JSF F-35 Lightning II

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...

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives/2007/articles/apr_07/lightningstrike/index.html

Dans cet autre article, une image montre qu'il serait aussi possible de rajouter de l'armement en bout d'aile, info, intox?

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives/2002/articles/arp_02/jsf/index.html

Rafi

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The US Air Force officials confirm that the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been cleared to resume flight operations after a recent grounding.
"The suspension of F-35A flight operations has been lifted for the air force," the USAF says.
USAF F-35 flight operations at Eglin AFB, Florida, will resume on 5 March because 4 March is a previously scheduled maintenance training day, service officials say. The US Marine Corps' short take-off vertical landing F-35Bs will resume flying at the Florida base on 1 March. "The Marines' F-35B will fly tomorrow afternoon at Eglin," the USAF says.
Operations at other bases are also cleared to be resumed.

Lockheed Martin

All F-35s were grounded while the Joint Program Office investigated the root cause of a crack discovered on 19 February in a third-stage low-pressure turbine (LPT) blade deep inside the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine. The problem was discovered on 19 February during a borescope inspection on an F-35A at Edwards AFB, California, and confirmed by an eddy current inspection.
According to a JPO statement that was relayed to Flightglobal via P&W, comprehensive tests on the blade were conducted at the company’s facility in Middletown, Connecticut. “The engine in question is part of the F-35 test aircraft fleet, and had been operated at extreme parameters in its mission to expand the F-35 flight envelope,” the statement reads. “Prolonged exposure to high levels of heat and other operational stressors on this specific engine were determined to be the cause of the crack.”
There were no additional cracks or other signs of similar engine stress were found during inspections of the remaining F135 inventory, the JPO statement reads. The JPO adds that the engine does not need to be redesigned is required as a result of this event.

www.flightglobal.com

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Pentagon: F-35 won't have a chance in real combat

Fatal flaws within the cockpit of the US military’s most expensive fighter jet ever are causing further problems with the Pentagon’s dubious F-35 program.

Just weeks after a fleet of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters was grounded for reasons unrelated, a new report from the Pentagon warns that any pilot that boards the pricey aircraft places himself in danger without even going into combat.


In a leaked memo from the Defense Department’s director of the Operational Test and Evaluation Directorate to the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon official prefaces a report on the F-35 by cautioning that even training missions cannot be safely performed on board the aircraft at this time.


“The training management system lags in development compared to the rest of the Integrated Training Center and does not yet have all planned functionality,” the report reads in part.


In other sections of the lengthy DoD analysis, Operational Test and Evaluation Directorate Director J. Michael Gilmore outlines a number of flaws that jeopardize the safety of any pilot that enters the aircraft.


“The out-of-cockpit visibility in the F-35A is less than other Air Force fighter aircraft,” one excerpt reads.


Elsewhere, Gilmore includes quotes from pilots commenting after test missions onboard the aircraft: “The head rest is too large and will impede aft [rear] visibility and survivability during surface and air engagements,” said one. “Aft visibility will get the pilot gunned [down] every time” in dogfights, remarked another.


“Aft visibility could turn out to be a significant problem for all F-35 pilots in the future,” the Pentagon admits.


In one chart included in the report, the Pentagon says there are eight crucial flaws with the aircraft that have raises serious red flags within the Department of Defense. The plane’s lack of maturity, reduced pilot situational awareness during an emergency and the risk of the aircraft’s fuel barriers catching fire are also cited, as is the likelihood of a pilot in distress becoming unable to escape his aircraft during an emergency — or perhaps drowning in event of an evacuation over water.


The Pilot Vehicle Interface, or PVI, is also listed as not up to snuff. Documented deficiencies regarding the F-35 pilot’s helmet-mounted display and other aspects of the PVI are named, and the result could mean grave consequences.


“There is no confidence that the pilot can perform critical tasks safely,” the report reads.


The latest news regarding the F-35s comes less than one month after a separate incident forced the Department of Defense to ground their entire arsenal of the fighter jets. In February, jet makers Lockheed Martin issued a statement acknowledging that a routine inspection on a test plane at Edwards Air Force Base in California turned up cracked turbine blade.


“Safety is always our first consideration, and the joint inspection team is focused on ensuring the integrity of the engines across the entire fleet so the F-35s can safely return to flight as soon as possible,” the manufacture told the media. In response, Joint Program Office spokeswoman Kyra Hawn confirmed that all F-35 flight operations were suspended as a precautionary measure “until the investigation is complete and the cause of the blade crack is fully understood.” Just weeks later, though, a new report is already causing fresh problems for the F-35 program.


Each F-35 fighter jet is valued at $238 million and, according to recent estimates, the entire operation will cost the country $1 trillion in order to keep the jets up and running through 2050.

RT

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First Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile (JSM) fitted on the F-35



On 27 February 2013 Lockheed Martin carried out the first external fit check of the JSM on an F-35.
(Photo: Lockheed Martin)

Development of the new Joint Strike Missile (JSM, the air launched variant of the NSM - Naval Strike Missile) is progressing, and 27 February an important milestone was passed when the aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin for the first time fitted one of the missiles to a F-35 at its facility in Ft Worth, Texas.

This formed part of a "fit check" of the JSM on an external pylon on the F-35 and is part of Phase 2 of the development of the JSM missile that was approved by the Norwegian Parliament in 2011. The fit check confirms that the missile is able to be fitted for external carriage on the F-35, and will be followed later in 2013 by similar tests aimed at verifying that the missile fits within the internal weapons bay of the F-35.
Although we are still far away from any operational use of the JSM this shows that the development of the missile is moving forward. As part of Phase 2 of the development program Lockheed Martin has received through the JSF Program Office that includes a requirement for such tests on all variants of the F-35, as well as conducting internal fit checks in the weapons bay of the CTOL version that Norway will buy, explains Norwegian F-35 Program Director Anders Melheim.

JSM is the only long-range anti-surface missile that is specifically designed to fit within the internal weapons bay of the F-35, and is being developed by the Norwegian company Kongsberg in partnership with the Norwegian Ministry of Defence. The missile provides the F-35 with operational characteristics, and enables it to fight the objects protected by advanced defense systems. This is vital in order to be able to perform all types of operations in the defense of Norway. JSM is scheduled to undergo a "Critical Design Review" in summer 2013, which will confirm that the design is sufficiently mature to be able to continue the integration efforts and that the missile is able to be a formal candidate for integration on the F-35.

- We are working hard to ensure that Norwegian F-35s receive the operational capabilities we need, and therefore we believe that JSM is very important. At the same time it provides significant opportunities for Norwegian industry, and it is an important part of the industrial cooperation we are working to put in place in relation with the procurement of new combat aircraft, concludes Melheim.

From: Norwegian Ministry of Defence

http://www.navyrecognition.com

A retenir : il n a plus besoin de Wing Man .

thewa3r a écrit:

A retenir : il n a plus besoin de Wing Man .

Bullshit
Le rôle du wing man n'est pas de faire passer l'information comme il le fait comprendre dans son reportage mais bien de soutenir et couvrir son leader pendant que celui ci par exemple s'applique à bombarder une position. Si ce n'était que cela alors les F-22 serait à voler depuis X temps en solo

dans ce cas , il parle uniquement de l appui technique et non de l appui tactique

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RAF's first operational F-35 pilot flies first training sortie

The first operational UK pilot selected to fly the Lockheed Martin F-35B undertook his first training sortie in the Joint Strike Fighter on 19 March at Eglin AFB, Florida.

"It flies very smoothly," says Royal Air Force Sqn Ldr Frankie Buchler, who previously flew the Sepecat Jaguar and Eurofighter Typhoon. "Nothing unexpected, it went pretty well."

US Marine Corps Capt Daniel Flatley, who was flying as Buchler's instructor in another F-35B, says the purpose of the first training sortie was primarily to familiarise the student with the differences between the simulator and the real aircraft. Additionally, the student had to familiarise himself with flying the F-35B around the traffic pattern at the base...

Une idée sur le coût unitaire final du F35 ?

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Each F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet will cost the UK around £85 million ($136 million), plus an extra £16 million ($25.6 million) for each engine.

All in all, America’s closest ally intends to buy 150 fighter jets for about £101 million ($161.6 million) each plane, although that is a substantial discount on the cost price.

The first order the UK will place at Lockheed Martin is expected to be for one squadron, about 20 JSF aircrafts.

Britain’s outlay is much cheaper than the price tag for America itself. The development and construction of each of the 2,443 F-35 aircraft of all modifications will cost the US $618 million per unit.

Thanks, Thewa3r

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Photo: F-35B successfully completes AIM-120 separation


(Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – On March 26, the F-35B Lightning II became the first F-35 variant to complete airborne weapons separations on three different munitions, the most of any model. Navy test pilot Lt. Cmdr. Michael Burks released an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile from BF-3 over water in the Atlantic Test Ranges. The F-35B is the variant of the Lightning II designed for use by the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as F-35 international partners in the United Kingdom and Italy. The F-35B is capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings to enable air power projection from amphibious ships, ski-jump aircraft carriers and expeditionary airfields. The F-35B is undergoing flight test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River, Md., and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., prior to delivery to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)
PEO(JSF) Public Affairs

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More Problems For F35 Jet Diverted To Lubbock International Airport

A new problem for the F35 fighter jet that made an emergency landing in Lubbock two weeks ago.

Lockheed Martin officials tell us the jet tried to leave Lubbock and fly back to Ft. Worth this week, but experienced a problem with a communications channel of the flight control system and couldn't leave.

The jet has been at Lubbock International Airport since March 11th, when a warning light forced the pilot to land here instead of Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

The fighter jet remains at Lubbock International Airport this morning.

http://everythinglubbock.com

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First Aust fighter aircraft in production

AUSTRALIA'S first two F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft are progressing down the US production line and approaching the stage where they will be recognisably aircraft rather than a collection of components.

"Those two airplanes will come together through the mate-and-delivery process and be delivered to the Commonwealth in the middle of next year," he said.

The first Australian JSF pilots will likely start training at Eglin later this year.

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Northrop Grumman-Developed Multifunction Advanced Data Link Achieves Successful Flight Test Milestone for F-35 Program Fifth-Generation Data Link Allows Coordinated Tactics and Engagement in
High-Threat Environments

SAN DIEGO – April 23, 2013 –The Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) waveform developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) was successfully demonstrated in a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program flight test, validating an eight-year development effort to advance communication among fifth-generation aircraft.

MADL is a high-data-rate, directional communications link. It allows coordinated tactics and engagement to bring significant operational advantages to fifth-generation aircraft operating in high-threat environments. MADL is a key capability provided by Northrop Grumman's F-35 integrated communications, navigation and identification (CNI) avionics.

The F-35 CNI avionics flying onboard two Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft established the MADL link between two airborne platforms for the first time. Data passed between aircraft via MADL was correlated with data from other F-35 sensors by Lockheed Martin's fusion system to form a simplified situational awareness picture on the cockpit displays.

"During the flight tests, MADL functioned reliably with excellent range at multiples of required specifications while demonstrating ability to network fifth-generation fighters," said Mike Twyman, vice president and general manager of the Defense Systems division for Northrop Grumman Information Systems. "This success is a significant achievement for the F-35 program and enabling joint aerial concept of operations."

The MADL flight test is an important element of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Block 2 software release, which provides advanced mission systems capability at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and other training and operational locations. At Edwards, MADL joined the CNI Link-16 and Variable Message Format network waveforms already in flight test on F-35 aircraft.

Northrop Grumman's integrated CNI system provides to F-35 pilots the equivalent capability of more than 27 avionics subsystems. By using its industry-leading software-defined radio technology, Northrop Grumman's design allows the simultaneous operation of multiple critical functions while greatly reducing size, weight and power demands on the advanced fighter. These functions include Identification Friend or Foe, automatic acquisition of fly-to points, and various voice and data communications, including MADL, which was approved by the U.S. Department of Defense Joint Requirements Oversight Council for use on all low-observable platforms.

As a principal member of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 industry team, Northrop Grumman performs a significant share of the work required to develop and produce the aircraft. In addition to developing and producing the CNI system, Northrop Grumman produces the center fuselage; designed and produces the aircraft's radar and electro-optical subsystem; develops mission systems and mission planning software; leads the team's development of pilot and maintenance training system courseware; and manages the team's use, support and maintenance of low-observable technologies.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cybersecurity, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

http://www.irconnect.com

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L’heure de vol d’un F-35A aura un coût plus élevé que prévu
25 avril 2013 – 14:42

Il est toujours compliqué d’avoir une idée précise du coût de l’heure de vol d’un avion de combat. Tenez par exemple : le député François Cornut-Gentille (UMP), passé de la commission de la Défense à celle des Finances, a demandé par écrit, en juillet dernier, à Jean-Yves Le Drian, le ministre de la Défense de bien vouloir lui “préciser le coût budgétaire de l’heure de vol pour chacun des aéronefs, avions et hélicoptères, en service dans les armées” afin de “mettre un terme à un débat stérile sur le coût de ces équipements.” En janvier dernier, donc 6 mois plus tard, le parlementaire n’était pas plus avancé, ayant reçu pour réponse un vague tableau “des moyennes des coûts du MCO (Maintien en condition opérationnelle) par heure de vol constatés en 2010.”

Toutefois, il est toujours possible d’avoir quelques estimations. Ainsi, pour le Rafale, le chiffre de 39.000 euros l’heure de vol a circulé pendant un temps. Un rapport rédigé à l’occasion du débat portant sur le projet de Loi de finances initiale 2013 parle de 27.000 euros, ce qui correspond au total des dépenses en rémunérations et charges sociales (RCS) des personnels et en entretien programmé des matériels (EPM, le tout divisé par la somme des heures de vol. Au début de l’opération Serval, un coût de 14.000 euros a été avancé. Enfin, le journal brésilien Istoe l’estimait à 20.000 dollars, soit deux fois plus que pour un F-18 Super Hornet, pourtant plus lourd (et donc plus gourmand en kérozène) que l’avion français.

En fait, le prix d’une heure de vol dépend des éléments que l’on prend en compte pour la calculer. L’on peut se limiter à la seule consommation de kérozène ou bien y ajouter les coûts de maintenance (approvisionnement des pièces de rechange, dépenses d’infrastructure et de personnels) ainsi que les soldes des pilotes.

Quoi qu’il en soit, le coût de l’heure de vol d’un F-35A, c’est à dire la version dite classique de l’appareil en cours de développement chez Lockheed-Martin, sera au moins supérieur de 10% par rapport à celui du F-16. C’est le général Christopher Bogdan, le responsable du programme au Pentagone, qui a révélé cette information, la semaine passée, devant la commission de la Défense du Parlement néerlandais.

Ainsi, selon des données par l’US Air Force et le Cost Assessment & Program Evaluation Office (CAPE) du Pentagone, le coût d’une heure de vol d’un F-35A serait de 24.000 dollars alors qu’il est de 21.500 dollars pour les F-16.

Initialement, l’exploitation du F-35 devait être plus économique que celle de la plupart des avions de combat actuellement en service. Et l’écart pourrait encore être plus élevé étant donné qu’il n’y a pas assez de recul pour déterminer le cycle de renouvellement de certains composants de l’appareil de Lockheed Martin.

Cela étant, si le constructeur américain a effectivement admis ce fait, il a toutefois avancé, selon Aviation Week, que le coût total sur la durée de vie du F-35A serait finalement inférieur à celui des avions d’ancienne génération… Ce qui reste encore à démontrer.

Quoi qu’il en soit, des frais de maintenance plus élevés que prévus auront sans doute des incidences sur les pays ayant décidé d’acquérir des F-35 pour leurs forces aériennes. Déjà que les coûts de développement de cet appareil ont explosé depuis 2001, certains envisagent de réduire leurs commandes étant donné que, dans le même temps, les budgets qu’ils allouent à leurs forces armées sont en baisse, compte tenu des contraintes économiques.

C’est d’ailleurs le cas aux Pays-Bas, par exemple, où il est désormais question de se procurer entre 52 et 68 exemplaires du F-35 sur les 85 prévus initialement, quand certains élus n’envisagent pas d’acquérir tout simplement un autre avion (F-16 E/F, Rafale, Eurofighter, F-18 Super Hornet, JAS Gripen E/F) comme l’a suggéré la Cour des comptes néerlandaises dans l’une des trois options qu’elle a présentées à ce sujet en octobre dernier.

Et si d’autres suivent le même exemple (l’Italie est sur cette voie également), le prix d’achat de l’avion de Lockheed-Martin sera immanquablement revu à la hausse. D’où les efforts de Washington pour convaincre les clients de maintenir leurs commandes.

En attendant qu’une décision soit prise à La Haye, le premier F-35 destiné aux forces aériennes néerlandaises est prêt à être livré à des fins d’essais, tandis que le second est sorti le mois derniers des lignes d’assemblage de Lockheed-Martin, situées à Marietta, en Georgie.

http://www.opex360.com/

L'Italie ne peut pas se passer du F35. Son Cavour a été taillé pour lui. Les Italienns vont perdrent leur capacité aeronaval sans lui.

2:21 "the mix between manned and unmanned " . C'est devenu inévitable ! je dirais même que dans 50 ans il n'y aura plus de pilotes de chasse ; sauf dans les pays qui seraient restés en retard technique bien sûr !

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je dirais même que dans 50 ans il n'y aura plus de pilotes de chasse ; sauf dans les pays qui seraient restés en retard technique bien sûr !

Mouai , pas sur

qui dit drone dit transfert de données, et liaisons en tout genres ( pour guidée l egin , transmettre...) et sa c est brouillable

et rien que sa a du refroidir pas mal d adepte du tout UAV :

Spoiler:

Meme sans le probleme du brouillage, le drone n'aura jamais certaines capacites du pilote et pourra donc jamais le remplacer, dixit Abe Karem, le pere du drone moderne. J'ai poster le docu ou il explique ca y a quelques mois.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_buPcY3qbsE

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F-35A Successfully Completes High Angle Of Attack Testing



EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., May 16, 2013 – The latest in a series of Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35A high angle of attack (AOA) testing was recently completed. The testing accomplished high AOA beyond both the positive and negative maximum command limits, including intentionally putting the aircraft out of control in several configurations. This included initially flying in the stealth clean wing configuration. It was followed by testing with external air-to-air pylons and missiles and then with open weapon bay doors. The F-35A began edge-of-the-envelope high AOA testing in the Fall 2012. For all testing, recovery from out of control flight has been 100 percent successful without the use of the spin recovery chute, which is carried to maximize safety.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 118,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

www.lockheedmartin.com

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F-35A successfully starts air refueling


An F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot with the 58th Fighter Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base conducts aerial refueling for certification at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 13. (Master Sgt. John R. Nimmo, Sr. / Air Force)

It was the first time the new F-35A was refueled with a nontest pilot in the cockpit, and for all the excitement, it was a “nonevent,” the pilots and boom operators said.

On May 13, test pilots stepped aside to allow instructor pilots at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., fly the first F-35A formation to be refueled. The mid-May flights were also the first since the fleet was cleared to fly after the Defense Department restricted in-flight refueling in the Air Force fleet.

“We’ve previously done air refueling only in tests ... we’ve finally paved the way for nontest pilots to begin part of the training,” said Lt. Col. Anthony Pelkington, chief of flight safety for the 59th Fighter Squadron.

As of May 15, 13 pilots had flown 16 refueling missions “across the boom,” Pelkington said. The first step is to get the instructors qualified for refueling, then it will be added to the syllabus for the squadron. The 59th Fighter Squadron currently trains all Air Force F-35A pilots at Eglin.

The KC-135 Stratotanker that flew the refueling mission is deployed from the 336th Air Refueling Squadron at March Air Reserve Base, Calif. The refueling mission was “a breath of fresh air” compared to other airframes because they are going to be stable in the flight, Tech. Sgt. Joe Parker, the boom operator with the 336th ARS, said in a conference call with reporters.

The flight was easy because pilots did extensive simulator work before the flight, and the plane’s technology makes the approach easier.

“It was exactly what I expected; it was easy,” said Pelkington, a former F-16 pilot.

The flights came shortly after Eglin accepted its first advanced Block 2A F-35A on May 6. The new version of the jet features increased sensor and communication capabilities.

www.militarytimes.com