F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018...uisition-exec/
F-35 upgrade plan awaiting approval from top Pentagon acquisition exec
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s acquisition executive is set to weigh in on the F-35’s modernization plan in the coming weeks, the F-35 program executive officer said Oct 1.
An update of the F-35’s acquisition strategy, which spells out the F-35’s Block 4 modernization plan and describes the agile software approach that the department intends to use to incrementally upgrade the jet, is sitting on the desk of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord, Vice Adm. Mat Winter told reporters during a roundtable.
Winter characterized the document as going through the “final administrative engagements with her staff and the [Office of the Secretary of Defense] staff,” with Lord’s approval expected “within the next couple weeks,” he said. The Navy and Air Force acquisition executives — James Geurts and Will Roper, respectively — have already approved the plan.
Although Winter did not provide details on the revised strategy, it is anticipated to contain new cost estimates for Block 4 modernization driven by the new agile software approach, which the F-35 joint program office terms Continuous Capability Development and Delivery or C2D2......
This more intensive software development effort may also boost the cost of follow-on modernization. During a March hearing, Winter acknowledged that U.S. and international customers could pay up to $16 billion for Block 4 modernisation — a figure that includes $10.8 billion for development and $5.4 billion for procurement of upgrades to the F-35 between fiscal years 2018 through 2024. However, he also stressed that this was an initial estimate, and that a more solid assessment would be provided to Lord with the revised acquisition strategy........
The first Block 4 capabilities are set to be delivered in April, Winter said, but about 22 modifications will require the F-35 to undergo a set of computing system upgrades called Tech Refresh 3. Those “TR 3” modifications include a new integrated core processor, memory system and panoramic cockpit display.
The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps currently plan to upgrade all of their F-35s to TR3 in the 2020s, although that could change due to operational or fiscal constraints, Winter noted.
It is still unknown whether all operational F-35s will be converted to the Block 4 version, but that decision could also affect the cost of the follow-on modernization program..........
F-35 upgrade plan awaiting approval from top Pentagon acquisition exec
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s acquisition executive is set to weigh in on the F-35’s modernization plan in the coming weeks, the F-35 program executive officer said Oct 1.
An update of the F-35’s acquisition strategy, which spells out the F-35’s Block 4 modernization plan and describes the agile software approach that the department intends to use to incrementally upgrade the jet, is sitting on the desk of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord, Vice Adm. Mat Winter told reporters during a roundtable.
Winter characterized the document as going through the “final administrative engagements with her staff and the [Office of the Secretary of Defense] staff,” with Lord’s approval expected “within the next couple weeks,” he said. The Navy and Air Force acquisition executives — James Geurts and Will Roper, respectively — have already approved the plan.
Although Winter did not provide details on the revised strategy, it is anticipated to contain new cost estimates for Block 4 modernization driven by the new agile software approach, which the F-35 joint program office terms Continuous Capability Development and Delivery or C2D2......
This more intensive software development effort may also boost the cost of follow-on modernization. During a March hearing, Winter acknowledged that U.S. and international customers could pay up to $16 billion for Block 4 modernisation — a figure that includes $10.8 billion for development and $5.4 billion for procurement of upgrades to the F-35 between fiscal years 2018 through 2024. However, he also stressed that this was an initial estimate, and that a more solid assessment would be provided to Lord with the revised acquisition strategy........
The first Block 4 capabilities are set to be delivered in April, Winter said, but about 22 modifications will require the F-35 to undergo a set of computing system upgrades called Tech Refresh 3. Those “TR 3” modifications include a new integrated core processor, memory system and panoramic cockpit display.
The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps currently plan to upgrade all of their F-35s to TR3 in the 2020s, although that could change due to operational or fiscal constraints, Winter noted.
It is still unknown whether all operational F-35s will be converted to the Block 4 version, but that decision could also affect the cost of the follow-on modernization program..........
Belgium selects F-35
The word on the street is the F-35 has been selected by the Belgiums over the Eurofighter Typhoon.
https://theaviationist.com/2018/10/2...s-aging-f-16s/
cheers
https://theaviationist.com/2018/10/2...s-aging-f-16s/
cheers
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/new...f-inspections/Some F-35s grounded again for new round of inspections
WASHINGTON — The F-35 Joint Program Office temporarily has halted flight operations for a number of F-35s with higher flight hours after finding two new parts that will require inspection on older models of the jets.
A spokesman for the F-35 JPO, who confirmed the issue exclusively to Defense News and Marine Corps Times, declined to detail exactly how many jets may possibly be grounded as a result of the inspections. However, one source close to the program said that only a couple dozen F-35Bs meet the criteria where an operational pause would be necessary. “The joint government and industry technical team has completed their assessment of the fuel supply tubes within the Pratt & Whitney engine on F-35 aircraft,” the F-35 Joint Program Office announced in a statement. “In addition to the previously identified failed tube, the analysis has identified two additional fuel supply tubes that require inspection.” Some of the older engines with higher flight hours may require additional fuel tube replacements.
“While the two additional fuel tubes have not failed, engineering data collected during the ongoing investigation established the requirement for a time-phased inspection based on engine flight hours,” the Joint Program Office said in an emailed statement. “The procedure to inspect and replace can be done by flightline maintenance without removing the engine.” F-35s that have not reached the “inspection requirements” are continuing normal flight operations, according to the Joint Program Office. A source close to the program said the two additional tubes currently being inspected are made by the same supplier and using the same method as the initial tube that was found to be faulty and resulted in a fleet wide grounding this month.
Because the Marine Corps' F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing jets are subject to different stresses than the other models, only B models that have reached a certain number of flight hours will be grounded for inspections. F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft and F-35C carrier takeoff and landing jets, however, will have tubes replaced as part of normal phased maintenance.
The Marine Corps air station out of Beaufort, South Carolina, told Marine Corps Times that its F-35Bs are cleared to fly. “We are conducting our inspections of all our aircraft, per the JPO statement,” Lt. Sam Stephenson, a Marine spokesperson for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in an emailed statement. There are also F-35Bs embarked with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU, aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship Essex. The 13th MEU is currently operating in the U.S. Central Command area of operations.
Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the F-35 air vehicle, referred questions to the JPO and to Pratt & Whitney. “We’re continuing to work with Pratt and Whitney, the F-35 Joint Program Office, the U.S. Services and our international customers to minimize impact to the fleet," the company said in a statement. "Pratt and Whitney builds the F135 engine and contracts directly with the F-35 Joint Program Office — and they can best address technical questions related to the engine.”.......
WASHINGTON — The F-35 Joint Program Office temporarily has halted flight operations for a number of F-35s with higher flight hours after finding two new parts that will require inspection on older models of the jets.
A spokesman for the F-35 JPO, who confirmed the issue exclusively to Defense News and Marine Corps Times, declined to detail exactly how many jets may possibly be grounded as a result of the inspections. However, one source close to the program said that only a couple dozen F-35Bs meet the criteria where an operational pause would be necessary. “The joint government and industry technical team has completed their assessment of the fuel supply tubes within the Pratt & Whitney engine on F-35 aircraft,” the F-35 Joint Program Office announced in a statement. “In addition to the previously identified failed tube, the analysis has identified two additional fuel supply tubes that require inspection.” Some of the older engines with higher flight hours may require additional fuel tube replacements.
“While the two additional fuel tubes have not failed, engineering data collected during the ongoing investigation established the requirement for a time-phased inspection based on engine flight hours,” the Joint Program Office said in an emailed statement. “The procedure to inspect and replace can be done by flightline maintenance without removing the engine.” F-35s that have not reached the “inspection requirements” are continuing normal flight operations, according to the Joint Program Office. A source close to the program said the two additional tubes currently being inspected are made by the same supplier and using the same method as the initial tube that was found to be faulty and resulted in a fleet wide grounding this month.
Because the Marine Corps' F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing jets are subject to different stresses than the other models, only B models that have reached a certain number of flight hours will be grounded for inspections. F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft and F-35C carrier takeoff and landing jets, however, will have tubes replaced as part of normal phased maintenance.
The Marine Corps air station out of Beaufort, South Carolina, told Marine Corps Times that its F-35Bs are cleared to fly. “We are conducting our inspections of all our aircraft, per the JPO statement,” Lt. Sam Stephenson, a Marine spokesperson for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in an emailed statement. There are also F-35Bs embarked with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU, aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship Essex. The 13th MEU is currently operating in the U.S. Central Command area of operations.
Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the F-35 air vehicle, referred questions to the JPO and to Pratt & Whitney. “We’re continuing to work with Pratt and Whitney, the F-35 Joint Program Office, the U.S. Services and our international customers to minimize impact to the fleet," the company said in a statement. "Pratt and Whitney builds the F135 engine and contracts directly with the F-35 Joint Program Office — and they can best address technical questions related to the engine.”.......
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They used the F-35 for a strike mission for the same reason that we sometimes used a B-1 for CAS (not the ground commander's first choice, to be sure, they wanted all A-10's all the time) in Afghanistan.
That's who was on the ATO that day. Given a few interesting days dealing with a similar problem with weapons caches in remote areas in underground locations (over a decade ago) a Predator cant carry a big enough bomb to do what needed doing, as the author suggested.
The article cited 500 lb and 1000 (or 2k) lb bombs as what was delivered: GBU 12 and GBU 32.
Reaper can carry the GBU 12, pred can't. Not sure if a Reaper was available that day.
Are you, or is the author? Did you write that day's ATO?
Beyond the other consideration -- those aircraft are deployed, now let's get some use out of them! -- I will go along with any suspicion that someone, somewhere, further up the chain or command was likely sending inquiries and messages down the chain along the lines of "get one of our new planes a mission, and go blow something up!" I've seen stuff like that IRL too.
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Separately, these cost arguments have been going on literally for decades. Remember the broohahah when during the Reagan years USN used A-6s to bomb targets in Lebanon when the USS New Jersey and her 16 inch guns were offshore and well within range? And the finger wagging when F-15 pilots used expensive AMRAAM missiles to shoot down aircraft when they were within range to use much cheaper Sidewinders? This is no different and equally stoopid.
Last edited by KenV; 1st Nov 2018 at 18:07.
F-35B connects with USS Wasp’s anti-cruise missile defence
Snip from article on Flight Global:-
For the first time a US Marine Corps F-35B made a Link 16 connection with the USS Wasp’s Ship Self Defense System (SSDS), allowing the stealth fighter to securely share digital tactical data with the US Navy vessel and surrounding support fleet, information that could be used for defense against an air attack.
Sharing data from the F-35B’s sensors with the SSDS, hardware and software that coordinates defensive missiles, decoys and electronic warfare weapons on board surface ships, would allow the USN more situational awareness of incoming missiles. Anti-ship cruise missiles flying at sub-sonic and supersonic speeds just above the surface of the ocean pose one of the greatest threats to vessels.
Sharing data from the F-35B’s sensors with the SSDS, hardware and software that coordinates defensive missiles, decoys and electronic warfare weapons on board surface ships, would allow the USN more situational awareness of incoming missiles. Anti-ship cruise missiles flying at sub-sonic and supersonic speeds just above the surface of the ocean pose one of the greatest threats to vessels.
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BTW in case you missed it...
https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/615127-china-shows-off-first-quantum-radar-prototype.html
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Troubled $1.5 Trillion F-35 Program Has Another Big Problem
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/bu...-problem-35867
"Robert Behler, the director of operational test and evaluation, is delaying IOT&E until the program addresses several software issues. Behler writes that operational testing cannot begin until the program updates versions of the F-35’s operating software, mission-data files, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), and testing range infrastructure software.
While it is not clear from the memo which specific problems remain to be resolved, previous testing reports found “key technical deficiencies in the ability of the F-35 to employ the AIM-120 weapons ” (the principle air-to-air missile) and an “uncharacterized bias toward long and right of the target” when pilots fire the aircraft’s cannon, resulting in them “consistently missing ground targets during strafe testing .”
Q. Does amraam fit in the truncated F35b weapon bays?
A. Only as ballast.
glad sends.....
"Robert Behler, the director of operational test and evaluation, is delaying IOT&E until the program addresses several software issues. Behler writes that operational testing cannot begin until the program updates versions of the F-35’s operating software, mission-data files, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), and testing range infrastructure software.
While it is not clear from the memo which specific problems remain to be resolved, previous testing reports found “key technical deficiencies in the ability of the F-35 to employ the AIM-120 weapons ” (the principle air-to-air missile) and an “uncharacterized bias toward long and right of the target” when pilots fire the aircraft’s cannon, resulting in them “consistently missing ground targets during strafe testing .”
Q. Does amraam fit in the truncated F35b weapon bays?
A. Only as ballast.
glad sends.....
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Same story first appeared here on 12 Sep 2018: https://www.pogo.org/investigation/2...other-setback/
Testing due to start in a coupla days - things must be fixed OR we find out soon enough.
Testing due to start in a coupla days - things must be fixed OR we find out soon enough.
"...Edwards AFB, California, the F-35 will begin initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) on November 13 [2018]. Its successful completion will allow the F-35 to enter full-rate production. The Joint Strike Fighter Operational Test Team (JOTT) approved the move on September 23 and the approval of the under-secretary of defense followed on October 2." COMBAT Aircraft Magazine December 2018 Vol.19 No.12
Last edited by SpazSinbad; 10th Nov 2018 at 18:54. Reason: add quote
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Same story first appeared here on 12 Sep 2018: https://www.pogo.org/investigation/2...other-setback/
Testing due to start in a coupla days - things must be fixed OR we find out soon enough.
Testing due to start in a coupla days - things must be fixed OR we find out soon enough.
https://www.pogo.org/investigation/2...e-development/
" It comes on the heels of the revelation, reported first by POGO, that program officials have been trying to make it appear as though the program has completed the development phase, by altering paperwork to reclassify potentially life-threatening design flaws to give the appearance of progress rather than actually fixing them."
https://www.documentcloud.org/docume...-Strategy.html
"It seems that much of that work is being ignored in the name of political expediency and protecting F-35 funding."
etc, etc.
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Lots of things have likely changed in the meantime - we don't know how. In regard to the other thread I found this quote from the cited POGO article interesting:
I would have thought making the arrest OK was paramount whilst IF some damage was caused by UP SWING then so be it - AIRCRAFT/CREW saved.
As for 'recategorising aircraft faults': my favourite story from my past is 'as a new Delmar Venom pilot at NAS Nowra' in 1969 being taken around the Sea Venom by our VC-724 Squadron AEO Air Engineering Officer as he pointed out all the airframe 'deficiencies' including bent boom and elevator cracks - so help me god. Yep the thing flew oddly & care was taken to stay within the DELMAR Venom limitations but thankfully that aircraft was retired TOOT SWEET.
"...Testers have also identified an issue with the arresting hook on the Air Force’s F-35A conventional takeoff variant. The F-35A, like other Air Force aircraft, is equipped with a single-use tailhook for emergency-landing situations when the pilot suspects a braking failure. Testing on the F-35A’s tailhook began in 2016. Testing engineers found that the arresting hook is causing damage to the aircraft due to “up-swing.” They originally rated this a Category I “Medium” deficiency. At this meeting, the deputy director of engineering, this time with the concurrence of the testing sites, downgraded the deficiency to Category II “High,” with instructions to study the maintenance- and replacement-cost data to better define the difference between “major damage” and “non-major damage”—but without actually proposing any fixes to the problem...."
I would have thought making the arrest OK was paramount whilst IF some damage was caused by UP SWING then so be it - AIRCRAFT/CREW saved.
As for 'recategorising aircraft faults': my favourite story from my past is 'as a new Delmar Venom pilot at NAS Nowra' in 1969 being taken around the Sea Venom by our VC-724 Squadron AEO Air Engineering Officer as he pointed out all the airframe 'deficiencies' including bent boom and elevator cracks - so help me god. Yep the thing flew oddly & care was taken to stay within the DELMAR Venom limitations but thankfully that aircraft was retired TOOT SWEET.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018...n-f-35-orders/
Italy signals slowdown on F-35 orders
ROME — Italy will stretch out the order of F-35 fighter jets, buying six or seven of the aircraft in the next five years instead of the previously planned 10 jets, a government source told Defense News. The decision follows a review of the program by Italy’s populist government, which took office in June and is mulling defense spending cuts to pay for social welfare programs and cover tax cuts.
The source said the plan did not envisage a reduction in orders, merely a slowdown of intake, which would leave the decision of the total F-35 purchase to a future government. Previous governments planned to buy 60 F-35As and 30 F-35Bs for a total of 90 aircraft. The new government will focus on spending plans over its five-year mandate and not beyond, the source said, adding that discussions are underway with the U.S. about the change in schedule.
The decision on the slowdown keeps with Italian policy on the F-35 set out by Defence Minister Elisabetta Trenta after she took office in June. “What I would like to do is lighten the load, since we have other spending commitments in Europe. We will try to stretch out deliveries instead of cutting the order, which would reduce offsets and mean penalties,” she told Defense News at the time.
Italy has taken delivery of 10 F-35As and one F-35B. Two of the "A" models as well as the "B" model are being used for training in the U.S., while eight "A" models are now based at the Italian Air Force’s base in Amendola, southern Italy.......
Italy signals slowdown on F-35 orders
ROME — Italy will stretch out the order of F-35 fighter jets, buying six or seven of the aircraft in the next five years instead of the previously planned 10 jets, a government source told Defense News. The decision follows a review of the program by Italy’s populist government, which took office in June and is mulling defense spending cuts to pay for social welfare programs and cover tax cuts.
The source said the plan did not envisage a reduction in orders, merely a slowdown of intake, which would leave the decision of the total F-35 purchase to a future government. Previous governments planned to buy 60 F-35As and 30 F-35Bs for a total of 90 aircraft. The new government will focus on spending plans over its five-year mandate and not beyond, the source said, adding that discussions are underway with the U.S. about the change in schedule.
The decision on the slowdown keeps with Italian policy on the F-35 set out by Defence Minister Elisabetta Trenta after she took office in June. “What I would like to do is lighten the load, since we have other spending commitments in Europe. We will try to stretch out deliveries instead of cutting the order, which would reduce offsets and mean penalties,” she told Defense News at the time.
Italy has taken delivery of 10 F-35As and one F-35B. Two of the "A" models as well as the "B" model are being used for training in the U.S., while eight "A" models are now based at the Italian Air Force’s base in Amendola, southern Italy.......