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Sujet: JSF F-35 Lightning II Mer 17 Oct 2007 - 15:25
Rappel du premier message :
Bonjour à tous,
Le F-35 est l'avenir de beaucoup de forces aériennes, il remplacera les F-16, A-10, Harrier et autres. Je propose que soient postées ici, si vous êtres d'accord, toutes les infos au sujet du F-35. Merci de m'avoir lu.
Article (en anglais) fort intéressant sur l'avion qui comprend un pdf avec les différents armements que pourra emporter le F-35, tant en soutes, que sous les ailes. Furtif, moins furtif...
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Jeu 10 Nov 2011 - 10:20
Citation :
Photo release: First F-35C catapult launch at NAS Patuxent River
Navy test pilot Lt. Chris Tabert flies F-35C test aircraft CF-3 off the TC-7 steam catapult at NAS Patuxent River Nov. 4. (U.S. Navy photo)
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – Navy test pilot Lt. Chris Tabert flies F-35C test aircraft CF-3 off the TC-7 steam catapult at NAS Patuxent River Nov. 4. The launch was the first time the test catapult here launched an F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. Previous catapult testing occurred in Lakehurst, N.J. The F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with its larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear to withstand catapult launches and deck landing impacts associated with the demanding aircraft carrier environment. Initial carrier trials for the F-35C are scheduled for 2013. The F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River before delivery to the fleet. (U.S. Navy photo)
navy
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Mar 15 Nov 2011 - 11:27
Citation :
Pratt & Whitney F135 Propulsion System Powers Successful Sea Trials for F-35 Program
EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Nov. 9, 2011 – Sea trials have concluded for the F-35B Lightning II’s Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft. Flying under the power of Pratt & Whitney’s F135 propulsion system, two STOVL variants conducted 72 short takeoffs and vertical landings, for a total of 260 vertical landings in the program. The three-week sea trial period was conducted aboard the USS Wasp sailing from Norfolk Naval Base in Norfolk, Virginia. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.
Col. Roger Cordell, director, Test & Evaluation for F-35 Naval Variants, F-35 Integrated Test Force, said the test went exceedingly well. “The first time you bring a new aircraft to the maritime environment is complex and dangerous, and keeping risks at an acceptable level requires an enormous collective effort. The incredible teamwork by the crew of the USS Wasp, the Integrated Test Force, Lockheed Martin, BAE, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce was essential to trial’s tremendous success. We’re looking forward to getting this aircraft in the hands of the warfighter.”
Key events included operating two F-35B aircraft on deck, at the same time, in both landing and takeoff operations. The tests were completed on schedule and demonstrated that the F-35B aircraft and F135 propulsion system are meeting program goals.
“This is a significant and historic achievement for the F-35 program and the F135 propulsion system,” said Chris Flynn, vice president F135/F119 engine programs. “Beginning with the ‘first ever’ F-35B vertical landing to take place on a ship Oct. 3, the F135 provided dependable performance throughout the series of rigorous tests. We are meeting our goals on performance and affordability at this critical time for the F-35B program.”
U.S. Navy and Marine Corps leadership were pleased with the deck handling qualities of the F-35B. “It is no small feat to put together sea trials,” said Vice Admiral David Venlet, F-35 Program Executive Officer. “This test was planned to happen on Oct. 3 back in early spring of this year and the team delivered on schedule. Signs of dependable performance are emerging across broad aspects of the development program. Professionals from the Navy, Marine Corps and industry team of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce continue to work tirelessly to deliver this aircraft to the fleet,” Venlet said. He added, “ Every time an aircraft is first tested at sea we learn a great deal and the data collected from this event will inform us about the further development work necessary to successfully integrate the F-35B on large-deck amphibious ships. By all accounts, we’re off to a great start.”
Flynn said, “During the trials, the F135 provided outstanding capability and reliability in more than 70 short takeoffs and vertical landings by four different pilots over three weeks.”
The Pratt & Whitney F135 powers the F-35 Lightning II and the engine is in production. Pratt & Whitney has delivered all 18 F135 flight test engines required for the program as well as 32 production engines. The F135 propulsion system has powered more than 1,400 flight tests, 2,150 flight hours and more than 260 vertical landings.
The USS Wasp is an amphibious assault ship designed to embark a Marine Expeditionary Unit. It is capable of simultaneously supporting rotary and fixed wing STOVL aircraft and amphibious landing craft operations. For this test deployment the USS Wasp was outfitted with special instrumentation to support and measure the unique operating environment as the F-35B conducted short takeoffs and vertical landings.
Pratt & Whitney has designed, developed and tested the F135 to deliver fifth-generation engine capability to the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and our allies. The F135 is derived from proven technology of the Pratt & Whitney F119 that powers the operational F-22 Raptor, and it has been enhanced with technologies developed in several Air Force and Navy technology demonstration programs.
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.
pw.utc.com
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rafi General de Division
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Ven 18 Nov 2011 - 16:04
Citation :
New cracks stop vertical landings on some F-35Bs...
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Mer 23 Nov 2011 - 15:37
Citation :
Lockheed Hits 2011 F-35 Test Targets Early
By Graham Warwick
Lockheed Martin has passed its 2011 flight-test targets for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, with aircraft now flying at a pace that, if maintained, will allow the company to exceed its target for a significantly higher number of flights in 2012.
The test program completed its 875th flight for the year on Nov. 17, passing the full-year target of 872. A total of 6,809 test points were accumulated on those flights, exceeding the year-end target of 6,622, says J.D. McFarlan, Lockheed vice president for F-35 test and verification.
The 2011 target was passed early despite testing being halted twice: once briefly in March after an inflight dual generator failure, and for two weeks in August after a failure of the aircraft’s integrated power package during ground runs.
Flying of some F-35B short-takeoff-and-landing test aircraft has again been halted, this time to replace structural beams in the lift-fan bay that have developed small cracks. The beams support actuators for the upper and lower lift-fan doors.
McFarlan says the actuator supports were identified as “hot spots” during structural testing, and Stovl (short takeofff and vertical landing) aircraft from test jet BF-5 onward have redesigned beams and are not affected.
Aircraft BF-1 has been fitted with the redesigned support beams and is planned to return to flight at NAS Patuxent River, Md., in December. BF-2 will be modified during scheduled down time, he says.
BF-3 has done less Stovl testing and has not yet developed cracks. It will be modified, as will BF-4, which for now is being used for up-and-away flight testing. “BF-3 and -5 are available to do Stovl work, so this is not holding us up,” McFarlan says.
In January, the F-35 test program was replanned and extended by two years to provide additional margin for discoveries and to refly test points. “Flying rates in the new plan were supposed to accommodate such findings, and we are happy with its ability to do so,” he says.
Since flying resumed in mid-August, the F-35 test fleet has been averaging 100 flights a month. “That is slightly higher than the pace we need in 2012,” McFarlan says. Around 1,100 test flights are planned for next year.
Although Lockheed has exceeded its full-year target for test points, they are not quite in the order planned. “We have about 500 more in the CV [F-35C carrier variant] bucket than the plan and about 100 more of CTOL [conventional-takeoff-and-landing F-35A] and Stovl to accomplish.”
A major objective of flight testing in 2011 was to deliver data to clear the initial envelope for flight training. “We have done that, and delivered several updates to that envelope,” McFarlan says. Training on the F-35A at Eglin AFB, Fla., has yet to begin.
Photo: Lockheed Martin
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Mar 29 Nov 2011 - 12:36
Citation :
F-35C and EMALS demonstrate start of naval aviation’s next century
The Navy demonstrated early integration of the future of naval aviation Nov. 18 when it launched F-35C test aircraft CF-3 with its new electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS).
Testing the F-35C on EMALS provided an early opportunity to evaluate technical risks and began the process to integrate the carrier variant Joint Strike Fighter with the future carrier fleet aircraft launching system.
“The test flight went well,” said Navy test pilot Lt. Christopher Tabert. “It felt very similar to the steam test launches we did this summer [in the F-35C]. It was quite an honor for me to play a small part in our launch today.”
This summer, the F-35C test team completed more than 50 steam catapult launches to perform an initial structural survey and collected steam ingestion data. The steam ingestion data produced robust results, allowing a reduction in the number of test launches by four.
Along with the steam launch data, the EMALS launch testing also provided information for the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence as the UK proceeds with including EMALS in the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier.
In the past 12 months, the EMALS team launched a T-45 Goshawk, an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, a C-2A Greyhound and several F/A-18 aircraft with and without stores.
Both EMALS and the F-35C are currently in test and evaluation, and represent technological leaps from the Navy’s current fleet. EMALS is set to install on the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).
“What a great way to punctuate this year’s Centennial of Naval Aviation events,” said Ms. Kathy Donnelly, senior executive for aircraft launch, recovery and support equipment engineering at Lakehurst. “Our team is paving the way for the next hundred years today.”
The F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with its larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear to withstand catapult launches and deck landing impacts associated with the demanding aircraft carrier environment. Initial carrier trials for the F-35C are scheduled for 2013. The F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst before delivery to the fleet.
EMALS is a complete carrier-based launch system designed for the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and all future CVN 78-class aircraft carriers. EMALS has six subsystems and will expand the operational capability of the Navy’s future carriers by permitting higher sortie rates and reduced costs compared to legacy systems. CVN 78 is more than 30 percent complete, with some production EMALS components already delivered to the shipyard to maintain a 2015 delivery schedule
NAVAIR press release
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Ven 2 Déc 2011 - 12:08
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Sam 3 Déc 2011 - 12:17
Citation :
GE, Rolls drop push to build F-35 engines
The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), planes arrive at Edwards Air Force Base in California in this May 2010 file photo.
Credit: Reuters/Tom Reynolds/Lockheed Martin Corp/Handout
By Jim Wolf
(Reuters) - General Electric Co and Rolls Royce dropped their drive to build an alternate engine for Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 joint strike fighter, giving up on what they had said could be a $100 billion market.
The decision to end their in-house bankrolling of the project beyond 2011, announced on Friday, is a boost for United Technologies Corp's Pratt & Whitney unit, maker of the engine used in the F-35's early production models.
The Defense Department earlier this year canceled funding for the GE-Rolls engine, capping repeated efforts to persuade Congress to kill it as a belt-tightening measure.
That led the partners to say they would foot the bill themselves for the rest of this year and fiscal 2012 in the hope that lawmakers would step back in with federal funding as they had done for years in rebuffing the Pentagon.
"The decision, reached jointly by GE and Rolls-Royce leadership, recognizes the continued uncertainty in the development and production schedules for the JSF program," the companies said.
The Joint Strike Fighter project is the Pentagon's costliest purchase ever at a projected $382.5 billion for more than 2,400 aircraft in three models over the next two decades.
Navy Vice Admiral David Venlet, who runs the program for the Pentagon, called in an interview published Thursday for slowing the plane's production because of what he described as a surprising number of potential airframe faults turned up in testing.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard McKeon, a key second engine backer, voiced disappointment that "the uncertainty regarding the future of our military budget, and the Joint Strike Fighter program in particular," had ended what he considered a model for government-industry partnership to contain costs.
"But decisions that could cripple our national security and our economy are being made today that will be difficult, if not impossible, to undo tomorrow," the California Republican added in a statement.
He was referring to deep spending cuts mandated by a congressional "super committee" failure to strike a $1.2 trillion deficit reduction deal last month.
Pratt in a statement on Friday said it remains focused on lowering engine costs and making sure the flight-test program is successful. "We are grateful for the continued confidence and support of our DoD customer" for the F-35 engine, the company said.
GE and Rolls had argued that a choice of engines would save money over time, putting the potential market at $100 billion or more. GE said the companies had spent tens of millions of dollars of their own on the project in 2011. Since 1997, the government has spent about $3 billion on it, GE said.
The company said it was working very closely with the Defense Department to speed the development of jet propulsion for U.S. warplanes' next generation beyond the F-35.
Even without the alternate engine program, GE's research and development investments for military and commercial aviation are at "historic levels," said Richard Kennedy, a company spokesman.
George Little, the Pentagon press secretary, said GE and Rolls-Royce were very important industrial partners "and we look forward to continuing to work with them."
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Mar 6 Déc 2011 - 11:44
Citation :
F-35C test aircraft completes milestone flight
The first carrier variant test aircraft for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter takes off on its 100th test flight Nov. 29 with Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Matthew Taylor at the controls. In 2011, the F-35 Integrated Test Force completed initial jet blast deflector and catapult launch testing. In 2012, the team will continue carrier suitability testing for initial sea trials scheduled for 2013. The F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants with its larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear to withstand catapult launches and deck landing impacts associated with the demanding aircraft carrier environment. The F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)
NAVAIR press release
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Ven 9 Déc 2011 - 10:59
Citation :
GE and Rolls-Royce scrap F-35 engine
08 December 2011
General Electric and Rolls-Royce have terminated their joint F136 engine programme, which aimed to provide an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, it has been announced.
Programme funding had already been terminated by the US Department of Defense (DoD) in April, but the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team (FET) had offered to self-fund the development of the engine into 2012. The latest decision means the F136 programme is now finsihed.
The DoD first removed funding for the F136 engine from its 2006 budget, favouring the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, but Congress continued to support the alternative engine programme for several years.
In a statement, the GE Rolls-Royce FET said that having two engine programmes had been a good approach which promoted acquisition reform and that the F136 had offered "unique and aggressive fixed-price proposals".
The six development engines had completed more than 1,200 hours of testing, within budget and time constraints, and FET president Dan McCormick said that development was more than 80 per cent complete when the DoD terminated the programme in April.
"GE and Rolls-Royce are proud of our technology advancements and accomplishments on the F136. However, difficult circumstances are converging that impact the potential benefit of an F136 self-funded development effort," said McCormick.
"GE and Rolls-Royce are deeply grateful to our many Congressional supporters on both sides of the aisle over these many years as well as the military experts who have supported competing engines for JSF," he said.
"We do not waver in our belief that competition is central to meaningful defence acquisition reform."
The decision to end the programme "recognises the continued uncertainty in the development and production schedules for the JSF Program," he said.
defencemanagement
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Invité Invité
Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Ven 16 Déc 2011 - 8:16
Citation :
Internal Pentagon report finds major F-35 problems December 15, 2011 9:58 AM BOB COX Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
Technical and performance problems with Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter appear to be more numerous and more serious than anyone in the Department of Defense has been willing to concede publicly, according to a leaked Pentagon report obtained by the Star-Telegram.
The internal report marked “For Official Use Only” is written in carefully couched language, but clearly sounds alarms that some very large, troubling and costly to resolve technological and performance issues lie ahead for the already troubled and massively over budget F-35.
The report prepared by a team of senior Pentagon technical, engineering and test experts found that “unsatisfactory progress” had been made in development and testing of the F-35 in nearly all of the air combat roles that it is designed to perform.
In ground attack roles the report cites concerns about “mission capability and survivability” and “certain classified survivability issues.”
Although most of the really challenging flight testing of the F-35 in high speed, air combat regimes has yet to be performed, the Pentagon and military officials overseeing testing “expressed significant concerns with aircraft performance characteristics.”
The “Quick Look Review” report, 50-plus pages including numerous charts, illustrations and detailed projections, was prepared just since mid-October by a team headed by five senior Pentagon officials with expertise in weapons evaluation testing and engineering.
It was requested by Frank Kendall, acting undersecretary of defense for weapons acquisition and development. Kendall asked for the report to assess the state of F-35 development so defense officials could decide whether and how many planes they should agree to buy while development was still under way.
The report essentially concludes that highly sophisticated design and modeling technology has failed in predicting and preventing problems with the design, production and performance of the aircraft and its critical combat systems.
Vice Admiral David Venlet discussed some of the report’s conclusions about the problems created by concurrent development and production in a recent interview published by AOL Defense but did not hint at some of the detailed performance problems and the severity. Bloomberg first obtained a copy of the report and reported some of the issues.
In no case does the report state that any of the problems cannot be overcome or that the F-35 will be unable fulfill its intended missions, but it does strongly suggest the worst of the problems may not yet be known and that the fixes will take years and vast new sums of money.
Major areas of concern include:
n Worse than predicted buffeting of the aircraft in high speed and maneuvering modes with the most stringent testing in combat-like situations yet to be done. The result is already seen and predicted further accelerated wear and tear on the aircraft, cracks in the structural frame.
n The high tech helmet-mounted-display that is supposed to allow the pilot to be aware of potential threats and attack targets at night or in bad weather performs badly and its night vision capability is far less than existing systems used by pilots in existing aircraft. The buffeting of the aircraft in flight makes the helmet-mounted-display problems worse.
n The integrated power package that provides backup electrical power, controls much of the aircraft’s avionics and the primary oxygen supply and cockpit pressurization has proven horribly unreliable.
n The tailhook arrester on the F-35C for carrier landings failed in every test to catch the arresting cables that yank jets to a halt. A new tailhook design is beign readied for testing early next year but the report suggests that the problem may lie with the basic design of the aircraft itself and fixing it could require a major redesign of the F-35C structure.
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BAE Systems pilot Peter Kosogorin flies F-35B aircraft BF-2 flight 141.
On Dec. 10, 2011, three F-35A test aircraft, AF-2, AF-3 and AF-4, fly in formation over Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
U.S. Marine Corp Maj. C.R. Clift flies F-35C test aircraft CF-2 for its 41st flight.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II meets its namesake, the P-38 Lockheed Lightning at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The first service model P-38s were delivered to the Army Air corps in June, 1941.
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Fred Schenk flies F-35B test aircraft BF-5 in short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) mode during the aircraft’s 24th flight. (Lockheed Martin photo by Michael D. Jackson)
F-35B test aircraft BF-5 flies in STOVL mode for the first time on Dec. 5, 2011, on its 21st flight. (Lockheed Martin photo by Andy Wolfe)
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Mer 28 Déc 2011 - 11:09
Citation :
F-35 production a troubling example of Pentagon spending
There are 56 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters being assembled at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth. But because only 20 percent of the testing for the most advanced fighter-bomber in U.S. history is completed, each will probably have to get million-dollar-or-more fixes later.
The F-35 is already the most costly U.S. weapons program underway at about $385 billion. But that figure may go higher with overrun of the per-plane contract price for the 56 craft being assembled — along with the future multimillion-dollar fixes likely to be required for them — and the 15 F-35s completed but not yet delivered to the military services.
The plane is being built with the most sophisticated stealth technology, but initial flight tests have turned up hot spots and cracks associated with metal and composites used on most new aircraft. The development of the software controlling the F-35’s major warfighting functions, the most complex ever planned for an airplane, has been delayed so that the last block will not be introduced to the aircraft until at least June 2015.
Earlier this month, Vice Adm. David J. Venlet, executive officer for the F-35 program, said in an interview with the online service AOL that he recommended slowing down current production lines to reduce the replacement costs that will be necessary in aircraft produced before testing is completed.
Production had already been slowed twice. Then-Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pushed back the building of 122 aircraft in February 2010 as problems became apparent, and again in January as he lowered near-term production for another 124 planes, boosting future production needs.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) took the Senate floor on Dec. 15 and described the F-35 fighter program as “a mess.”
What upset the senator was not just that the cost of each plane had risen nearly 100 percent from its original estimate of $69 million to $133 million today, or the fact that testing was only 20 percent complete while more than 90 planes had already been bought, or the fact that software — key to 80 percent of the stealth plane’s warfighting capability — wouldn’t be ready for another four years.
It was, he said, that the Pentagon had “sold this program as a fifth-generation strike fighter that would — more so than any other major defense procurement program — be cost-effectively developed, procured, operated and supported.”
McCain faulted the Pentagon for using what he called “a concurrent development strategy to procure a high-risk weapon system.” Production of the first airplanes began as testing was in its infancy.
McCain said the Pentagon was attempting “generational leaps in capability” but at the same time moving before the underlying design was stable. Developing needed technologies and being able to integrate them remain risky and manufacturing processes are still “immature,” he said.
A Government Accountability Office report from April said the forecast was for “about 10,000 more [engineering design] changes through January 2016.” The GAO added, “We expect this number to go up given new forecasts for additional testing and extension of system development until 2018.”
washingtonpost
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Mar 10 Jan 2012 - 9:51
Citation :
F-35 Under Fire In Italy
ROME — The Italian government is ushering in a new round of defense cuts in which, for the first time, the fate of Rome’s participation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program will be seriously threatened.
The newly launched defense review not only has sweeping implications for Italy’s defense ambitions but also rings in a further belt-tightening in Europe among countries that are just beginning to come to grips with the scale of their budget and debt problems.
In Italy, much of the work on the military review remains to be completed. Nevertheless, a sharp reduction in the number of F-35s Italy will buy is virtually certain, military officials say. At least a third of the 131 fighters slated for procurement will likely fall under the budget ax, with some minority parties arguing for an outright program termination.
Rome is one of the largest international buyers of the F-35 — after the U.K. drastically cut its procurement objective in its 2010 spending review. Italy plans to spend €13 billion ($16.7 billion) to buy and sustain both the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing and the F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing versions, though it has not ordered any aircraft yet.
Other major procurement projects are also under scrutiny, but the F-35 has received the lion’s share of attention because of the size of the planned outlays.
Although Italy assessed its spending needs in 2010 in light of an era of fiscal austerity, the change late last year to a technocratic government, led by Mario Monti, specifically put in place to handle the country’s financial problems more aggressively, has put military spending back in the crosshairs. The government, although not elected, enjoys broad support in the parliament to carry out sweeping reforms.
Also potentially affecting the JSF debate is the fact that the government is very much focused on budget considerations rather than foreign policy ambitions. Cancelling the 22 navy F-35Bs would leave the service without fighters to put on its aircraft carrier after the AV-8B Harriers are retired. While that would crimp the ability to project forces, those considerations may not hold much sway with the Monti government. Such a move would likely cause the Italian air force also to drop plans to buy 40 F-35Bs and focus instead entirely on the F-35A.
On the other hand, working in the JSF’s favor is that even at reduced numbers, the F-35 procurement would allow Italy to capitalize on the €2.5 billion it spent or pledged to the development and construction of a JSF final assembly and check out (FACO) facility at Cameri air force base. Work on the FACO is progressing quickly to be ready by 2014 to meet original JSF production schedules.
Photo: Lockheed Martin
aviationweek
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Mer 11 Jan 2012 - 15:29
F-35A,F-35B
Spoiler:
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F-35A test aircraft AF-4, captured during refueling from the U.S. Air Force tanker.
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F-35B test aircraft BF-5 flies in short takeoff/vertical landing mode on Jan. 5, 2012.
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In preparation for delivery, F-35B production aircraft BF-8 flies its first government flight on Dec. 16, 2011.
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Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti flies F-35B production aircraft BF-7 on its first flight Dec. 21, 2011. The short takeoff/vertical landing aircraft will be delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps after completing initial checkout flights at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
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F-35B test aircraft BF-1 flight in short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) mode on Jan. 5, 2012.
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F-35B test aircraft BF-5 completes its first vertical landing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., on Jan 5, 2012.
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Lun 16 Jan 2012 - 11:24
Citation :
Netherlands asks Denmark, Norway to join F-35 buy
WASHINGTON — The Netherlands has asked Denmark and Norway to join it in acquiring and maintaining future F-35 fighter jets, Dutch Minister Hans Hillen said Thursday after meetings at the Pentagon.
The move was an example "of how far the Netherlands is prepared to go in cooperating with other countries in order to keep up NATO military capabilities," Hillens said at an address to the Atlantic Council during a brief US visit.
"Our F-16 fighter planes are coming to the end of their life cycle and their costly replacement is an issue of hot debate in Holland," he said.
Austerity measures squeezing defense projects in cash-strapped Europe is a major factor in prompting nations to join forces to acquire the new fighter.
"I have asked Denmark and Norway to think about cooperation regarding the fighter plan that will replace our F-16. By doing so, we can build existing cooperation between F-16 nations that are also considering the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 as a successor," Hillens said.
The three countries are contributors to an international consortium backing the development of the the F-35.
Dutch defense minister also met Thursday with his US counterpart Leon Panetta at the Pentagon, to discuss US force strategy in Europe, the upcoming NATO defense ministerial meetings to be held in early February in Brussels, and the NATO 2012 Summit scheduled for May in Chicago.
In discussing NATO issues, Panetta praised the Netherlands' "traditionally strong voice and leadership in the NATO alliance," said Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain John Kirby.
Lockheed Martin and the US government view global partners, including eight nations sharing program costs, as crucial to bringing down the overall price of the Joint Strike Fighter.
US defense officials have faced an uphill battle to contain the cost of the program, which has swelled to $385 billion -- technical problems have forced retrofitting efforts and a slower pace of production, driving up the price of each aircraft to roughly $113 million.
_________________ Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
Gémini Colonel-Major
messages : 2735 Inscrit le : 09/12/2009 Localisation : Un peu partout!!! Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Lun 16 Jan 2012 - 17:18
le F35 version porte avions ne peut pas apponter..... http://www.corlobe.tk/article27310.html
Fremo Administrateur
messages : 24818 Inscrit le : 14/02/2009 Localisation : 7Seas Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Mar 17 Jan 2012 - 10:12
Peut être que la RN va devoir revoir son choix et s'orienter vers Dassault
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Gémini Colonel-Major
messages : 2735 Inscrit le : 09/12/2009 Localisation : Un peu partout!!! Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Mar 17 Jan 2012 - 12:21
Avec l'argent investit dans le programme coté Anglais je les vois mal se tourné vers la France pour l'équipement de leur porte avions. Et puis un Anglais acheté ces avions a la France.........
MAATAWI Modérateur
messages : 14756 Inscrit le : 07/09/2009 Localisation : Maroc Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Ven 20 Jan 2012 - 12:12
Citation :
Lockheed Martin F-35A Performs First Night Flight
FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 19, 2012 – The first night flight in the history of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Program was completed Wednesday at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Piloted by Lockheed Martin Test Pilot Mark Ward, AF-6, an F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, launched at 5:05 p.m. PST and landed after sunset at 6:22 p.m. The mission consisted of a series of straight in approaches in twilight and darkness. The pilot also performed an evaluation of the F-35’s cockpit lighting which Ward called, “the best he’s ever seen.” The testing will clear the way for night refueling and formation testing later this year.
Source and photos: Lockheed Martin
Spoiler:
High res.
High res.
High res.
High res.
High res.
High res.
_________________ Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
Fremo Administrateur
messages : 24818 Inscrit le : 14/02/2009 Localisation : 7Seas Nationalité : Médailles de mérite :
Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Sam 21 Jan 2012 - 13:57
_________________
MAATAWI Modérateur
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Sujet: Re: JSF F-35 Lightning II Lun 23 Jan 2012 - 10:59
Citation :
Canada welcomes fresh U.S. F-35 backing
The Canadian government is welcoming a decision by the U.S. military to renew its support for the development of the F-35, Associate Minister of National Defence Julian Fantino said Saturday.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced Friday, that the U.S. military is committed to developing the Marine Corps version of the next-generation strike fighter jet, but warned that the program is "not out of the woods yet."
Standing in front of one of the fighter aircraft at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, where the jets are tested, Panetta said the Pentagon needs "to make sure we're on the cutting edge" of military technology like that incorporated in the F-35.
Panetta said he based his support for the plane on its developers' ability to resolve a series of technical problems that some had feared might doom the project.
"This fifth-generation fighter behind me is absolutely vital to maintaining our air superiority," Panetta told about 100 people inside an aircraft hangar at the air station. Many in his audience work on the test program.
Panetta's announcement was "welcome news for Canada and our allies' participation in the multinational Joint Strike Fighter development program," said Fantino in a press release.
"We are contributing to the development of a new, state-of-the-art aircraft that the Royal Canadian Air Force agrees gives them the best probability of success for many years to come," said the statement.
Before his address, Panetta visited an F-35 flight test simulator. He "flew" it briefly and also got briefings on progress made to resolve technical problems with the Marine Corps and Navy versions of the F-35 Lightning II.
The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program, and it has been troubled by schedule delays and cost overruns. Ten years in, the total F-35 program cost has jumped from $233 billion to an estimated $385 billion. And, recent estimates say, the entire program could exceed $1 trillion over 50 years.
Panetta is expected to affirm as early as next week, in previewing the administration's 2013 defense budget, that the F-35 program remains a top priority. Some analysts have speculated that Panetta may decide to slow down the planned rate of production of the plane to save billions of dollars in the short run, without reducing the total number of planes eventually to be purchased.
The developer, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., is building three versions of the F-35 -- one each for the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. They are intended to replace Cold War-era aircraft such as the Air Force F-16 fighter, the Navy's F/A-18 Hornet and the Marines' EA-6B Prowler and AV-8B Harrier.
Last January, then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates put the Marines' version of the aircraft -- which is capable of taking off from shorter runways and landing vertically -- on two-year "probation" because it was experiencing "significant testing problems." If those problems could not be fixed within two years, Gates said, he would advocate canceling the program. It was a threat that troubled the Marine Corps.
That threat lost its power when Gates left office last summer, but the project's future remained in some doubt.
Panetta's declaration of an end to the "probation" has no immediate practical effect on the Marines' F-35 program. But it amounts to a significant political boost for the overall project, which Gates himself said, when he announced the probation, holds a "central place in the future of U.S. military aviation."
The Marine version of the F-35, Panetta said, has made "sufficient progress" over the past 12 months to merit lifting its probation. He cited no specifics, but among the plane's key problems was the inadequate fitting of a pair of doors atop the plane that open to allow extra air to reach the engines. Solutions to that and other problems have been found but not fully validated in all cases.
Rolls-Royce, which provides the technology that enables the Marine variant to land vertically, hailed Panetta's announcement.
"This key step signifies a bright and solid future for the program," said Dan Korte, president of Rolls-Royce's defense business.
Panetta made a point of tempering his praise for the Marine variant with a cautionary note.
"It's not to say we don't have a long way to go. We do," he said, adding the plane is "not out of the woods yet."
Gen. James Amos, the Marine Corps commandant, welcomed Panetta's announcement and said he will monitor the program closely. In a statement Friday, he said introduction of the fighter into the Marine's training squadrons and combat units will be done responsibly based on the merits of the test program and its progress during the evaluations.
The first F-35 arrived at a Marine training unit at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., earlier this month.
cbc
_________________ Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
Mer 17 Oct 2007 - 15:25
Le Prophéte (saw) a dit: Les Hommes Les meilleurs sont ceux qui sont les plus utiles aux autres
