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

[Inst]

To note, Taiwan is not a participant in the F-35 project. The Taiwanese officer should know little that the Chinese do not yet know.

 

[Brumby]

As to the subject of the 20 verses the 35 it's reported in Fox news that a Taiwanese officer in the navy has been arrested on espionage charges and is quite possible more are involved it was stated he was passing secrets to China therefore we could asume at the China knows a great deal about all of the technology every one is talking about
This makes all the talk about fusion sensors rather moot if proven true and I guarantee China is working on counter systems for it right now

The concept of sensor fusion is not new. It is widely used for a variety of military applications including ocean surveillance, air-to-air and surface-to-air defense, battlefield intelligence, surveillance and target detection (classification), and strategic warning and defense. Also, multi-sensor systems are used in a variety of civilian applications including condition-based maintenance, robotics, automotive safety, remote sensing, weather forecasting, medical diagnoses, and environmental monitoring (e.g., weather forecasting). What makes it unique with the F-35 is that it is second generation development from version 1.0 build in the F-22. The Europeans with Rafael and Typhoon is probably what I would consider as version 0 plus. It is only in recent times that the technologies have come together to make it feasible on a fighter airframe. The main drawback with the European version is that the sensor data collected is processed within each sensor but unlike the F-35 where the data are collected from the multi-sensors and processed centrally by its CIP. This architecture pushes data down a level and allows the F-35 to use discrete sensor data to form a composite track whereas the European architecture can only correlate discernible tracks to enhance into a singular higher fidelity track. What is not obvious is that in many classification and targeting scenarios due to SNR and clutter, there is insufficient data to form useful tracks but by drawing data from multi sensor to fill in the blanks a virtual track can be developed. Those discrete data can also come from the sensors of other F-35's. Such a capability is not known to exist outside the F-35. It is this fusion engine that gives the F-35 its superior situational awareness.

As it is a system of systems, any counter measure can only be directed at the individual systems.

 

[dtulsa]

It is my understanding the officer was of Taiwan ancestry and was a U.S. citizen but I could be wrong they also stated there are others involved which wouldn't be surprising at all

 

[dtulsa]

All I know is the 35 should be classified as a fighter bomber mu:h in the same way as the

 

[dtulsa]

Imho the 35 should be classified as a fighter bomber much like the marines do with their aircraft

 

[kwaigonegin]

It is my understanding the officer was of Taiwan ancestry and was a U.S. citizen but I could be wrong they also stated there are others involved which wouldn't be surprising at all

"....."...............

 

[kwaigonegin]

@ Forbin: I asked whether or not this was an F-35 fanboy thread, and whether criticism of the F-35 would be allowed. Apparently it is not; I've been on SDF long enough to understand how it works. I am disappointed that our debate has degraded so quickly with "I know what you are, but what am I?" kindergarten arguments, but it's not a big deal; there are other venues for discussion.

I think it is perfectly fine to criticize some aspects of the F35 just like any other weapons systems regardless of country of origin. As long as the criticism is valid and mature you will never find me oppose to it.

I'll be the first to tell you that as great as our defense industry is, not everything churned out has been a home run. We've cranked out some turds in the past and will continue to do so .. No different than any other country for that matter.

Anything made by human hands will have flaws in them. The only question is how much?

 

[dtulsa]

My criticism comes from a history perspective in that the technology and the Jack of all trades master of none theory doesn't always work in real world situations and there should be specialized aircraft for close air support interdiction and air superiority no one single aircraft has ever been made to do all of them well and I just don't see the 35 as being any different

 

[FORBIN]

Between opening and closing of the weapons bay 6 sec.

 

[Brumby]

GAO Warns About Next Phase of F-35 Program

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A government watchdog warned Congress that lawmakers could have difficulty holding the Air Force accountable for controlling costs during follow-on modernization of the F-35.

The current joint strike fighter development effort is projected to end in 2017 when Block 3F developmental flight testing is completed, for a total development cost of $55 billion.

The first increment of follow-on modernization, Block 4, is expected to add new capabilities and correct deficiencies. But the Government Accountability Office said the Pentagon’s plans could be problematic.

“Without setting up the modernization as a separate program with its own baseline and regular reporting as best practices recommend, it will be difficult for Congress to hold DoD accountable for achieving F-35 Block 4 cost, schedule and performance goals,” Michael J. Sullivan, GAO’s director of acquisition and sourcing management, told lawmakers recently.

“Although the requirements are not yet final and no official cost estimate has been developed for Block 4, DoD’s fiscal year 2017 budget request indicates that the department expects to spend nearly $3 billion on these development efforts over the next six years,” he testified before the House Armed Services subcommittee on tactical air and land forces.

As of March, the Pentagon’s estimated total acquisition cost for the F-35 program is $379 billion, about $12 billion less than anticipated two years ago.

But the aircraft continues to face affordability challenges, Sullivan noted.

The program is expected to reach peak production rates in 2022, at which point the Defense Department expects to spend more than $14 billion a year, on average, over a 10-year period on the jets.

“When acquisition and sustainment funds are combined, annual funding requirements could easily approach $30 billion in some years,” Sullivan said.

Budget constraints have compelled the Air Force to defer F-35 aircraft buys in recent years, a trend that could continue, he noted.

“The cost of extending the lives of current fighter aircraft and acquiring other major weapon systems, while continuing to produce and field new F-35 aircraft, poses significant affordability risks in a period of austere defense budgets,” he said.

Todd Harrison, a defense budget expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the F-35 program could take a major hit in the next decade.

“I think the F-35 will be a big target for reductions in the early 2020s simply because it is a big program that is crowding out funding for other priorities,” he said. “I would bet it does not reach the full level of production currently planned.”

Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, program executive officer for the F-35, presented an optimistic outlook.

“The program is making solid progress across the board,” he told the subcommittee. “We are confident the F-35 team can … deliver on our commitments.”

Bogdan anticipates the Joint Requirements Oversight Council will approve the follow-on modernization/Block 4 capabilities development document this summer.

“Work continues with the U.S. services and international partners to ensure the modernization program will be ‘right-sized’ for affordability and sustainability,” he said.

Bogdan’s office will ensure that separate cost, schedule, performance and earned-value data will be available to provide detailed insight into program execution, he said.