F-35 Lightning II developments

[Coati]

any first flight date for VK-04 / VK-05 / VK-06?

VK-05 & VK-06 are reported on 06mar13

VK-04 is reported on 07mar13 in LM Fast Facts

[Coati]

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

Dave Majumdar Washington DC 8 hours ago
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.

"Really, the landing pattern is what we want to expose the student to on the first flight," Flatley says.
With one flight out of the way, Buchler has five more sorties to complete before undertaking his checkride in the F-35B. After he receives his initial qualifications in the aircraft, he will undertake an instructor pilot upgrade course.

Wg Cdr Jon Millington, the senior UK officer at Eglin AFB, says the next UK pilot to qualify on the F-35B will be Royal Navy Lt Cdr Ian Tidball, who will fly in the coming weeks.

The British pilots who are undergoing training at Eglin AFB are highly experienced aviators with operational test and weapons instructor pilot backgrounds, Buchler says.

Another pilot, who will eventually become the commander of the British F-35B operational test squadron, will be selected "shortly" - but that selection is currently on hold, Millington says. The UK is also training a dozen maintainers at the Florida base, he adds. More UK engineers and maintainers will undergo F-35 academics at the site starting in September 2013.

For the next few months, the first two UK pilots and maintainers will remain at Eglin AFB, operating as part of the USMC's VMFAT-501 squadron, until they move to Edwards AFB, California. The personnel are spilt 50:50 between the RAF and RN. "The 12 that we've got here plus our two pilots will form up the initial cadre of our test and evaluation squadron, which will move up to Edwards in the spring next year," Millington says. In addition to the British personnel, the two UK F-35Bs currently assigned to Eglin AFB will also be transferred to the California base.

Under the current plan, 17 Sqn, which is a joint RAF and RN unit, will conduct operational testing through 2015 to 2016, Millington says. If everything goes according schedule, the UK hopes to stand-up its first operational F-35B squadron consisting of RAF and RN personnel in 2018. But, Millington cautions, the dates are not set in ston,e given the F-35's programmatic fluctuations.

A third UK F-35B is expected to arrive this April at Eglin AFB, Millington says. The aircraft will be the first F-35 stationed at the base to be equipped with the more advanced Block 2A software. Aircraft currently at the base are in the older Block 1A and 1B configuration.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ie-383642/

[Arjan]

Will 17sq stand down as a typhoon unit or operate the f35 and typhoon together?

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[aviodromefriend]

They will stop flying the Bureaufighter in a very short term (date is set already).

edit: http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=50367 says April 17.

[Coati]

VMFA-121 F-35B Lightning II short take off, and vertical landing

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, Marine Aircraft Group 13, Third Marine Aircraft Wing conducted its first F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Short Take off, Vertical Landing aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. March 21, 2013. This evolution marks a historical milestone for the Green Knights and Marine aviation as VMFA-121, the Corps’ first operational F-35B squadron continues to work toward full operational capacity. Maj. Robert Rusnok piloted BF-19 and conducted the STOVL operations and LtCol. Jeffrey Scott, VMFA-121 CO piloted the chase F-35B aircraft, BF-20.

Including video.

http://www.dvidshub.net/video/284788/vm ... z2OFxbu67c

[Flyboy]

5011 had an IFE (In Flight Emergency) and landed in Lubbock, TX while on route.
I say IFE, however LMTAS might consider it more a precautionary landing rather then IFE.
Tally.

Interesting, but later removed, Lockheed Martin statement “AF23 currently in Lubbock”

Last week the Lockheed Martin F-35 Communications Team released the monthly “F-35 Lightning II Program Status and Fast Facts” overview.
And, slip of the pen of the LM Communication Team, we could read:
“There are 3 LRIP F-35As based at Nellis AFB. Plus AF-23 currently in Lubbock, Texas”.
That is news, because it shows that the problems with the F-35A weren’t solved and it must have more than a simple “flickering warning light”. It must have been a “land as soon as possible” event since the military airfield Cannon AFB is a short distance northwest of the civil Lubbock International Airport.

Eight days after the emergency landing

On March 19, 2013 Reuters US reported:
“Aside from one night in a fenced area, the plane has been kept in a guarded hangar at the airport, according to airport officials.” But no word about the misleading statement of March 11 of the airport official James Loomis that “the plane took-off for Nevada at 05:30 pm”.

Las Vegas Review Journal told this story March 19, 2013 at 7:56 pm:
“Three of the $67 million jets landed at the base earlier this month, and a fourth was cleared to fly Tuesday from Lubbock, Texas, where it made a precautionary landing March 11. It was on its way to Nellis from Lockheed Martin’s production plant in Fort Worth, Texas. “There was a wire connector issue in the flight control system, but the pilot was never in danger,” Lockheed spokesman Michael Rein said. He said the plane has a triple redundant backup system for flight control. “We fixed it, powered up the airplane, and everything checked out”.”

And one day later the newsitem was updated. We can read in the newsstory:
“The plane had not arrived at Nellis late Tuesday.”

Removal of the official Press Release and website topics

Last Friday March 22, 2013 the press release of March 14, 2013 with the “Status and Fast Facts” had been removed from all official F-35 websites (L-M, JPO, F-35 Canada, etc.).
It not only contained inconvenient facts about the Lubbock Emergency landing, but also, it is clear that the test flight program is far behind schedule with only about 140 flights performed until March 12, 2013 (out of a total of 210 planned flights). See: this publication of the status report by JSFNieuws. No good news.
Saturday March 23, 2013 several weblogs were asked to remove the PDF and some critical statements of persons who had read the PDF.
One exemple: at the website F16-net (F35-newsforum) the main topics “program documents”, the sub topic “Lubbock Emergency landing” and a main topic about “first fligts/test progress” were removed. Why?

What the Lubbock Emergency landing shows?

That we need independent news websites, bringing the facts – positive and negative.
And, what really happened during the Lubbock Emergency Landing?

[Melchior Timmers]

what really happened during the Lubbock Emergency Landing?

What happens in Lubbock, stays in Lubbock

[Richard from Rotterdam]

From www.bloomberg.com (mobile app)



F-35 Parts From Rolls-Royce 160 Days Late, Pentagon Says


F-35 Part Deliveries by Rolls-Royce 160 Days Late, Pentagon Says

Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc (RR/) was an average of 160 days late last year in delivering equipment needed for the U.S. Marine Corps version of the F-35 fighter to hover and land like a helicopter, according to the Pentagon.
The delays for “lift fans” installed on the F-35B, the most complex model of the Joint Strike Fighter made by Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), stemmed from flaws in parts provided by subcontractors, the Defense Contract Management Agency said in an e-mailed statement.
“There have been issues such as corrosion on some of the gears and some undersized holes,” Jacqueline Noble, a spokeswoman for the defense agency, said in the statement. While London-based Rolls-Royce and its subcontractors have made progress, the need to fix fan parts that don’t meet specifications “is still a concern,” she said.
The estimated cost for a fleet of 2,443 F-35 fighters has climbed to $395.7 billion, a 70 percent increase since 2001. The F-35B, the model designed for the Marines and for purchase by countries including the U.K. and Italy, has been the most trouble-plagued version of the jet, which is being produced even as it’s still in development.
The F-35B is designed for short takeoffs and landings on carriers and amphibious-warfare vessels. The Marine Corps plans to buy about 340 of the fighters.
Rolls-Royce, Europe’s largest maker of commercial aircraft engines, provides major components for the F-35B’s propulsion system to United Technologies Corp. (UTX)’s Pratt and Whitney unit. Pentagon pressure on both companies to improve deliveries and subcontractor quality may increase in advance of planned funding increases after 2015.
Spending Increase
Navy spending on engines for its carrier-based version of the F-35 and for the Marine Corps model is estimated to increase to $1.4 billion by fiscal 2018 from $519 million this fiscal year, according to internal Pentagon budget data.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates put the F-35B on “probation” in January 2011 until it could demonstrate greater reliability for the propulsion system’s driveshaft, clutch and auxiliary air-inlet door used in hovering. His successor, Leon Panetta, lifted the probation a year later, citing progress in finding solutions.
The co-chairmen of President Barack Obama’s deficit- reduction panel, former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and former Senator Alan Simpson, suggested in 2010 that the F-35B be canceled. Dropping that version would save $17.6 billion through fiscal year 2015, with $3.9 billion in 2015, alone, according to a commission estimate.
‘Consistently Late’
Rolls-Royce lift-fan deliveries “have been consistently late,” because time was needed to correct quality issues, Joe DellaVedova, a spokesman for the Pentagon’s F-35 program office, said in an e-mail. “They have taken numerous steps to improve quality.”
Even with the delays, the lift fans have been provided to Lockheed Martin in time to prevent late delivery of aircraft, he said.
Rolls-Royce spokesman George McLaren said in an e-mail the company “has worked hard to get back on track. Recovery plans have been executed and will be back on contract by the first quarter of 2013.”
“We will continue to work closely with our suppliers to ensure all components meet quality standards,” he said. The lift fans are assembled at a Rolls-Royce facility outside of Indianapolis.
Temporary Grounding
Disclosure of the lift-fan delays follow trouble with improperly crimped hoses manufactured by Stratoflex, a Pratt & Whitney subcontractor, that caused the temporary grounding Jan. 18 of the F-35B fleet for 26 days.
The Naval Air Systems Command told Navy Secretary Ray Mabus in a Feb. 12 memo that an investigation “determined that the majority of hoses” installed on 25 F-35Bs “were outside manufacturing limits.”
The Pentagon inspector general is conducting a review of how well quality is managed by F-35 contractors.
“We’ve been to several contractor and subcontracting sites” and “looked at whether the government’s getting what they paid for,” acting Inspector General Lynne Halbrooks told a House panel March 19.
“We’ve issued notices of concern with respect to the quality management and oversight at each of those plants,” she said without disclosing names.
The delayed lift fan deliveries affected the third and fourth production contracts for engines.
With improvements made by Rolls-Royce, the Pentagon estimates that lift-fan deliveries for the fifth production batch of engines will start out an average of 15 days late before exceeding the schedule by three days, according to Noble of the Defense Contract Management Agency.
Pratt Cited
Separately, the agency cited Pratt & Whitney in January 2012 for “consistently missing” engine contract delivery dates in 2011. The late deliveries “were paced by final engine assembly rework due to engine vibration” and late hardware, DellaVedova said.
Pratt & Whitney was given a report requiring “corrective action” that “has the appropriate attention of senior management,” the agency said. The company submitted a “comprehensive corrective action plan to address” specific quality issues “that prevented on-time delivery,” according to the agency.
The report hasn’t yet been resolved as the agency continues to review the company’s plan, Noble said.
Pratt & Whitney spokesman Shawn Watson said in an e-mail that the company has a system to manage and measure the improvements needed “to ensure continued improvements and overall quality systems excellence.”
Noble and DellaVedova said Pratt & Whitney engine delivery performance improved last year, meeting its contractual rate of four per month.
For Related News and Information: Flawed F-35 Fighter Too Big to Kill as Lockheed Hooks 45 States
To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio in Washington at acapaccio@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: John Walcott at jwalcott9@bloomberg.net

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Richard from Rotterdam]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-s ... -announced

F-35s to be based at RAF Marham from 2015.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

closex
15 of 24 ministerial departments have moved their corporate websites to GOV.UK. More will join soon
News story
UK stealth fighters base announced
Orgnisations:
Ministry
of Defence
Defence Infrastructure Organisation
Published:25 March 2013Policy:Providing versatile, agile and battle-winning armed forces and a smaller, more professional Ministry of Defence Minister:The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP
The UK's Lightning II stealth fighter aircraft will be based at RAF Marham in Norfolk, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond announced today.

1 of the UK's Lightning II aircraft, taken at Fort Worth, Texas, USA (llibrary image)
The Lightning II is the most advanced jet our Armed Forces have ever operated and the decision to base it at RAF Marham has secured the future of the base. The decision will also mean new investment and infrastructure to make RAF Marham the Main Operating Base for the aircraft.
Lightning II will be jointly operated by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and the aircraft will operate from the Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers as well as from RAF Marham.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond announces the Lightning II basing decision to personnel at RAF Marham today [Picture: Senior Aircraftman Andy Masson, Crown copyright 2013]
The Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, visited RAF Marham this morning to view the facilities and talk to personnel ahead of the announcement.
Marham decision “makes strategic sense”
Speaking from RAF Marham, Mr Hammond said:
This is the next step in the restructuring of the Armed Forces, providing them with the world’s most capable combat aircraft. Basing the new Lightning II at RAF Marham makes strategic sense and best use of the resources available. It also secures the future of one of the UK’s most operationally-experienced bases.
The Lightning II is the most advanced jet our Armed Forces have ever operated, and carries on the tradition of the Harrier, while having far greater range, payload and defensive capability. Now this decision has been taken, we can start the planning and infrastructure investment required for RAF Marham’s future.

A UK Lightning II fighter jet in production (library image) [Picture: © 2011 Lockheed Martin Corporation]
RAF Marham Station Commander Group Captain David Cooper said:
I am delighted that the Secretary of State today announced that RAF Marham is selected as the Lightning II Base. This is excellent news for my personnel, for the local community and region, and for the Royal Air Force and UK Defence.
Basing announcements
Today’s announcement also provided clarity on a number of other changes to bases in the UK, details of which were announced to Parliament in a Written Ministerial Statement. This includes RAF bases at Lossiemouth, Leuchars and Prestwick in Scotland, RAF Church Fenton in North Yorkshire, RAF Kirton in Lindsey in Lincolnshire; the Army base at Shorncliffe in Kent, and Ministry of Defence sites at St Athan in Wales, Ashchurch in Gloucestershire and Bicester.

An F-35 Lightning II carries out a vertical landing on a US warship during tests (library image) [Picture: © 2012 Lockheed Martin Corporation]
These local basing announcements follow the announcement made earlier this month on the future laydown of the Army as it moves back from Germany and provided further detail of the restructuring announced in the Army 2020 report of July 2012.
The intention to reduce the sizes and bases of the 3 services was first announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) in 2010. Both the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force were to reduce by 5,000 personnel and the Army by 7,000 by 2020. In 2011, the reduction in the Army was increased to 20,000 by 2020.
Since 2011, a major study has been undertaken by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, who are responsible for managing and maintaining the MOD estate. This study has ensured that the plans make better use of the Defence estate and ensures value for money for the taxpayer.

An F-35 Lightning II takes off (library image) [Picture: © 2012 Lockheed Martin Corporation]
Lightning II update
The UK’s first 2 Lightning II aircraft are currently participating in the US test programme and will remain in the US. We expect to receive front line aircraft from 2015 onwards with an initial operating capability from land in 2018, followed by first of class flights from HMS Queen Elizabeth later that year.
The original intention (announced in 2005) was to base the aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth. Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, a number of changes have occurred that justified a further review of the basing options for Lightning II; these include RAF Lossiemouth becoming the new home of the UK’s Typhoon fleet, while the out of service date for the Tornado GR4, currently based at RAF Marham, has been brought forward to 2019.

[Coati]

Singapore Poised To Announce Purchase Of 12 F-35Bs

By Colin Clark
Published: March 25, 2013

WASHINGTON: Singapore is expected to announce sometime in the next 10 days that it plans to buy its first squadron --12 planes -- of some 75 of Lockheed Martin's F-35Bs, further bolstering what had been the flagging fortunes of the world's most expensive conventional weapon system.


The fact that American allies in the Pacific are the ones committing to the controversial and over-budget aircraft is telling. If you want to understand the calculus driving these choices, first look at China, which to countries such as Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Australia is the primary long-term threat.


The Singaporeans are extremely shy about declaring their intentions in public, eager to offer few chances for China and Malaysia to react, but two sources familiar with the program confirmed the likely announcement. Given Singapore's tiny size its choice of which of the three F-35 versions to buy is not surprising. A plane that can take off almost vertically and can land vertically is able to operate from a much smaller footprint than, say the F-35A (the Air Force version) or F-16 Block 60s. And, given Singapore's geography, the F-35B makes great sense for its ability to operate closely with the US Marines -- as well as with F-35Cs operating from our aircraft carriers.



http://defense.aol.com/2013/03/25/singa ... 12-f-35bs/

[Richard from Rotterdam]

From Bloomberg.com mobile:

Lockheed’s Troubled F-35 Unscathed in Pentagon’s Budget



Lockheed CEO on Defense Budget Risk: Capitol Gains
The Pentagon wants to spend about $8.4 billion in the next fiscal year to continue developing and purchasing Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)’s F-35, the fighter that is seven years behind schedule and 70 percent over initial cost estimates.
The funding includes $6.36 billion to build all 29 of the F-35s previously planned for 2014, including 19 of the version designed for the Air Force, six for the Marine Corps and four for the Navy, according to a budget document obtained today by Bloomberg News. The remaining funds would be for continued development and spare parts.

Lockheed’s Troubled F-35 Said to Be Unscathed in Pentagon Budget
The proposal for the Joint Strike Fighter will be part of a $526.6 billion defense budget that President Barack Obama will propose next month for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, according to government officials familiar with the budget plan who asked not to be identified discussing it in advance.
The budget request, which doesn’t include money for war- related expenses such as the conflict in Afghanistan and troops in the Middle East, reflects the Pentagon’s commitment to the F-35, its most expensive weapons program, despite its soaring cost and pressures to cut Pentagon spending. Buying 29 F-35s next year, the same number Congress approved for the current year, would mean stability after reductions from planned purchases for three consecutive years.

Lockheed’s Troubled F-35 Said to Be Unscathed in Pentagon Budget
Obama’s budget request will be his opening bid in the annual spending negotiations with Congress, which have been delayed and complicated this year by the budget cuts called sequestration. The Pentagon plan, which is always reshaped by congressional committees, will call for $99.3 billion for procurement and $67.5 billion for research and development, according to the officials.
Automatic Cuts
The proposed defense spending for fiscal 2014 doesn’t include automatic cuts of as much as $50 billion that will be imposed unless Obama and Congress rescind or amend the deficit- reduction requirement. That will let the administration make the political case that programs such as the F-35, with the jobs it creates for suppliers in 45 states, will emerge unscathed if Republicans accept Obama’s plan to replace sequestration with a combination of spending cuts and revenue increases.

Lockheed’s Troubled F-35 Said to Be Unscathed in Pentagon Budget
The estimated cost for a fleet of 2,443 F-35 fighters has climbed to $395.7 billion, a 70 percent increase since 2001. Pentagon officials have prodded Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed, the world’s largest defense contractor, and its subcontractors to improve performance and reduce costs.
The F-35 is being developed and built at the same time, an approach that was called “acquisition malpractice” last year by Frank Kendall, who is now the Pentagon’s undersecretary for acquisition.
Calming Anxieties
Over the past three years, the Pentagon deferred planned purchases of 425 F-35s until after 2017.
The F-35 funding to be proposed for fiscal 2014 “will help calm any anxieties amongst the partner nations” buying the jets, Douglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace with the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, said in an interview.
Among the partners are the U.K., Italy, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Turkey, Singapore, Japan and Israel.
“If you see cuts in the U.S. numbers, then partner nations think, ‘What does this mean for me?’” he said of the prospect that the price per plane would increase.
Under sequestration, the Pentagon must cut as much as $46 billion across 2,500 programs, projects and accounts over the remaining seven months of the fiscal year.
Air Force officials have projected that as many as five of 19 F-35s it requested for this year -- part of the 29 for three services -- could be cut under sequestration.
‘Big Decision’
“The big decision for me on F-35 will be the decision on the FY 2015 budget: Do we ramp up or not?” Kendall told reporters March 12 at a defense conference in Washington.
The Defense Department plans increases to 44 planes in fiscal 2015 and 66 in fiscal 2016, according to figures included last year in its long-range budget plan. A new plan for fiscal 2014 to 2018 will be released next month.
“Overall, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is moving in the right direction after a long, expensive and arduous learning period,” the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a report this month.
“Going forward, ensuring affordability -- the ability to acquire the aircraft in quantity” that keeps the per-plane price down -- “is of paramount concern,” the GAO said.
For Related News and Information: F-35 Fighter Too Big to Kill as Lockheed Hooks 45 States
To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio in Washington at acapaccio@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: John Walcott at jwalcott9@bloomberg.net

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Coati]

First F-35B AMRAAM Separation

US Navy test pilot Lt. Cdr. Michael Burks was at the controls of BF-3 for the first AIM-120 AMRAAM separation test from an F-35B. The flight originated from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/news_ite ... em_id=1008

[Richard from Rotterdam]

Van de NOS: http://nos.nl/artikel/489380-gebruiksko ... hoger.html


Gebruikskosten JSF veel hoger


»
Een Joint Strike Fighter met achter zich een F-16
Official U.S. Air Force - Flickr / Creative Commons 2.0 by-nc
Toegevoegd: woensdag 27 mrt 2013, 18:46
Update: woensdag 27 mrt 2013, 20:44
De kosten voor het gebruik van de Joint Strike Fighter zijn volgens de Amerikaanse Rekenkamer en het Pentagon "niet betaalbaar".

"Op grond van de huidige aantallen zal de jaarlijkse totale exploitatie van de JSF zo'n 60 procent duurder zijn dan de exploitatiekosten van de huidige Amerikaanse jachtvliegtuigen", schrijft minister Hennis van Defensie aan de Tweede Kamer (.pdf).

Bezorgd
Het Pentagon onderzoekt hoe de kosten verlaagd kunnen worden. Intussen moet de Amerikaanse krijgsmacht langer doorvliegen met de huidige jachtvliegtuigen.

Minister Hennis deelt de bezorgdheid van de Amerikaanse autoriteiten over de hoge kosten van de JSF. Deze spelen een belangrijke rol bij het besluit dat het kabinet later dit jaar neemt over de aanschaf van een opvolger van de F-16, de huidige straaljager van de luchtmacht.

[tally]

Today we had first flight of F-35A 10-5014/EG (AF-26) as Lightning 11.

Tally.

[tally]

For anyone that cares hot of the press. Today F-35B ZM137 (BK-03) had its first flight at Navy Fort Worth (April 1, 2013).

Tally.