F-35 Lightning II developments

[Melchior Timmers]

This is the LRIP X overview (Italic data not confirmed but educated guess.):

Italy: (1) BL-02; MM7XXX; 169599

Are you sure about the 2nd Italian F-35B?
Not to be found in the original order of 90 LRIP X aircraft.

[Bjorn]

This is the LRIP X overview (Italic data not confirmed but educated guess.):

Italy: (1) BL-02; MM7XXX; 169599

Are you sure about the 2nd Italian F-35B?
Not to be found in the original order of 90 LRIP X aircraft.

Melchior, just as the single Italian F-35A isn't included in the 90 airframe order either, but with a one FY number gap between USAF and Norway we can assume this one is for the Italian airfame. Same goes for the F-35B I guess. But as I stated this is still an educated guess. We will probably know when the first F-35C is delivered and what BuNo that one has and how large the BuNo gap between the last USMC F-35B is and the first USNavy F-35C. If it's a four number gap, we know the Italian one is included. Unless they changed the order of BuNo sequence ones more. Time will tell .

Greets,

[Starfighter_F-104G]

AL10 & BL02 are LIRP 10

[Stratofreighter]

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4175943/ ... ying-hours

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, FL, UNITED STATES

02.27.2018

Photo by Airman 1st Class Emily Smallwood

33rd Fighter Wing/Public Affairs 

From left,
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class William Hinkle, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, Major Christopher Collins, 58th Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations, and A1C Cody Cheeley, 33 AMXS crew chief,
celebrate by giving a gorilla roar
in front of a F-35A Lightning II Feb. 27, 2018, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Tail number 5017 is the first F-35A
to reach 1,000 flight hours outside of the aircraft test community.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emily Smallwood/Released) 

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/03 ... ad-states/

Stealth features responsible for half of F-35 defects, Lockheed program head states

As the production rate of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter goes up,
the company is wrestling with quality escapes involving the jet’s low observability features,
which now amount to about half of all defects on the aircraft,
the company’s vice president of the program revealed Monday.

Speaking to reporters at Lockheed’s media day on Monday,
Jeff Babione acknowledged that low observability, or LO,
capabilities in particular are posing a challenge to the company.

In part, that’s because they are so unique and because production is ramping up quickly.

[Starfighter_F-104G]

Contracts For March 13, 2018


CONTRACTS

NAVY

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $1,463,152,389 not-to-exceed modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-17-C-0001) for long lead material and parts for low rate initial production (LRIP) of F-35 Lightning II air systems in support of the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants; and foreign military sales (FMS) customers.

This modification provides for 145 Lot 13 aircraft for the Services, non-U.S. DoD participants and FMS customers;
and 69 Lot 14 aircraft for the non-U.S. DoD participants and FMS customers.

NOTE : the aircrafts for the Services in LOT 14 are missing

Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (30 percent); El Segundo, California (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Florida (10 percent); Nashua, New Hampshire (5 percent); Nagoya, Japan (5 percent); and Baltimore, Maryland (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2018. Fiscal 2017 advanced procurement (Navy and Air Force); fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Marine Corps), non-U.S. DoD participant; and FMS funds in the amount of $1,463,152,389 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchase for the Air Force ($346,801,667; 24 percent); the Marine Corps ($165,939,840; 11 percent); the Navy ($47,734,591; 3 percent); and the non-U.S. DoD participants ($636,890,291; 44 percent); and FMS customers ($265,786,000; 18 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

[Starfighter_F-104G]

AS10 916 F-35A f/f 14-03-2018

[Starfighter_F-104G]

AW01 18-001 F-35A f/f 19-01-2018

[felixVFA31]

foto AW-01
https://www.flickr.com/photos/105988702 ... ateposted/

[Coati]

LRIP-11, last 'low-rate' production lot for the F-35 has been signed off, with an increased spending from the US: 90 aircraft, adding 20 F-35s to the 70 planned. 10 extra F-35A, 6 extra F-35C and 4 extra F-35B. Total numbers for this lot (as far as I know):

56 F-35A USAF
24 F-35B USMC
10 F-35C US Navy
8 F-35A RNLAF
1 F-35B RAF/RN
8 F-35A RAAF
1 F-35A AMI
6 F-35A IDF/AF
10 F-35A ROKAF
6 F-35A RNoAF
4 F-35A THK
6 F-35A JASDF
-----------------------
140 Total
One Country plus numbers has been blanked out in the papers.

[Starfighter_F-104G]

I had 74 LRIP11 F-35s for US plus 20 adding
48 F-34A + 10= 58
18 F-35B + 6 = 24
8 F-35C + 4 = 12
-----------------
total 94 for US

[Starfighter_F-104G]

917 AS11 f/f 30.03.2018

[Coati]

A new F-35 squadron started operations:

VMFA-122 USMC with F-35Bs. Spotted on pictures were:
168732/DC-01
168.../DC-05

[Coati]

I had 74 LRIP11 F-35s for US plus 20 adding
48 F-34A + 10= 58
18 F-35B + 6 = 24
8 F-35C + 4 = 12
-----------------
total 94 for US

Numbers changed a few times. Total should be 90 now according to the latest numbers.

[Hans van Herk]

According to Defence News (http://www.defencenews.com)

F-35 joint strike fighter
Unsurprisingly, it was a good year for Lockheed Martin’s F-35. Congress added $2.9 billion for an additional 20 joint strike fighters, which would put total FY18 procurement at 90 planes.

If the spending bill is passed, the Navy and Marine Corps will get not only the number of joint strike fighters requested in the budget, but also the ones detailed in their “unfunded requirements lists” sent every year to Congress. For the Navy, that’s eight F-35C carrier takeoff and landing variants. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps would get 24 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variants and two F-35Cs.

The Air Force will get 56 F-35A models — just four short of its unfunded requirement.

[tally]

F-35B BK-15 ZM149 delivered to Beaufort Friday, Mar 30, 2018.