F-35 News

[GDA_Fear]

Apesar de estar operacional, o F-35 tem vida útil muito longa e seu desenvolvimento continua, é natural que tais problemas sejam sanados posteriormente.

[mmatuso]

Se tão atrasando para entregar para os EUA imagina para os aliados.

[P44]

Embarked on Flight Training, F-35A Aborts First Flight after 15 Minutes
admin March 7, 2012 07:55 0 comments

Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations prepares for takeoff on the F-35A first training mission. Photo: USAF

Initiating F-35A training flights before the fighter completed flight testing has been in hot debate for months; this issue encountered a symbolic misfortune yesterday, as the F-35A taken on a 90 minute check flight that marked the first training sortie of the new fighter was aborted 15 minutes after takeoff due what was described as a ‘fuel leak’ warning. According to a Lockheed Martin press release, early in the flight, F-16 chase pilots observed a small amount of fluid venting from the F-35 aircraft. The pilot, following standard operating procedures, returned the aircraft safely back to the base after an approximate 20 minute flight.

http://defense-update.com/20120307_f35a_training.html

[cabeça de martelo]

Deviam acabar de uma vez com o programa...

[GDA_Fear]

Isso não é a solução, acabar com um projeto porque ele enfrenta problemas ?? Oras esse é o risco de qualquer projeto por mais bem planejado que ele seja, caso contrário fica que nem o Brasil il il com defasagem tecnológica absurda, é o preço que se paga, por implementar novas soluções em específico para o setor de defesa.

[mmatuso]

Pelo montante investido já é um caminho sem volta.

Tem que terminar e fazer tudo funcionar conforme os requisitos ou talvez algo aproximado(o que acho que vá acontecer).

[LeandroGCard]

Isso não é a solução, acabar com um projeto porque ele enfrenta problemas ?? Oras esse é o risco de qualquer projeto por mais bem planejado que ele seja, caso contrário fica que nem o Brasil il il com defasagem tecnológica absurda, é o preço que se paga, por implementar novas soluções em específico para o setor de defesa.

Verdade, desenvolvimento de produtos é assim mesmo, cheio de dificuldades e armadilhas, se fosse fácil até o Brasil faria .

Leandro G. Card

[suntsé]

Isso não é a solução, acabar com um projeto porque ele enfrenta problemas ?? Oras esse é o risco de qualquer projeto por mais bem planejado que ele seja, caso contrário fica que nem o Brasil il il com defasagem tecnológica absurda, é o preço que se paga, por implementar novas soluções em específico para o setor de defesa.

Verdade, desenvolvimento de produtos é assim mesmo, cheio de dificuldades e armadilhas, se fosse fácil até o Brasil faria .

Leandro G. Card

Ainda mais ja investiram muitos bilhões no projeto, não dá para voltar atras.

[Carlos Lima]

Ainda bem que a Internet (da maneira que é hoje) não existia durante o desenvolvimento do F-4, F14, F-16 e muitos outros...

[]s
CB_Lima

[P44]

Eglin F-35A Makes First Flight Since Arriving, Leaks Fuel

Doh! A fuel leak!?

From sister site DoDBuzz:

The Air Force’s F-35s at Eglin AFB were cleared to fly just as the brass said they’d be at the winter AFA meeting, but when it actually happened there was a little hitch.

The debut flight was supposed to last 90 minutes, but the pilot turned back after only 15 when the aircraft showed what appeared to be a fuel leak. According to the Air Force’s statement, it was a successful failure:

Click through the jump to read the Air Force’s statement, the last line pretty much says all you need to know about the fate of the F-35 — in the U.S., anyway. “We can’t cancel the program now … We have to make it work.”

“Our first sortie is truly a milestone for the program,” said Col. Andrew Toth, 33rd Fighter Wing commander. “Unfortunately things happen. We didn’t want it to happen today but we were prepared. Our pilot did the exact right thing in returning the jet back to Eglin. Although there were issues we are doing whatever we can to move the program forward safely and effectively.”

Pilots and maintainers will meet later today to discuss the potential fuel leak finding that caused the precautionary end of the sortie at 15 minutes versus the 90 minutes scheduled to be airborne to complete the operational check flight.

“We met both objectives today; get the aircraft airborne and start local area operations,” said Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the Air Force’s first F-35 pilot who tested the aircraft at Edwards AFB, Calif. “Our team did the most conservative thing by deciding to bring the plane back. We trained for this many times in the simulator for this exact reason.”

The crowd on the flight line present for take-off kept the cheers for their integrated team’s first aircraft launch and feel the day was still a success.

“It’s a wonderful experience to know I made history launching the first F-35,” said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Houser, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, who saluted Smith in the cockpit before the jet taxied down the ramp.

Maintainers have been preparing for today’s launch with engine runs and taxi operations for approximately eight months since the aircraft began arriving here last summer. Utilizing virtual trainers, developing pilot curriculum and hosting small group tryouts has been the focus of personnel to ready themselves for flight operations to come.

“This is our execution year,” said Toth, who is proud of his team for laying the foundation to get the nation’s training program ready to go. “The cohesion we developed between the services make this not just about the Air Force, but about the wing’s program to launch the F-35A as a baseline for the JSF program’s future. It’s taken the entire team, all services and contractors to build this up. Had the partnership not been there, I don’t think we’d be here today.”

Since 2009, Air Force, Navy and Marines sent their best aviators and aircraft mechanics to develop the next generation warriors of the joint strike fighter program here.

“I can’t wait until we fly more and show our stuff to the world,” said Senior Airman Arthur Verchot, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief launch assistant.

More pilot students will flow into the program at the right time so the wing has the correct number of people in each phase of the program. With people as the main training product, the 33rd FW focuses on preparing for an anticipated 2,200 students a year and 900 “on campus” at any given time at full capacity.

It was, at very least, forward progress, although the truncated flight perfectly encapsulated the story of the F-35 program so far. And it also brought a reminder that even with this milestone, the way ahead still isn’t very clear.

The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, Washington’s Rep. Adam Smith, told reporters last week “we do not yet have a firm idea of when the planes are going to be ready,” and how “concerned” he was about that. But he wound up with the same old refrain: There’s nothing for it. We’re too far along.

“We can’t cancel the program now,” he said. “We have to make it work.”


Read more: http://defensetech.org/2012/03/07/elgin ... z1oZPkK5N4
Defense.org


“We can’t cancel the program now,” he said. “We have to make it work.”

[P44]

Canadá poderá retirar-se do F-35


Minister Raises Prospect of Nixing Controversial F-35 Fighter Jet Purchase (excerpt)


(Source: The Canadian Press Online; posted March 13, 2012)



OTTAWA --- The point man on the F-35 stealth fighter purchase says the Conservative government has not ruled out abandoning the troubled project.

"We have not, as yet, discounted the possibility, of course, of backing out of any of the program," Julian Fantino, associate defence minister, told the House of Commons defence committee Tuesday.

Fantino made the comment after a series of pointed questions from the opposition parties.

A tiny shift in the hard-headed policy on the country's most costly military purchase, it is also a drastic departure from the political rhetoric of a few months ago when Fantino declared his unwavering support before an American business audience.

…/…

Outside the committee, Fantino denied that the government is climbing down from its support for the jet.

"I'm being realistic," he said. "Until such time as the purchase is signed and ready to go, I think the only appropriate answer for me is to be forthright. We are committed to the program.

…/…

New Democrat critics have been relentless in the Commons by tag-teaming questions every day.

"We knew this project was shaky and now today we see a complete about-face," said defence critic David Christopherson, who pointed out the Conservatives have launched scathing attacks on critics.

"It's all bluster. The reason they suggest someone is unpatriotic is because they don't have solid answers to give. They need to be accountable to Canadians for the action they take."

[Liberal] Defence critic John McKay described the testimony as "a welcome change in tone" that was evidently brought on by a meeting earlier this month in Washington where partner nations had a chance to quiz both the manufacturer and the Pentagon, which is co-ordinating international orders.

"My question is: How come it took so long? We've been saying this for years."

…/…

In months of questioning in the Commons, Fantino has insisted there is no need for a backup plan in case of further delays in the project as the manufacturer works out software and design glitches.

On Tuesday, he told the committee he was waiting for defence officials to prepare alternate scenarios to the F-35 deal, the so-called Plan B that opposition parties have demanded. He described the request as "what if" research. (end of excerpt)


Click here for the full story, on the Winnipeg Free Press website.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... ister.html

[Strider]

Canadá poderá retirar-se do F-35


Minister Raises Prospect of Nixing Controversial F-35 Fighter Jet Purchase (excerpt)


(Source: The Canadian Press Online; posted March 13, 2012)



OTTAWA --- The point man on the F-35 stealth fighter purchase says the Conservative government has not ruled out abandoning the troubled project.

"We have not, as yet, discounted the possibility, of course, of backing out of any of the program," Julian Fantino, associate defence minister, told the House of Commons defence committee Tuesday.

Fantino made the comment after a series of pointed questions from the opposition parties.

A tiny shift in the hard-headed policy on the country's most costly military purchase, it is also a drastic departure from the political rhetoric of a few months ago when Fantino declared his unwavering support before an American business audience.

…/…

Outside the committee, Fantino denied that the government is climbing down from its support for the jet.

"I'm being realistic," he said. "Until such time as the purchase is signed and ready to go, I think the only appropriate answer for me is to be forthright. We are committed to the program.

…/…

New Democrat critics have been relentless in the Commons by tag-teaming questions every day.

"We knew this project was shaky and now today we see a complete about-face," said defence critic David Christopherson, who pointed out the Conservatives have launched scathing attacks on critics.

"It's all bluster. The reason they suggest someone is unpatriotic is because they don't have solid answers to give. They need to be accountable to Canadians for the action they take."

[Liberal] Defence critic John McKay described the testimony as "a welcome change in tone" that was evidently brought on by a meeting earlier this month in Washington where partner nations had a chance to quiz both the manufacturer and the Pentagon, which is co-ordinating international orders.

"My question is: How come it took so long? We've been saying this for years."

…/…

In months of questioning in the Commons, Fantino has insisted there is no need for a backup plan in case of further delays in the project as the manufacturer works out software and design glitches.

On Tuesday, he told the committee he was waiting for defence officials to prepare alternate scenarios to the F-35 deal, the so-called Plan B that opposition parties have demanded. He described the request as "what if" research. (end of excerpt)


Click here for the full story, on the Winnipeg Free Press website.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... ister.html

Já começam a abandonar o barco

[P44]

Austrália admite redução das capacidades de performance do F-35... para evitar mais atrasos no programa


....



F-35 Performance May Be Cut to Avoid Further Delays

Five-Year Wait for New Fighter Jets (excerpt)




(Source: The Advertiser; published March 16, 2012)



ADELAIDE --- Australia faces an air combat capability gap later this decade with revelations the RAAF's new fighter won't be available until after 2017.

Deputy program executive officer for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, US Air Force Major General John Thompson, said the development program for the fighter had been extended by two years to at least 2017.

The RAAF was due to have its initial capability of 14 jets operating at Williamtown air base in 2017. That means the Government will have to buy more Boeing Super Hornet jets to replace the classic F/A-18 Hornet fighters that will be retired during the next five years.

"We are still ... five to six years away from the end of our development program and we are only 20 per cent through our flight test program," Maj-Gen Thompson said.

…/…

The latest estimate for the cost of the so-called "fifth generation" stealth jet is about $130 million.

The Government is only committed to 14 but the plan calls for up to 100 of the jets for the RAAF to replace its fleet of F/A-18 fighters and F-111 strike jets.

The Federal Opposition says it will cut the order to just 50 fighters if it wins the next election.

…/…

Maj-Gen Thompson said that if serious problems were uncovered during the development phase then the fighter's capability might need to be reduced, rather than expose customers to long delays.

He said the program partners were focused on reducing the life cycle costs of the jet and driving down production costs. through greater efficiencies at Lockheed Martin's JSF production line at Fort Worth in Texas. (end of excerpt)


Click here for the full story, on The Advertiser website.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... elays.html

[Grifon]

Ministers discuss U-turn on F-35 fighter planes

Ministers have debated a possible U-turn over the choice of fighter plane for the aircraft carrier currently under construction.

In 2010 the government decided it would not order the Short Take Off, Vertical Landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, also known as the F-35.

David Cameron argued another version of the plane was more suitable.

But the defence secretary, understood to back the original choice, is thought to have met the PM after costs rose.

The decision could have a major impact on BAE Systems, which is involved in the F-35's development.
'Cats and traps'

The prime minister's spokesman refused to comment on whether a meeting had taken place

But he said Mr Hammond would make a statement to Parliament soon.

He said: "The MoD look at their budget on an annual basis. They will be looking at their equipment plan. That means reviewing all their programmes to keep an eye on costs and to ensure that any risks are properly managed.

"The defence secretary makes a statement to Parliament each year setting out the outcome of that process. The plan is that he will do so before Easter."

The cost of two new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers - originally ordered under the last Labour government - has already risen from £3.5bn to around £7bn.

Labour had originally proposed to buy a vertical landing variant of the F-35, which would be launched from a "ski jump" fitted on the new carriers and then land vertically.

The system is similar to that used by the Harrier jump jet on HMS Ark Royal - both of which were scrapped following the strategic defence and security review.

However, as a result of the government's defence spending review, it said in October 2010 that it would change its F-35 order to one for a different "carrier" variant.

This would have a longer range and would be "inter-operable" with the US and French Navy, it was argued.

It would also require significant modifications to the design of the aircraft carriers, including ships being fitted with catapults and arrestor gear - or "cats and traps" - to launch and recover the planes.

However, the estimated costs of fitting these have since risen.

It is now believed that Mr Hammond favours reverting to ordering the Short Take Off, Vertical Landing variant of the fighter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17437272

[GDA_Fear]

Agora ta começando a fuder pra valer

Parece aquele cara que compra um Golf e vende 6 meses depois pq a manutenção é cara e pq consume muita gasolina = Canadá.