F-35 Multirole Joint Strike Fighter

[gf0012-aust]

The F-35 can provide data to outside networks via MADL, Link-16, or SatCom. How those networks use the data is up to them.

Cockpit demonstrations of the F-35 have shown the ability for one F-35 to assign targets to other F-35s. I don't see why this cannot be extended to non F-35 assets.

that is the intent, the JSF can act as another service feeder to other assets and platforms in the grid

 

[jack412]

4corners will be interesting this week by the look at the quotes from the promo. Judging by the quality, It sounds like clown club may get to have their say again too
REACH FOR THE SKY - Four Corners

 

[Air Force Brat]

4corners will be interesting this week by the look at the quotes from the promo. Judging by the quality, It sounds like clown club may get to have their say again too
REACH FOR THE SKY - Four Corners

Oh joy, and it sounds as if the Dutch are riding the fence on their future acquisitions, on a high note the JPO has issued a return to flight clearance for the F-35B models, following the replacement of any fueldraulic lines that are out of spec as of 2/12/13, and the A model has been cleared of wing flutter with weapons bays open or closed up to Mach 1.6 or 700kts, both positive developements going forward. I just pray that BHO and our own clown club do something before sequestration kicks in, what a stinkin mess, talk about political malpractice, they've already killed one great airplane, some of them would love to do in her little sister as well. I was just reading USAFs Chief of Staff Gen Mark Welchs assessment in the Air Force Magazine Daily Report, it is not good, in fact it makes me so angry I could SPIT! sorry Brat?

 

[the road runner]

4corners will be interesting this week by the look at the quotes from the promo. Judging by the quality, It sounds like clown club may get to have their say again too
REACH FOR THE SKY - Four Corners

Just saw a clip on the ABC news.
Pierre Sprey was riding it off ,all they said was ,its behind schedule,cost blow out of 50% and wont be in operation till 2020. Sounds like the F-111 to me when it was being developed and we all know the whoo ha what happened when we retired that platform.
Just presstitution doing what they do best.

 

[jack412]

It wouldn't be a show without wheeling out Pierre Sprey, I haven't seen the tv promo yet and was going by the quotes in the article promo.

 

[aussienscale]

Tabloid TV at its best, they put it on the show and problem is the general public not knowing any better believe it. Kerry and the ABC never miss a chance to have a dig at the Government, no matter who it is.

I just reminded myself why I don't watch the show

Cheers

 

[Air Force Brat]

Tabloid TV at its best, they put it on the show and problem is the general public not knowing any better believe it. Kerry and the ABC never miss a chance to have a dig at the Government, no matter who it is.

I just reminded myself why I don't watch the show

Cheers

Yes, I really can't stand to be lectured by BHO, and our little Benghazi fiasco puts it all in perspective, freedom and fighting for it mustn't be left in the hands of those who place no value on either, nor those who give their lives to the service of the same, sad sad days. On a high note 4 F-35As will be flown to Nellis AFB, by the end of the month to the 422nd T&E Squadron based at the home of Red Flag, to grow to a fleet of 12 as developemental testing gives way to operational and tactical testing and integration of the F-35 into the force. The Fighter Weapons School will also receive 24 A models, so we will soon be seeing the first of these operational tests and bringing the A models up to speed, and we will begin to see what our little ThunderHogge will do in the real world, so 36 A models for Nellis, this acording to the AF Mags Daily Report of 2/15/13. Cheers Brat

 

[colay]

This will enhance the synergy between 5Gen and 4Gen assets. The F-22 has demonstrated it's potential as flying quarterback to older jets, coordinating the action over encrypted voice link, which allowed the possibility of the former being tracked. The new gateway capability should mitigate that risk while raising the level of interoperability between platforms.

USAF seeks information on connecting 4th and 5th gen fighters

By: DAVE MAJUMDAR WASHINGTON DC

Source:

The US Air Force is seeking information on a "communications gateway" that would one day be able to digitally link fourth and fifth-generation fighters inside a highly contested threat environment.

"This RFI [request for information] seeks information concerning the availability of a system at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 or above that allows 5th Generation fighters to digitally connect to and exchange data with 4th Generation fighters and other platforms when operating in highly contested regions," reads a USAF document.

The USAF hopes to eventually procure a system that would "improve battlespace awareness through sensor target data sharing in order to attain a real-time Common Tactical Picture/Common Operational Picture (CTP/COP)," the RFI reads. The data-link would also increase the survivability of friendly aircraft by improving mutual support and reducing fratricide incidents. It would also "increase targeting efficiency through the exchange of engagement status information to diminish redundant weapons expenditure," the document reads. It should also make the combination of fourth and fifth-generation fighters more "lethal" in combat.

The USAF wants the system to be installed on an existing Link 16 platform that can be used from close enough distances to highly contested airspace to connect with Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors via the Intra-Flight Data Link (IFDL) and eventually Lockheed F-35s via the Multifunctional Advanced Data Link (MADL). Because the new "communications gateway" will be operating with fifth-generation fighters, it will need to be equipped with multi-level security features, the RFI reads.

The RFI comes as the USAF Scientific Advisory Board is investigating how to maintain secure communications while operating against an anti-access/area denial threat environment.

 

[King Wally]

4corners will be interesting this week by the look at the quotes from the promo. Judging by the quality, It sounds like clown club may get to have their say again too
*LINK REMOVED*

I must admit when I watch stories like this just a little part of me wants my local RAAF to go down the mixed fleet path of putting a few more eggs in the Super Hornet Basket before throwing everything into the F-35 direction. Not saying I hope they withdraw from the program but to shift 24 units of F-35's across to 24 additional Super Hornets for insurance (against a multitude of risks, delays, mass groundings etc) starts to garner weight in my opinion. Maybe I'm just a sucker for media propaganda...

 

[ADMk2]

I must admit when I watch stories like this just a little part of me wants my local RAAF to go down the mixed fleet path of putting a few more eggs in the Super Hornet Basket before throwing everything into the F-35 direction. Not saying I hope they withdraw from the program but to shift 24 units of F-35's across to 24 additional Super Hornets for insurance (against a multitude of risks, delays, mass groundings etc) starts to garner weight in my opinion. Maybe I'm just a sucker for media propaganda...

And where would you put those 24 Super Hornets? In place of existing Hornet Squadrons? A RAAF fighter Squadron typically has 18 aircraft on strength. I suppose you could give the 6 remaining aircraft to 6 Squadron and maybe bring it up to OCU strength, but that would give us a rather unbalanced force given we'd still have to maintain an Operational Conversion Unit for the Hornet pilots.

Somewhere along the line, one of the Hornet squadrons is also going to have to stand-down and allocate staff and resources to converting to F-35 as well. Does introducing another 24 new aircraft into RAAF only a few years before we are planning on converting our whole fighter force to F-35, introduce any additional hardships to RAAF?

Funnily enough, media reporting rarely addresses any such real issue...

 

[King Wally]

And where would you put those 24 Super Hornets? In place of existing Hornet Squadrons? A RAAF fighter Squadron typically has 18 aircraft on strength. I suppose you could give the 6 remaining aircraft to 6 Squadron and maybe bring it up to OCU strength, but that would give us a rather unbalanced force given we'd still have to maintain an Operational Conversion Unit for the Hornet pilots.

Somewhere along the line, one of the Hornet squadrons is also going to have to stand-down and allocate staff and resources to converting to F-35 as well. Does introducing another 24 new aircraft into RAAF only a few years before we are planning on converting our whole fighter force to F-35, introduce any additional hardships to RAAF?

Funnily enough, media reporting rarely addresses any such real issue...

It would take time to actually get our hands on an extra 24 SuperHornet units. Even if ordered today we would end up at the end of a queue that may take a few years. You may be pushing around 2017, 2018 etc before they arived and I would be expecting you may want to retire 24 of the more fatigued legacy F-18's at that stage (use them for spares etc).

No matter what way we look at it the RAAF will have SuperHornets in their fleet (some will get converted to Growlers obviously mind you) so a mixed Fleet will occur, I guess I'm just pondering the question of whether you would want a mixed fleet with a small percentage of SuperHornets and majority F-35's (as seams to be the current plan) or a combination more evenly split between the Super's and the F-35's.

 

[jack412]

Don't we have an OPS requirement for ~75 F-35's at a minimum?
With the conversion of 12 SH to Growlers leaving just 12 SH, building that back to 24 to a retire in 2035 (same as USN) I think could be argued, but as a second best option.

 

[the road runner]

No matter what way we look at it the RAAF will have SuperHornets in their fleet (some will get converted to Growlers obviously mind you) so a mixed Fleet will occur, I guess I'm just pondering the question of whether you would want a mixed fleet with a small percentage of SuperHornets and majority F-35's (as seams to be the current plan) or a combination more evenly split between the Super's and the F-35's.

If we have a mixed fleet we will have to have a training squadron for both F-18 and JSF.If this happens we have one less "operational"squadron of fighters.

If we go all JSF we pick up an extra Squadron of fighters as we will not require a F-18 Training Squadron.We also save money in not having to have 2 doctrines in training ,flight sims,ground crew ect.

That 4 Corners program is on tonight on ABC at 8.30 if anyone is interested in watching good laugh on the JSF!

Edit. F-18 Super hornets will hopefully be sold back to the US navy in the mid 2020's and another squadron of JSF purchased , to the follow on of the 75 JSF(up to 100 JSF)

 

[King Wally]

Yes Jack I have heard the same as you. So I imagine the RAAF will indeed be left with 12 Super Hornets and 12 Growlers at around the time we plan to pick up the F-35's. The aquision process though may be slow, say we get our hands on a dozen F-35's in 2020 around when all our Legacy Hornets hit the end of their natural life span and then I imagine its a slow process over many years to hit the full 75 we would need. During these early years too I can't help but expect to see delays and F-35 fleet groundings and dramas as the model gets fine tuned and worn in. I expect the RAAF to experiance definate reduction in capability before it manages to swing back to the equilibrium if Im honest. Not trying to be dramatic or discount the huge advantages the F-35 program will bring just trying to be realistic.

This leads me to your comments road runner. I really cant see the RAAF being in a position to be able to sell of the 12 remaining Supers for quite some time. You certainly wouldn't sell them off until you at least had your hands on a decent number of F-35's that were worn in and ready to roll. And we may be talking 2025 by then, at which stage would the US really want to buy them back? (That's 15 years of flight hours, Im unsure if its even worth trying to sell or just ride out the 30 year life cycle by that stage).

I seam to envisage we are stuck with the mixed fleet for a while. The Growlers are staying no matter what thats for sure, as for the other 12 Supers, I still think its a reasonable question to ask if we should plump them up numbers wise or just cut our losses on the Super Hornet direction and throw our 100% dedication behind the F-35 plan.

While I'm quoting a strictly Australian example (purely because that's what Im familer with), I'm sure other nations are looking at their aging 4th gen fleets and pondering F-35 delivery delays and what it means to them as well. Are there any other decent examples of what other program nations are doing to handle this?

 

[the road runner]

This leads me to your comments road runner. I really cant see the RAAF being in a position to be able to sell of the 12 remaining Supers for quite some time. You certainly wouldn't sell them off until you at least had your hands on a decent number of F-35's that were worn in and ready to roll. And we may be talking 2025 by then, at which stage would the US really want to buy them back?

I seam to envisage we are stuck with the mixed fleet for a while. The Growlers are staying no matter what thats for sure, as for the other 12 Supers, I still think its a reasonable question to ask if we should plump them up numbers wise or just cut our losses on the Super Hornet direction and throw our 100% dedication behind the F-35 plan.

The F-18 could be parted out to the US navy for spares.The Airframes i assume would not have the structural fatigue of the US navy planes that land and take off from a carrier.Catapulting/Trapping a Hornet would damage airframes faster than the flying the RAAF dose i assume.

I recall GF stating , the benefits that will occur to other platforms by way of JSF tech. Its a point that always gets lost in this debate.Add to that i always here people harping on about why Australia dose not build its own defence equipment.
With JSF Australia company's such as Qickstep will be producing parts for the worldwide JSF fleet.

F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Manufacturing - Quickstep Technologies

Go team Australia !

 

[Air Force Brat]

The F-18 could be parted out to the US navy for spares.The Airframes i assume would not have the structural fatigue of the US navy planes that land and take off from a carrier.Catapulting/Trapping a Hornet would damage airframes faster than the flying the RAAF dose i assume.

I recall GF stating , the benefits that will occur to other platforms by way of JSF tech. Its a point that always gets lost in this debate.Add to that i always here people harping on about why Australia dose not build its own defence equipment.
With JSF Australia company's such as Qickstep will be producing parts for the worldwide JSF fleet.

F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Manufacturing - Quickstep Technologies

Go team Australia !

Well as the old SNL character Mr. Bill would say, "ooooohh Noooooo!", flight global posted that All F-35s are grounded by the discovery of a crack in the third stage LPT, 2/19/13. While undergoing a borescope a crack was discovered, which has been confirmed by eddy current inspection? Back to P/W in Connetticut, and I was having such a good day? Brat

 

[kiwi in exile]

More info about new Cuda missile

More details about Lockheed's Cuda missile - The DEW Line

Details emerge about Lockheed

The article states that the missile is low cost, has a multimode seeker and 360 deg coverage and expands BVR engagement zones. Would be interesting to see whats inside.
The product card shown in the blog post also illustrates an close air support application. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Maybe the future sees f35 carry one weapon for both air-to-air and (some at least) air-to-ground missions.
Are the perforations near the missiles nose part of an enhanced lethality design, or something else? Any guesses?

 

[colay]

It's following in the AIM-9X' footsteps, having successfully targeted moving ground vehicles. The benefit is you can prosecute targets of opportunity that present themselves, whether in the air or on the surface, with a single missile. I would expect it's primary application to be in the A2A arena though.
The pattern of dots is speculated to be tiny rocket thrusters that push the nose around in the desired direction.

 

[King Wally]

If it means the F-35 can arm up with a greater numbers of missiles with oportunistic flexibity of being able to deploy as air to air or air to ground all within the LO cargo bays avoiding the need to use wing pilons and mess with the LO of the aircraft then that's got to be a huge bonus for the platform.

Thanks for the links, enjoyed the read.

 

[Haavarla]

More details about Lockheed's Cuda missile - The DEW Line

Details emerge about Lockheed

The article states that the missile is low cost, has a multimode seeker and 360 deg coverage and expands BVR engagement zones. Would be interesting to see whats inside.
The product card shown in the blog post also illustrates an close air support application. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Maybe the future sees f35 carry one weapon for both air-to-air and (some at least) air-to-ground missions.
Are the perforations near the missiles nose part of an enhanced lethality design, or something else? Any guesses?

Well, the LM Cudas Ads look promesing enough.
But seriously, LM and Low cost!?
Lets throw in some realistic figures and tripple these developing cost figures shall we..