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The Reference Desk => Organizations, Vehicles, Equipment => Topic started by: mirth on September 27, 2018, 01:36:35 PM

Title: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on September 27, 2018, 01:36:35 PM
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/09/27/f-35-flies-first-combat-mission-in-afghanistan/ (https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/09/27/f-35-flies-first-combat-mission-in-afghanistan/)
Title: Re: F-35 flies first combat mission in Afghanistan
Post by: mirth on October 11, 2018, 09:04:50 AM
https://twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1050371461330993152
Title: Re: F-35 flies first combat mission in Afghanistan
Post by: mirth on October 11, 2018, 09:52:52 AM
https://twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1050383348525346816
Title: Re: F-35 flies first combat mission in Afghanistan
Post by: mirth on October 11, 2018, 09:54:12 AM
https://taskandpurpose.com/pentagon-f35-grounded/
Title: Re: F-35 flies first combat mission in Afghanistan
Post by: bob48 on October 11, 2018, 09:55:44 AM
You have to wonder how delicate all these hi-tech systems are and how they would stand up to serious operational conditions. All too complicated by far.

Bring back the Sopwith Camel, I say.
Title: Re: F-35 flies first combat mission in Afghanistan
Post by: mirth on October 15, 2018, 10:12:12 AM
https://twitter.com/Oriana0214/status/1051837370859966465
Title: Re: F-35 flies first combat mission in Afghanistan
Post by: Barthheart on October 15, 2018, 10:13:15 AM
Sooooo…. 20% are broken? Not a good rate.... :buck2:
Title: Re: F-35 flies first combat mission in Afghanistan
Post by: bayonetbrant on October 15, 2018, 10:30:52 AM
Sooooo…. 20% are broken? Not a good rate.... :buck2:


depends on what they're broken for


if we're stripping parts to keep others flying  :worried:
Title: Re: F-35 flies first combat mission in Afghanistan
Post by: bob48 on October 15, 2018, 04:52:30 PM
First footage of testing for the RN's replacement for the F35.

Title: Re: F-35 flies first combat mission in Afghanistan
Post by: mirth on October 15, 2018, 04:55:21 PM
^  :ROFL:
Title: Re: F-35 flies first combat mission in Afghanistan
Post by: Staggerwing on October 15, 2018, 09:01:29 PM
If the wind over the bow was strong enough the Swordfish could also almost take off vertically.
Title: Re: F-35 flies first combat mission in Afghanistan
Post by: bob48 on October 16, 2018, 07:01:47 AM
Yes, and in fact, I've read stories of them actually 'hovering' over a flight deck in such conditions. It makes you wonder if they ever had to slow the ship down so that they could land!  ;)
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on October 25, 2018, 01:38:04 PM
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/24465/belgium-decides-to-join-the-f-35-club-over-competing-offers-for-european-fighter-jets
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on November 15, 2018, 07:06:24 AM
https://twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1063039396574846976
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: MIGs on November 15, 2018, 01:31:09 PM
Makes you wonder if companies like Dassault will eventually hit the wall as far as being able to produce a world-class fighter. Even the big boys like Lockheed, Boeing, etc.... need to team up to deal with the scale of these projects. 
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: bayonetbrant on November 15, 2018, 01:57:36 PM
they're doubling the fleet with a 17-plane order? 

it's like they're working for the Biafran Air Force or something
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on November 19, 2018, 02:50:34 PM
https://twitter.com/388fw/status/1064601811833606144
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: bob48 on November 19, 2018, 03:06:33 PM
Is that wise?
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on January 11, 2019, 07:00:52 AM
https://twitter.com/RoyalNavy/status/1083694179442716673
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: ojsdad on March 01, 2019, 04:26:10 PM
Glad to see the F-35 get some good press.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/time-when-f-35-stealth-fighter-took-place-10-warthog-45902

Quote
That Time When an F-35 Stealth Fighter Took the Place of an A-10 Warthog
And for a good reason.
by David Axe
Follow @daxe on Twitter

A U.S. Air Force A-10 Warthog squadron from Missouri deployed to Hawaii to train alongside the U.S. Marine Corps for one of the most dangerous missions in aerial warfare -- and one that's about to get a lot more dangerous.
Slipping past enemy defenses to rescue a downed pilot.

The A-10 soon might have company on such missions as other plane types, potentially including stealth fighters, join in. But a rescue pilot's experience level always will matter the most, regardless of the kind of plane they fly.

The 303rd Fighter Squadron, an Air Force Reserve Command unit whose home station is Whiteman Air Force Base, in February 2019 deployed to Marine Corps Base Hawaii. The squadron's A-10s took part in a range of realistic training events that took advantage of the nearly-four-decade-old Warthog's low speed, maneuverability and toughness.

The twin-engine, single-seat attack planes practiced refueling from austere airstrips. They escorted Marine Corps rotorcraft during simulated troop-transport missions. Perhaps most notably, they flew alongside Marine MV-22 tiltrotors and practiced a mission the U.S. military calls "tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel," or TRAP.

Official Pentagon photos of the training depict at least three A-10s carrying camera pods and external fuel tanks escorting at least two MV-22s over the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii's lush, green terrain.

"TRAP is a Marine Corps mission performed by any combination of aviation, ground or waterborne assets for the specific purpose of the recovery of personnel, equipment and/or aircraft when the tactical situation precludes search and rescue assets from responding and when survivors and their location have been confirmed, Joint Publication 3-50 , the Pentagon's official personnel-recovery guide explains.

In one famous example in 1995, Marine CH-53 helicopters transported a platoon of Marine riflemen into Bosnia to rescue U.S. Air Force pilot Scott O'Grady, whose F-16 had been shot down by a Serb SA-6 missile. Marine AV-8B attack planes escorted the CH-53s.

TRAP is dangerous, as it requires forces quickly to infiltrate enemy air space. The peril escalates as rescue forces approach the downed pilot. "This period is very dangerous because it requires two parties, unknown to each other and located in hostile territory, to meet without being detected by either enemy forces or elements of the local population and without compromising either party’s security," the recovery guide explains.

A-10s are ideal as rescue escorts. They can fly low and slow around the rescuers and the downed pilot, quickly peeling off to fire their guns at any enemy forces that threaten the recovery.

But flying low and slow could expose the Warthogs to enemy fire. TRAP could get more dangerous as that latest Russian- and Chinese-made air defenses proliferate and allied stealth aircraft penetrate deeper and deeper into enemy territory.
 
Critics of the A-10 contend that the 1970s-vintage, non-stealthy A-10 cannot survive high-tech enemy defenses. The Air Force as early as 2013 wanted prematurely wanted to retire its roughly 300 Warthogs in order to free up a few billion dollars for more F-35 stealth fighters.

Congress blocked the proposal and the A-10s remain in service -- and continue training for the TRAP mission.

Hedging its bets, the Air Force developed tactics for F-15Es, F-16s and even F-35s to help escort rescue forces. The 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada around 2016 began trying out F-15Es and F-16s in the rescue role and, according to Combat Aircraft magazine reporter Steve Davies, found that both could do the job, each in its own way.

But then the surprise. The squadron’s F-35s got involved.

"The F-35 was not a formal part of the test," Davies wrote, "but became involved only when the squadron commander needed an A-10 ... pilot and the only one available was a current F-35 pilot."

"In the middle of the test, we threw a couple of F-35s into the fray," Lt. Col. Joshua Wood, the 422nd TES’s commander, told Davies. The lead F-35 pilot, flying an older F-35A with rudimentary Block 1B software, wound up coordinating the entire mock rescue.

And excelling. "No kidding, he shows up and within five minutes on station he’s quarterbacked the whole thing," Wood recalled. "They’ve rescued the survivor and everyone goes home." Wood attributed the test success to the former A-10 pilot’s deep experience as a rescue-escort pilot — and to the F-35’s high-tech sensors.

But Wood stressed to Davies that the F-35 does TRAP differently than the A-10 does. Warthog pilots fly low and slow, keeping their eyes on the ground, both to take advantage of their plane’s toughness and excellent handling and to stay below enemy radar coverage.

F-35 pilots can fly high, beyond the reach of many enemy defenses. Which is good, because the F-35 comparatively is fragile. Fortunately, the lofty vantage also gives pilots a wider view of the battlefield for the stealth fighter’s sophisticated radar, electronic receivers and cameras.

It's the pilot that really matters. Which is why training, such as the 303rd Fighter Squadron experienced in Hawaii, is so important. "I’m not worried about the future of [the rescue mission]," Wood said, "because if I were looking at a scale of how important the platform is versus how important the training of the pilot is, I would say 75 percent is the pilot."

David Axe serves as Defense Editor of the National Interest. He is the author of the graphic novels   War Fix , War Is Boring  and Machete Squad .
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on March 14, 2019, 01:33:39 PM
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/26939/japan-buying-joint-strike-missiles-for-its-f-35as-is-a-much-bigger-deal-than-it-sounds
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: trailrunner on March 14, 2019, 03:35:13 PM
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/26939/japan-buying-joint-strike-missiles-for-its-f-35as-is-a-much-bigger-deal-than-it-sounds

I don’t think this is that big of a deal. The US is also going to put this Missile on the F-35 and there is benefit from commonality.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on March 14, 2019, 03:44:05 PM
It's a bigger deal for them than for us. It's one more indication of a departure of the Japanese military's post-war role as a "self-defense force". It provides a significant offensive capability to the F-35s operating off the new Japanese carriers. And it all serves to put China on notice.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on March 14, 2019, 03:46:38 PM
Bring back the Yamato!  :applause:
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: BanzaiCat on March 14, 2019, 04:05:34 PM
WWII Yamato or Space Battleship Yamato? ;D
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on March 14, 2019, 04:13:52 PM
Or the Galaxy-Class Yamato?

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/USS_Yamato
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on March 14, 2019, 07:44:23 PM
All the above as well as a larger than normal topless dancer I used to know that we called, "Yamato". She could sink the 7th Fleet.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on March 28, 2019, 07:37:15 PM
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/27185/f-35s-most-sinister-capability-are-towed-decoys-that-unreel-from-inside-its-stealthy-skin
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on March 28, 2019, 07:40:59 PM
Now everybody knows.  :doh:
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: BanzaiCat on March 28, 2019, 07:45:18 PM
Pretty sure China knew long before TheDrive did.

Then again, sometimes it's nice for protagonists to know how much of a butt-kicking for goodness they might get.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on March 28, 2019, 11:02:41 PM
That always worked for me.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: bayonetbrant on April 03, 2019, 09:54:16 AM
https://www.facebook.com/defensionemwarbible/posts/574958289681492 (https://www.facebook.com/defensionemwarbible/posts/574958289681492)


Quote
F-35 delivery suspended: The Washington-Ankara saga continues.
A US DoD statement reads: "Pending an unequivocal Turkish decision to forgo delivery of the S-400, deliveries and activities associated with the stand-up of Turkey's F-35 operational capability have been suspended while our dialogue on this important matter continues with Turkey,"
As a reminder, it is important to note that Turkish pilots are currently being trained on the F-35 platform in the US.

Furthermore, Turkey has been deeply involved in the F-35 program since 2004: its industry produces many important parts for the F-35 jets, from wiring looms to sensors, airframe and engine parts and so on. Turkey was even allowed to manufacture the F-35 engines under license. Finally, Turkey was selected to host the first European Regional Engine overhaul and maintenance depot!

Needless to say, this suspension will not only impact Turkey's own defence industry hard, but will also create problems for the whole F-35 supply and manufacture chain and create more delays for the whole project. This will impact all F-35 operators globally. Don't forget that Turkey is the sole supplier for the F-35's missile remote interface unit and panoramic cockpit display.

So what led us here ?

First of all is the failed anti-Erdogan coup of 2016. Turkey is convinced the US administration was behind it. Turkey also resents Washington refusal to hand over Fethullah Gülen, who lives in exile in the USA. Fethullah Gülen is an ex political ally of Erdogan, but they have fallen out and Erdogan is convinced Gulen is also behind the 2016 failed coup. Finally, Ankara, above all, is furious that Washington has been supporting, financing and arming Kurdish militias in Syria. Turkey is considering those militias as terrorist organisations.

The recriminations do not only go one way, though. Washington, for its part, is angry at Ankara love affair with ISIS from 2015 to 2016. At the time, it became evident that wannabe jihadis were joining ISIS through Turkey's porous border. What transited the other way around were stolen oil and museum artifacts looted from Iraq and Syria. From 2016 onward, Ankara has seemingly shifted its support from ISIS to Al-Qaeda, also injecting into the mix pro-Ankara Turkmen militias. Ankara is the guarantor of a truce in the Syrian province of Idlib, but its end goal is to weaken the Kurdish position in the region.

Ankara's decision to purchase the Russian S-400 system seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back for Washington. What the Americans willingly ignore is that Ankara has tried several times to purchase the American Patriot system... Those requests were denied. What derailed those deals were the Turkish request to be able to assemble some of those batteries in Turkey, under license. This would have helped Turkey to develop its own AA system in the future and boost its own defence industry cappabilities. While Washington refused to access to those demand, Moscow was more than happy to oblige.

-RBM.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


https://mobile.twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee/status/1113107008465534977 (https://mobile.twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee/status/1113107008465534977)

but also

https://mobile.twitter.com/AirForceTimes/status/1113126475245522945 (https://mobile.twitter.com/AirForceTimes/status/1113126475245522945)

so it seems there's some confusion there

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++




this is also pretty funny

https://mobile.twitter.com/Cerberu04914651/status/1113158569841623040 (https://mobile.twitter.com/Cerberu04914651/status/1113158569841623040)

and

https://mobile.twitter.com/thezambologist/status/1113172551465828353 (https://mobile.twitter.com/thezambologist/status/1113172551465828353)


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

interesting Twitter thread here

https://twitter.com/AaronMehta/status/1113434050000314368
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on April 03, 2019, 09:58:19 AM
some real jeenyus right there
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: bayonetbrant on April 03, 2019, 10:09:57 AM
https://taskandpurpose.com/f-35-turkey-resume
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: bayonetbrant on April 10, 2019, 06:54:05 AM
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-47876128
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: ojsdad on April 10, 2019, 07:29:58 AM
There is real worry that the Chinese or Russians will recover the plane.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: BanzaiCat on April 10, 2019, 07:52:38 AM
No doubt they already know all about it.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Staggerwing on April 10, 2019, 07:30:17 PM
No doubt they already know all about it.

What do you bet one or two of those Turkish technicians training in Arizona write their 'A's like backwards 'R's? Must be high-functioning dyslexia...
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: BanzaiCat on April 11, 2019, 08:11:44 PM
Worrisome. I hear the F-35s from Luke flying overhead a lot.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on April 16, 2019, 12:11:04 PM
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/historic-moment-us-air-force-f-35-stealth-fighters-just-went-war-52717
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on April 24, 2019, 09:34:03 AM
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/27601/lockheed-offers-japan-access-to-f-35-code-as-part-of-stealth-fighter-proposal-report
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: ojsdad on May 03, 2019, 09:18:01 PM
https://twitter.com/thewarzonewire/status/1124482305651699712
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on May 07, 2019, 10:54:48 AM
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/27855/new-lockheed-concept-shows-navy-f-35c-externally-armed-with-hypersonic-cruise-missiles
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on May 14, 2019, 12:19:47 PM
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/27990/f-35a-pictured-on-deterrence-mission-over-middle-east-with-peculiar-single-missile-loadout
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Martok on May 14, 2019, 06:29:09 PM
No doubt they fly better that way. 
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: bayonetbrant on May 15, 2019, 08:55:17 AM
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/27990/f-35a-pictured-on-deterrence-mission-over-middle-east-with-peculiar-single-missile-loadout (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/27990/f-35a-pictured-on-deterrence-mission-over-middle-east-with-peculiar-single-missile-loadout)


maybe they used the other one and just aren't talking about what they shot down
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Staggerwing on May 15, 2019, 06:24:42 PM
I think they're going for a 'Wild West'-kinda vibe, where the sheriff wears one huge shooting' iron in a big side holster.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on June 08, 2019, 04:18:10 PM
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/28421/heres-the-pentagons-roadmap-for-booting-turkey-out-of-the-f-35-program
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: trailrunner on June 08, 2019, 07:13:58 PM
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/28421/heres-the-pentagons-roadmap-for-booting-turkey-out-of-the-f-35-program

I wonder if we're going to refund all the money that Turkey put into the program.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: ojsdad on June 08, 2019, 08:13:26 PM
Have to wonder how much longer Turkey will stay in NATO. That could bake a good Next War game. Various breakaway factions, Turkey out of NATO, and the Russians coming to their aid.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: BanzaiCat on June 12, 2019, 08:00:40 AM
Japan F-35 fighter crash; Pilot suffered 'spacial disorientation' (https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/10/asia/japan-f-35-fighter-crash-cause-hnk-intl/index.html)

:(
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on June 12, 2019, 08:21:12 AM
Makes you wonder if the F-35 has problems with the oxygen system like the 22 has had.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on June 12, 2019, 10:26:05 AM
True that.  :o  A guy with all those flying hours crashes into the sea like he's never flown at night before.  :notme:  Something Suschi about that.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on June 12, 2019, 10:59:18 AM
Yeah, this was pilot error   ::)

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/06/12/the-pentagon-is-battling-the-clock-to-fix-serious-unreported-f-35-problems/


Quote

The 13 deficiencies include:

    The F-35’s logistics system currently has no way for foreign F-35 operators to keep their secret data from being sent to the United States.

    The spare parts inventory shown by the F-35’s logistics system does not always reflect reality, causing occasional mission cancellations.

    Cabin pressure spikes in the cockpit of the F-35 have been known to cause barotrauma, the word given to extreme ear and sinus pain.

    In very cold conditions — defined as at or near minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit — the F-35 will erroneously report that one of its batteries have failed, sometimes prompting missions to be aborted.

    Supersonic flight in excess of Mach 1.2 can cause structural damage and blistering to the stealth coating of the F-35B and F-35C.

    After doing certain maneuvers, F-35B and F-35C pilots are not always able to completely control the aircraft’s pitch, roll and yaw.

    If the F-35A and F-35B blows a tire upon landing, the impact could also take out both hydraulic lines and pose a loss-of-aircraft risk.

    A “green glow” sometimes appears on the helmet-mounted display, washing out the imagery in the helmet and making it difficult to land the F-35C on an aircraft carrier.

    On nights with little starlight, the night vision camera sometimes displays green striations that make it difficult for all variants to see the horizon or to land on ships.

    The sea search mode of the F-35’s radar only illuminates a small slice of the sea’s surface.

    When the F-35B vertically lands on very hot days, older engines may be unable to produce the required thrust to keep the jet airborne, resulting in a hard landing.

Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on June 12, 2019, 01:33:46 PM
https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1138839671528710144
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Staggerwing on June 12, 2019, 05:28:54 PM
^ Did they edit out the one that belly-landed onto the lawn?
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: ojsdad on June 14, 2019, 06:23:35 PM
https://www.thedailybeast.com/america-is-stuck-with-a-dollar400-billion-stealth-fighter-that-cant-fight
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 14, 2019, 06:30:12 PM
Didn't we know this whole thing was a problem 10 years ago?

http://grognews.blogspot.com/2008/09/jsf-stands-for-just-stupid-fkup.html
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on June 25, 2019, 03:03:24 PM
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/28677/the-united-kingdom-becomes-the-third-country-to-send-f-35s-into-combat
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: trailrunner on June 25, 2019, 03:41:29 PM
Didn't we know this whole thing was a problem 10 years ago?

http://grognews.blogspot.com/2008/09/jsf-stands-for-just-stupid-fkup.html

10 years ago?  I went to my first JSF meeting in 1997 or 1998.  Many of the problems that are surfacing now were obvious back then, but the answer was to drink more kool-aid.

Having said that, I will again caution against believing what you read in the press regarding its performance.  There are perhaps a couple hundred people who really know the truth (and I'm not one of them any more, thankfully), and they won't be talking publicly.  Just about any story you read is written by someone with an agenda they're pushing.  For example, regarding the statement "U.S. Air Force analyses show the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is at least 400 percent more effective in air-to-air combat capability than the best fighters currently available in the international market" - I spent a lot of time analyzing similar results for the F-22 and know what goes into those results.  There is a lot of context, assumptions, limitations, caveats, and so on behind numbers like that.  One number does not tell the whole truth, good or bad.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on June 26, 2019, 11:29:47 AM
Stop it! You're scaring me with your reality-based facts. Going back to sleep now, thank you.  :oh:
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on July 01, 2019, 03:05:19 PM
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/iranian-commander-kept-secret-israeli-f-35-stealth-fighters-had-violated-iran-airspace
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on July 01, 2019, 04:00:15 PM
There goes his Retirement Package.  :notme:
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on July 28, 2019, 08:46:17 PM
Apparently they can fly

https://twitter.com/fighterpics/status/1155617345970278402
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Martok on July 28, 2019, 08:50:44 PM
I'll be more impressed if they can land. 
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on July 28, 2019, 08:53:13 PM
I'll be more impressed if they can land.

Gravity solves that eventually
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on August 22, 2019, 07:02:53 PM
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/21/magazine/f35-joint-strike-fighter-program.html
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on December 22, 2019, 12:39:16 PM
Oh Bob...


Quote
A British F-35B launching from HMS Queen Elizabeth while the ship was moored in the harbour, December 16, 2019.


(https://i.imgur.com/Kj4j478.jpg)
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Staggerwing on December 22, 2019, 01:25:31 PM
That's just mean. Now he's going to spend hours trying to figure out where they airbrushed out the wires and the CH-47 holding it up.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: bob48 on December 22, 2019, 02:40:15 PM
....Well, after a careful study, and extensive use of a magnifying glass,  I have to give my duly considered opinion, which is;

Photoshopped.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: besilarius on January 29, 2020, 08:41:29 AM
Queen Elizabeth testing new aircraft.

https://www.facebook.com/thef35/videos/540408506800946/?t=24
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Staggerwing on January 29, 2020, 06:54:56 PM
Queen Elizabeth testing new aircraft.

https://www.facebook.com/thef35/videos/540408506800946/?t=24

I could swear there was an ILM watermark for a split second in the corner of the video.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on January 30, 2020, 09:10:38 AM
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-30/f-35-s-gun-that-can-t-shoot-straight-adds-to-its-roster-of-flaws
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on January 30, 2020, 12:43:55 PM
Back to the F-86 I say.  >:(
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: BanzaiCat on January 30, 2020, 01:07:48 PM
Back to the F-8614 I say.  >:(

ftfy
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on January 30, 2020, 03:35:23 PM
Fokker that.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Staggerwing on January 30, 2020, 07:16:09 PM
The F-35 is looking more and more like it was designed by JJ Abrams
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on January 30, 2020, 07:50:30 PM
Can't shoot straight? That means they qualify as the Empire's newest Fighter.  :2funny:   Surprised somebody didn't beat me to this one.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: bbmike on January 30, 2020, 08:00:22 PM
The F-35 is looking more and more like it was designed by JJ Abrams

Nah, it would look like a helicopter and fight on land if that were the case.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on January 31, 2020, 11:21:26 AM
God I love this program

https://www.airforcemag.com/lockheed-potentially-mixed-up-structural-fasteners-in-most-f-35s/
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Barthheart on January 31, 2020, 12:19:29 PM
God I love this program

https://www.airforcemag.com/lockheed-potentially-mixed-up-structural-fasteners-in-most-f-35s/

Quote
Both fasteners are called “eddie bolts” and are similar in appearance except for a number stamped on them. The titanium bolts cost about $5 apiece, while the Inconel parts cost about $20 each. A Lockheed spokeswoman said the two parts are “very difficult to distinguish, visually.”

How did inventory control "mix" these up? I'm sure it was an "accident".... sounds like a whistle was blown somewhere.....

Quote
A Pentagon official familiar with aerospace structures said it’s possible the titanium or Inconel bolts could be incompatible with the materials they’re attached to, causing a possible corrosion issue if left uncorrected.

Not the least of the problems with this kind of mix up.

Quote
The Lockheed spokesman said an initial analysis concluded that “titanium has sufficient strength in locations that called for Inconel eddie bolts.” Another Lockheed official said components are built with “twice the strength specified,” but he did not specify whether this was the case with the titanium eddie bolts.

BS, if the titanium bolts were good enough, the Inconel ones would never have been specified at 4x the price. Marketing types trying to speak engineering now....  :doh:
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: BanzaiCat on January 31, 2020, 12:45:03 PM
^ ^ ^

Never try to engineer-BS an engineer!

This program is becoming a political farce to be reckoned with.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: trailrunner on January 31, 2020, 03:48:43 PM
It’s entirely possible to get these fasteners mixed up. I’m not a manufacturing expert, but I did walk the assembly line when it was early in production, and it just amazes me that we can build something this complex. In retrospect there should have been some fail-safe way to avoid this, or some very serious training. 

Aircraft don’t usually have sufficient weight margins to allow a 2x safety margin, which is more appropriate for a bridge. I’m skeptical of that claim.

Galvanic corrosion was a big problem with the F-22. I don’t think that this would be a problem in this case, but I could be wrong.

There needs to be a study of where these fasteners might be. If one lot got mixed up, that could be straightforward to fix.  If there is some random and unknown mixing for an unknown amount of time, then that won’t be good. The most likely corrective action will be a stringent inspection schedule of operational planes. That cost is indirect and buried in the normal operating cost of the maintenance by the service.

Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Barthheart on February 01, 2020, 07:19:27 AM
...
Aircraft don’t usually have sufficient weight margins to allow a 2x safety margin, which is more appropriate for a bridge. I’m skeptical of that claim.
...

Fighter aircraft are usual designed to around 1.2 Safety Factor, because you want as much performance as possible and, well if it comes apart it's only one or two people dead.
Civilian aircraft are closer 3 SF, because loosing 300 people to flaw is bad for business.
Bridges are designed closer to 5 to 8 SF, because you want them to last a very long time, and Mother Nature is very hard on our structures.
 
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Martok on March 20, 2020, 12:48:56 PM
 ;D


F-35 tests positive for Coronavirus (https://www.duffelblog.com/2020/03/f-35-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/)

Quote


EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, California — As the saga of seemingly never-ending problems plaguing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program continues, things took took an unexpected turn this past week, as the unhealthy aircraft has tested positive for coronavirus.

“We are not sure how this happened,” an Air Force spokesman said. “We did everything we could to beef up the firewall and security after China stole all our F-22 data”.

F-35s running the virus started experiencing excessive high running temperatures, had difficulty getting enough air into the engine, had runny oil, made coughing/sputtering noises and “handled like shit and couldn’t hit anything worth a damn” noted one pilot though official Air Force sources have confirmed that may just be normal for the F-35.   

Despite the continuous flow of software security improvements and bug fixes, the F-35 was no match for the coronavirus. Although most of the problems caused by the virus already plagued the aircraft, the virus hit it with all the problems at once.

“Those darn Chinese have engineered a mighty virus” stated the Air Force acquisitions spokesman.  “We knew the F-35 was always at risk but we had no way of seeing this coming.”

Coders are working around the clock to develop a cure though experts fear that curing the F-35 of coronavirus will only burn more money and will never address the underlying problems with the F-35.

“It fucking sucks,” the spokesman said.


Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on June 08, 2020, 05:56:37 PM
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/33941/f-35s-gear-collapses-after-landing-at-hill-air-force-base
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mirth on June 24, 2020, 06:36:47 PM
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/34330/british-government-says-it-might-pass-on-27m-upgrade-for-some-of-its-f-35s
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: ojsdad on March 05, 2021, 03:28:24 PM
F-35 days numbered already

https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2021/03/05/ripping-f-35-costs-house-armed-services-chairman-looking-to-cut-our-losses/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=Socialflow+DFN
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: trailrunner on March 05, 2021, 04:17:36 PM
The F-35 was sold as being very affordable.  The lowered maintenance costs would pay for itself.  The lessons learned from maintaining previous stealth aircraft would be incorporated into the F-35 and the same mistakes would not be made.  Truuussssstttt us!!

Also - that article mostly talks about the USAF wanting to withdraw support for the plane.  USAF was never that enthusiastic about the F-35.  It was mostly the Marines pushing it, because they AV-8 were old dinosaurs with outdated performance, and the Marines wanted a STOVL capability.  USAF would have preferred to buy more F-22s, or if they had to buy a single-engine fighter, they didn't want the design compromised by a joint aircraft.  So it's not surprising that USAF wants to get out of the program.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: BanzaiCat on May 07, 2021, 12:08:39 PM
Honeywell Admits Sending F-35, F-22 Part Drawings To China (https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/honeywell-admits-sending-f-35-f-22-part-drawings-china)

Quote
Honeywell has agreed to pay $13 million in fines and compliance costs after company officials sent multiple engineering and technical documents to China with details of multiple aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin F-35 and F-22, over a seven-year period, the U.S. State Department said May 3.

Also

Honeywell Fined Millions Over Exporting Sensitive Info On F-22, F-35, And More To China (Updated) (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40436/honeywell-fined-millions-over-exporting-sensitive-info-on-f-22-f-35-and-more-to-china)

Quote
The U.S. government and defense contractor Honeywell have reached a settlement over alleged violations of portions of the Arms Export Control Act, or AECA, and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR. The matter at hand had to do with Honeywell's alleged unauthorized export of dozens of technical drawings relating to components of various aircraft, missiles, and tanks, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, the B-1B bomber, the Tomahawk cruise missile, and the M1A1 Abrams, to multiple countries, including China. American officials contend that some of the disclosures harmed national security, something that Honeywell denies.

The U.S. State Department announced the deal, in which Honeywell agreed to pay $13 million in civil penalties, among other things. Of that amount, the payment of $5 million was immediately suspended on the condition that the company put it toward "remedial compliance measures." In addition, the U.S. government chose not to pursue more serious action based on Honeywell "voluntarily" disclosing the exports that violated the AECA and ITAR, which the State Department also continues to describe as alleged as a result of the settlement.

Hmm, $13 million sounds completely reasonable for undermining some of the most central defensive systems of the United States. [/sarcasm]

Bloody balls-up, innit?
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Barthheart on May 07, 2021, 12:50:22 PM
 :face:
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Martok on May 07, 2021, 10:42:09 PM
Hmm, $13 million sounds completely reasonable for undermining some of the most central defensive systems of the United States. [/sarcasm]

Bloody balls-up, innit?

Replace "million" with "billion", and then I might agree.  What in the actual **** were they thinking?!? 

(Also, I second Barthheart's facepalm.) 

Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on May 07, 2021, 10:48:33 PM
I'm surprised the Chi Comms don't pay the fine for them.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: BanzaiCat on May 08, 2021, 09:34:27 AM
And yet, not a peep out of television media. Go figure. I guess a Kardashian had a bowel movement that needed 24/7 coverage instead.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on May 08, 2021, 10:53:19 AM
Dammit! I missed the Kardashian-Crap Event?  :face:   Why, why, WHY?  :waah:
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: BanzaiCat on May 08, 2021, 11:39:32 AM
 ;D
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: besilarius on May 09, 2021, 09:44:16 AM
https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR3YF7YjB9ey9lGE9xRkX4ZNsRVPx1C9lbQsfE74jWBgdi9Kq481JxubfQQ&v=YQgNwrtVoZ4&feature=youtu.be
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: besilarius on May 13, 2021, 03:01:36 PM
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8mN9ZAfadpE&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR0AnWy6QWO_TouOcgr9dXXV1Kob8y3XgOzwt3F455Wl0wzj7JjQ7of0fJ4

Someone has seen Top Gun.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: bayonetbrant on May 13, 2021, 03:40:50 PM
it's like he was trying to stand it on its tail
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Staggerwing on May 13, 2021, 10:15:57 PM
Pugachev's Cobra maneuver is better preformed when there's not an aircraft carrier in the way.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mcguire on July 15, 2021, 04:30:12 PM
Just happened to run across this:

https://www.pogo.org/analysis/2019/06/the-f-35-and-the-captured-state/?fbclid=IwAR1iWUQKCAjdQwNDu4MhHgBnZyH4W8d9QZlIEB5-m_YMvxWC3Wa7lIkvz_0 (https://www.pogo.org/analysis/2019/06/the-f-35-and-the-captured-state/?fbclid=IwAR1iWUQKCAjdQwNDu4MhHgBnZyH4W8d9QZlIEB5-m_YMvxWC3Wa7lIkvz_0)
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Martok on July 15, 2021, 05:15:32 PM
Ow
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: trailrunner on July 15, 2021, 07:22:42 PM
Just happened to run across this:

https://www.pogo.org/analysis/2019/06/the-f-35-and-the-captured-state/?fbclid=IwAR1iWUQKCAjdQwNDu4MhHgBnZyH4W8d9QZlIEB5-m_YMvxWC3Wa7lIkvz_0 (https://www.pogo.org/analysis/2019/06/the-f-35-and-the-captured-state/?fbclid=IwAR1iWUQKCAjdQwNDu4MhHgBnZyH4W8d9QZlIEB5-m_YMvxWC3Wa7lIkvz_0)

I was involved in the program for 10 years from about 1997-2008 and won't try to defend it.  I have also been involved in negotiations for data rights.  Contractors usually charge a very high price for data rights, and even then, some will be withheld to protect their trade secrets.  If the government decides to pay this high price, then the government has to manage the data rights and manage the procurement of spare parts.  That's a lot of contracting and inventory, and they have to ensure that parts are made to spec.  On the other hand, they can let the contractor keep the data rights, but then the contractor has the government over a barrel when it comes time to negotiating follow-on procurements.  This latter aspect is supposed to be mitigated by fair negotiations, as the article points out.

The article mentions ALIS.  That system was very much hyped, along with PHM (prognostics health management or maintenance).  The F-35 was going to be so cheap to fly that DoD would be making a profit!  I was always very skeptical of the claims, and sure enough, they fell short, so that's not a big surprise.  It doesn't justify the current situation, but it points out that drunken hype and the momentum of from the top levels of Pentagon far outweigh sober talk from a lowly mid-level person like me.  I will point out that Congress was very much onboard with this program, so they don't have much credibility with me when they now complain.

The MC rates are low.  Again, no surprise.  I did some growth modeling of the F-22 when I worked on that program to show that the claims of the USAF and Lockheed were wildly optimistic - wildly.  MC rates will improve, but they didn't and don't meet the requirements, and that should be a big concern    But the usual course of action is for Congress and DoD to summon the Lockheed Martin executives DC, beat them up, do a program review in Fort Worth to scrub costs, the LM executives promise to leave no stone unturned to shave every single penny, and then we forget about it for a couple of years.  If I was at my previous position, I would have pointed that out as loud as possible, but again, I know from experience that it would be for naught.  I was there when the F-22 went through its production decision, and it didn't meet many (or all) of its reliability, maintainability, and availability requirements, but nobody cared - just buy the damn thing and we'll fix those problems later.  I was at some very tense meetings with USAF discussing this.

FWIW, I've seen this firsthand on Navy and Army systems too.  Note that the F-35 was birthed during the Clinton years of acquisition reform, so things like giving the contractor a lot of control -- and ultimate responsibility -- came from that era.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: mcguire on July 15, 2021, 07:38:29 PM
  :sigh:
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: besilarius on February 18, 2023, 10:09:18 AM
https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htecm/articles/20230218.aspx

Latest update on the plane.
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on February 18, 2023, 11:07:30 AM
Great posts Trailrunner and McGuire. I wonder how much, if any, more competition for contracts from different aircraft manufactures would help? Or are there any other manufactures to compete?
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: trailrunner on February 18, 2023, 03:54:23 PM
Great posts Trailrunner and McGuire. I wonder how much, if any, more competition for contracts from different aircraft manufactures would help? Or are there any other manufactures to compete?

There was ample competition, but there aren't too many primes that can pull off a project this large and sophisticated.  Boeing and Lockheed were in the final downselect in the JSF competition in the early 2000s.  I remember being at Edwards AFB and seeing the prototypes in February 2000 or 2001.  Besides Boeing and Lockheed, Northrup is probably the only other prime that would have been a legitimate contender, and they have become a bit of a bomber company. 

Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: bayonetbrant on February 18, 2023, 04:17:47 PM
part of the reason that there are so few companies to compete on contracts like this is b/c of all the consolidation in the industry.

Look up how many companies made aircraft for the US military in WW2 and then look at what happened to all those companies - mergers & acquisitions have killed a bunch of them to where there's very few left that can compete for these kinds of contracts.

Same thing w/ armored vehicles, ships, and more
Title: Re: F-35 News
Post by: Sir Slash on February 19, 2023, 04:03:42 PM
That's too bad. Thanks for the reply.