F-35 Lightning II developments

[Piet Luijken]

FIRST F-35A FOR NORWAY PROGRESSING TOWARDS DELIVERY IN FORT WORTH

FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 6, 2015 – Lockheed Martin and the Norwegian Ministry of Defense celebrated the beginnings of the first F-35A Lightning II for Norway this month. The aircraft, designated as AM-1, has officially begun the mate process, where major components of the aircraft are joined together to form the aircraft’s structure. AM-1 will then make its way down the assembly line and roll out of the factory for delivery to Norway in the fall of 2015.

“We are pleased and excited to see our first aircraft taking shape as planned,” said Mr. Øystein Bø, State Secretary with the Norwegian Ministry of Defense. “Together with the Norwegian-developed Joint Strike Missile the F-35 will be one of the core capabilities of our future defense structure, representing a significant increase in our combat capabilities.”

The global supply chain for the F-35 currently has seven Norwegian companies under contract building parts for the F-35. Norwegian industry is expected to gain up to $4.7 billion USD in industry opportunities over the life of the F-35 program. Every F-35 built will have Norwegian parts and components.

Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin F-35 Program Manager, highlighted the ongoing partnership between Lockheed Martin and Norway. “A new era in Norwegian tactical aviation began with AM-1 mating on the line,” Martin said. “Lockheed Martin is proud of our decade’s long relationship with the Norway MOD and its industry. Transitioning from the F-16 to the F-35 will only enhance this relationship for the future.”

[atla]

meanwhile...

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc ... 10/384721/

[Piet Luijken]

Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 welcomed the first United Kingdom F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Feb. 3.

The jet was flown by British Royal Air Force pilot Hugh Nichols, the UK senior national representative from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

"It's big for the Air Station, the town, and the pilot training center," said Joseph T. Bachmann, the commanding officer of VMFAT-501.

The jet is one of only three British F-35B aircraft and is assigned to VMFAT-501.

[Piet Luijken]

HILL AIR FORCE BASE —This September, the next generation fighter jet will start to arrive at Hill Air Force Base. The F-35 is getting an increase in funding from the President's 2016 budget.

The F-35 Lightning II is the most advanced and most expensive weapons system ever developed by the U.S. military.

Commander of the 388th Fighter Wing, Col. Lance Landrum, said getting the jets should provide tremendous fighting capability and plenty of work at Hill Air Force Base for years.

In fact, by 2019, the F-35 will be the only remaining fighter jet at Hill, according to Landrum.

[Coati]

First F-35A for Norwegian Air Force takes shape with major components put together. Roll out in fall this year. Also now known which construction number series will be used for the RNoAF F-35s: AM, so AM-1 till AM-52. Including phote of first F-35A on link.


https://www.f35.com/news/detail/first-f ... f7311338=1

[wamovements]

Also now known which construction number series will be used for the RNoAF F-35s: AM, so AM-1 till AM-52.

That was already known for some time:


However FMS is still unknown AFAIK.

Regards
Dennis

[Melchior Timmers]

F-35C coded NJ-116 is seen flying for the first time 09feb15.
In order of codes this should be 169033 (CF-21), but only if not yet seen 169032 (CF-20) has code NJ-115.

[Coati]

17(Reserve)squadron started operating from Edwards, with ZM135 (BK-1) commencing operations.

ZM137 (BK-3) is the aircraft currently assigned to VMFAT-501 at MCAS Beaufort, while ZM136 (BK-2) is still at Eglin AFB and remain there (see below).

https://www.f35.com/news/detail/17-rese ... 35-testing

17 (Reserve) Squadron has begun operational testing of the UK’s first F-35B, 100 years after the unit was first established.

The squadron, which was first formed in 1915, will be responsible for all the test and evaluation of the UK’s first F-35 Lightning II.

The aircraft, known as BK-1, is stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California and will be operated under UK regulations. Personnel from 17 (R) Sqn, which is made up of engineers and pilots from the RAF and Royal Navy, will fly and maintain the jets independently from their US colleagues - an important step towards the UK developing its Joint Strike Fighter capability.
--------------------

With 17 (R) Squadron now stood up at Edwards AFB, the first operational aircraft for the UK (BK-3) has recently arrived at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort in South Carolina. Aircraft BK-2 remains at Eglin AFB in Florida, where it forms part of the international training fleet. A third test aircraft, but the fourth to be ordered (BK-4), has been signed for and is due to be delivered in early 2016.

Once its role with 17 (R) Squadron is complete, BK-3 will join the first 14 operational aircraft which the government has approved (the first four of which have now been ordered) at MCAS Beaufort to form the first operational unit of 617 Squadron 'the Dambusters'.

In 2018, 617 Squadron will transfer to its future home station at RAF Marham in the United Kingdom, and in December of that year the UK will declare initial operating capability - land (IOC - Land) for its F-35B force.

The second unit - the FAA's 809 'Immortals' Naval Air Squadron - will be created ahead of the commencement of sea trials aboard the future HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier in 2018, with the full operating capability (land and maritime) being declared in 2023.

http://naval.dfns.net/2015/02/10/uk-sta ... ials-unit/

[Coati]

Italy remains committed for 90 F-35 jets.

Despite political opposition, the order will not further slashed to 45. Earlier, Italy already scaled back their order from 131 to 90.

The planned 90 aircraft consist of 60 F-35A for the AMI, 15 F-35B for the AMI and 15 F-35B for the MMI.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/ ... TO20150216

[Coati]

Second F-35A for USAF WS delivered to Nellis AFB: 12-5051/WA "USAFWS"

http://www.nellis.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123439623

[Coati]

Israel signed the contract this Saturday for an additional order of 14 F-35A, plus an option for 17 more aircraft (as expected). This order is in addition to the 19 F-35 ordered in 2010.

[Piet Luijken]

The Air Force's new F-35A fleet basing strategy lays out the parameters for the next three operational locations for the stealth jet, service spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told Air Force Magazine on Monday. She said the Air Force just notified Congress of the new strategy.

Two of these three locations will be Air National Guard bases; they are expected to receive their first F-35As in July 2022 and January 2023, respectively, she said. The third location will be an Air Force Reserve Command site slated for its first F-35A in May 2023, she said. It will be the first F-35A base for the Reserve.

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James tweeted that she briefed the 54 National Guard adjutants general on the new operational locations on Monday. Stefanek said the Air Force plans to use its "standard basing process to determine the locations." She added, "We hope to be able to create active associations for all three."

The new strategy builds upon the Air Force's first F-35A fleet basing strategy from 2009. Under the latter, the Air Force set the stage for its first three Active Duty operational locations, the first Air Guard location, and two training sites. After the process of determining candidate sites and measuring factors like cost and environmental impact, the Air Force chose as these locations, respectively: Eielson AFB, Alaska; Hill AFB, Utah; RAF Lakenheath, Britain; Burlington ANG Station, Vt.; Eglin AFB, Fla.; and Luke AFB, Ariz. The service still has to issue the record of decision for Eielson to codify that choice.

[Coati]

Today the Dutch Parliament approved the purchase of the first batch of F-35As for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The first batch, part of LRIP-11, consists of 8 aircraft and will be delivered in 2019.

http://www.nu.nl/politiek/4000515/kabin ... ellen.html

[Piet Luijken]

The Dutch parliament has approved an order for the nation’s first production batch of eight Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs, to be delivered in 2019.

“With this decision, we have reached the point of no return in the replacement of the [Lockheed] F-16,” said defence minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert on 26 February.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force is already operating two F-35As, which were acquired to enable the service to participate in US-led initial operational test and evaluation of the Joint Strike Fighter. In early February, these were moved from Eglin AFB in Florida to Edwards AFB in California.

From its next batch of eight F-35As, which will be assembled at Lockheed’s Fort Worth site in Texas, six will remain at a multinational pilot training centre in Luke AFB, Arizona until the end of the transition process in 2023. The two test aircraft now at Edwards AFB will also be relocated to Luke on the completion of the IOT&E activity.

Once the Dutch air force has completed its transition to the new type, five aircraft will remain in the USA for training and testing purposes. The rest of its fleet will be used to form three squadrons based in the Netherlands.

Three further batches of eight aircraft each will be ordered between 2016 and 2018, before a final three are expected to be purchased in 2019, to complete an operational buy of 35. All of these will be delivered from a final assembly and check-out centre built at Cameri air base in Italy under a joint venture between Lockheed and Alenia Aermacchi.

The first operational unit in the Netherlands will be 322 Sqn at Leeuwarden air base, and the defence ministry will next year launch preparations to accommodate the new fighters. 322 Sqn should achieve initial operational capability status in 2021 with aircraft in the Block 3F configuration, the software standard required to support training from the previous year.

Achieving IOC status will make it possible for the air force to provide four aircraft and sufficient crews for international missions for a period of three to four months.

Full operational status with all three frontline units – including the Volkel-based 312 and 313 squadrons – should be achieved in 2024. The defence ministry plans to have 29 combat-ready pilots for an operational force of 32 F-35As, with the other aircraft in regular maintenance.

The Netherlands’ total budget for the F-35 is listed as almost €3.87 billion ($4.32 billion), including around €2.5 billion for the purchase of the airframes. Other major investments are of roughly €130 million for spare parts and about €110 million for a flight simulator. The defence ministry notes that its total purchase could rise above 37 aircraft if the total price is reduced, or if other costs remain below budget.

[tally]

Two F-35's delivered last Friday, Mar 6. One B to Beaufort and one C to Eglin. BuNo ' to follow.

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