F-35 Lightning II developments

[Melchior Timmers]

Also seen flying in January is ZM149 (BK-15).
Educated guess this is 169602

[Hans van Herk]

Norwegian AM-11 first flight on January 30th, 2017. Local serial is 5205 so Norwegian numbers will be 15-5205 till 15-5210. Since there is a one number gap between the last USAF and the first Norwegian, this most probably means the single Italian F-35A for LRIP X is hereby (also most probably - educated guess) confirmed and will be 15-5204.

Greets,

Thanks for the update on the Norwegian aircraft.
Are you sure on the FY15? I originally had this batch of six aircraft as FY16.
And how about the full type, model F-35A-3F ?

Regards,
Hans van Herk

[Bjorn]

It is confirmed that the entire LRIP X batch will be FY15.

Greets,

[Hans van Herk]

It is confirmed that the entire LRIP X batch will be FY15.
Greets,

Thank you.
Hans van Herk

[Melchior Timmers]

It is confirmed that the entire LRIP X batch will be FY15.

Greets,

So LRIP 9 and 10 are both entirely FY2015? or are those OCO additions to LRIP9?

[Starfighter_F-104G]

LRIP 9 & 10 was planned to be signed on November 2015 (FY15) to keep the contractual terms roughly up to date, but undisclosed disagreements have extended the talks, with final contract assigned October 2016

so we have two LRIP with FY15

[Hans van Herk]

LRIP 9 & 10 was planned to be signed on November 2015 (FY15) to keep the contractual terms roughly up to date, but undisclosed disagreements have extended the talks, with final contract assigned October 2016

so we have two LRIP with FY15

Thank you.

According to me the overview for LRIP IX is 42 aircraft:
26x USAF 15-5118/5143 model F-35A-3F and F-35A-3I (correct model?)
1x Italy 15-5144 model F-35A-4 (correct model?)
6x Norway 15-5145/5150 model F-35A-3F and F-35A-3I (correct model?)
7x Israel 15-5151/5157 model F-35A-3F and F-35A-3I (correct model?)
2x Japan 15-5158/5159 model F-35A-3F
I think they are all model F-35A-3F, but I am not sure.

For LRIP X I have 51 aircraft, but I am missing info on the USMC/USN and UK ones.
44x USAF 15-5160/5163 and 16-5164/5203 (FY correct?) model F-35A-4
1x Italy 15-5204 model F-35A-4
6x Norway 15-5205/5210 model F-35A-3F (correct model?)

I am definitely missing aircraft for the LRIP IX and LRIP X overview.
Looking forward to corrections and adding missing aircraft.

Regards,
Hans van Herk

[Bjorn]

Hans,

This is the LRIP IX overview:

USAF: (26) AF-109/AF-134; 15-5118/15-5143
Italy: (1) AL-09; MM7359; 15-5144
Norway: (6) AM-05/AM-10; 5145/5150; 15-5145/15-5150
Israel: (7) AS-03/AS-09; 904/905 - 907/909 - 911 - 913; 15-5151/15-5157
Japan: (2) AX-05/AX-06; 79-8705/79-8706 (last reserialled to 89-8706); 15-5158/15-5159
USMC: (6) BF-56/BF-61; 169411/169416
UK: (6) BK-09/BK-14: ZM143/ZM148: 169417/169422
Italy: (1) BL-01; MM7451; 169423
USN: (2) CF-32/CF-33; 169424/169525

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

USAF: (44) AF-135/AF-178; 15-5160/15-5203
Italy: (1) AL-10; MM7XXX; 15-5204
Norway: (6) AM-11/AM-16; 5205/5210; 15-5205/15-5210
Australia: (8) AU-03/AU-10; A35-003/A35/010; 15-5211/15-5218
Israel: (6) AS-10/AS-15; 9XX; 15-5219/15-5224
Japan: (4) AX-07/AX-10; 89-8707/89-8710; 15-5225/15-5228
Turkey: (2) AT-01/AT-02
South Korea: (6) AW-01/AW-06
USMC: (9) BF-62/BF-70; 169587/169595
UK: (3) BK-15/BK-17; ZM149/ZM151; 169596/169598
Italy: (1) BL-02; MM7XXX; 169599
USN: (2) CF-34/CF-35; 169600/169601

Greets,

[Hans van Herk]

Bjorn, thank you for the details.

Hans van Herk

[Melchior Timmers]

What about the LRIP 10 FY2016 Congressional Aid package (nov16)?
F-35A: 44 + 3
F-35B 9 + 6
F-35C: 2 + 4.

[Hans van Herk]

The US administration gives us really a nut to crack.

Theory on c/n:
Could it be, in good Lockheed-Martin tradition, the real msn (c/n) for the F-35A models are 5001 and higher?
You can see the same construction with US serials for the C-130J Hercules and the F-22A Raptor.

So from LRIP III we see the USAF F-35As with serial 09-5001 etc.
A conclusion for LRIP I and LRIP II is that these aircraft are pre-production. C/ns unknown.

Looking forward to your ideas?

Regards,
Hans van Herk

[Starfighter_F-104G]

What about the LRIP 10 FY2016 Congressional Aid package (nov16)?
F-35A: 44 + 3
F-35B 9 + 6
F-35C: 2 + 4.

the Aid package probably (but I cannot be 100% sure now) will be FY16

F-35A 3
F-35B 6
F-35C 4

[tally]

Hans,
Australia: (8) AU-03/AU-10; A35-003/A35/010; 15-5211/15-5218
Greets,

AU-05 A35-005 is indeed 15-5213. 155213 was painted right above the 005 on the nose wheel door.

And just looked at some older AU-4 pics and she is indeed 15-5212. It has 155212 on the nose wheel door. Same as AU-5.

[Bjorn]

What about the LRIP 10 FY2016 Congressional Aid package (nov16)?
F-35A: 44 + 3
F-35B 9 + 6
F-35C: 2 + 4.

the Aid package probably (but I cannot be 100% sure now) will be FY16

F-35A 3
F-35B 6
F-35C 4

They are indeed not part of the current package. We will know later in the year when the first of those arrive before we start 2019.

Greets,

[Bjorn]

Hans,
Australia: (8) AU-03/AU-10; A35-003/A35/010; 15-5211/15-5218
Greets,

AU-05 A35-005 is indeed 15-5213. 155213 was painted right above the 005 on the nose wheel door.

And just looked at some older AU-4 pics and she is indeed 15-5212. It has 155212 on the nose wheel door. Same as AU-5.

So these are confirmed as well then.

Greets,