F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
LO, EPAWSS is still seen as a "must have" for the C Model, largely because there are only so many f-22s and nothing around to take on its Air-to-Air duties. TEWS is labelled "obsolete" and F-35 is too far away - debatable if it would do Air Dominance anyway. There are some concerns about funding it for the E, though.
Bit of a hole there, for sure.
Bit of a hole there, for sure.
As I noted many pages back, it is a worthwhile bet that F-35 is the last manned fighter program we'll ever have. What they are doing with the unmanned strike vehicles is likely to keep expanding, even at the expense of other systems.
LO: F-16 upgrades have been going on since the 1980's. What F-16 modernization program were you referring to? (Crap, are they already past block 60?) Will look that up ... OK, I am guessing you refer to the new radar?
LO: F-16 upgrades have been going on since the 1980's. What F-16 modernization program were you referring to? (Crap, are they already past block 60?) Will look that up ... OK, I am guessing you refer to the new radar?
Last edited by Lonewolf_50; 6th Jan 2015 at 22:17.
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OK, thanks. SLEP becomes more important as F-35 slides right. The "CAPES-lite" avionics upgrade has to take shape if it is to exist in a finished form. Thanks, Glad.
(PS: Just finished a fast read of Viper ops by Dan Hampton.
Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat
Some interesting stuff in there on F-16's as Wild Weasel ... which role I don't think JSF will ever be assigned ... )
(PS: Just finished a fast read of Viper ops by Dan Hampton.
Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat
Some interesting stuff in there on F-16's as Wild Weasel ... which role I don't think JSF will ever be assigned ... )
Yes, Capes - the basic development work continues, for Taiwan and (probably) Singapore, as well as others. But procurement is gone from the U.S. budget.
We'll see about EPAWSS. The likely suspects are offering very different approaches and so far there isn't a clear cost estimate. Rewiring 35-year-old aircraft can be entertaining.
We'll see about EPAWSS. The likely suspects are offering very different approaches and so far there isn't a clear cost estimate. Rewiring 35-year-old aircraft can be entertaining.
F-35 @ Lakenheath by 2020
Thought I was having a bad dream, for a moment when I read this
RAF Mildenhall to close amid other Europe consolidations - Europe - Stripes
The only consolation is F-35 to LN by 2020 if all goes well, or not
Cheers
RAF Mildenhall to close amid other Europe consolidations - Europe - Stripes
The only consolation is F-35 to LN by 2020 if all goes well, or not
Cheers
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More detail on exactly which F-35 systems PLA Unit 61398 has compromised, somewhat ironically coming from stolen NSA reports:
China stole plans for a new fighter plane, spy documents have revealed
A 2012 Aviation Week report on the hacking claimed that
China stole plans for a new fighter plane, spy documents have revealed
The leaked document shows that stolen design information included details of the JSF's radar systems which are used to identify and track targets; detailed engine schematics; methods for cooling exhaust gases; and "aft deck heating contour maps".
In June 2013 US Defense Department acquisitions chief Frank Kendall told a US Senate hearing that he was "reasonably confident" classified information related to the development of the F-35 was now well protected. It is understood the main data breach took place at the prime contractor Lockheed Martin in 2007.
In June 2013 US Defense Department acquisitions chief Frank Kendall told a US Senate hearing that he was "reasonably confident" classified information related to the development of the F-35 was now well protected. It is understood the main data breach took place at the prime contractor Lockheed Martin in 2007.
before the intrusions were discovered nearly three years ago, Chinese hackers actually sat in on what were supposed to have been secure, online program-progress conferences, the officials say.
The full extent of the connection is still being assessed, but there is consensus that escalating costs, reduced annual purchases and production stretch-outs are a reflection to some degree of the need for redesign of critical equipment. Examples include specialized communications and antenna arrays for stealth aircraft, as well as significant rewriting of software to protect systems vulnerable to hacking.
The full extent of the connection is still being assessed, but there is consensus that escalating costs, reduced annual purchases and production stretch-outs are a reflection to some degree of the need for redesign of critical equipment. Examples include specialized communications and antenna arrays for stealth aircraft, as well as significant rewriting of software to protect systems vulnerable to hacking.
The actual report is less specific about the F-35 - the aft deck, for example, refers to the B-2. (In that case, the best intel lesson, which the Chinese could have picked up from open sources, would be "Don't design anything that looks like that in the first place".)
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DOT&E 2014 Annual Report Section on F-35
Schedule sort-of held, but a lot of testing ditched. And I hope that some combat effectiveness or at least useful learning is derived from the Marines' early IOC with Block 2B, because that's clearly a major focus on software that is not applicable to the definitive service-standard aircraft.
Thanks, Rhino. Lurking amidst the issues is this amusing one:
"The Lockheed Martin-developed F-35 ejection seat dolly failed Critical Design Review. The F-35 ejection seat has a higher center of gravity than legacy seats due to supports for the helmet-mounted display, and in the shipboard environment needs to be securely tied down in case of rolling motion from high sea states."
"The Lockheed Martin-developed F-35 ejection seat dolly failed Critical Design Review. The F-35 ejection seat has a higher center of gravity than legacy seats due to supports for the helmet-mounted display, and in the shipboard environment needs to be securely tied down in case of rolling motion from high sea states."
Do a Hover - it avoids G
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Rhino power
Thank you for an excellent document.
I am in awe of a development programme that has come up with so many problems - several very serious indeed - without losing a single aeroplane. That is the way to develop a jet that during the last three decades of its life will truly be the one to beat.
(by my reckoning there are 15 more years before it enters the last three decades of its service life. Which today makes it half way through its development programme)
Thank you for an excellent document.
I am in awe of a development programme that has come up with so many problems - several very serious indeed - without losing a single aeroplane. That is the way to develop a jet that during the last three decades of its life will truly be the one to beat.
(by my reckoning there are 15 more years before it enters the last three decades of its service life. Which today makes it half way through its development programme)
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John
You, Ned and I once had a chat at F'Boro, where two of us asserted that the aircraft was an ugly and unachievably specified (in all respects, not merely technical) platform. Plus ca change mon ami! But that was in drink, unlike now
You, Ned and I once had a chat at F'Boro, where two of us asserted that the aircraft was an ugly and unachievably specified (in all respects, not merely technical) platform. Plus ca change mon ami! But that was in drink, unlike now
Last edited by jindabyne; 22nd Jan 2015 at 07:57.
Haven't they lost one? I mean is it repairable?
I think Mr. Farley was referring to "lost" as in a smoking hole in the ground.
I do agree that with over a 100 built, in 3 distinct versions, doing concurrant R&D, training regular squadron crews as they gear up for IOC, weapons test, training partner nation crews, envelope expansion, shipboard trials, STOVL, etc- it has had an impressive safety record.
Undoubtedly the press will be all over the first crash when it comes, que "flawed $200M fighter crashes, narrowly missing day care center....."
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John Farley, thanks for another perspective on the doom and gloom about the F-35. I hadn't really thought about it in that light. Glass half full vs half empty I guess.
Based on talking to a friend in the program, it will eventually be a very good aircraft but it won't be a game changer on day one of IOC. Helps to think about F-16A capes versus blk60 capes several decades later.
Based on talking to a friend in the program, it will eventually be a very good aircraft but it won't be a game changer on day one of IOC. Helps to think about F-16A capes versus blk60 capes several decades later.
Do a Hover - it avoids G
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busdriver02
Thanks. Yes as I suggested in my post I believe it will take 15 years from now before it is fully sorted and becomes a game changer (or the one to beat).
In my book any types IOC is just the start of another phase in that type's development programme.
Thanks. Yes as I suggested in my post I believe it will take 15 years from now before it is fully sorted and becomes a game changer (or the one to beat).
In my book any types IOC is just the start of another phase in that type's development programme.