maggiori di prima. Ora è il momento di procedere” ...

Tests on GE Aviation's XA100 adaptive cycle engine have shown that the technology has matured enough and that the time has come to move the program forward.
In March the second of two prototypes of the XA100 began testing with the U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tullahoma, Tennessee.
The engine was developed as part of the USAF’s Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) and is aimed at providing a new powerplant for the F-35A (and the Navy’s F-35C) around the end of the decade.
Results from the ongoing Arnold tests, and those conducted by the engine-maker at its Evendale, Ohio, plant - which now total several hundred hours of run-time.
“We believe that we have reached a critical decision point,” said David Tweedie, v-p and general manager advanced projects at GE’s Edison Works, the company’s research and development business unit for military solutions.
“Everyone agrees that something needs to be done. The technology is ready, and the needs are greater than they were. Now it’s time to proceed.”

… ainonline.com … GE Believes Time is Right for Transformational Engine …

[richelieu]

L'eventuale adozione da parte degli Stati Uniti dei nuovi motori "AETP" potrebbe causare problemi agli altri acquirenti degli F-35 ...

Da FlightGlobal ...

Why engine replacement plan would hurt F-35’s international credentials ...
By James Maclaren - 25 July 2022

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 has become the air force centrepiece for a growing number of Western nations.
The interoperability of the aircraft’s operations and sustainment systems is recognised as a force multiplier in the delivery of combat air power, whether deployed to blunt Russian aggression in Europe or challenge China’s rise to dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.
The decision to operate the aircraft is driven in large measure by the requirement for a fighter that can evolve over an expected four-decade lifecycle, during which it will be developed and upgraded, enabling it to maintain superiority over Russian and Chinese rivals.
While the aircraft’s stealth, sensor and strike abilities are well known, its technical interoperability is a crucial factor in delivering consistent frontline capability, which strengthens US-led global alliances.
This interoperability is more than allies co-ordinating and communicating effort; it is integration at the level of the operating platform.
This capability was seamlessly demonstrated by the inclusion of a US Marine Corps (USMC) F-35B squadron in the air wing of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
This level of integration offers decisive combat flexibility and has energised the fifth-generation modernisation of European and other allied air forces – and is widely seen as a major contribution to Western security and deterrence.
Against this success, a US decision to begin serious consideration of retrofitting the F-35 fleet via the Adaptive Engine Technology Programme (AETP) may raise eyebrows in the defence ministries of the many allies and prospective operators of the aircraft.
Consideration of an AETP retrofit appears to be a unilateral one, driven by the needs of the type’s single largest operator: the US Air Force.
The current F135 propulsion system supplied by Pratt & Whitney is at the heart of F-35 performance capabilities.
Shifting the programme in the direction of AETP – an effort originally conceived to support development of sixth-generation fighter capability – may leave partners and allies wondering where the considerable technical and financial risk may eventually fall.

FORCED CHANGE?

These concerns are made sharper by the rapid timeframe for such a retrofit envisaged by the US Congress, with key influencers there suggesting the fleet could gain a new propulsion system by the end of 2027.
Whether allies will be forced to accept AETP to maintain interoperability or will need to diverge by running on the current propulsion system – with its consequences on supply chain, sustainment and interoperability – remains to be seen.
An AETP retrofit could be particularly bad news for the UK – the programme’s only Level 1 partner – and Japan, which is the largest overseas purchaser of the F-35.
The lack of design compatibility with the short take-off and vertical landing B-model operated by both countries will have a major impact – as it will on the USMC.
The retrofit proposal is not a done deal, however.
P&W’s proposed F135 upgrade goes a long way to achieving the necessary operational capability, and opponents question the need for the effort and resources required to overcome the technical challenges of changing the combat aircraft’s propulsion system.
A decision from Congress is expected in early 2023.
In the meantime, the effects of this proposal on the coalition of F-35 partners and operators will begin to bubble to the surface, as nations evaluate the impact on their own militaries and supporting industries.
If international concern is raised, US lawmakers would do well to listen.
The pursuit of propulsion perfection should not be at the expense of the allied interoperability which the F-35 programme promised.
The aircraft is already being delivered with deployed operational capability and represents a unique step change in international defence co-operation.

(James Maclaren is a freelance journalist and writer specialising in defence and security, and a former UK military officer, based in London).

[richelieu]

Numerosi membri del Congresso hanno scritto una lettera al Sottosegretario alla Difesa William LaPlante per raccomandare che venga installato sugli F-35 la versione migliorata del motore F135 di P&W e non il futuro motore "AETP" ...

Some 35 members of Congress, anxious to keep the F135 in the F-35, sent LaPlante a letter July 22 urging him t o drop the idea of putting the AETP in the F-35.
Putting the AETP in the F-35 would be too risky, they said, and it is already “the most complex and expensive program” in the Pentagon’s portfolio.
Now that the F-35 is transitioning to high-rate production and sustainment, a new engine would needlessly complicate matters, they said.
The letter stressed that the “cornerstone” of the F-35 program is that all users rely on a common logistics base; and that introducing a dissimilar engine would add cost and expand the count of parts needed to keep on hand.
“Now is not the time” to introduce a new variable into the F-35’s struggle to reach affordable sustainment costs, the lawmakers said, also noting Kendall’s own testimony earlier this year that the AETP is likely to be a $6 billion development program to reach operational status.

… airforcemag.com … Kendall Says F-35 Engine Decision Needed Soon; Won’t ‘Limp Along’ on R&D …

[richelieu]

Dopo la messa a terra dei T-38 e dei T-6 per problemi al sistema di espulsione Martin-Baker ... ora tocca agli F-35A dell'USAF ...

The Air Force has grounded its F-35A fighters as it checks for potentially faulty parts in the type’s Martin-Baker ejection seats.
The move follows by a day the service’s grounding nearly half its T-38 supersonic trainers and about a sixth of its T-6A primary trainers for the same issue.
Air Combat Command announced that it was standing down its F-35As, as did U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Education and Training Command.
Pacific Air Forces was expected to follow suit.
The Navy is following a similar inspection protocol on its jets with Martin-Baker seats, including its F-35Bs/Cs, F/A-18s, EA-18s, T-45s, and F-5Ns.

… airforcemag.com … Air Force F-35s Grounded as Search for Faulty Ejection Seat Parts Widens …

[richelieu]

General Electric Aviation e Pratt & Whitney presentano pubblicamente i rispettivi piani sul futuro motore degli F-35 ... mentre la decisione sulla scelta incombe ...

Meeting with reporters, industry leaders, and military officials from across the world at the Farnborough International Airshow, engine-makers GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney laid out their competing visions for the future of F-35 propulsion in July.
While executives from both companies agreed that the fifth-gen fighter’s engine program needs a change, they continue to pitch sharply different approaches - and assessments of what the problem itself is.
GE is pushing to replace the current F135 engine with its cutting-edge XA100, developed as part of the Air Force’s Advanced Engine Transition Program and described by David Tweedie, GE’s general manager of Advanced Combat Engines, as providing a generational-level jump in capabilities.
Pratt & Whitney is offering what it calls its F135 Enhanced Engine Package, which Jennifer Latka, vice president of the F135 program, likened to a “block upgrade” that will be cheaper, faster to field, and more than sufficient for the Joint Program Office’s needs.

… airforcemag.com … GE, Pratt & Whitney Publicly Pitch F-35 Engine Plans as Decision Looms …

[Valerio Ricciardi]

Un altro propulsore per quella piattaforma sarebbe essenziale.
Se ne son resi conto da soli.
E' un po' come l'AMX col Rolls Royce Spey.

[richelieu]

Saranno 18 i nuovi F-35 per l'Italia ...
Dalla pagina "Contracts" del DoD del 9 Agosto 2022 alla voce NAVY ...

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a not-to-exceed $524,100,000 undefinitized modification (P00015) to a previously awarded fixed-price incentive (firm target) advanced acquisition contract (N0001920C0009).
This modification increases the ceiling to procure long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for the production of seven Lot 15 F-35A aircraft, two Lot 15 F-35B aircraft, seven Lot 16 F-35A, and two Lot 16 F-35B aircraft for the government of Italy.
Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (57%); El Segundo, California (14%); Warton, United Kingdom (9%); Cameri, Italy (4%); Orlando, Florida (4%); Nashua, New Hampshire (3%); Baltimore, Maryland (3%); San Diego, California (2%); Nagoya, Japan (2%); and various undisclosed locations outside the continental U.S. (2%), and is expected to be completed in June 2025.
Non-U.S. Department of Defense participant funds in the amount of $524,100,000 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

... defense.gov ... Contracts For Aug. 9, 2022 ...

&

[richelieu]

Risolto (o quasi) il problema al sistema di espulsione Martin-Baker che aveva causato la messa a terra degli F-35 ...

Two weeks after announcing a stand down of its F-35 fleet to check for potentially faulty parts in the fighters’ ejection seats, the Air Force has mostly completed its inspections and the aircraft have been cleared to resume normal operations, Air Combat Command announced Aug. 15.
The stand down, ordered July 29, affected fleets across ACC, Air Education and Training Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and Pacific Air Forces.
In a statement to Air Force Magazine, an ACC spokesperson said most of the service’s 349 jets were inspected, along with additional supplies of the part in question, a cartridge-actuated device, or CAD.
Each fighter has two CADs, and all told, 706 of the cartridges were inspected.
Of those 706, four “were found to be suspect” and replaced, the spokesperson said.
A number of F-35s remained uninspected as of Aug. 15.
The ACC spokesperson clarified that they are in depot status.
Under a Time Compliance Technical Directive, all aircraft must be inspected within 90 days.

… airforcemag.com … Air Force F-35 Stand Down Ends After Ejection Seat Inspections …

Anche qui … defensenews.com … All US Air Force F-35s are flying again after ejection seat checks …

[richelieu]

Qualche dettaglio sul "Lotto 15" ...

Lot 15 of the F-35 fighter will include up to 129 aircraft, with 49 F-35As for the Air Force, and cost up to $7.6 billion, according to the details of a contract award announced by the Pentagon on Aug. 12.
The final contract award came less than a month after the F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin announced a “handshake” deal for Lots 15-17 of the fighter, the result of months of delayed negotiations.
As part of that handshake deal, the JPO agreed to buy 375 fighters for an average of 125 per lot, roughly in line with the 129 agreed to in Lot 15 but well below the 156 per year that Lockheed Martin CEO James D. Taiclet had previously predicted.
The announcement of the handshake agreement did not include any information on pricing, per-variant totals, or how many each service and partner country would receive.

… airforcemag.com … F-35 Lot 15 Will Include Up to 129 Fighters, Cost $7.6 Billion …

[richelieu]

Il 644th Combat Communications Squadron ha accettato la sfida ...

For 30 days in April and May, a group of expeditionary communications technicians got together at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, with one task: Find a way for the F-35 to transfer data on remote or contested Pacific islands.
Often referred to as a “flying computer,” the F-35 has sophisticated technological capabilities, but it also requires datalink connections to use and share vast quantities of information at high speed.
When the F-35 lands at U.S. Air Force bases, it unloads its data to a server known as the Air Force Network, or AFNet.
Maintainers and operators can then study that information to service the jet and record mission data for future planning.
Access to such servers does not exist on remote Pacific islands where the fifth-generation fighter would have to operate to exercise the concept of agile combat employment, or ACE.
But leaders of the 644th Combat Communications Squadron at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, heard Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr.’s call to take risks, and to not be afraid to fail, and they proposed a unique test and evaluation to address the problem.

… airforcemag.com … 644th Combat Comms Squadron Takes on an F-35 ACE Challenge …

[richelieu]

E' stato avvistato un secondo F-35C con un rivestimento a specchio ...

A new F-35C, airframe BuNo 168842, Modex 105, sporting a mirror-like coating, was photographed last week while arriving at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Point Mugu, California, adding to the one that was spotted earlier this year (XE-100) flying through the Sidewinder low-level route in the Sequoia National Park.
Like the first one, the aircraft is assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine (VX-9) out of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.

… theaviationist.com … Check Out These Amazing Photos Of The Second F-35C Sporting A Mirror-Like Coating …

[JT8D]

Pratt & Whitney (P&W) ha annunciato di aver consegnato il millesimo F135 Production Engine per l'F-35 Lightning II:

https://www.md80.it/2022/09/01/pratt-wh ... on-engine/

Paolo

[richelieu]

Ci mancava solo la scoperta di un pezzo prodotto con materiale di origine cinese ... cosa che ha indotto Lockheed Martin a sospendere le consegne del velivolo ...

Lockheed Martin said it is “developing mitigation plans” after the F-35 Joint Program Office announced Sept. 7 that it has stopped delivery of new fighters upon learning that a component relies on material from China.
The material in question is an alloy in a magnet in the F-35’s turbomachine.
The turbomachine “integrates the functionality of an auxiliary power unit (APU) and an air cycle machine (ACM) into a single piece of equipment,” according to Lockheed Martin.
“When the turbomachine acts as an APU (combusted mode), it provides electrical power for ground maintenance, main engine start, and emergency power.
It also provides compressed air for the thermal management system during ground maintenance.”
Lockheed Martin said three F-35s are ready for delivery but on hold.
Its spokesperson did not name the airplanes’ customers.

... airforcemag.com ... DOD Stops Deliveries of New F-35s Over Material Sourced from China ...