F-35 Cancelled, then what ?

[SpazSinbad]

F-35B Hour Long STOVL Sortie EGLIN AFB

Marines fly first F-35 STOVL mission at Eglin 28 Oct 2013 Samuel King Jr., Team Eglin Public Affairs

"EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 33rd Fighter Wing and the F-35 Lightning II program reached a new milestone when Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron-501 completed its first short take-off and vertical landing mission here Oct. 24.

Maj. Brendan M. Walsh flew the hour-long mission in which the aircraft remained in the STOVL configuration for the entire flight. The aircraft flew pattern procedures around the base before gliding in, stopping in mid-air about 100 feet off the Eglin runway, performing a stationary right turn and slowly lowered to the ground.

"This mission made one of the key capabilities for this fighter an operational reality not just for VMFAT-501, but for the entire F-35B program," said Lt. Col. David Berke, the VMFAT-501 commander. "Our expeditionary operations are rapidly evolving, and STOVL capabilities give us a flexibility to stage our aircraft not just from major bases and carriers, but also out of damaged airstrips and other austere operating sites."

Walsh is the only pilot at Eglin qualified to fly in the STOVL configuration, but he said the flight paved the way to locally train F-35B instructors and new students in STOVL operations

"STOVL is going to quickly become a routine, administrative function of the F-35B, said Walsh. "We will upgrade all current pilots to a field STOVL qualification. This will facilitate the F-35B community training for shipboard operations in the near future, and it will allow more focus on training for tactical mission sets."

Walsh qualified in vertical landing operations six months ago at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz.

"I came to this program as an F-18 pilot, so to become the first STOVL qualified instructor in the fleet without a background in vertical landings is a testament to the ease of operation of the F-35," Walsh said.

STOVL operations allow the F-35B to operate in austere conditions, and it is a key difference between the Marine variant and other F-35 variants.

The STOVL operation also marks a significant achievement in the program for some partner countries. VMFAT-501 hosts three pilots and 13 maintainers from the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and Royal Navy."

Marines fly first F-35 STOVL mission at Eglin

[LowObservable]

Wot, they only just did that now?

[Lonewolf_50]

I think the guys at Pax River already did a bit of that ... this seems to be a milestone in standing up the training squadron and getting to IOC ...

[SpazSinbad]

Yes LO the USMC are real slow on the uptake.

[SpazSinbad]

Tank - Target

F-35B strikes tank with guided bomb in test &/or U.S. F-35 fighter drops first guided bomb against ground target | Reuters





First F-35 Guided Weapon Test

"Published on Oct 30, 2013
An F-35 Lightning II employs a Guided Bomb Unit-12 (GBU-12) Paveway II laser-guided weapon from the internal weapons bay against a fixed ground tank test target Oct. 29, at a test range at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The F-35's Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) enabled the pilot to identify, track, designate and deliver the GBU-12 on target."

You Tube

[SpazSinbad]

Possible F-35 Test Changes for SPEED UP

Pentagon's F-35 office eyes possible change in testing approach 30 Oct 2013 Andrea Shalal-Esa

"(Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday said it is examining the possibility of saving time and money by more closely integrating developmental and operational testing of the new F-35 radar-evading fighter jet built by Lockheed Martin Corp.

Kyra Hawn, spokeswoman for the $392 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, said discussions were under way with the Pentagon's "testing community" but no decisions had been made.

"It's trying to do what makes sense and is efficient, without up-ending the intent of having these separate and distinct review processes," Hawn said....

...Current plans call for the Marine Corps to start using the new planes operationally from mid-2015, followed by the other services in subsequent years, while operational testing is not due to begin until 2018.

In an "acquisition decision memorandum" dated Monday, Kendall ordered the Air Force general who runs the program to submit a reworked plan by November 15 for funding the development program that reflected the program's experience.

Hawn said that new plans would reflect changes made to the developmental program, such as earlier testing of the jet's ability to function during lightning storms...

...Retired Admiral Gary Roughead, the former chief of naval operations, welcomed efforts to better integrate testing and speed up the process of buying and fielding new weapons.

He said he would never put U.S. military personnel in an unsafe position, but thought the current level of testing required for new weapons had "gone way overboard."

"Time is money. We really need to look at how we get things to market faster and more efficiently," Roughead, a fellow with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, told Reuters.

"How we test, how we learn, and how we make improvements has become overtaken by a slavish adherence to an ever increasing process," he said...."

Pentagon's F-35 office eyes possible change in testing approach | Reuters

[Rhino power]

Something that strikes me as odd, maybe i'm missing something (highly probable...), the USMC are to begin using their F-35Bs 'operationally' from 2015, with other services following in coming years. What is it that makes the USMC's F-35s 'operationally' viable from 2015 yet, not any of the other services? Also, 'operational testing' is not set to begin until 2018(!), three years after being declared 'operational'! If this is the case then the USMC's IOC on the F-35B must spectacularly limited? Which begs the question what is the point? Is it purely in an effort to ensure that the F-35B survives given the USMC have more or less 'bet the farm' on the B model...

-RP

[SpazSinbad]

USMC F-35B Block 2B Software for IOC 2015

The services are able to decide their own IOC parameters and have done so. This is what Gen. Amos said recently:

USMC Gen. Amos testifies before Congress on F-35B 15 May 2013 Barry Graaf

"...“When asked about the status of the software he said:
“…the fact of the matter is that the program officer, program manager, General Bogdan, went on record here just a little bit ago saying that he had confidence that (F-35) 2B software would be ready to go in time to meet the IOC (Initial Operating Capability) of the Marine Corps of 2015. The software in 2B will provide a more capable platform than we currently have in the entire United States Marine Corps today. It will provide an airplane that will deliver more weapons, be more capable, be stealthier, have more capabilities, more information assurance, more information dominance, than anything we're flying today in the United States Marine Corps.”"

http://whythef35.blagspot.com.au/201...-congress.html

CHANGE 'blag' in URL to 'blog' and it will worketh good.
_____________________

F-35 Initial Operational Capability June 2013

"...Executive Summary
Air Force F-35A initial operational capability (IOC) shall be declared when the first operational squadron is equipped with 12-24 aircraft, and Airmen are trained, manned, and equipped to conduct basic Close Air Support (CAS), Interdiction, and limited Suppression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD/DEAD) operations in a contested environment. Based on the current F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) schedule, the F-35A will reach the IOC milestone between August 2016 (Objective) and December 2016 (Threshold). Should capability delivery experience changes or delays, this estimate will be revised appropriately.

Marine Corps F-35B IOC shall be declared when the first operational squadron is equipped with 10-16 aircraft, and US Marines are trained, manned, and equipped to conduct CAS, Offensive and Defensive Counter Air, Air Interdiction, Assault Support Escort, and Armed Reconnaissance in concert with Marine Air Ground Task Force resources and capabilities. Based on the current F-35 JPO schedule, the F-35B will reach the IOC milestone between July 2015 (Objective) and December 2015 (Threshold). Should capability delivery experience changes or delays, this estimate will be revised appropriately.

Navy F-35C IOC shall be declared when the first operational squadron is equipped with 10 aircraft, and Navy personnel are trained, manned and equipped to conduct assigned missions. Based on the current F-35 JPO schedule, the F-35C will reach the IOC milestone between August 2018 (Objective) and February 2019 (Threshold). Should capability delivery experience changes or delays, this estimate will be revised appropriately....

...United States Marine Corps F-35B IOC Date and Capabilities:
Marine Corps F-35B IOC shall be declared when the first operational squadron is trained, manned, and equipped to conduct CAS, Offensive and Defensive Counter Air, Air Interdiction, Assault Support Escort, and Armed Reconnaissance in concert with Marine Air Ground Task Force resources and capabilities. The F-35B shall have the ability to conduct operational missions utilizing SDD program of record weapons and mission systems. The aircraft will be in a Block 2B configuration with the requisite SDD performance envelope and weapon clearances. The first Marine Corps F-35B operational squadron shall have 10-16 primary aircraft and shall be capable of deploying and performing its assigned mission(s). Support and sustainment elements shall include spares, support equipment, tools, technical publications, training programs and devices, and Autonomic Logistic Information System V2.

Marine Corps IOC is capability based and will be declared when the above conditions are met. If the F-35 IMS Version 7 executes according to plan, Marine Corps F-35B IOC criteria could be met between July 2015 (Objective) and December 2015 (Threshold). Should capability delivery experience additional changes, this estimate will be revised appropriately.

The criteria stated above will provide sufficient initial combat capability for the threat postulated in 2015. However, in order to meet the full spectrum of Joint warfighter requirements in future years, the Marine Corps will require enhanced lethality and survivability inherent in Blocks 3F and beyond...."

F-35_IOC_Joint_Report_FINAL[1].pdf (116Kb PDF)

[SpazSinbad]

Grinding the Way to USMC IOC

Sea Power - November 2013
‘A Balance of Risk and Reward’ Nov 2013 By OTTO KREISHER, Special Correspondent

"Marines face long, slow grind to achieve F-35B initial operational capability...

...The F-35Bs flown now by Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 have the block 2A 2.5 software, but will not be combat-capable until the block 2B software is installed, and development of that system is running slower than expected....

...The types of missions and the range of speed and maneuvers the pilots can fly are limited by the early version of the critical computer software that manages aircraft performance and its sensors and mission-control systems, as well as some airframe issues.

VMFA-121’s Lightnings currently have the block 2A 2.5 software, but expect to get the first aircraft with the more capable block 2A 3.1 soon, Wyrsch said. With that software, they will be able to fly at night and in weather conditions requiring reliance on instruments, he said.

However, the F-35 will not be combat-capable until it has the block 2B software, and development of that system — with its 9 million lines of computer code — is running slower than expected, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, the F-35 program executive.

Wyrsch said the squadron is “hoping to get actual aircraft configured for 2B in the spring of 2015,” which would mean that by “summer or fall of 2015, we’ll have pilots that actually are capable of deploying with the aircraft if called upon to do so.”...

...VMFA-121 is flying with an early version of the sophisticated helmet, which allows the pilot to see aircraft flight information and the operational situation through the helmet visor, rather than looking at the instrument panel. Although that helmet has some operational deficiencies, the program office said the squadron could achieve IOC with it. The new model of the helmet is in final testing.

Flight maneuvers also are restricted until the squadron’s F-35s receive some of the required airframe modifications, including a fix to the roll post doors, which help control the aircraft during STOVL operations....

...Wyrsch said he has conducted STOVL operations only in the F-35B flight simulators, but echoed the observation of program test pilots who have said that making the transition from STOVL to conventional flight and back in the Lightning is much easier than in the Harrier.

“It’s really just a push of the button,” he said.

Although test pilots have performed dozens of STOVL operations at sea on the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, the Green Knights do not expect to be cleared for shipboard operations until closer to IOC.

Wyrsch noted that VMFA-121 has been “using Marine maintenance since Day 1 … where the Marines are maintaining all the aircraft.”..."

http://www.seapower-digital.com/d2ac...r201311-dl.pdf (8.2Mb)

[Rhino power]

Thanks for the links Spaz...

-RP

[LowObservable]

"The software in 2B will provide a more capable platform than we currently have in the entire United States Marine Corps today."

Whoopity ing whoop. It's slogans like this that undermine the credibility of the Corps and of the program.

Seriously: The Marines today fly Classic Hornets designed in the late 1970s, and Harrier IIs, an early-80s mod of a 1960s design. Just as well that 35-50 years and $xx billion have produced something better.

In the real world, Block 2B has little or no capability against moving targets (except what can be done with an LGB), no gun and no AIM-9X. The latter means that it is somewhat dodgy in an environment where the air threat is uncertain, and of little use for CAS (particularly since it doesn't have Rover either).

The squadron (there are only enough Block 2B jets for one) is staffed with hand-picked pilots and maintenance people. There may be advantages to this kind of early operational test, but it costs you (in resources that could be applied to developing the KPP-compliant aircraft).

As for the Reuters bit, how often have you heard of a program that's confident of performing on schedule, but wants to use a shortcut? Me neither.

[Lonewolf_50]

As for the Reuters bit, how often have you heard of a program that's confident of performing on schedule, but wants to use a shortcut? Me
neither.

There is a never ending push in most big dollar programs to find ways to declare "look at the money we saved" regardless of where the larger program is taking things. (I saw this in a few programs a while ago ... )

Someone does a risk assessment, and either goes for the savings route or says "not likely enough to let's just maintain course and speed."

With the larger program in such cost and time deficits, anything they can roll out that smacks of 'look what a nice change of trend here!" is going to be rolled out, if only to appease Congressional (money source) critics.

[peter we]

Seriously: The Marines today fly Classic Hornets designed in the late 1970s, and Harrier IIs, an early-80s mod of a 1960s design. Just as well that 35-50 years and $xx billion have produced something better.

Its takes time to develop weapons and aircraft.

It also takes a lot of money.

The F-35 is still in development, it will get better.

Do you understand?

[LowObservable]

Its takes time to develop weapons and aircraft.

It also takes a lot of money.

The F-35 is still in development, it will get better.

Thanks for that frightfully enlightening comment. I really did not know any of those things before.

[Courtney Mil]

Sitting here in the middle of all this, I'm delighted to see a liitle discussion rather than just continuous quotes from other web sites. I can get an RSS feed any time I want.

So it's back to the Acolytes (who shall hear no bad spoken against the new Wonder) against the Rebels (who have seen too many programmes go badly wrong to take it without question). I would score this round as one to the Rebels on the basis of a glib attempt to state the bleedin' obvious.

Next round please.

[Just This Once...]

I agree and would be grateful if Spaz can turn-down the quotes a little. They may be relevant and some are very interesting but it does break-up the discussion somewhat.

[Willard Whyte]

Its takes time to develop weapons and aircraft.

It also takes a lot of money.

The F-35 is still in development, it will get better.

How long?

How much?

It'd better, given the answer to the first two is 'lots'.

VMFA-121’s Lightnings currently have the block 2A 2.5 software, but expect to get the first aircraft with the more capable block 2A 3.1 soon, Wyrsch said. With that software, they will be able to fly at night and in weather conditions requiring reliance on instruments, he said.

Reassuring that it will be capable of IF 5 years after it first flew.

[SpazSinbad]

Drone NOT Shot Down! Quel Merde

Oh so sad.... no droneing on and on shootdown....

F-35B launches air-to-air missile in test

[peter we]

who have seen too many programmes go badly wrong to take it without question

You think if the F-35 was stopped and restarted the result would be any better? I don't.

Cancel the F-35 and start again and you will end up with something just as crap, twenty years later and X hundreds of billions wasted.

Its far better to stick with a plan and go all the way to its conclusion. Keep plugging away with improvements.

Its far, far too late to change now, the program was designed to be un-cancellable - and it is.

As for this thread; the discussion has stopped as everything has been said. Spaz is quite right to post links and articles about the programs progress, no need for a slagging match. The F-35 is going to happen..

[Courtney Mil]

It is really good news that the jet has made a successful, guided launch. But I have to say that the statements made by Lockheed in the press release are dreadful.

The drone was identified and targeted using mission systems sensors and the target’s “track” information was passed to the radar-seeking missile, say Lockheed.


The weapon launched from the aircraft’s internal weapons bay, acquired the target and flew an “intercept flight profile,” says Lockheed.

If that means the radar and the missile worked, then good. Just like fighters have been doing for many decades. Incidentally, AIM-120 is not a "Radar-seeking missile". I think Raytheon might tell you it's a bit smarter than that.