Fórum Defesa Brasil

a fabrica continua a produzir F16,novos penso que a ultima versao com radar AESA e suficiente para Portugal

What’s Left on the Air Force Checklist To Make F-35s Operational?

The Air Force plans to declare initial operating capability for its new F-35A jets by the end of 2016. Here's what they have left to do.

Lara Seligman, Defense News


This article, originally published at 10:46 a.m. EDT March 21, 2016, has been updated to include a statement from Pratt & Whitney.

WASHINGTON — The clock is ticking down to the Air Force’s deadline to declare its F-35A jets operational before the end of 2016.

Although the joint program office (JPO) and contractor Lockheed Martin still have several major hurdles to overcome, both industry and government officials are confident the team will beat the Dec. 30 cutoff date.

The Air Force can declare initial operational capability (IOC) for the F-35A when the first operational squadron is equipped with 12 to 24 aircraft, and airmen are trained, manned and equipped to conduct three basic missions: close-air support, interdiction, and suppression and destruction of enemy air defense. The Air Force has a five-month window of time between the objective date, Aug. 1, and the threshold, Dec. 30, to meet those requirements for IOC.

The team is making progress toward those requirements, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Lockheed and the JPO are lagging behind schedule to finish work on the latest version of the jet's logistics system, and the Lockheed-JPO team still needs to complete a critical software fix. On top of that, the team has to finish retrofitting the fleet with the latest structural modifications. Meanwhile, the reprogramming laboratories that build the plane's vast databanks are overloaded.

But as airmen begin to actually use the fifth-generation fighter jet, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, director of the F-35 integration office, sees momentum picking up. Lockheed has delivered 87 airplanes for the Air Force, and pilots at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, have flown almost 25,000 hours on the jets, Harrigian said during a March 9 interview. Operational F-35s at both Hill and Luke have successfully employed weapons; meanwhile, the Air Force deployed six jets to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, in February.

They are really starting to pick up momentum on how they are preparing themselves from kind of the people perspective for IOC, because at the end of the day, you can get the airplanes, but it’s ultimately our airmen that are going to operate them,” Harrigian said.

Pilots are beginning to understand the plane’s power and maneuverability as well, he said. A Norwegian pilot at Luke recently wrote about his experience flying the plane in a March 1 blog post for Norway’s Ministry of Defence. Maj. Morten “Dolby” Hanche wrote that the F-35 is capable of a significantly higher angle of attack than the F-16, providing a pilot greater authority to point the nose of the airplane wherever he wants.

Hanche criticized the plane’s tendency to shake, or “buffet,” at high G-loadings and high angles of attack. However, Harrigian said this buffeting is actually a good thing — pilots use these cues to help them understand where they are in the flight regime. When the F-16 initially flew, the lack of buffeting was actually seen as a negative attribute, according to Tom Lawhead, the Air Force chief of staff of the F-35 integration office.

Bleeding energy during flight can be a problem for any airplane, and the F-35 is no exception, Harrigian said. But as more pilots get into the cockpit, they will figure out the best ways to operate the plane.

“No airplane ever has enough power. I mean, I flew F-22s and we wanted more power in the airplane. So this comes down to, how do you manage your power?” Harrigian said. “Our pilots are going to figure out how to do that.”

ALIS Delays

Despite progress in the field, the Lockheed-JPO team are lagging behind in critical areas. The team hoped to declare IOC as early as Aug. 1, but have backed away from that target in recent weeks. Work on the latest version of the F-35’s logistics system, the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) version 2.0.2, could delay IOC by 45 to 60 days, JPO chief Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan said recently.



F-35 Logistics System May Not Be Ready for Air Force IOC Target


Lockheed’s Orlando Carvalho, executive vice president for aeronautics, also acknowledged in a March 15 interview that IOC could push past Aug. 1. The delay is related to integrating the Pratt & Whitney F135 propulsion system with the latest version of ALIS, he said. Pratt currently does engine maintenance on its own computing system, separate from ALIS, according to Lockheed F-35 program manager Jeff Babione.

“It’s extremely important that we provide that capability to our war fighter and we want to make sure we get that right, so we are spending a little extra time, Lockheed Martin and its counterparts, working through the infrastructure to make sure we have a solid foundation that we can add that Pratt & Whitney capability on top,” Babione said March 15. “While it’s important we get this done within that window of time, that August to December for Air Force IOC, our primary focus is making sure that it works correctly.”

Pratt is working with Lockheed to provide three key propulsion-related capabilities in ALIS 2.0.2, according to spokesman Matthew Bates. While Pratt has delivered all the data on time for these capabilities, propulsion integration testing is subject to availability of the ALIS test environment, he noted.

"We are working with the F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin to accelerate the test schedules and to ensure an ALIS 2.0.2 release with propulsion will not impact airworthiness, aircraft and engine availability, or spare parts management," Bates said.

In an attempt to expedite the process, JPO and Lockheed set up mobile training teams to train airmen in the field to operate ALIS, Harrigian said. The program office will also set up a test of the system out at Edwards Air Force Base, California, to work out any kinks before the latest version of ALIS goes into the field, he said.

Software Stability Issues

Behind ALIS, the greatest risk to Air Force IOC is software development, as Bogdan has repeatedly said. The Lockheed-JPO team is racing to fix stability issues with the next increment of software, Block 3i, which the Air Force requires for IOC. In essence, a timing misalignment of the software of the plane’s sensors and the software of its main computers are causing a “choking” effect, where the jet’s systems shut down and have to be rebooted.

However, the team has identified the root cause and plans to flight test an updated software load at Edwards sometime in the next few weeks, officials said.

“We have put in a number of corrections for the problems that we observed on previous flight testing, so we’re anxious to see how that performs, if we do in fact achieve the stability that’s required for IOC, or if there’s still some more work to do,” Carvalho said.

Bogdan has said the JPO needs to have the software fixed by May 1 in order to meet the IOC target of Aug. 1. That leaves only about a month of wiggle room should the team find additional issues with the software after this next round of flight tests.

However, both Bogdan and Harrigian expressed confidence that this new software load will fix the stability issues. Lockheed CEO Marillyn Hewson is offering the F-35 program additional resources from elsewhere in the company to help fix the software issue in a timely manner, Babione said.



“I think we’re going to learn a lot in the next month or two on how close we are with this product, and if we need to change it we will change it again.”

Jeff Babione, Lockheed F-35 program manager

Whether the team makes the May 1 cutoff depends on if they find additional problems with the new software load, and what exactly is wrong, Babione said. Lockheed could fix simple “symbology” problems in a few days or a week, but if it takes some time to figure out the root cause, the program could see delays of a month or two.

“I think we’re going to learn a lot in the next month or two on how close we are with this product, and if we need to change it we will change it again,” Babione said. “If we can do that Aug. 1, outstanding, if it takes a little bit longer, we will get it done. I have complete confidence.”

Reprogramming Lab Overload

Another area of risk for Air Force IOC is capacity overload at the so-called reprogramming laboratories that will build the plane’s mission data files (MDF), vast databanks of information needed for combat that can be loaded into the plane. Just one reprogramming lab is currently up and operating, and it is overwhelmed with orders from international partners as well as the US services, Bogdan said.

The MDF is a critical capability that enables the F-35 to be a “smart” plane. The MDF compiles all the information about different assets in an area — from the friendly to the threatening — in a “brick” that operators can load into the airplane as a kind of reference volume.

The US Reprogramming Lab is on track to complete MDFs 1 and 4, required by Air Combat Command for IOC, by Aug. 1, Harrigian said. The various MDFs cover different areas of the world, although exactly what regions each MDF covers is classified.

Jets at Hill are already flying with an interim MDF load in order to test out the system and provide feedback back to USRL, Harrigian said.

“They are learning, they are getting better, but there’s still a demand signal there we will have to work through,” Harrigian said. “We’re looking to increase the numbers of labs that are out there to help the partners, to help the other services so that we balance out this load. ... It’s really about making sure we have good tools for these guys so they can manipulate the data and get the files right.”

Finishing Retrofit Modifications

There are a handful of modifications that still need to be retrofitted into the fleet, Babione said. But notably, the Lockheed-JPO team is well on its way to fully implementing a crucial improvement to the jet’s fuel system that is required for IOC. The fuel system needed added valving and different tubing to ensure that the jet stays within its structural limits during high-G, aggressive maneuvering, Babione said.

The team finished retrofitting the first jet with the fuel system modification a few weeks ago — nine days early, Harrigian said. Two more jets are getting the modification and are expected to come out of the shop March 19. The plan is to have 12 fully retrofitted jets ready for the squadron by Aug. 1, he said.

“We don’t see any problem with modifying the airplanes to support IOC,” Babione said.

The Air Force’s requirement for its F-35A variants is 9 Gs, the most stressful out of all the services. The F-35B’s requirement is 7 Gs, while the F-35C is required to pull 7.5 Gs.

The Big Picture

Although the JPO is focused on meeting the Air Force’s IOC deadline, the team is also keeping an eye on the program’s trajectory into the next decade, Harrigian said. Beyond 3i, the JPO will continue to work on 3f, the software block required for full war fighting capability, which the Navy needs for IOC of its F-35Cs in 2018. Even farther out, block 4f will add crucial follow-on capabilities to keep the jet relevant into the future.

But in the meantime, F-35 pilots continue learning new capabilities of the jet each time they climb into the cockpit.

“We are more and more operationalizing the airplane, and getting the airplane into the hands of more and more airmen that are gaining a greater appreciation for how lethal the airplane is, how survivable it is and some of the different missions that we can execute with the airplane,” Harrigian said. “I think it’s healthy to have this discussion.”

ernando escreveu:A maioria das forças aéreas do Ocidente desenvolvido está cometendo um erro gravíssimo em adquirir uma aeronave tão problemática como o F-35. Deveriam consultar os especialista deste fórum antes de tomar uma decisão de tamanha importância para a defesa de seus países.
EUA, Austrália, Dinamarca, Itália, Reino Unido, Israel etc. Todos inocentes.

Que pessoal teimoso!!

Netherlands welcomes two F-35s

Marina Malenic - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
25 May 2016


AN-1 and AN-2 arrive at Leeuwarden Air Base. Source: Lockheed Martin

Key Points
The Netherlands' first two F-35s landed at Leeuwarden Air Base on 23 May
The aircraft were flown by Royal Netherlands Air Force pilots from Edwards Air Force Base, California
The Netherlands' first two Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters landed at Leeuwarden Air Base on 23 May after a trans-Atlantic crossing from Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Royal Netherlands Air Force pilots Colonel Bert "Vidal" de Smit and Major Pascal "Smiley" Smaal touched down at 2100 h local time and were greeted by Netherlands minister of defence Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, according to a Lockheed Martin press statement.

The aircraft, known as AN-1 and AN-2, are expected to spend three weeks in the Netherlands for environmental noise tests, flights over the North Sea range, and an appearance at the Netherlands Open Days, the largest annual airshow in the country. The Netherlands currently has four trained F-35 pilots and 27 maintainers, but those numbers are expected to grow as the country purchases 37 aircraft to be stationed at Leeuwarden from 2019 and then at Volkel Air Base from 2021.

The Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana: AMI) in February successfully conducted the first trans-Atlantic flight of an F-35, with the arrival of its aircraft AL-1 into the United States on 5 February. The AL-1, the first conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35A to be assembled at Italy's final assembly and checkout (FACO) facility at Cameri Air Base near Milan, arrived at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River in Maryland via the Azores. The aircraft was accompanied by two AMI Boeing KC-767 tankers, two Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transport aircraft for logistical and search-and-rescue support, and a pair of AMI Eurofighter Typhoons, which were flying on to a separate Red Flag exercise.

http://www.janes.com/article/60601/neth ... -two-f-35s

Israel quer mais F-35, mesmo pagando com recursos do próprio bolso!


Israel holds firm on increasing F-35 purchase

15 APRIL, 2016 BY: ARIE EGOZI TEL AVIV
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... se-424268/

Israel's desire to acquire additional examples of the Lockheed Martin F-35 is likely to be advanced even if Washington does not agree to increase the level of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) made available to the nation.

The Israeli government has asked its US counterpart for a 10-year FMF package that will include an annual grant of $4.1 billion. Negotiations are continuing in an effort to reach agreement while US President Barack Obama is still in office. However, speaking on 13 April, Israeli sources said the purchase of additional F-35s is "already in the pipeline", regardless of whether the requested funding increase is approved.

Israel has signed contracts for the purchase of 33 conventional take-off and landing F-35As. Assembly work on the lead example began this year at Lockheed's Fort Worth site in Texas, and deliveries are expected to begin early next year.

The Israeli air force has expressed an operational requirement for additional examples of the Lightning II, with the further units to enable it to equip two squadrons.

Para um projeto que já "nasce defasado" até que tem alguns países que levam defesa a sério investindo.

Artigo da Revista Combat Aircraft
F-35A INITIAL OPERATING CAPABILITY
Jan/2016

Download PDF: http://www.f-16.net/forum/download/file.php?id=22249

Scribd:

ernando escreveu:A maioria das forças aéreas do Ocidente desenvolvido está cometendo um erro gravíssimo em adquirir uma aeronave tão problemática como o F-35. Deveriam consultar os especialista deste fórum antes de tomar uma decisão de tamanha importância para a defesa de seus países.
EUA, Austrália, Dinamarca, Itália, Reino Unido, Israel etc. Todos inocentes.

Concordo. Os entendidos não de NG

joao fernando escreveu:

ernando escreveu:A maioria das forças aéreas do Ocidente desenvolvido está cometendo um erro gravíssimo em adquirir uma aeronave tão problemática como o F-35. Deveriam consultar os especialista deste fórum antes de tomar uma decisão de tamanha importância para a defesa de seus países.
EUA, Austrália, Dinamarca, Itália, Reino Unido, Israel etc. Todos inocentes.

Concordo. Os entendidos não de NG

EUA
Israel
Reino Unido
Japão

Essa lista é autoexplicativa...

Denmark Confirms F-35 after Evaluating Fighter Alternatives
by Chris Pocock
- May 12, 2016, 11:14 AM
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ ... ternatives

The Stealth Fighter was judged more cost-effective than the Eurofighter and the Super Hornet in a 21-month evaluation
The Danish government has confirmed the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II for its new fighter program after evaluating the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon. It is seeking parliamentary approval to buy 27 of the stealth jets involving a total investment of DKr 20 billion (about $3.1 billion). Deliveries will be from 2021-26. Although the country originally intended to procure 48 F-35s, the current government says that 27 will suffice to replace the current tasking of its F-16s.

Denmark is one of eight international partners in the F-35 program, but like Canada, has not yet placed any orders. In July 2014 it received alternative offers from Boeing and Eurofighter. Dassault and Saab decided not to bid the Rafale and Gripen, respectively, judging that Denmark would eventually confirm its original choice. But in documents released today, the Danish Ministry of Defence has indicated the breadth and depth of its evaluation, which included validation of its methodology by three independent consultants.

The F-35 was the winner of four separate evaluations covering strategic, military, economic and industrial considerations. The Super Hornet—for which Boeing lobbied intensively in Denmark—was placed second in the latter three categories. In the military evaluation, the F-35 was the clear winner on survivability, mission effectiveness and future development possibilities. This was because of its low radar signature “as well as the application of advanced systems and sensors,” according to the evaluators.

They estimated a life-cycle cost (LCC) of nearly $6.5 billion to operate 28 F-35s over a 30-year period. The Ministry of Defence developed an LCC calculation model in conjunction with consultants Deloitte. The model included “costs linked to procurement” as well as ongoing operations and sustainment and “quantifiable risks.” The LCC estimates for the Super Hornet and the Eurofighter were $9.3 billion and $10.9 billion, respectively. These were considerably higher than the F-35 because—according to the evaluators—more airframes would have to be procured since both types have a 6,000-hour life, versus 8,000 hours for the F-35. The number of Eurofighters required was calculated to be 34, and the number of Super Hornets was 38.

The estimate for the Super Hornet was further inflated because “it is a two-seat aircraft, which implies a greater need for flight instruction hours and training of crews.” It is not clear whether or why Boeing chose to bid only two-seat Super Hornets. The Eurofighter had higher maintenance costs per flight hour than the other two contenders, according to the evaluators.

As for industrial cooperation, the 26 initiatives proposed by Lockheed Martin were valued at just over $4 billion, versus about $2.9 billion for the 30 initiatives proposed by Eurofighter, and $2.3 billion for the 68 initiatives proposed by Boeing. However, the Boeing offer was judged “more feasible and mature” than that from Eurofighter. Moreover, the evaluation noted that the F-35 offer was not firm, and its potential was “conditioned on the ability of the Danish defense industry to win contracts in accordance with the ‘best value’ principle.”

Holanda.

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CB_Lima

F-35... Chegando na Inglaterra...







Mais fotos...

https://twitter.com/BritDefenceNews



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CB_Lima

Israel...



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CB_Lima

World | Thu Jun 30, 2016 2:09am EDT
Japan plans July fighter jet tender seen worth $40 billion as China tensions simmer

Japan will launch a tender for fighter jets as soon as mid-July, the Ministry of Defence said, in a deal seen worth up to $40 billion as Tokyo seeks to bolster its air defenses amid creeping tension with China over disputed maritime borders.

In one of the biggest fighter jet contracts up for grabs in years, a ministry spokesman said Japan will contact foreign and domestic defense contractors soon after a July 5 deadline for expressions of interest in the tender for about 100 warplanes.

People familiar with the matter said U.S. firms Boeing Co (BA.N) and Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) have been invited to take part in the project, dubbed the F-3 fighter jet program, alongside Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) (7011.T), the prime domestic contractor.

A final decision is likely in summer 2018, the people said, with deployment due at the end of the 2020s at the earliest. They declined to be identified because the matter was confidential.

With a value seen by these people at up to $40 billion, the F-3 program will dwarf most recent fighter jet deals in value, likely attracting global contractor interest. But analysts say Japan's preference for an aircraft that can operate closely with the U.S. military, given close Washington-Tokyo ties, makes a non-U.S. option a long-shot.


The project launch comes as Japan seeks a plane to maintain air superiority over China, now asserting itself in regional maritime disputes. China's warplanes still lag aircraft used by the U.S. and its allies, but Beijing has been building its capability, military experts say, fuelling Japan's more muscular security agenda under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Touted as a replacement for existing Mitsubishi F-2 multi-role fighter jets, the new home-grown aircraft will operate alongside Lockheed F-35 fighters that Japan has on order, as well as Boeing F-15Js jets that it is upgrading. A spokeswoman for MHI said the company doesn't comment on individual projects.

IMPORTS VS. HOME PRODUCTION

Japan is open to importing existing fighter jets directly from Western suppliers, producing them under license at home, like the F-15Js, according to the people familiar with the matter.

"We are certainly interested in another potential opportunity to bolster our longstanding partnership with Japan," Lockheed Martin told Reuters via email. "We look forward to learning more about Japan's F-3 plans as discussions progress."

In an emailed response to a request for comment, Boeing said: "We are constantly looking for ways to ... increase our presence in Japan, and are open to discussions with the customer to see how we can help meet their security needs."

Japan has a long-standing interest in acquiring a twin-engined stealth aircraft with long-range capability and internally-stowed missiles, according to the people with knowledge of the F-3 program.

The only aircraft now in service that meets those requirements is Lockheed's F-22 - but that jet is no longer in production and the U.S. has not made it available for export despite Tokyo's interest.

That makes Japan more likely to design and make the F-3 fighter at home, according to the people with knowledge of the matter, ramping up the project's cost. High development costs could be a barrier for Japan as it weighs its national budget, though its move to lift a decades-long ban on arms sales last year could potentially pave the way for future export sales to ease the cost burden.

Beyond Boeing and Lockheed, other potential partners include the Eurofighter consortium - a European joint venture between Airbus Group (AIR.PA), BAE Systems PLC (BAES.L) and Leonardo Finmeccanica SpA (LDOF.MI) that produces the Typhoon fighter jet - and Sweden's Saab AB (SAABb.ST), which recently unveiled the latest variant of its Gripen warplane.

On behalf of the Eurofighter consortium, an Airbus Defence and Space spokesman said, We are in regular contact with Japan and Japanese industry to discuss our capabilities and potential collaboration opportunities.

A Saab spokesman said the company was unable to comment on the tender.

(Reporting by Siva Govindasamy; Additional reporting by Nobuhiro Kubo in TOKYO; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan ... SKCN0ZF2Z8

Vão comprar mais 100 F-35, para substituir os F-15 mais antigos, o F-22 não esta disponível, modelos europeus fora de questão, o F-3 é um projeto para substituir os F-2 por volta de 2028, não da tempo de desenvolver até 2020, outro fator que pesa seria que já foi pago a parte US$1 bilhão para montar uma Faco do F-35 no Japão.


A Faco vai ser instalada nas instalações onde era feita a manutenção dos F-4 e deve iniciar a produção local em 2017.

Eu achei uma facada 1 Bi para reformar o hangar e montar uma linha de montagem...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aEigbIQ3Lw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOwDso7Nr1c
Foi gasto cerca de US$200 milhões para construir um Hangar novo no mesmo local para o Mrj.