Jura The idiot
General
... and no hole cut through the deck, as the F-35B detractors were afraid of LOL!
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter News, Videos and pics Thread
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... and no hole cut through the deck, as the F-35B detractors were afraid of LOL!
Jura The idiot
General
Bernard
Junior Member
May 15, 2015 | Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
Lockheed Martin
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After announcing that it will structure the Long-Range Strike Bomber program to include competitive proposals for costly block upgrades with the aim of controlling sustainment costs, the “will try” to do the same with the Joint Strike Fighter, according to William LaPlante, U.S. Air Force assistant secretary for acquisition.
As a first step, he said at a meeting here today, the service will be pushing for a more-open systems architecture in Block 4, the first post-service-entry upgrade, which is now being defined. “It’s not decided.” LaPlante said, “but we’re going to try.” This would make it possible for later upgrades, or elements of them, to be competed.
In the past, most major upgrades have been performed by the original prime contractor on a sole-source basis. Budget documents show F-35 R&D funding—of which block upgrades are the largest part—running at well over $500 million a year after service entry.
The Air Force also plans to start competing upgrades on information-technology systems, such as the Distributed Common Ground System that handles intelligence data and the common ground-control station that is used to control multiple UAV types.
To help competition get started, LaPlante said, the Pentagon will keep industry informed of the direction of upgrade plans, and fund R&D programs that will help potential competitors maintain a level playing field against the original prime.
I don't see this working at all. LM has full access and knows every little thing about the super computer jet. Unless Boeing or competitors bought a jet for private use and tore it down to learn everything about it. But I'm not a aeronautical engineer. Thoughts?
If Boeing wants to get in the game, they have access to it all, they already do some sub-assemblies, and the US Gov is going to fund the school??? you should also consider that depot-level maintenance will be performed overseas. So this is really just the next step, things do go better if we have options, and competition is even good for my favorite airplane company??
Yes...this was discussed earlier.
But it is not new.
Particularly for the US Navy, the plan has always been for the JSF to be able to, when mission requirements dictate it, to control two or more UAVs (like UCLASS aircraft) on those missions.
It's pretty intriguing stuff.
Imagine a stealthy F-35C with weapons (like large JDAMs, LGBs, or Standoff attack missiles) in its bays, controlling two X-47B UCLASS aircraft, also loaded with weapons in their bays. The F-35C pilot directs the UAVs to conduct SEAD missions on the opponents, which then opens the door for the F-35 to then use the heavier weapons to take out the principle target.
That's just one example of how it could work.
But it is not new.
Particularly for the US Navy, the plan has always been for the JSF to be able to, when mission requirements dictate it, to control two or more UAVs (like UCLASS aircraft) on those missions.
It's pretty intriguing stuff.
Imagine a stealthy F-35C with weapons (like large JDAMs, LGBs, or Standoff attack missiles) in its bays, controlling two X-47B UCLASS aircraft, also loaded with weapons in their bays. The F-35C pilot directs the UAVs to conduct SEAD missions on the opponents, which then opens the door for the F-35 to then use the heavier weapons to take out the principle target.
That's just one example of how it could work.
