JSF

[richelieu]

L' esemplare britannico si esibisce, il mese scorso, a Farnborough .....

phpBB [video]

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[Lampo 13]

Non conosco le caratteristiche di questo coso, vorrei capire, vista la necessità di aprire il cofano sopra, se in combattimento può utilizzare la spinta per muoversi come può fare l'Harrier.

[MatteF88]

Fonte ..... USAF ..... " AF declares the F-35A ‘combat ready’ " .....

Giusto in tempo per sganciare qualche pistolotto sulla Libia, se han voglia di fare gli sboroni

[richelieu]

Non conosco le caratteristiche di questo coso, vorrei capire, vista la necessità di aprire il cofano sopra, se in combattimento può utilizzare la spinta per muoversi come può fare l'Harrier.

Se alludi alla tecnica VIFF ..... non credo proprio ..... non possedendo il motore del Lightning II i quattro ugelli rotanti del Rolls-Royce 'Pegasus' degli Harrier ..... http://rolls-royce.com/products-and-ser ... ium=ppcads

Rotating the vectored thrust nozzles into a forward-facing position during normal flight is called vectoring in forward flight, or "VIFFing".
This is a dog-fighting tactic, allowing for more sudden braking and higher turn rates.
Braking could cause a chasing aircraft to overshoot and present itself as a target for the Harrier it was chasing, a combat technique formally developed by the USMC for the Harrier in the early 1970s.
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Fonte ..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Siddeley_Harrier

[richelieu]

Lui (il generale) ne vorrebbe di più ..... ma la sua 'capa' gli fa sapere che le priorità sono altre .....

The head of Air Combat Command wants to see the US Air Force build up its inventory of F-35s quicker than planned, but its civilian head signaled Wednesday that it might not be feasible in the current fiscal climate.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Gen. Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle said he was concerned about the service’s current F-35 buy rate, which hovers in the 40s until fiscal year 2021 when that number jumps up to 60.
Carlisle stated he would like the Air Force to buy at least 60 aircraft per year in the near term to replace legacy aircraft that is aging out.
But in an interview with Defense News and sister publication Air Force Times, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said boosting the number of active duty Airmen is currently a bigger priority than ramping up the F-35 buy.

Fonte ..... "Air Force Boss: Faster F-35 Buy Rate Might Not Be Possible" .....

[richelieu]

In casa USAF ..... si festeggia .....

Air Force leadership celebrated its newest operational aircraft at its main operational base, saying the F-35A will soon be the backbone of the fleet.
“The F-35 will soon become the quarterback of the joint force,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said during a ceremony at Hill AFB, Utah, celebrating the Aug. 2 declaration that the F-35 has reached initial operating capability.

Fonte ..... "Air Force Celebrates F-35 IOC" .....

Hill AFB ..... "F-35A combat readiness celebrated at Hill AFB" .....


Hundreds of military and civilian Airmen attend the F-35A Lightning II aircraft initial operational capability ceremony Aug. 5 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
(U.S. Air Force photo by David Perry)
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[richelieu]

Intanto ..... a Eglin ..... viene battuto un record .....

While all the focus has been on F-35 initial operating capability, the training wing at Eglin AFB, Fla., has set a new record.
The 33rd Fighter Wing in early August set a record during a sortie surge, flying 111 sorties over three days from Aug. 1-3

Fonte ..... "Eglin F-35s, Airmen Set Sortie Record" .....
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[richelieu]

Hill AFB ..... video della cerimonia alla presenza della SecAF e delle massime autorità dell' USAF .....

"Hill AFB F-35A Show" .....

[richelieu]

LRIP 10 ..... un nuovo inciampo ..... di cui, peraltro, si sentiva la mancanza .....

As negotiations drag on over Lockheed Martin Corp.’s biggest U.S. contracts yet to build F-35 jets, one potential impediment hasn’t attracted public attention: a congressional requirement that the Air Force secretary certify the fighter will be in top shape within two years.
Lawmakers withheld $1 billion of about $5.3 billion the service requested for F-35s this year until the certification is made.
The Air Force is the biggest buyer among the military services of the 2,443 aircraft planned for the U.S.
“We know it’s a lot of money and we’re working to get the appropriate level of information” so Secretary Deborah James “can feel comfortable” signing the certification, Lieutenant General Arnold Bunch, the service’s top uniformed acquisition official, said in an interview.

Fonte ..... "Lockheed’s F-35 Deals Barred Until Air Force Vouches for Fixes" .....
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[richelieu]

LM ..... una vagonata di soldi in rimborsi su anticipi sborsati in proprio per LRIP 9 .....

With F-35 contract negotiations stretching on, the US Defense Department in August approved about $1 billion in additional funding to reimburse joint strike fighter manufacturer Lockheed Martin for costs incurred on the ninth batch of aircraft, sources with knowledge of the program said Thursday.
The move provides some financial relief to the company, which had been paying out of pocket for expenses associated with low-rate initial production (LRIP) lots 9 and 10.
Last month, Lockheed’s chief financial officer, Bruce Tanner, said the company had spent nearly $1 billion of its own funds to compensate suppliers.
While the F-35 program executive office declined to confirm how much money had been obligated to the company, joint program office (JPO) spokesman Joe DellaVedova told Defense News that “with what we have provided, Lockheed will be able to continue the LRIP 9 production without bearing any undue burden.”

Fonte ..... "Pentagon Grants Lockheed About $1B To Stem F-35 Lot 9 Production Costs" .....
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[richelieu]

Un 'contrattino' per P&W .....

Pratt & Whitney Military Engines has been awarded a $151 million U.S. Navy contract modification for work on the F-35 Lightning II.
Work by the United Technologies Corp. subsidiary under the cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive fee contract involves procurement of initial spare modules, engine system trainers, support equipment and depot activation services and supplies in support of the fighter jet.

Fonte ..... "Pratt & Whitney gets $151 million U.S. Navy F-35 contract modification" .....

United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is being awarded $151,664,883 for modification P00007 to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive-fee contract (N00019-15-C-0004).
This modification procures initial spare modules, engine system trainers, support equipment and depot activation services and supplies in support of the F-35 Lightening II for Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, international partners and foreign military sales customers.
Work will be performed at Hartford, Connecticut (88 percent); and Indianapolis, Indiana (12 percent), and is expected to be complete in September 2019.
Fiscal 2014 and 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force); international partner; and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $151,664,883 will be obligated at the time of award, $35,825,147 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($53,864,460, 35.52 percent); Navy ($30,732,970, 20.26 percent); Marine Corps ($18, 273,353, 12.05 percent); international partners ($45,731,912, 30.15 percent); and foreign military sales customers ($3,062,188, 2.02 percent).
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Fonte ..... "Contracts (Navy) - Release No: CR-153-16 - Aug. 10, 2016" .....
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[richelieu]

Due F-35A atterrano ad Abbotsford ..... ovvero ..... come 'sfruculiare' i Canadesi .....

The new-age fighter jet once poised to replace Canada's aging CF-18 fleet, but whose ballooning price tag and controversial selection process threw its purchase into doubt, has made its inaugural visit to Canada.
A pair of F-35 stealth fighters roared into British Columbia on Thursday in preparation for the annual Abbotsford International Airshow.
The next-generation aircraft, whose development has been marred with delays and cost overruns, has been the source of ongoing angst in Ottawa as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government grapples with finding a replacement for the country's long-outdated fighter jets.

Fonte ..... "F-35 stealth fighter makes Canadian debut at Abbotsford air show" .....

Video .....
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OCEANO ATLANTICO (14 Agosto 2016) .....
..... 'final developmental test' (DT-III) in corso .....



An F-35C Lightning II carrier variant, assigned to the Salty Dogs of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, taxis on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).
VX-23 is conducting its third and final developmental test (DT-III) phase aboard George Washington in the Atlantic Ocean.
The F-35C is expected to be Fleet operational in 2018.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alora R. Blosch (Released) 160814-N-KC543-157)



An F-35C Lightning II carrier variant assigned to the Grim Reapers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, the Navy's F-35C Fleet replacement squadron, lands on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).
VFA-101 aircraft and pilots are conducting initial qualifications aboard George Washington in the Atlantic Ocean.
The F-35C is expected to be Fleet operational in 2018.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Krystofer Belknap (Released) 160814-N-MY901-131)



A Sailor communicates with the pilot of an F-35C Lightning II carrier variant, assigned to the Grim Reapers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, the Navy's F-35C Fleet replacement squadron, on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).
VFA-101 aircraft and pilots are conducting initial qualifications aboard George Washington in the Atlantic Ocean.
The F-35C is expected to be Fleet operational in 2018.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Comunication Specialist 3rd Class Kashif Basharat (Released) 160814-N-SX673-143)



Lt. Willi
(160814-N-XW558-090)
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[richelieu]

Missili ASRAAM di modello avanzato per gli F-35B britannici .....

"UK orders advanced ASRAAM weapons for F-35B" .....

"Britain Stockpiles New ASRAAM Missiles for the F-35" .....

"UK to Acquire New ASRAAM Variant for F-35B Fighters" .....
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[richelieu]

Altri dettagli sulle operazioni di volo degli F-35C sulla portaerei George Washington .....
La Marina USA ha fatto, in questa occasione, le cose in grande ..... imbarcando ben sette aerei sulla nave .....

The US Navy continued a three-year campaign to build the Lockheed Martin F-35C’s sea legs with the third and last shipboard deployment of the development test phase for the carrier-based variant starting on 14 August.
Five production aircraft from the navy’s Eglin AFB-based training squadron joined two test F-35Cs — numbered CF-3 and CF-5 — onboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean for a two-seek (*) series of flight tests, as well as deck and hangar suitability checks.

Fonte ..... "US Navy makes F-35C carrier qualification push" .....

(*) ..... evidentemente l' Autore intendeva scrivere "two-week" .....
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[richelieu]

Lara Seligman .....



..... inviata di AW&ST a bordo della USS George Washington ..... ha postato un video .....

"Watch: F-35C Developmental Testing Aboard USS George Washington" .....

Nella sequenza al rallentatore si vede chiaramente l' aereo agganciare il terzo cavo di arresto .....
Le modifiche apportate al gancio sembrano dunque funzionare .....
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[richelieu]

31 piloti da caccia provetti .....

A total of 174 U.S. pilots currently have been trained to fly Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II.
The Heritage Foundation recently interviewed 31 of these former F-15C, F-15E, F-16C, and A-10 pilots.
Each expressed a high degree of confidence in the F-35A, their new fifth-generation platform.

Fonte ..... "9 Insights on the F-35A From 31 Experienced Fighter Pilots" .....
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[richelieu]

Nuovo contratto per P&W ..... si lavora al lotto XI .....

United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is being awarded $17,382,523 for modification P00009 to a previously awarded, cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract N00019-14-C-0004 for additional long lead items in support of the F-35 Lightning II low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot XI procurement.
This modification provides for delivery of long-lead items for the LRIP Lot XI effort for the Navy/Marine Corps, Air Force, international partners, and foreign military sales (FMS) customers.
The long-lead items include group hardware supporting 48 F135-PW-100 propulsion systems for the Air Force; group hardware supporting 14 F135-PW-600 propulsion systems for the Marine Corps; group hardware supporting four F135-PW-100 propulsion systems for the Navy; and group hardware supporting 51 F135-PW-100 and three F135-PW-600 propulsion systems for international partners and foreign military sales.
This modification also provides for procurement of afloat support packages/deployment spares packages for the Marine Corps.
Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (67 percent); Indianapolis, Indiana (26.5 percent); and Bristol, United Kingdom (6.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in August 2018.
Fiscal 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy, Air Force); international partner; and FMS funds in the amount of $17,382,523 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
This contract combines purchases for the Navy/Marine Corps ($15,261,025; 87.8 percent); Air Force ($398,624; 2.3 percent); international partners ($1,656,437; 9.5 percent); and FMS customers ($66,437; 0.40 percent).
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Fonte ..... la pagina dei contratti del DoD (NAVY) del 18 Agosto 2016 .....
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[richelieu]

Weapons Delivery Accuracy (WDA) & Weapon Separation Tests (WST) .....
..... l' inesorabile saga degli acronimi procede di pari passo con lo sviluppo dell' aereo .....

With the aide of its new Block 3F software, the Lockheed Martin F-35 recently completed twelve weapons delivery accuracy and 13 weapon separation events during a month-long weapon test on the US West Coast.
During Block 2 software testing on the F-35, the service accomplished three weapons delivery accuracy tests in one month.
The recent tests employed 30 different weapons including the Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition, Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM, Boeing GPS-guided Small Diameter Bomb and Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder, according to a 22 August Lockheed press release. (*)

Fonte ..... "Block 3F software aids F-35 weapons test" .....

(*) ..... "F-35 Lightning II Surges Forward with Record Breaking Weapons Test Successes" .....

Anche qui ..... "F-35 Finishes Weapon Surge" .....
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[richelieu]

Lustratelo bene ..... mi raccomando .....

In the latest test for the Joint Strike Fighter, the Air Force’s F-35A is set to undergo chemical and biological decontamination testing at Edwards AFB, Calif., this month.
Airmen, contractors, and service civilians, have worked to finalize construction of the decontamination system during the past few weeks, according to a 412th Test Wing release.

Fonte ..... "Bring the Heat" .....
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[richelieu]

Credevate davvero fosse finita ?
Michael Gilmore è (tuttora) vivo ..... e lotta insieme a noi .....

A week after the Air Force declared its version of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 jet ready for limited combat operations, the Pentagon’s top tester warned that the U.S. military’s costliest weapons program is still riddled with deficiencies.
“In fact the program is actually not on a path toward success but instead on a path toward failing to deliver” the aircraft’s full capabilities, “for which the Department is paying almost $400 billion by the scheduled end” of its development in 2018, Michael Gilmore, the Defense Department’s director of operational testing, said in an Aug. 9 memo obtained by Bloomberg News.
“Achieving full combat capability with the Joint Strike Fighter is at substantial risk” of not occurring before development is supposed to end and realistic combat testing begins, he said of the F-35.

Fonte ..... "Lockheed’s F-35 Still Falls Short, Pentagon’s Chief Tester Says" .....
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La posizione del 'Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E)' ..... in maggior dettaglio .....

Weapons Tester Cites Further F-35 Challenges .....
xxxx xxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxxx xxxxx x xxxxxxx xxxxxx (Aug. 23, 2016)

The Pentagon’s top weapons tester is once again sounding the alarm over the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), warning that significant deficiencies with the aircraft’s gun, challenges integrating the short-range AIM-9X missile and unresolved software bugs could delay fielding of the fighter’s full capability.
On the heels of the U.S. Air Force’s milestone decision to declare the F-35A ready for war, the Defense Department’s director of operational test and evaluation (DOT&E) is raising new concerns about Lockheed Martin’s fifth-generation fighter.
In an internal memo to Defense Department leadership on August 9, DOT&E warned that the jet still has a long way to go before full combat capability and may run out of funds to fix significant performance problems on time if late discoveries delay the end of the program’s development phase.
Before kicking off a final test period that will put the F-35 in its final warfighting configuration through its paces, known as initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E), the Joint Program Office (JPO) still has a significant amount of development testing to complete and a number of problems to fix, DOT&E tells xxxxxxxx xxxx.
Still, the JPO is confident it will complete the F-35 program on time and budget, JPO Chief Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan tells xxxxxxxx xxxx.
“There were absolutely no surprises in the recent memo from the OSD Director of Operational Test and Evaluation,” Bogdan says.
“Specific to the memo, the JPO has been and is currently acting on all the recommendations.”

Weapons Integration Challenges .....

At the top of DOT&E’s list of concerns is the Air Force F-35A’s 25mm Gatling gun, which will be the jet’s primary means of delivering close-air support to soldiers on the battlefield.
Most recently, May testing revealed the small door that opens when the gun is fired induces yaw, or sideslip, resulting in aiming errors, according to DOT&E spokesman Maj. Roger Cabiness.
Software changes may be necessary to fix the problem, he says.
This news comes late in the game for the gun system, which is scheduled to begin accuracy testing later this year to prepare it for fielding in 2018.
These modifications and subsequent testing to ensure the fixes work, as well as additional changes to correct deficiencies found during early tests in 2015, could delay the start of accuracy testing, DOT&E warns.
The U.S. Marine Corps F-35B and U.S. Navy F-35C gun pods are even further behind in testing, so new discoveries that could require late fixes are also possible.
Given the ongoing challenges and risk to the start of accuracy testing, the F-35 may not be able to field its gun on time, DOT&E concludes.
Weapons integration, including the main gun pod, is central to the final Block 3F software load, which is meant to give the F-35 its full warfighting capability.
Block 3F also will incorporate external weapons like the precision-guided Small Diameter Bomb (SDB 1) and the short-range air-to-air AIM-9X Sidewinder missile.
But the program is discovering integration problems with both SDB 1 and AIM-9X. DOT&E is particularly concerned with December testing of the AIM-9X, which revealed “load exceedances,” or excess stress, on the Navy F-35C variant’s wing structure during landings and certain maneuvers.
This will either limit the F-35C’s ability to carry AIM-9X or require a redesign and testing of the supporting wing structure, DOT&E says.
“Planned weapons testing is behind schedule for SDD [the System Development and Demonstration period] due to software and structural discoveries that delayed testing,” Cabiness warns.
“Weapons testing is one of several risk areas affecting completion of flight testing and the start of IOT&E.”
The program recently completed a record-breaking 25 weapons tests during a month-long surge effort with the newest 3F software, a marked jump from the previous high of three in one month, according to the JPO.
However, the data has not yet been analyzed, DOT&E says.

Software Problems Still Unresolved .....

The F-35 JPO has corrected a bug in a previous iteration of software - Block 3i required for Air Force initial operating capability (IOC) - that caused the jet’s systems to stall out in mid-flight and need to be rebooted.
But Aviation Week reported in July that at Edwards AFB, California, the team in charge of testing each new increment of software is now seeing the same stability events and shutdown issues with the new 3F.
Where test pilots were seeing shutdown events every five flight hours, a new 3F build improved performance to a point where the team is only experiencing an issue once every 9 hr., according to DOT&E.
But that performance is still much worse than it should be; the final builds of 3i and 2B, which supported the Marine Corps’ IOC in 2015, experienced inflight stability events every 25 hr., according to DOT&E.
In addition, testers are continuing to see problems booting up the jet.
Over a test period that ended July 6, none of the startups with the latest 3F build occurred without some type of reset or power recycle, Cabiness says.
Despite these setbacks, the JPO is pushing forward with 3F testing.
The program elected to create “quick reaction capability” (QRC) test builds of software to finish the surge of weapons tests planned for this summer, according to DOT&E.
DOT&E deemed QRC a success: “Although analyses of the weapons events are ongoing, this process involving the QRC builds enabled the program to address deficiencies that were blocking completion of many of the [weapons delivery accuracy] events,” Cabiness says.

Problems Remain With USAF’s 3i Configuration .....

Top Air Force leaders have said repeatedly they are prepared to send the F-35 to war today if combatant commanders ask for it.
But DOT&E cautions that the 3i software currently in use with the Air Force fleet is “an interim software build” and hence has limited capability.
Cabiness detailed a long list of the limitations of aircraft flying in the 3i configuration.
The jets can carry only two bombs and two missiles, and currently have no gun capability or standoff weapons as the 25mm cannon and external weapons won’t be introduced until 3F.
Further, the F-35As have no target marking capability for close-air support and other missions, require voice communications to verify certain messages, and have poor geolocation capability, relying on off-board sources to locate threats and acquire targets.
Finally, the 3i jets have limited night vision capability, as the $400,000 Generation III helmet is still experiencing issues with light leakage and “green glow” that obscures pilots’ vision during very dark night flights.
DOT&E also pointed to deficiencies in 3i’s sensor fusion, electronic warfare, datalinks and pilot vehicle interfaces “that will impact mission effectiveness and suitability in combat.”
The JPO is aware of the limitations of 3i, according to a spokesman. Still, Bogdan has lauded the Air Force’s decision to declare IOC on Aug. 2.
“The U.S. Air Force decision to make the 15 F-35As at Hill Air Force Base combat ready sends a simple and powerful message to America’s friends and foes alike - the F-35 can do its mission,” Bogdan said in an Aug. 2 statement.

Test Aircraft May Not Be Ready For IOT&E .....

The JPO needs a certain number of production-representative operational test aircraft, retrofitted with all the modifications since the development program began, for IOT&E.
But the program’s current schedule for providing these jets shows that the modifications won’t be completed until February 2020 - three years after the scheduled August 2017 start of IOT&E, Cabiness says.
The JPO is considering actions to accelerate this schedule, but has yet to reach an agreement with the U.S. military services and put a plan on contract, he says.
In responses to Aviation Week’s queries, DOT&E reiterated concerns that the program’s official start date for IOT&E is “not realistic,” repeating the agency’s public assessment that the F-35 won’t be ready to begin the test period until the middle of calendar year 2018 at the earliest, assuming the JPO can provide production-representative test aircraft by then.
Given all the challenges the JPO has left to surmount, funding for the F-35 development effort will likely run out before the end of the program, Cabiness says.
“In light of the remaining challenges [and] the demonstrated rate of progress to date, DOT&E assesses that the program will likely need additional funding to complete SDD,” Cabiness says.

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[richelieu]

Se il Canada decidesse di andarsene .....

Canada could withdraw from the F-35 stealth fighter jet program on short notice by paying a little more than $300 million U.S., according to an analysis prepared by the defence department soon after the Liberals won the federal election.
The government could leave after only 90 days’ notice, although it would still need to pay the remaining fees the previous Conservative government committed to the F-35 program, according to the Department of National Defence documents obtained by Postmedia.
The analysis was produced four days after the election.

Fonte ..... "F-35 exit strategy: Canada could pay about $313M to pull out of jet program, defence documents show" .....
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Corea del Sud ..... il programma procede .....

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $7 million contract for providing the multispectral database for the upcoming delivery to South Korea of 40 F-35A Lightening II stealth fighters with conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) capability.
The contract was awarded Aug. 23 by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) under the Foreign Military Sales program.
The US Naval Air Systems Command in Maryland will handle the contract.

Fonte ..... "Korea F-35A Program Coming Together" .....

Dalla pagina dei Contratti del DoD del 23 Agosto 2016 .....

Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded $7,424,950 for modification 0058 to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive contract (N00019-15-C-0031) for the procurement, delivery, installation, configuration, and integration of a Korea Multi-spectral Database in support of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the government of South Korea under the Foreign Military Sales program.
Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (98 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (2 percent).
Work is expected to be completed in July 2018.
Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $7,424,950 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.

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Mentre viene annunciato il primo volo di un F-35A giapponese .....


Nell' immagine ..... un mock-up .....

The first Japanese F-35A took its maiden flight on Aug. 24 in Texas.
The aircraft, called AX-1, took off from the Lockheed Martin assembly plant in Fort Worth and flew for about an hour and a half, Lockheed announced.

Fonte ..... First F-35A For Japan Takes Off .....

..... il Pentagono informa che dieci F-35B del Corpo dei Marines verranno inviati, ai primi del prossimo anno, in una base del paese orientale .....

Ten F-35Bs will deploy to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, in January 2017, a Pentagon official confirmed Wednesday.
The deployment, reported by the Kyodo news service, will be the first overseas deployment for the F-35B .....

Fonte ..... Lightning in Japan" .....
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Che viavài .....

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[richelieu]

E fanno 100 .....

The F-35 Lightning II program took another huge step forward Aug. 26 when the Air Force’s 100th F-35, designated AF-100, arrived here following the recent announcement of the fifth-generation jet fighter’s initial operational capability.
“This marks a milestone and shows the fact that the F-35 program has continued to grow, progress and support initial operational capability,” said Brig. Gen. Brook Leonard, the 56th Fighter Wing commander.
“It is also a ‘scare factor’ for our enemies that we are able to produce such an incredible platform at such a high production rate and that it’s getting out in the field in larger and larger numbers.”

Fonte ..... "Luke receives Air Force’s 100th F-35 on heels of IOC announcement, unit activation" .....
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Nooooo ..... sul Phantom non si può .....


A QF-4 Phantom is parked on the flight line at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. on Aug. 17.
The QF-4 mission flew its final unmanned mission Aug. 17.
The QF-4s here will continue flying manned missions until the official end of the QF-4 program in December 2016.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Randahl J. Jenson)

The last unmanned QF-4 Phantom targeting drone flew as an F-35 target this month at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.
Manned Phantoms will continue to be flown through December, when the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron Detachment 1 will finish its transition to flying QF-16s, according to a 49th Wing release.

Fonte ..... "F-35 Targets Last Unmanned Phantom"

Però ..... però .....

"USAF QF-4 Phantom is shot at by an F-35 with two AIM-120s during last unmanned mission (and survives)" .....

[richelieu]

I Marines ..... pianificano .....

​The Marine Corps is planning to deploy the F-35B to the US Central Command area of responsibility aboard the USS Essex, Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh, head of Marine Corps Combat Development Command, told reporters Tuesday.
The move will follow the deployment of 10 F-35Bs of the Marine Corps Fighter Attack Squadron 121 to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, in January 2017.

Fonte ..... "Marines Planning F-35B Deployment to CENTCOM" .....
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F-35 ..... pronto per l' azione .....

Un articolo che appare sul numero di Settembre dello "AIR FORCE Magazine" .....

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Tanti F-35 nell' Est del Regno Unito .....

L'est dell'Inghilterra diventerà uno degli hub principali fuori dagli Stati Uniti per lo stazionamento degli F-35.
Ai 138 velivoli della RAF che verranno basati a Marham, infatti, vanno aggiunti i 54 velivoli che l'USAF conta di rischierare nella base di Lakenheath con il 48th Fighter Wing assieme a 2 squadroni di cacciabombardieri F-15E STRIKE EAGLE.

Fonte ..... "Regno Unito: hub per l'F-35" .....
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F-35C ..... terminate con una settimana di anticipo le prove in mare, i 'Cani Salati' sono rientrati a Pax River ...

The F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF) completed the third and final shipboard developmental test phase (DT-III) for the F-35C Lightning II aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) Aug. 25 - one week earlier than scheduled.

Fonte ..... "F-35C Completes DT-III Ahead of Schedule" .....
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Al lavoro ..... e in forze .....

​Fourteen F-35As deployed to Volk Field, Wis., last month, marking the largest deployment to date for the fifth generation strike fighter.
The 33rd Fighter Wing personnel developed how to deploy and sustain a squadron of F-35s during Exercise Northern Lightning, according to a release

Fonte ..... "Putting the F-35 to Work" .....


33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chiefs greet 33rd Fighter Wing pilots as they step to their jets during exercise Northern Lightning Aug. 26, 2016, at Volk Field, Wis.
Northern Lightning is a joint total force exercise between the Air National Guard, Air Force and Navy conducting offensive counter air, suppression and destruction of enemy air defense and close air support.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stormy Archer)
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LRIP lotto 10 ..... trattative interminabili e ..... altro anticipo ($) in vista .....

As negotiations over low-rate initial production lots 9 and 10 for the Lockheed Martin F-35 continue, the Pentagon will fork over another payment under an existing undefinitised contractual action to ensure Lockheed continues work on the jets.
The upcoming award for LRIP lot 10 would fall under the $5.37 billion undefinitised contractual action (UCA) awarded last year, which supports production of 55 jets, including 34 for the US and 21 for international customers.
In August, the Pentagon granted Lockheed about $1 billion to mitigate Lockheed’s costs of lot 9 production.
But negotiations have gone on for so long that the DOD has put the Lot 10 UCA in place, the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer, Frank Kendall, told reporters 7 August.
The F-35 Joint Program Office is working with Lockheed to issue a UCA for LRIP 10.

Fonte ..... "Pentagon expected to award Lockheed contract action as F-35 negotiations lag" .....
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Quest'altr'anno ?
Se la dovranno sbrogliare i 'volti nuovi' che verranno nominati dal neo-eletto Presidente .....

After the November election, scores of political appointees in the Defense Department will likely lose their jobs as the next US president picks new officials to drive his or her agenda forward.
One constant, however, is the joint strike fighter, and Pentagon top weapons buyer Frank Kendall said his successor will have to grapple with a host of challenges to the F-35 program during the next four years, including the move to full-rate production and first round of block upgrades.
In recent budget cycles, mandated spending caps by Congress have necessitated that the DoD shortchange its overall F-35 buy to fund other priorities, Kendall said.
For instance, the Air Force in its 2017 budget request delayed the procurement of five F-35As to a future year.
As the program hurtles toward full-rate production in 2019, that needs to change, Kendall acknowledged.
But buying the planned number of F-35s every year will continue to be difficult because of the number of competing acquisition priorities.

Fonte ..... "Kendall Spells out F-35 Concerns for Next US Administration" .....
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