F-35 Lightning II developments

[Piet Luijken]

LOCKHEED MARTIN F-35 FLIGHT TEST PROGRESS REPORT

FORT WORTH, Texas, July 10, 2012 -- Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] F-35 program accrued the highest number of test points in single month during June, an accomplishment indicative of the program’s ongoing maturation. Additionally, for the 18th consecutive month the F-35 test program remained ahead of plan.

As of June 30, the F-35 Lightning II 5th Generation multirole fighter had conducted 595 test flights in 2012 versus a plan of 445 and accrued 4,830 test points against a plan of 3,901.

In June, the F-35 program accomplished several flight test and production milestones:

• During June, the F-35 test program accrued the most test points in a single month, 1,118, in program history.

• On June 5, BF-5 became the first F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jet to fly with Block 2A software.

• On June 13, the first F-35C carrier variant (CV) night flight was completed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

• On June 13, F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) weapons pit drop testing was conducted for the first time at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

• On June 14 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., BF-2 completed the first test flight for the F-35B STOVL variant with an asymmetric weapons load.

• On June 25, AF-1, an F-35A CTOL test jet, accomplished the first F-35 weapon pit drop from an external station, a GBU-12 from station 2.

• On June 27, the program achieved the highest number of F-35 flights in a single day, 12.

Cumulative flight test activity totals for 2012 through June 30 are provided below:

• F-35A CTOL jets have flown 260 times.
• F-35B STOVL jets have completed 202 flights, 134 of which began with a short takeoff. Additionally, F-35B STOVL aircraft have conducted 55 vertical landings.
• F-35C CV jets have flown 133 times.

Cumulative flight test activity totals for the duration of the program through May 31 are provided below:

• F-35A CTOL jets have flown 907 times.
• F-35B STOVL jets have completed 791 flights, 553 of which began with a short takeoff. Additionally, F-35B STOVL aircraft have conducted 334 vertical landings.
• F-35C CV jets have flown 325 times.

Since December 2006, F-35s have flown 2,355 times and accrued more than 3,700 cumulative flight hours. This total includes 91 flights from the original test aircraft, AA-1; 2,023 SDD test flights; and 241 production-model flights.

[Piet Luijken]

LOCKHEED MARTIN DELIVERS FOUR F-35s
TO U.S. AIR FORCE AND MARINE CORPS
FARNBOROUGH, England, July 10, 2012 – With the delivery of four Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] F-35 Lightning II aircraft since June 29, an important milestone was achieved as the Department of Defense now possesses more operational-coded F-35s than test aircraft. A total of nine F-35s have been delivered for the year, giving the DOD a total of 30 aircraft fleet-wide. Of these, 16 are operational aircraft and 14 are test planes.
“To date, the F-35 program has focused on system development and flight testing while most recently transitioning to low rate initial production,” said Orlando Carvalho, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager, F-35 program. “We’ve crossed a critical threshold as we begin delivering our LRIP 3 aircraft. We’re increasingly becoming more operationally focused. These deliveries illustrate the program’s natural progression and maturation that is taking place on a daily basis.”
The four aircraft, which were formally accepted by the Defense Contract Management Agency with the signing of Department of Defense Form 250 (DD-250), are the first jets manufactured as part of Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 3. They will begin ferrying to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in the coming days, bringing the total there to 16. The DOD has eight test aircraft at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and six test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Three of the jets are F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants and will be assigned to the U.S. Air Force’s 33d Fighter Wing. One F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft will be assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron 501. Once at Eglin, the 5th Generation fighters will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the base’s F-35 Integrated Training Center.

[tally]

Today saw the second of the RAF F-35B's take to the skies over North Texas. Was there too late so can not confirm but this should be ZM136.

Over the next week or two 4 to 6 are on the schedule to be delivered either to Eglin (more B's) or Edwards (perhaps the OT coded A's). When more news becomes available I'll let you know.

Cheers,

Tally out.

[atla]

Proposal for the future USAF: less F35A

- The Air Force may need fewer tankers if the F-35A and bomber inventories shrink.
- the Air Force should reduce the number of F-35As it plans to procure from 1,763 to 1,000 - 1,200
- The F-35 is highly expensive and lacks the longer range important in overcoming some A2/AD threats

see page 44-46
http://www.cnas.org/files/documents/pub ... harp_1.pdf

[sdamico]

Hi all,

Today there was apparently a delivery of F-35A(s) to Edwards (callsign LITNG62)--flight of three so AF-17/18 + chase aircraft?

Also, previous article posted above mentions nine aircraft "delivered" this year (not including today), but I count ten: BF-6 thru -12 and AF-14 thru -16. (I am not sure if the last four have actually been ferried yet.) Any comments/corrections welcomed.

Best regards,
SD

[Coati]

Continuing list of first flights and deliveries to Eglin:

BK-1 (ZM135) delivered to Eglin July 23
BF-12 Delivered to Eglin first week of July
AF-14 Delivered to Eglin second week of July
AF-15 Delivered to Eglin second week of July
AF-16 Delivered to Eglin second week of July
BK-2 (ZM136) first flight July 11
BF-15 (168311) first flight July 13
BF-17 (168313) first flight July 24

[Coati]

26-7 saw the first flight of BF-16 (168312), this is the 40th flying F-35 now.

The UK MOD revealed her plans with the F-35: they want to order 48 F-35B for the carriers. In the late 2030s they want to replace the Typhoon with additional F-35s, but in this case the conventional type (so F-35A or whatever version is out there then). They said they intend to order a number of F-35s corresponding with the original number (138 including the 48 B models) or more (but time will tell of course). Only a "bit" later then planned...

[Coati]

Also, previous article posted above mentions nine aircraft "delivered" this year (not including today), but I count ten: BF-6 thru -12 and AF-14 thru -16. (I am not sure if the last four have actually been ferried yet.) Any comments/corrections welcomed.

BF-12 was not yet included in the figures: was delivered on July 11, at the June 30 it was still 9.

[sdamico]

Also, previous article posted above mentions nine aircraft "delivered" this year (not including today), but I count ten: BF-6 thru -12 and AF-14 thru -16. (I am not sure if the last four have actually been ferried yet.) Any comments/corrections welcomed.

BF-12 was not yet included in the figures: was delivered on July 11, at the June 30 it was still 9.

That makes sense now. Thanks for the clarification.

SD

[tally]

Could be that AN-1 (F-001), the first Dutch F-35, made its first flight from NAS Fort Worth, Monday, Aug 6.

Tally

[Coati]

This one passed unnoticed:

the US DoD proceeds with LRIP-6 (ordering 18 F-35A, 6 F-35B and 7 F-35B, plus 3x Italian F-35A and 2x Australian F-35A).

Undersecretary for AcquisitionFrank Kendall in a two-page Acquisition Decision Memo yesterday approved proceeding with the next contract for as many as 36 aircraft, including 23 Air Force versions, seven aircraft carrier models and six Marine Corps short-takeoff and vertical-landing models. The contract includes five for international customers."

"A fifth contract remains under negotiation. Kendall wrote that his decision for the sixth contract going forward was contingent on him receiving an update on a “recommended agreement” for the fifth contract."


Also a long lead production contract is awarded to LM for LRIP-7, which included 2 Norwegian F-35As, 1 RAF F-35B, probably 2 THK F-35As and for the USA 19x F-35A, 6x F-35B and 4x F-35C.

[Coati]

AF-20 (09-5007/OT) made it's first flight on the 6th of August. This is the first LRIP-4 aircraft to fly. (EDIT: sorry miscount: last USAF LRIP-3 F-35, only the Dutch F-35 still still to fly)

[Coati]

BF-13 and BF-14 were delivered to Eglin.

43 F-35s are now actively flying, 19 on Eglin, 6 on Edwards, 8 on Pax River and 8 on Fort Worth, awaiting delivery. Only 2 LRIP-3 aircraft still have to make their first flight.

LRIP 4, 5 and 6 production is underway with a total of 87 aircraft.

[Coati]

Luke AFB is selected to host 72 F-35As. Construction to adapt the base for F-35 ops will start in October 2012.

[Coati]

The JSF is getting its teeth:

F-35 completes first airborne weapons separation 08 August 2012

"NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The F-35 Lightning II accomplished a significant test milestone Aug. 8 when the aircraft successfully released a weapon in flight.

BF-3, a short take-off and vertical landing F-35 variant, released an inert 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) separation weapon over water in an Atlantic test range while traveling at 400 knots at an altitude of 4,200 feet.

“While this weapons separation test is just one event in a series of hundreds of flights and thousands of test points that we are executing this year, it does represent a significant entry into a new phase of testing for the F-35 program,” said Navy Capt. Erik Etz, director of test for F-35 naval variants. “Today’s release of a JDAM was the result of extraordinary effort by our team of maintainers, engineers, pilots and others who consistently work long hours to deliver F-35 warfighting capability to the U.S. services and our international partners.”

The release was the first time for any version of the F-35 to conduct an airborne weapon separation, as well as the first from an internal weapons bay for a fighter aircraft designated for the U.S. Marine Corps, the United Kingdom and Italy.
The milestone marks the start of validating the F-35’s capability to employ precision weapons and allow pilots to engage the enemy on the ground and in the air.

“[Using an internal weapons bay] speaks to how much capability the JSF is going to bring to the troops,” said Dan Levin, Lockheed Martin test pilot for the mission. “Stealth, fifth-generation avionics and precision weapons … coupled with the flexible mission capability of the short take-off and vertical landing F-35B is going to be huge for our warfighters.”

An aerial weapons separation test checks for proper release of the weapon from its carriage system and trajectory away from the aircraft. It is the culmination of a significant number of prerequisite tests, including ground fit checks, ground pit drops and aerial captive carriage and environment flights to ensure the system is working properly before expanding the test envelope in the air.

Aircraft and land-based test monitoring systems collected data from the successful separation, which is in review at the F-35 integrated test force at Naval Air Station Patuxent River."