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F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sharpey
  • Start date Start date
The F-35 arrived at Luke AFB, Phoenix, today.First of 144. The aircraft will be on static display this weekend for Luke Days. The Thunderbirds will be in the air.

http://www.luke.af.mil/library/2014openhouseandairshow.asp
 
Interesting article on defense news, that without further orders the F-18 lines will close down in two years time, More reason for Canada to buy? could mean deliveries in as little as 3-4 years. The new Advanced Super Hornet which I will call the H/I model as to not be confused with the G model Growler has its radar profile reduced 50%, has larger conformal fuel tanks, and can be loaded with a stealth weapons pod for those types of missions. Those plus maybe a few Growlers to revive our EW ability we havent had since the Voodoo would be a easy choice in my opinion.

http://www.defensenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2014302150023

End In Sight For The Hornet Line - Or Is It?

WASHINGTON As things stand, when the new US defense budget is revealed next month a significant line item that has been a staple for more than four decades will be missing.

No new versions of the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet strike fighter, or its EA-18G Growler electronic attack cousin, will appear in the US Navy’s budget request, either for domestic or foreign use. The move has been planned for some time, but is likely to surprise many veteran defense observers — and alarm others.

Some in Congress are hoping to continue production, and lawmakers added $75 million in the 2014 defense appropriations bill in advance procurement for 22 new planes. Boeing, maker of the aircraft, is eager to sell the Navy more EA-18Gs, but it remains to be seen if the money will be spent that way.

“This is a decision that will be driven more by budget availability now than anything else,” observed Mark Gunzinger, a defense analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment in Washington. “I’m seeing, with the exception of a number of stalwart supporters for defense spending, a general lack of interest on the part of Congress in defense.”

The Navy would not comment on its plan for the advanced procurement funds, but Boeing did.

“A near-term decision to include Super Hornets or Growlers in the fiscal 2015 budget is critical to preserve the future of naval aviation and the US industrial base,” the company said in a statement. “Our Navy customer would need to address questions related to future budgets.”

Since its inception as the Hornet in the 1970s, the F/A-18 has populated the decks of US aircraft carriers, first as the Hornet — which replaced scores of F-14 Tomcats and A-6 Prowlers — and later as the F/A-18 E and F Super Hornet, which in turn supplanted earlier 18s. In recent years the EA-18G Growler electronic attack variant has become ever more important, replacing older EA-6B Prowlers.

But with the last block buy orders in 2014, the Navy will have 563 Super Hornets and 138 Growlers, and that’s all the service wants for its 10 carrier air wings.

Boeing’s plant in St. Louis, Mo., will remain busy producing the aircraft until late 2016 when, at current production rates and barring no further orders, the line will close — an event that will have repercussions around the country. According to Mike Gibbons, Boeing’s top executive for F/A-18 and EA-18 production, 90,000 full-time jobs around the US are “fully dependent” on Super Hornet/Growler production, representing an economic impact of $6 billion annually.

Boeing and its top partner Northrop Grumman produce four new aircraft per month. In about a year, Gibbons said, the rate is likely to drop to three aircraft, with a chance the rate could drop to two — the minimum sustainable rate. As the line slows, the number of jobs dependent on the aircraft will shrink as well, he said, down to about 60,000 jobs.

Slowing the production rate would give Boeing more time to convince US supporters to buy more aircraft, or find foreign buyers — an increasingly thin market.

Boeing missed out last year on the Brazilian FX-2 fighter program, a long, tough campaign eventually won by Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen. For more than a decade, Boeing had aimed to garner the contract, which would have included 36 F/A-18s.

The company is offering the Super Hornet to Denmark, which plans to formally seek requests for proposals this summer for a potentially $5 billion program to replace its fleet of F-16 fighters. Other potential customers include Kuwait, Canada and — further down the road — Malaysia.

For the US, Boeing sees its Growler has having the best chance for continued procurement.

“As the electronic attack platform, there’s nothing like it in the fleet, nor is anything like it planned in near-term future budgets,” Gibbons said Feb. 14. “It’s a broad-band electronic attack platform that has electronic and attack capability.”

Australia, which is buying 24 two-seat F/A-18Fs, announced in May it would purchase 12 Growlers – the first foreign customer for the aircraft. No further orders, however, are anticipated at this time.

“I don’t see any foreign orders right now to keep the line going after 2016,” Gunzinger said.

The potential end of F/A-18 production comes as the two other long-running US fighter programs, General Dynamics’ F-16 and Boeing’s F-15, are winding down. If all three programs end, it would leave the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as the only US strike aircraft still in production.

“That is a significant industrial base question,” observed Gunzinger. “Do we want to have more than one company capable of designing and producing sophisticated combat aircraft such as future fighters?”

The issue is larger than a focus on just one plane, he said. “This is a strategic issue, an industrial base issue. Something that the country needs to ask ourselves, do we want to go down this path? I think it’s rather remarkable that all three are ending their production lines within a few years of each other.”

Gibbons, asked about his confidence that further US orders would come, demurred.

“I don’t want to speculate on a confidence level,” he said. “We’re going to let the ‘15 budget process play out. We think there’s a lot of opportunity for jets to get debated.”
 
An update on the RAAF's F35 orders:

Tony Abbott to approve Australia’s biggest ever military purchase of stealth fighter jets

Quote:
THE Abbott Government is set to give the green light to the nation’s biggest ever military purchase allowing Defence to order up to 86 American made stealth fighter jets for the RAAF.


The planes will cost about $90 million each when they roll off the assembly line between 2018 and 2020 and the overall project will cost some $14 billion during the 30-year life of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

It is understood that a submission to buy will be presented to Cabinet’s National Security Committee for approval within weeks.

(...EDITED)

NTN News
 
$90 million each when they roll off the assembly line between 2018 and 2020 and the overall project will cost some $14 billion during the 30-year life of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

So I guess we are really getting screwed on ours since we are only buying 65 for a cost of $40b.  ::)
 
Quirky said:
So I guess we are really getting screwed on ours since we are only buying 65 for a cost of $40b.  ::)

Not all planes are created equal.  What kind of packages: electronics, servicing, spare parts, etc. are they getting compared to what we MAY be getting.
 
George Wallace said:
Not all planes are created equal.  What kind of packages: electronics, servicing, spare parts, etc. are they getting compared to what we MAY be getting.

Or their estimate doesn't have ridiculous extrapolations on pilot/maintainer wages/benefits and made up inflation numbers designed to scare the public.
 
George Wallace said:
Not all planes are created equal. 

I believe the whole point of the JSF program is that every single jet that comes off the line is the same. We are getting the same one the US, Norway, England, etc. Except Israel it seems, they like to use their own stuff, then again they are actually in the business of national defence.  :-X
 
Dassault just upped the ante with the Rafale stating they would move assembly and maintenance of the aircraft to Canada and even transfer intellectual property rights on technology to Canadian Industry.

Article is from RDI and is in french.

http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Economie/2014/03/13/003-dassault-assemblage-avion-rafale-canada.shtml
 
Three more. Very cool the F-35 Lightning II flying with the P-38 Lightning, reportedly for the first time.

Size comparison between the F-35 and F-16.
 
Quirky said:
I believe the whole point of the JSF program is that every single jet that comes off the line is the same. We are getting the same one the US, Norway, England, etc. Except Israel it seems, they like to use their own stuff, then again they are actually in the business of national defence.  :-X

I can't verify the veracity of his statement, but a Marine I talked to once stated that of course, the planes that are exported do not have the same capabilities as the ones kept for the USA.

I would not be surprised of that were true. The F-22 isn't allowed to be exported, for example, to my knowledge. Why have top-end capabilities in the hands of anyone other than your own military?

 
There are in fact three very distinct versions:

F-35A CTOL (most countries)
F-35B STOVL (so far USMC, Brits and Italians)
F-35C CV (USN and USMC)
https://www.f35.com/about/variants

Mark
Ottawa
 
In addition  there are some more minor variations - like drag chutes for the F35As for Norway and the Dutch as well as Canada - when and if.

 
MarkOttawa said:
There are in fact three very distinct versions:

F-35A CTOL (most countries)
F-35B STOVL (so far USMC, Brits and Italians)
F-35C CV (USN and USMC)
https://www.f35.com/about/variants

Mark
Ottawa

Mark,

Haven't you seen other articles about the interest of Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Australia in the B version because of their carrier-like vessels like JMSDF's Hyuga class DDHs, South Korea's Dokdo class or the RAN's Canberra class LHDs? I seem to recall all four have expressed interest in the F35, though no specific model from what I read.
 
Unless wrong, I believe that, regardless of the version, the combat capabilities (weapons & systems) will be the same across the board.
 
Less F-35s for Italy?

Defense News

Italy Eyes Further Cuts to JSF Purchase
Mar. 17, 2014 - 03:22PM  |  By TOM KINGTON 

Excerpt:

When asked about JSF cuts, Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti said, “it would be legitimate to imagine a rationalization.”

Italy has already reduced its planned JSF buy from 131 to 90 aircraft to cope with defense cuts, but Renzi, who took office last month, is struggling to find further savings in state spending as he undertakes an ambitious tax cut program.

Some members of Renzi’s party have been pushing for the program to be cut in half, with only 45 aircraft purchased.

(...EDITED)
 
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