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

Citation :

First F-35B Vertical Takeoff Test

Citation :

Le Pentagone revoit à la baisse le coût d’acquisition du F-35
26 mai 2013 – 10:27

Confié à Lockheed-Martin en 2001, le programme Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) – ou F-35 – devait permettre au Pentagone de disposer de 3 versions différentes du même appareil pour équiper l’US Air Force (version A, classique), l’US Marine Corps (version B, décollage court/atterrissage vertical ou STOVL) et l’US Navy (version C, navalisée). L’idée étant de faire des économies d’échelle puisqu’il était question d’acquérir 2.866 avions pour 226,5 milliards de dollars.

Seulement, avec les difficultés techniques rencontrées et les retards, les coûts ont considérablement augmenté à mesure des avancées du programme. Ainsi, en 2011, le Pentagone avait estimé que le seul coût d’acquisition de 2.457 F-35 (*) avait bondi de 16%, passant de 328,3 à 379,4 milliards de dollars.

Une nouvelle hausse, de 4% cette fois, avait été annoncée l’année suivante, soit un montant total de 395,7 milliards. Et cela ne prend pas en compte les frais d’exploitation de l’appareil tout au long de son cycle de vie, lesquels ont été estimés à plus de 1.000 milliards de dollars sur 50 ans.

Et avec les récents problèmes qui ont justifié l’interdiction de vol temporaire des F-35 en phase d’essais, l’on pouvait s’attendre à une nouvelle hausse des coûts d’acquisition. Finalement, il n’en a rien été si l’on en croit la dernière évaluation annuelle du Pentagone remise au Congrès annonce, ils sont en baisse de 4,5 milliards de dollars (-1%). Ce qui est inédit dans l’histoire du programme JSF.

Pour ses calculs, le Pentagone a séparé les coûts portant sur l’avion et ceux concernant le développement de son moteur, confié à Pratt & Whitney. Ainsi, le prix du F-35 a chuté de 4,9 milliards en moyenne (-1,5%) tandis que celui de son réacteur a progressé de 442,1 millions de dollars.

Globalement, le coût d’achat d’un F-35, qui dépend du nombre d’exemplaires commandés, est passé de 109,2 à 104,8 millions de dollars. Le Pentagone explique que cela a été rendu possible par une baisse des taux de main-d’oeuvre chez Lockheed-Martin et ses sous-traitants.

La baisse la plus importante concerne la version STOVL de l’appareil, dont le prix est passé de 106,4 à 103,6 millions de dollars. En revanche, celui de la variante C a quant à lui augmenté, passant de 87 à 88,7 millions de dollars. Cette dernière connaît des problèmes de développement, le positionnement de la crosse d’appontage ayant été mal calculé, ce qui la rend inapte à opérer depuis un porte-avions. Cela étant, Lockheed-Martin a promis d’y remédier rapidement.

Ces coûts ne concernent pas l’exploitation des appareils en question, lesquels pourraient être encore plus élevés que ceux jusqu’à présent évalués. Et il y a de dépenses auxquelles les responsables du Pentagone ne s’attendaient pas, comme par exemple celles qu’il faudra consentir pour changer les revêtements des ponts des navires appelés à mettre en oeuvre le F-35B (LHD et LHA) pour leur permettre de supporter la température en sortie de tuyère lors des appontages.

(*) La commande initiale a été réduite


http://www.opex360.com/

Citation :

F-35A completes 1st in-flight missile launch


An F-35A conventional take-off and landing aircraft completed the first in-flight missile launch of an AIM-120 over the Point Mugu Sea test range on June 5, 2013


EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- An F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft completed the first in-flight missile launch of an AIM-120 over the Point Mugu Sea Test Range, June 5.

It was the first launch where the F-35 and AIM-120 demonstrated a successful launch-to-eject communications sequence and fired the rocket motor after launch -- paving the way for targeted launches in support of the Block 2B fleet release capability later this year.

The Air Force F-35A variant has seen significant development in training and operations recently including the beginning of pilot training at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the delivery of the first operational test aircraft to Edwards and Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., the first operational aerial refueling and the completion of high angle of attack testing.

"It's a testament to the entire military-industry test team," said Lt. Col. George "Boxer" Schwartz, F-35 Integrated Test Force director, who also piloted the flight. "They've worked thousands and thousands of hours to get to the point where we are today. It's fantastic to see that it's all paid off. We're rolling into a lot of additional weapons work in the coming months to put that expanded capability on the aircraft."

The F-35A 5th Generation fighter is designed to carry a payload of up to 18,000 pounds using 10 weapon stations. The F-35A features four internal weapon stations located in two weapon bays to maximize stealth capability. The CTOL aircraft can also utilize an additional three external weapon stations per wing if required.

The U.S. Air Force has established an F-35A initial operating capability target date of December 2016. By this date, the Air Force will have fielded an operational squadron with at least 12 aircraft along with Airmen trained and equipped to conduct basic close air support, interdiction and limited suppression, and destruction of enemy air defense operations in a contested environment.

Moving into the active phase of weapons test is another large step toward delivering Block 2B software capability that will enable initial combat deployment.

"We've spent years working on the design of the aircraft, and many months ensuring that weapons could be contained within the aircraft and dropped as designed," said Charlie Wagner, F-35 weapons director. "This event is the result of tremendous effort and collaboration in the F-35 Enterprise, and marks a turning point in F-35 capabilities; the AIM-120 launch is one small but critical increment toward proving combat capability,"

The 5th generation F-35 Lightning II combines advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for other countries.

http://www.af.mil/

Citation :

P&W awarded $649m contract extension for F135 development

The Pentagon has awarded [url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/Pratt & Whitney.html]Pratt & Whitney[/url] a $649 million contract modification to fund the completion of the F135 engine's system development and demonstration (SDD) phase.
The company says the award is primarily related to flight testing and engineering support, but it includes the purchase of two additional spare flight test engines and associated spares.
"This contract modification allows Pratt & Whitney to complete the F135 engine system development and demonstration programme for the [[url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/Lockheed Martin.html]Lockheed Martin[/url]] [url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/Lockheed Martin F-35.html]F-35 Lightning II[/url]," the company says. "Pratt & Whitney is pleased to receive this award as it will allow us to remain in lock step with the government and with our teammates at Lockheed Martin as we work together to complete testing and begin to ramp up production of the F135 engine."
P&W says the contract modification extends the SDD phase, pushing the end of development from 30 September 2013 out to 31 December 2016. The company says the measure is needed because Lockheed has extended flight testing to validate the initial service release configuration for the [url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/Lockheed Martin F-35.html]F-35[/url].
"Our contract needed to be extended to support Lockheed Martin flight test," it says. "The [US] government chose to add additional tasks to the Pratt & Whitney contract to improve affordability and advance engine performance."
So far, P&W has delivered 17 conventional engines for the F-35 and 14 for the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B variant under the SDD programme.
The company has also delivered a total of 100 F135 production engines, including 60 conventional model engines and 40 STOVL examples.

http://www.flightglobal.com/

Citation :

P&W delivers 100th engine for F-35s
PARIS, June 18 (UPI) -- Engine-maker Pratt & Whitney has announced delivery of its 100th F135 propulsion system to the U.S. government for the F-35 Lightning II fighter.
"With the delivery of this 100th engine, we are continuing our legacy of fielding the most advanced military jet engine technology to the benefit of the warfighter," said Cliff Stone, director of Pratt & Whitney's F135 Engine Program. "We are committed to continuing to improve our production process, sustaining on-time deliveries while reducing cost to ensure the long-term success of the F-35 program.
"The F135 is the most powerful engine ever developed for fighter aircraft, and we are immensely proud of the capabilities it offers the F-35. We are making tremendous progress on the program, along with the overall F135 industry team, in delivering the safest, most affordable and reliable propulsion system for our U.S. and international partners, and for a growing community of allied nation customers."
Pratt & Whitney said the conventional takeoff and landing engine was delivered "ahead of contract requirements."
Announcement of the delivery was made at the Paris Air Show, where the company is an exhibitor

www.upi.com

Citation :

F-35 Stealth Fighter is Now "Too Big to Fail" — $400 Billion Later



Apparently "too big to fail" is not unique to the financial industry.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) posed the question to the Senate Appropriations Committee as to whether Lockheed Martin's latest stealth fighter development program is "too big to fail." The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet program is fraught with high financial demands and structural issues, yet is still expected to continue forward despite the issues.

Like most government plans, things are not going as expected.

Given the investment to date, scrapping the program in light of delays or costs does not seem to be a reasonable option. While the program is far from perfect, the latest Government Accountability Office report illustrates progress and provides good reason to continue working to repair the issues. Starting from scratch and making another large initial investment of $20-30 billion dollars into another development program sounds to be a much less promising option, considering recent improvements. Certainly modifications or changes to the program can preserve the initial work and repair some of the issues.

Lockheed Martin's new radar evading fighter aircraft is currently under development and is slated to cost 12.6 billion dollars annually until 2037 — which will then cost the Department of Defense another $1 trillion to maintain the sexy-supersonic-stealth fighter jet. The "F-35 Lightning II, the Joint Strike Fighter" is the DOD's "most costly and ambitious aircraft acquisition," bringing the total estimate to around 400 billion dollars in spending.

The only non-governmental representative present at the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting on the issue seems to think he's got a solid plan of attack on the issue.

Representing the Bookings Institute, Michael O'Hanlon raised concern over the future plans for the pricey pinnacle of military technology. He proposed that halving the project could save close to five billion dollars annually. However, despite the concern over the problems facing the research, development, and production of the aircraft, O'Hanlon still believes in the project.

The aircraft has been designed to try and meet the needs of the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Basically, it looks like Lockheed Martin might be trying to unrealistically make the perfect aircraft that fits the needs of three branches of the military, per the request of the government. The CATO Institute's defense expert Ben Friedman told the Daily Caller that this was the first mistake: "One of the main problems with having too many chefs in the kitchen generating requirements for this thing is that it became impossibly complex." The Marine Corps' version of the aircraft is facing the most trouble and has been placed on probation.

The investments have been made and it seems that improvements or continued modifications to the program will provide the best outcome and use for the already invested funds. Modifications to the goals of the project might also alleviate some of the strain. Creative pressure on Lockheed Martin and implementing some of O'Hanlon's suggestions sound to be the best option to preserve the investment.

It looks like the investment into the new F-35 has made it "too big to fail."

http://www.policymic.com

Citation :

100th Jet In Final Production; First F-35 Bound For Luke


FORT WORTH, Texas, July 25, 2013 – The 100th Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II, the first aircraft destined for Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Ariz., has entered the last stage of final assembly. This conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft, known as AF-41, is scheduled to arrive at the base next year. During final assembly, the aircraft structure is completed, and electrical and hydraulic systems are added. Additionally, these systems are tested in preparation for fuel systems checks and engine runs. The final steps prior to acceptance by the Air Force include a series of checkout flights leading to the aircraft entering the service’s F-35 fleet. AF-41 is one of 126 F-35s in various stages of production worldwide.

In June, the Air Force announced its decision to increase the number of squadrons at Luke AFB to six with 144 aircraft, which will make it the largest F-35 base worldwide. In addition to training U.S. pilots, Luke will also serve as an F-35A International Training site. Currently, Luke’s economic impact on the state of Arizona is $2.17 Billion. With 14 F-35 suppliers in the state of Arizona, the program has an additional economic impact of $98Million.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 116,000 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.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

Citation :

Rolls-Royce receives $195.5 million contract for Liftsystem production, support for F-35B Lightning II

Tuesday, 30 July 2013

Rolls-Royce has been awarded a $195.5 million contract to produce and support LiftSystems™ for the F-35 Lightning II program, the unique technology that provides vertical-lift for 5th-generation combat aircraft.

The Rolls-Royce LiftSystem® enables F-35B aircraft to perform short takeoffs and vertical landings (STOVL) and is currently in service with the US Marine Corps in Yuma, Arizona.

The final agreement with Pratt & Whitney for the fifth production lot includes three complete LiftSystems, spares, sustainment, program management, engineering and field support.

Rolls-Royce has delivered 35 LiftSystems and has expanded field support to include five bases which are flying F-35B aircraft.

Dave Gordon, Rolls-Royce, LiftSystem Program Director, said, "Rolls-Royce remains focused on further increasing the affordability of LiftSystems for the F-35B Lightning II as the program continues to grow and mature. Our field support has expanded and our state-of-the-art production facilities have brought new efficiencies to the program."

Rolls-Royce recently delivered the 50th 3-Bearing Swivel Module (3BSM) and 40th LiftFan™ for F-35B aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin, and is on schedule for LiftSystem deliveries.
The unique 3BSM is a swivelling exhaust capable of redirecting the rear thrust from the horizontal to the vertical position, tilting downward 95 degrees in only 2.5 seconds. The LiftFan is a two-stage, counter-rotating, blisked fan installed just behind the cockpit of the F-35B, providing 20,000 lbs. of downward thrust. The LiftSystem also includes two roll posts on the wings to provide stabilizing downward thrust.

Rolls-Royce is supporting the US Marine Corps in preparation for upcoming sea trials with F-35B aircraft, as well as the process moving toward Initial Operational Capability in 2015.

http://www.rolls-royce.com/

Citation :

F-35 Prices Drop 8 Percent In $7 Billion Deal

By Colin Clark on July 30, 2013 at 11:57 AM

November 23, 2011 F-35 assembly area bi-monthly photo shoot forWASHINGTON: The Pentagon and F-35 maker Lockheed Martin have agreed on the terms of a deal for the Defense Department to buy two lots of F-35s for $7 billion.

The big question now is the average price per plane for each tranche (LRIP 6 and 7). While we’ve confirmed with two sources that the deal is as Reuter’s Andrea Shalal-Esa has reported it, no one has yet squealed on the money question. This will be the number that JSF critics probably will fasten on. The last batch (LRIP 5) of 32 F-35s went for $3.8 billion.

While they didn’t release the price per plane, Lockheed did say this morning that the price will come down 8 percent from LRIP 5.

“Cost details will be released once both contracts are finalized; however, in general, the unit prices for all three variants of the U.S. air vehicles in LRIP-6 are roughly four percent lower than the previous contract,” Lockheed and the Pentagon’s Joint Program Office said in a joint statement. “LRIP-7 air vehicle unit prices will show an additional four percent reduction. The LRIP-7 price represents about an eight percent reduction from the LRIP-5 contract signed in December 2012.”

Perhaps the most important part of this agreement is its timing. Once the deal is inked that locks the planes in to the Pentagon budget and guarantees numbers for production and maintains the program’s pace for testing. At a time of enormous budget uncertainty, this commitment looms large as a sign of the Pentagon’s belief in the program as it now stands. The head of acquisition, Frank Kendall, and Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter clearly have decided to move as briskly as is prudent to lock in as many big deals as possible. Witness the multiyear deals for the V-22 and Chinook helicopters. Just before the Paris Air Show, the Pentagon announced the deals: $4.89 billion deal for 99 Ospreys; the Chinook deal for 177 aircraft included an option for another 38 choppers and could be worth up to $4 billion.

But a few immediate clouds do loom over the F-35 program, as Andrea pointed out in her piece. Civilian furloughs imposed by sequestration are likely to result in testing delays of a month. While that isn’t really within control of the program, it won’t help the program’s optics if they can’t point to being on schedule for testing after all the problems they have faced over the last five years.

http://breakingdefense.com

Naval fighter aircraft F-35B STOVL for U.S. Marine Corps completes 500th vertical landing

http://www.45enord.ca/2013/08/leger-flechissement-des-couts-du-f-35-depuis-2012-annonce-le-snac/ a écrit:

Dans sa «Mise à jour annuelle de 2013 des chasseurs de la nouvelle génération», l’analyse comparative du Secrétariat national d’approvisionnement en chasseurs (SNAC) indique pour le Canada des changements marginaux dans les divers sous-éléments de coûts du F-35 et une diminution générale de 0,3 % entre les des estimations des coûts du cycle de vie de 2012 et de 2013.

En réponse au Rapport du printemps 2012 du vérificateur général sur le remplacement des avions de combat du Canada, le gouvernement du Canada avait mis en place un plan en sept points pour l’aider à prendre les meilleures décisions qui soient concernant le maintien d’un chasseur des Forces armées canadiennes pendant une grande partie du XXIe siècle.

Depuis le lancement de ce plan, le financement pour l’acquisition d’un chasseur de remplacement a été gelé.

Dans le cadre du Plan à sept volets , le SNAC, a donc publié cette semaine la Mise à jour annuelle de 2013 des chasseurs de la nouvelle génération.

Cette deuxième Mise à jour annuelle présente les estimations à jour du coût du cycle de vie pour les appareils F-35 et établit une comparaison entre les estimations actuelles et celles figurant dans la Mise à jour annuelle de 2012.



En 2012, l’estimation de coûts était de 44 820 millions $. L’estimation de coûts actuelle est de 44 676 millions $, ce qui reflète une diminution globale de 0,3 pour cent.

La nouvelle estimation de coûts reflète une diminution dans les coûts de maintien en puissance et d’exploitation, ainsi qu’une augmentation dans les coûts d’élimination et de conception.

Quant à la réserve de prévoyance pour le soutien, elle a été substantiellement augmentée pour faire en sorte qu’elle demeure prudente. Cette réserve de prévoyance sera évaluée de nouveau quand les estimations de coûts de soutien à jour et vérifiées de manière indépendante auront été présentées à une réunion de l’U.S. Defense Acquisition Board [conseil d’acquisition de la Défense américaine].

Le gouvernement du Canada , qui avait été l’objet de vives critiques du vérificateur général Michael Ferguson pour avoir sous-estimer les coûts du F-35, s’est engagé à ne prendre aucune décision à l’égard du remplacement des avions chasseurs CF-18 tant que le Plan à sept volets ne sera pas terminé, et toutes les options, dit le gouvernement, demeurent sur la table.

Voici un document très intéressant pour s'informer sur les critères de coûts divers et variés d'un programme militaire. Dans le cas du Canada, je ne savais pas qu'il existait un coût prévu pour le ferraillage...

Citation :

Navy variant of the F-35 declared “safe for flight” and takes inaugural flight from Eglin

On Wednesday, the Navy’s first F-35C Lightning II strike fighter left its home at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base on its inaugural flight — a significant milestone in the introduction of this carrier variant aircraft squadron.

This Lockheed Martin variant has larger wings than other F-35 stealth fighters and has folding wingtips and other features that make it suitable for naval aircraft carriers.

The 1.5 maiden flight was made by Lt. Cmdr. Chris Tabert following the F-35C’s designation as “safe for flight” on August 8. This status permits the introduction of the aircraft into real service with the Navy where it will complement existing strike fighters and enhance the flexibility, power projection and strike capabilities of joint task forces and carrier air wings.

“The Lightning II strike fighter represents the future business end of our nuclear powered aircraft carrier force, the embarked carrier air wing,” said Commander, Naval Air Force, Pacific, Vice Adm. David Buss. “The men and women of VFA-101 are now cleared to take the first steps toward that future as they operate these amazing Navy aircraft and train the aviators who will fly them.”

The Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101 will now begin perform sorties from facilities at Eglin, training aircrew and maintenance personnel on the fifth generation fighter that has unprecedented speed and agility, fully fused sensors, and network-enabled operations.

In addition to its obvious utility for national defense and security, the F-35 program will contribute significantly to the domestic economy. In Florida alone, the F-35 supports more than 12,500 jobs and $1 billion in economic activity.

http://www.saintpetersblog.com/navy-variant-of-the-f-35-declared-safe-for-flight-and-takes-inaugural-flight-from-eglin

Citation :

Northrop Developing Laser Missile Jammer For F-35

September 12, 2013
Credit: Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman has begun company-funded development of a Directed Infrared Countermeasures (Dircm) system for fast jets, anticipating a requirement to protect the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter from heat-seeking air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles.

“We believe the requirement is there, and coming quickly, and that the first opportunity will be on the F-35,” says Jeff Palombo, senior vice president and general manager of Northrop’s land and self-protection systems division.

Northrop plans to begin testing a prototype of the Threat Nullification Defensive Resource (ThNDR) system in its system-integration laboratory by year’s end, he revealed at a briefing in Washington Sept. 12.

The timing for development of a laser missile jammer to equip the F-35 “is still in question,” Palombo says, “but we want to get out in front of the requirement.”

Northrop has supplied more than 3.000 Dircms to protect large aircraft and helicopters against heat-seeking missiles by directing a modulated laser beam into the seeker head to confuse its guidance.

A Dircm is not part of the requirements for the initial, Block 3-standard F-35 now in development. But draft requirements already exist and Northrop says a laser jammer is now expected to be part of the scheduled Block 5 update.

The system must meet low-observability (LO) requirements and be packaged to fit in a restricted space available inside the F-35. But it will have a smaller, more-powerful laser than current Dircm systems and require liquid cooling, Palombo says.

The ThNDR, which includes the laser, beam steering and LO window, is packaged to fit inside volume available alongside sensors for the F-35’s distributed aperture system (DAS). There would be two jam heads, one on top and one underneath the aircraft to provide spherical coverage with minimal change to the outer mold line.

The DAS, which has six infrared sensors located to provide a 360-deg. view around the aircraft, would provide missile warning, detecting and declaring incoming threats and cueing the pointer/tracker, or jam head.

http://www.aviationweek.com

Citation :

Modern software testing & quality assurance on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a novel aircraft for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is its software. The fifth-generation fighter jet reportedly comprises more than 10 billion lines of software code, segmented into blocks and largely written in C and C++; yet, it also uses software code in the Ada computer programming language from the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor military fighter aircraft.

The F-35 Lightning II, among the most complex military platforms to date, has suffered some production and deployment setbacks due the sheer volume of software code employed. Yet, aerospace and defense technology firms are working hard to remedy the situation.

The F-35 runs the Integrity DO-178B securely partitioned, safety-critical, certified real-time operating system (RTOS) from Green Hills Software in Santa Barbara, Calif. Datel engineers implemented the LDRA tool suite for software verification related to the F-35 engine, and developers at Parasoft Corp. in Monrovia, Calif., are working directly with Lockheed Martin engineers on static code analysis for JSF.

Engine assurances

Engineers at Ultra Electronics Controls (formerly Datel) in West London, U.K., selected LDRA software verification tools for their work on the Pratt & Whitney F135, the engine of choice for the F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation tactical fighter developed by Lockheed Martin in conjunction with BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman.

Datel engineers had specific technical requirements related to their work on the Engine Ice Protection System (EIPS) for the Pratt & Whitney F135 Engine on the Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter project, and the Wing Ice Protection System (WIPS) for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. They needed a software verification tool able to integrate with their target environment, which included the Texas Instruments TMS320F2812 and TMS320F2808 digital signal processors (DSPs).

Datel personnel made use of LDRA’s complete structural coverage analysis solution at unit, integration, and system test levels. These tests were applied to source and object code, making use of the LDRA tool suite’s red-box mode.

“It was important to Datel that it was able to develop their software to a known coding standard and, consequently, MISRA-C:1998 was selected to be applied to this code,” a company representative describes. The LDRA tool suite simplifies the process by enforcing various standards using drop-down menus, which proved important for Datel.

Datel staff also needed an automated, intuitive unit testing tool which would save time, free up highly qualified staff, increase test efficiency, and improve motivation to test through a repeatable, less error-prone process. They found their solution in TBrun, LDRA's tool for the automated generation and management of unit tests. In the end, Datel reduced the time needed to confirm the verification results and increased the repeatability of its internal process.

QA on JSF

Lockheed Martin officials in the Maritime Systems & Sensors (MS2) business unit selected Parasoft’s Jtest, C++test, and Insure++ tools in 2004 to support quality testing for its software. (The MS2 unit became the Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training, or MST, unit in 2012.)

"Our systems provide critical support when lives are on the line," Martina DelRocini, software subcontract management at Lockheed Martin, explains. "Quality assurance throughout our processes ensures our systems meet their demanding requirements."

Jtest and C++test automatically verify compliance to coding rules while generating and executing unit tests to ensure quality early in the software development lifecycle. Insure++ detects memory errors, such as corruption, leaks, and allocation errors in C/C++ code.

This relationship with Lockheed Martin “demonstrates Parasoft’s ability to help large-scale software development organizations prevent software errors in what are some of the most complex systems being developed today," adds Larry Johnsen, Parasoft director of military/aerospace solutions. Parasoft's Software Development Compliance solution provides code analysis for compliance with the Joint Strike Fighter Air Vehicle C++ Coding standards.


F-35 weapon separation

http://www.avionics-intelligence.com

Citation :

Pentagon finalizes $7.8 billion in F-35 contracts with Lockheed


(Reuters) - The Pentagon on Friday said it had finalized two contracts with Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) valued at $7.8 billion for 71 more F-35 fighter jets, citing what it called significant reductions in the cost of the new radar-evading warplane.

The U.S. Defense Department said it signed a $4.4 billion contract for a sixth batch of 36 F-35 aircraft, with the average cost of the planes down 2.5 percent from the previous deal. All but $743 million of that amount had already been awarded to the company under a preliminary contract.

The two sides also signed a $3.4 billion contract for 35 aircraft in a seventh batch, which reflected a 6 percent drop in the average price from the fifth group, it said in a statement.

The Pentagon's F-35 program office said the cost of each F-35 conventional takeoff A-model jet would drop to $98 million in the seventh batch of jets, excluding the engine, from $103 million in the sixth lot. It marks the first time the price of the jet will have dipped below $100 million.

The U.S. government buys the engines directly from Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N), under a separate contract.

The Pentagon has projected it will spend $392 billion to buy a total of 2,443 stealthy F-35 fighter jets over the next few decades to replace F-16, F-15, F/A-18 and other warplanes used by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.

The program is years behind schedule and nearly 70 percent over original cost estimates, but U.S. officials said last week the program is now making progress in flight testing, production and long-term operating costs.

Lockheed and the Pentagon announced an agreement in principle for the next 71 jets on July 30. Rear Admiral Randy Mahr, deputy director of the Pentagon's F-35 program office, had told reporters on Wednesday that he expected the contracts to be wrapped up within days.

Lorraine Martin, Lockheed's F-35 program manager, said production costs had declined with each successive lot of jets.

"That's a trend we look forward to continuing as this program moves toward full rate production and operational maturity," Martin said in a statement provided to Reuters.

"Working together with the Joint Program Office, our entire industrial team is focused on delivering the F-35's 5th-generation capabilities to our armed forces and partner nations at a 4th-generation price point," she said.

Industry executives use the phrase fifth-generation to refer to the jet's stealthy coatings and other features that make it nearly invisible to enemy radar.

Lockheed is building three variants of the F-35 for the U.S. military and eight countries that helped fund its development: Britain, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Israel and Japan have also placed orders for the jets.

The F-35 remains in the running for a 60-jet South Korean fighter competition after Seoul this week rejected a bid by Boeing Co involving its F-15 Silent Eagle fighter jet.

Lockheed's main subcontractors on the program are Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N) and Britain's BAE Systems Plc (BAES.L).

The Pentagon said the price of the B-model that Lockheed is building for the Marine Corps, would drop to $104 million in the seventh group from $109 million in the sixth. It said the cost of the C-model variant, which will be able to land and take off from aircraft carriers, would drop to $116 million a jet from $120 million in the sixth lot.

The contracts also reduce the government's exposure to cost overruns, according to the Pentagon's statement, with Lockheed agreeing to cover any cost overruns. The government and Lockheed would share returns on a 20-80 split basis if costs come in below target, it said.

The two sides will share equally the costs of all known retrofits needed for the aircraft, while any newly discovered changes could result in higher contract costs, the Pentagon said.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Gary Hill and Carol Bishopric)

Citation :

Pratt & Whitney hit with contract withholding over F135 engine

The Pentagon’s Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) has imposed a 5% withholding against future billings for Pratt & Whitney on the F135 engine, which powers the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Imposed on 30 September, the withholding impacts the programme's fifth through eighth low-rate initial production (LRIP) contracts and a US Navy advanced engine contract to reduce fuel burn on the F135.
“The F-35 Joint Program Office [JPO] fully supports the Defense Contract Management Agency's decision to impose a 5% withhold against Pratt & Whitney for not being in compliance with their earned value management system [EVMS],” the JPO says. “We will continue to work closely with DCMA to ensure Pratt & Whitney corrects the four deficiencies out of 32 guidelines in their earned value management system.”

The DCMA identified the need to update P&W’s documentation to better align with processes, improving the management and integration of the company’s scheduling tools. This is in addition to the need for better cost estimates and forecasts, and the improvement of work package planning.

According to the JPO, F-35 programme executive officer Lt Gen Chris Bogdan met with P&W leaders on 4 October to discuss what steps need to be taken to fix the company’s EVMS compliance. The JPO says that all F-35 contracts awarded since August 2012 include software language, which spells out the potential of withholding of payments because of “deficiencies” in EVMS compliance.

The JPO adds that EVMS data is used to determine if a contractor is meeting cost and schedule goals. The Department of Defense can impose a maximum 5% withholding on bills if a company fails to comply with the EVMS under US federal acquisition regulations. “The EVM requirement is meant to protect taxpayers from over-billing and focuses on the business systems defence companies use to estimate costs,” the JPO says.

P&W says that it is committed to comply with the EVMS. “The audit identified inadequate compliance with four of 32 of the EVMS guidelines,” the company says. “We have submitted corrective action plans to the DCMA and are working closely with the DCMA to address and close any deficiencies and regain approval of our EVMS.”

While P&W admits that there is room for improvement, a company official points out that production costs on the F135 are falling and that it is voluntarily taking on cost overrun risks ahead of its legal obligation to do so.

“We have demonstrated our commitment to the success of the F135 engine programme by taking on 100% of overrun risk on production engines in our last LRIP award [LRIP 5], and did so voluntarily ahead of the government’s requirement to do so,” the P&W official says. “We have also reduced costs of the F135 engine by more than 40% since delivery of the first production engine.”

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

F-35 Lightning II Program Surpasses 10,000 Flight Hours

More than half of the total hours were accumulated in just the past 11 months. Through September, F-35s flew 6,492 times for a total of 10,077 flight hours.


The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program continues its operational maturation, surpassing 10,000 flight hours in September.

More than half of the total hours were accumulated in just the past 11 months. Through September, F-35s flew 6,492 times for a total of 10,077 flight hours. The new milestone effectively doubles the safe flight operations of the F-35 in a year, compared to reaching 5,000 flight hours in six years.

This milestone was achieved by operational production aircraft operating at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., where F-35 pilots and aircraft maintainers conduct training and the combined F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) and Operational Test (OT) aircraft operating at Edwards AFB, Calif., Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and Nellis AFB, Nev.

All three variants: the F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL), the F-35B Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL), and the F-35C Carrier Variant (CV) participated in the program milestone.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment.

Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the A-10 and F-16 for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 for the U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a variety of fighters for at least 10 other countries.

http://marietta.patch.com

Une enquete tres interessante concernant le development et le futur du programme JSF

Citation :

L’horizon s’éclaircit pour le viseur de casque du F-35  

Le 11/10/2013 à 15:35 | Par Duncan Macrae



C’est une bonne nouvelle pour les pilotes du F-35. Les difficultés rencontrées dans la mise au point du viseur de casque HMDS (Helmet Mounted Display System) sont visiblement en train d’être surmontées.

En effet, Lockheed Martin a annoncé hier 10 octobre que le Pentagone avait décidé de mettre un terme aux travaux de développement d’une solution alternative — un programme qui avait été confié à BAE Systems en septembre 2011.

Selon le constructeur, c’est le signe de la confiance retrouvée dans le HMDS développé par la coentreprise Vision Systems International (Elbit-Rockwell Collins).

Pour mémoire, Lockheed a fait le choix audacieux sur le F-35 de supprimer le collimateur tête haute (HUD) au profit d'un viseur de casque très performant, le HMDS.

Or les essais en vol du HMDS Gen 2 n’ont pas donné satisfaction. Dès 2011, les pilotes ont constaté une série de problèmes, dont un manque de lisibilité des informations projetées devant les yeux du pilote dû au « buffeting » (vibrations aérodynamiques) dont souffrait le F-35.

Parmi les autres problèmes constatés à l’époque, le temps de latence lors de l'affichage de vidéo (issue des caméras infrarouges EO DAS) était beaucoup trop important (130 ms contre une spécification de 40 ms).

Enfin les performances du HMDS en mode vision nocturne étaient en deça des jumelles de vision nocturne en service à l’époque.

Si bien que Lockheed Martin avait attribué à BAE Systems le développement en parallèle d'un second viseur de casque, techniquement moins complexe (il était basé sur celui de l'Eurofighter), qui aurait eu l'avantage d'être disponible plus tôt, même s'il ne remplissait pas toutes les spécifications du F-35.

Lockheed Martin annonce donc que le lot de production numéro 7 du F-35 verra l’introduction de la version Gen 3 du HMDS avec notamment une caméra de vision nocturne plus performante, de nouveaux systèmes d’affichage à cristaux liquides, un système d’alignement automatique et des logiciels améliorés.

http://www.air-cosmos.com/defense/l-horizon-s-eclaircit-pour-le-viseur-de-casque-du-f-35.html