F-35 Joint Strike Fighter News, Videos and pics Thread

[Air Force Brat]

Your my personnal coach for technical aicrafts matter

Some weeks ago i have ask for if : F-35B can use her vertical propulsion system for stop or suddenly slow down i think Sea Harriers do it during Falklands War ?

No doubt they can do so Mr. Forbin, just as the Harriers employed their many talents in combat and excercises, the F-35 Bravo will be pushed to the max and areas of unique capability opened up. Now there are some who equivocate STOVL capability with OVT, and that is simply not the case. With the Bravo you will be able to vector thrust down no doubt, beyond that is anyones guess as to how practical that will be in operational use or combat?

I wish I were more able to be specific as to the capabilities or even possibilities of this aircraft, but I'm not certain that even the operators are up on that yet, if they are, I certainly haven't heard anything official? and thank you very much for the kind words, I admire and appreciate your many very professional and well thoughted posts, you are in the "bright lad" category of Sino Defense extraordinary gentlemen and I know that each post has been well thought. Keep up the outstanding work bubba!

If you wish to open that subject up on the aerodynamics thread, I'm sure there are others who will take a stab at exploring those "possibilities" and I would be happy to engage in that conversation over there? my cousin is on the Stennis, and has been attached several time to the Marines, even serving in Fallujah for 6 months or so, so he may have some connections with Marine aviators who will likely be the drivers for those tactics?

 

[Brumby]

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Lockheed F-35’s Reliability Found Wanting in Shipboard Testing

Availability at 50 % vs. readiness goal of 80 % needed to support a 6 unit combat operations. The 80 % readiness seems rather high to me. I don't believe the F-22 has ever achieved that level, ever all these years. IMHO probably unrealistic goal especially at sea for a 5th gen aircraft.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

 

[Equation]

GIT SUM!!!

 

[strehl]

Marine Corps declares IOC.

 

[Jeff Head]

From the US Marines themselves:

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The U.S. Marine Corps' F-35B Lightning II aircraft reached initial operational capability July 31, 2015 with a squadron of 10 F-35Bs ready for world-wide deployment.

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121), based in Yuma, Arizona, is the first squadron in military history to become operational with an F-35 variant, following a five-day Operational Readiness Inspection, which concluded July 17.

“I am pleased to announce that VMFA-121 has achieved Initial Operational Capability in the F-35B, as defined by requirements outlined in the June 2014 Joint Report to Congressional Defense Committees,” said Gen. Joseph Dunford, Commandant of the Marine Corps. “VMFA-121 has ten aircraft in the Block 2B configuration with the requisite performance envelope and weapons clearances, to include the training, sustainment capabilities, and infrastructure to deploy to an austere site or a ship. It is capable of conducting Close Air Support, Offensive and Defensive Counter Air, Air Interdiction, Assault Support Escort and Armed Reconnaissance as part of a Marine Air Ground Task Force, or in support of the Joint Force.”

Dunford stated that he has his full confidence in the F-35B’s ability to support Marines in combat, predicated on years of concurrent developmental testing and operational flying.

“Prior to declaring IOC, we have conducted flight operations for seven weeks at sea aboard an L-Class carrier, participated in multiple large force exercises, and executed a recent operational evaluation which included multiple live ordnance sorties," said Dunford. "The F-35B’s ability to conduct operations from expeditionary airstrips or sea-based carriers provides our Nation with its first 5th generation strike fighter, which will transform the way we fight and win.”

As the future of Marine Corps tactical aviation, the F-35 will eventually replace three legacy platforms: the AV-8B Harrier, the F/A-18 Hornet, and the EA-6B Prowler.

“The success of VMFA-121 is a reflection of the hard work and effort by the Marines in the squadron, those involved in the program over many years, and the support we have received from across the Department of the Navy, the Joint Program Office, our industry partners, and the Under Secretary of Defense. Achieving IOC has truly been a team effort,” concluded Dunford.

The U.S. Marine Corps has trained and qualified more than 50 Marine F-35B pilots and certified about 500 maintenance personnel to assume autonomous, organic-level maintenance support for the F-35B.

VMFA-121’s transition will be followed by Marine Attack Squadron 211 (VMA-211), an AV-8B squadron, which is scheduled to transition next to the F-35B in fiscal year 2016. In 2018, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 (VMFA-122), an F-18 Hornet squadron, will conduct its transition.

 

[Air Force Brat]

From the US Marines themselves:

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Wowser! go Bravo!

 

[Brumby]

Wowser! go Bravo!

Any real possibility that in the immediate future that this unit will be assigned to some hot spots? It makes sense in my view to try to have this done as early as possible with the objective of understanding the aircrafts true potential in a live environment and to develop tactics and fine tune training for future units.

 

[Jeff Head]

Delete duplicate

 

[Jeff Head]

Any real possibility that in the immediate future that this unit will be assigned to some hot spots? It makes sense in my view to try to have this done as early as possible with the objective of understanding the aircrafts true potential in a live environment and to develop tactics and fine tune training for future units.

They are planning to have a deployment to the Western Pacific in 2017.

"The F-35B will have an unmatched expeditionary capability, and the Marine Corps intends to capitalize on that," said Maj. Paul Greenberg, a Marine spokesman at the Pentagon. "The aircraft can even operate from unimproved surfaces where we utilize our own expeditionary runway matting.

"In 2017, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, the "Green Knights," will permanently relocate from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Sixteen aircraft will be located there, according to the Marine Corps' aviation plan.

"As the Marine Corps supports the president's strategy to rebalance forces in the Pacific, we will bring the most advanced fifth-generation technology and capabilities of our force to that region," Greenberg said."