Canada says reviewing F-35 report, denies plan to cancel
(Reuters) - The Canadian government said on Thursday it was reviewing an independent report on the cost of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, but denied that it had decided to cancel its planned purchase of 65 of the Lockheed Martin Corp warplanes.
The television network did not say what time period the C$40 billion covered. The C$25 billion estimate was for 20 years.
Andrew MacDougall, spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said the government was reviewing the report prepared by the accounting firm KPMG, but that reports indicating the government had decided to cancel its F-35 buy were false.
Actually the journalist, quoting "unnamed sources", claimed the program to be dead, but is explaining later in his article that there might be a new tender, including the F-35. There is a KPMG report, this is being discussed, and a journalist has spread a rumor that this might mean reopening a tender, including JSF, wihich is denied by the MoD, but might be a possible outcome of the debate. That is it.
Let's stick to the facts of upcoming news, and report those in this section.
So we will have to wait for a final decision or an official announcement, but that the Canadians don't want to pay over 130 million USD per jet is obvious. And threatening to get out of the whole JSF project might make a very good bargaining tool.
Denmark reopened their fighter competions a few weeks ago, after freezing it in 2010 due to economics. Candidates are the Gripen NG, JSF, Super Hornet and possibly the Typhoon will reenter. Denmark is a level 3 JSF partner. Decision is not expected soon. Probably 30 aircraft will be purchased (down from 48).
Canada will follow a 7 point plan to evaluate the decision to go for the F-35. Not until this 7 point plan has been concluded a purchase will be decided upon.
Meanwhile prices of the JSF are declining. Now the per unit costs of LRIP-5 for the F-35A are 107 million dollar (from 111.6 M for LRIP-4, so -4%). This is excluding the engine which is around 10 million right now. This means the costs to produce a JSF is going down, despite the fact that the quantity is exactly the same as LRIP-4, so efficiency in production is being accomplished. Be aware that fighter pricing is very confusing and could be calculated in a dozen ways, which makes it hard to compare with other jets...
12/17/2012 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Following an independent evaluation of Eglin's capability to conduct F-35A Lightning II pilot training, Air Education and Training Command announced today the 33rd Fighter Wing can do so, starting in January.
"The preliminary results provided by the Joint Operational Test Team show the F-35A aircraft and its pilot training and sustainment systems, are robust enough to conduct the planned pilot transition and instructor upgrade courses," said Air Education and Training Command commander, Gen. Edward A. Rice Jr.
AETC will initiate syllabus training in order to meet Air Force-defined requirements. A deliberate process will be used that continues to validate the training system's effectiveness through advancing training blocks as they are made available by the military's F-35 Program Office and Lockheed Martin.
The Operational Utility Evaluation, which started Sept. 10 and was slated to last 65 days, encompassed intensive classroom and simulator training along with six flights, for four primary and two backup upgrading student pilots.
With favorable conditions to include "good weather, an accomplished maintenance team and talented instructors to train the pilots, the OUE process lasted only 46 training days," said Col. Andrew Toth, 33rd Fighter Wing commander, an F-35A instructor pilot who spearheads the joint and international F-35 efforts at Eglin.
"You are here making a lasting impression on how the team will execute F-35 both flying and maintenance training over the next 50 years," he said during conversations to wing members following the successful OUE.
During the OUE, experienced pilots transitioned from the F-16 and A-10 aircraft, to the world's first multi-role stealth fighter. Two pilots, Maj. John Wilson and Maj. Matthew Johnston were from Eglin's 58th Fighter Squadron and two, Lt. Col. Brian O'Neill and Maj. Joseph Scholtz and were from operational test units at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
"Their performances were superb... that smile each student had after landing his first flight showed they were well prepared and the jet was easy to fly just as I had experienced with my first flight," said Lt. Col. Lee Kloos, 58th Fighter Squadron commander, who is charged with overseeing the squadron's daily flying operations. He is also the first non-developmental test pilot to fly the F-35.
The OUE was initiated by the Joint Strike Fighter Program Executive Officer based in Wash. D.C. and was intended to best arm the AETC commander with comprehensive data from an independent source so Rice could decide how to proceed with future F-35A pilot training at Eglin.
"The OUE showed the men and women at Eglin are ready," said Rice. "I'm very proud of both those in uniform and the contracted support who put in years of hard work. The culmination of those labors was successfully demonstrating the Integrated Training Center can conduct safe and effective flying operations in addition to academic training."
Training is slated to begin Jan. 7 with four 58th Fighter Squadron pilots and two operational test pilots.
The focus of the OUE evaluation team was on the ability to conduct pilot training but leadership agree they couldn't do it without their maintainers.
"The maintainers are the backbone of the flight operations. Had they not performed the way they did, we could not have finished the OUE about two weeks ahead of schedule," said Toth pointing to his skilled team in the 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit and Lockheed Martin contracted logistics support.
With RFT declared, the wing's integrated training center gets closer to running at full capacity of 100 military pilot students a year along with the 2,100 maintenance students.
"We look forward to 2013 as we integrate the Navy's 'Grim Reapers' and F-35C into our flying operations along with our international partners, the Dutch and UK. The pace of operations will not slow as we continue to grow and we are ready for the new challenges next year will bring to wing personnel and it's F-35 Integrated Training Center."
Approximately 36 Air Force pilots are expected to go through the training program next year.
"The team at Eglin went through a rigorous process to lead the way for F-35A training. We look forward to starting off the new year with more history in the making as they put the JSF Integrated Training Center to task to provide a world class training program," said Rice.
LRIP-6 contract awarded to Lockheed Martin for the next batch of 31 F-35s (18x F-35A, 6x F-35B, 7x F-35C at 28 December. In addition to the 31 USA JSFs, 5 international F-35As will be produced, 2 for Australia and 3 for Italy. Contractual details will be hammered out next year, as will be the contractual detail for the the 5 foreign aircraft.
Total number of F-35s produced or fairly certain to be produced:
13x SDD aircraft
131x LRIP aircraft (including 3 for UK and 2 for RNLAF)
plus 17 international orders/intentions for LRIP 7 and 8 (Italy 7, UK 1, Japan 4, RNoAF 4, THK 4)
plus orders for later LRIPs or MY of 20 Israeli, 38 more for Japan, 50 more for RNoAF
And a long lead initial funding for the US for LRIP-7 for 29 aircraft.
Total 298 aircraft so far (US till LRIP-7 plus international firm orders beyond LRIP-7)
130 international F-35s, 168 US F-35s including 13 SDD aircraft.
53 of them have flown so far (including AA-1 which is wfu now)
Code One Magazine article on picture of first US Navy F-35C in VFA-101 scheme. BuNo 168733 (I guess this is CF-6, but not 100% sure).
Picture at the link.
An F-35C painted for its future assignment to US Navy Fighter Attack Squadron 101 (VFA-101) at Eglin AFB, Florida, is shown in the paint facility at the Lockheed Martin facility in Fort Worth, Texas, on 7 January 2013. The original Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101), nicknamed Grim Reapers, was established 1 May 1952 and flew various fighter aircraft including the F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat. VF-101 was disestablished in 2005. To support the Navy version of the F-35, VFA-101 was reestablished in May 2012 at a new hangar and training facility at Eglin. The unit will serve as the Fleet Replacement Squadron, training Navy Lightning II aviators and maintainers. This aircraft (Bureau Number 168733) is scheduled for delivery later his year.
