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

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F-35 Software Runs Smoothly During Mountain Home Deployment

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WASHINGTON — Software glitches have plagued the F-35 in recent months, but operators said they noticed a marked improvement during a June deployment where the aircraft did not experience any shutdowns.

The F-35 joint program office’s top official disclosed in April that the fighter jet was struggling with problems associated with the 3i software planned for use when the Air Force fields the planes later this year. Pilots reported that they had trouble booting up their jets, and would have to restart key systems on the plane every three to four hours after sensors shut off without warning.

The program office implemented a fix the following month, and pilots and maintainers who operated the plane during the June deployment at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, said software bugs no longer seemed to be an issue.

"We cleared 88 of 88 sorties, and we were on time for 100 percent of those sorties for the large force exercises,” Maj. Brad Matherne, an F-35A pilot from the 34th Fighter Squadron, told reporters during a June 21 conference call. “We had zero losses due to any software stability issues that were previously out there.”

Seven F-35As and a total of 160 pilots, maintainers and other personnel from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, were sent to Mountain Home ahead of the F-35A’s initial operational capability, which could come as early as August. The deployment, which took place June 6-17, proved that the aircraft could successfully operate away from its home base against a variety of threats, said Col. David Lyons, commander 388th Fighter Wing and an F-35A pilot.

For the deployment, jets were outfitted with the latest version of the software, 3ib6.21, Matherne said. He said that no shutdowns occurred on the ground or in flight due to software glitches.

"To my knowledge, we did not have any degradations due to software instability,” he said. “From a mission systems and tactical employment, we met all of our tactical objectives, which would have been very difficult if that software was an issue, which it was not."

Spare F-35s were used twice due to minor hardware problems that kept jets grounded during takeoff, said Capt. Richard Palz, officer in charge of the 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. In one incident, an internal battery failed and had to be removed and replaced. During the second event, the plane’s initial navigation system failed, necessitating maintenance.

Both aircraft were returned to service after undergoing repairs and exhibited no additional issues, he said.

Having to move to a spare aircraft is not unusual, even during normal operations, Lyons said.

“We were able to make on-time takeoffs to be a part of the mission and do what we needed to do,” he said. "Those are minor problems that you experience with any sort of aviation operation, and I was very, very impressed with the airplane from a reliability and stability perspective,” he said.

Col. David Smith, commander of 419th Fighter Wing and currently an F-16 pilot, noted the two F-35 ground aborts are actually an improvement when compared to the failure rates of the F-16 and other 4th-generation aircraft.

The software’s performance showed a marked improvement compared to a previous deployment to Mountain Home. During an exercise last February, F-35A aircraft from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., prepared to make a rapid launch, but only one of six aircraft was able to successfully take off. In written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee in May, Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon’s lead weapon’s tester, characterized the system shut down and restarts as “a symptom of immature systems and software.”

 

[FORBIN]

F-35 Software Runs Smoothly During Mountain Home Deployment

WASHINGTON — Software glitches have plagued the F-35 in recent months, but operators said they noticed a marked improvement during a June deployment where the aircraft did not experience any shutdowns.

The F-35 joint program office’s top official disclosed in April that the fighter jet was struggling with problems associated with the 3i software planned for use when the Air Force fields the planes later this year. Pilots reported that they had trouble booting up their jets, and would have to restart key systems on the plane every three to four hours after sensors shut off without warning.

The program office implemented a fix the following month, and pilots and maintainers who operated the plane during the June deployment at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, said software bugs no longer seemed to be an issue.

"We cleared 88 of 88 sorties, and we were on time for 100 percent of those sorties for the large force exercises,” Maj. Brad Matherne, an F-35A pilot from the 34th Fighter Squadron, told reporters during a June 21 conference call. “We had zero losses due to any software stability issues that were previously out there.”

Seven F-35As and a total of 160 pilots, maintainers and other personnel from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, were sent to Mountain Home ahead of the F-35A’s initial operational capability, which could come as early as August. The deployment, which took place June 6-17, proved that the aircraft could successfully operate away from its home base against a variety of threats, said Col. David Lyons, commander 388th Fighter Wing and an F-35A pilot.

For the deployment, jets were outfitted with the latest version of the software, 3ib6.21, Matherne said. He said that no shutdowns occurred on the ground or in flight due to software glitches.

"To my knowledge, we did not have any degradations due to software instability,” he said. “From a mission systems and tactical employment, we met all of our tactical objectives, which would have been very difficult if that software was an issue, which it was not."

Spare F-35s were used twice due to minor hardware problems that kept jets grounded during takeoff, said Capt. Richard Palz, officer in charge of the 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. In one incident, an internal battery failed and had to be removed and replaced. During the second event, the plane’s initial navigation system failed, necessitating maintenance.

Both aircraft were returned to service after undergoing repairs and exhibited no additional issues, he said.

Having to move to a spare aircraft is not unusual, even during normal operations, Lyons said.
“We were able to make on-time takeoffs to be a part of the mission and do what we needed to do,” he said. "Those are minor problems that you experience with any sort of aviation operation, and I was very, very impressed with the airplane from a reliability and stability perspective,” he said.
Col. David Smith, commander of 419th Fighter Wing and currently an F-16 pilot, noted the two F-35 ground aborts are actually an improvement when compared to the failure rates of the F-16 and other 4th-generation aircraft.

The software’s performance showed a marked improvement compared to a previous deployment to Mountain Home. During an exercise last February, F-35A aircraft from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., prepared to make a rapid launch, but only one of six aircraft was able to successfully take off. In written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee in May, Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon’s lead weapon’s tester, characterized the system shut down and restarts as “a symptom of immature systems and software.”

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[FORBIN]

Damage not in desert cammo

First F-35I showcased

More F-35 orders remain on horizon for Israel

The Israeli Air Force’s chief of staff has recommended the purchase of an additional 17 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, but that decision is pending authorisation from the Israeli government.

Wednesday marked the roll-out of the first Lockheed Martin F-35I Adir, a slightly modified F-35A which will be delivered to Israel’s Nevatim Air Base in December. The U.S. has approved the sale of up to 75 F-35s to Israel and the country has signed contracts for 33 F-35s, the last of which will arrive around 2021, Israeli air force chief of staff Brigadier Gen. Tal Kelman told reporters Tuesday.
Israel has not made a decision on whether it will purchase the additional 17 F-35A-model fighters or when they would be delivered, Kelman says.

“Once we have a decision, we’ll know the timeline,” he says.
While Israel is committed to its order of A variant fighters, its air force is also mulling over a future purchase of the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B. Israel would start purchasing F-35Bs if the country’s order exceeded 50 aircraft, Kelman says.

The F-35B's STOVL capability could offer significant advantages during an attack on an air base, Kelman says. But he also noted the aircraft’s drawbacks, including its smaller payload and fuel capacity than the conventional F-35A.

Kelman also reasons that regional conflicts would push Israel to complete aircraft maintenance within the country.

“Israel is in the middle of the Middle East and we’re in a daily conflict,” he says. “That is why we don’t want aircraft to leave, we cannot afford having a fighter aircraft go for three months [for] maintenance somewhere.”

While Israel will be able to complete normal aircraft maintenance, heavy maintenance would require significant investment and infrastructure, F-35 programme executive Lt Gen Christopher Bogdan says Wednesday. The US and Israel are forging tailored maintenance solution for Israel, but it won’t happen overnight, Bogdan says.

“There’s some policy issues in the US that we have to work on, there’s some investment by the Israeli government,” he said. “The good news is, when you deliver a new plane like this, you’re not going to need heavy maintenance for quite a long time so there is time to work the policy, infrastructure, tooling and training side to get Israel where they want to be.”

Israel’s push to complete maintenance at home would likely set them apart from other F-35 operators, who could leverage economies of scale with programme's larger, global maintenance infrastructure.

“Israel would like to be able to tap into that economy of scale, but their geo-political situation is such that they may have to do things on their own,” Bogdan says.

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Replace to Nevatim F-16 the more old Block 10, Israel AF have also Bl 30-40 and I variant which is a 50/52+ customized in fact ; in 140 Sqn stand down waiting F-35I and after in 116th active him.

 

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F-35 Software Runs Smoothly During Mountain Home Deployment

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When this article was posted, there was a comment which seemed rather puzzling.

"We cleared 88 of 88 sorties, and we were on time for 100 percent of those sorties for the large force exercises,” Maj. Brad Matherne, an F-35A pilot from the 34th Fighter Squadron, told reporters during a June 21 conference call. “We had zero losses due to any software stability issues that were previously out there.”

The explanation is from another article on the same event.

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Simulating the operation of Lightning II from forward air bases. The deployment was supported by 188 operations and maintenance personnel. The deployment that spanned over 11 days beginning June 6, proved that the aircraft could successfully operate away from its home base against a variety of threats.

“The F-35 recently deployed from Hill to Mountain Home where crews, maintenance, and support personnel conducted a number of missions.” Chase said, “During that deployment, crews attained a 100 percent sortie generation rate with 88 of 88 planned sorties and a 94 percent hit rate with 15 of 16 bombs on target. These numbers provide a positive indication of where we are when it comes to stability and component performance.” Through these flights the F-35s were challenged by F-15E aggressors, but the F-35s managed to complete all their missions with zero losses. The missions included Offensive Counter-Air (OCA), Air Interdiction (AI), Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD), Defensive Counter-Air (DCA) and Close Air Support (CAS).

In other words, the F-35's were able to manage opposition from the F-15E's.

 

[Air Force Brat]

When this article was posted, there was a comment which seemed rather puzzling.


The explanation is from another article on the same event.

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In other words, the F-35's were able to manage opposition from the F-15E's.

as Darth would say "most impressive commander, most impressive!

many probably do not realize that Vader's Helmet was the foundation of the HMS system on the F-35, just a bit of "Brat Krapola" to amaze your friends, family, and co-workers!

also to jazz up your life, walk down the frozen food aisle at Walmart and wave your hands at the lighting sensors while humming Lord Vader's tune out loud! as the lights come up as you proceed down the "corridor", you will be able to feel the force within you growing in power, women and children will shrink back in fear! I know because the Honey Badger and the twins kinda stand way back when I start humming the empyreal march!

 

[Brumby]

as Darth would say "most impressive commander, most impressive!

many probably do not realize that Vader's Helmet was the foundation of the HMS system on the F-35, just a bit of "Brat Krapola" to amaze your friends, family, and co-workers!

also to jazz up your life, walk down the frozen food aisle at Walmart and wave your hands at the lighting sensors while humming Lord Vader's tune out loud! as the lights come up as you proceed down the "corridor", you will be able to feel the force within you growing in power, women and children will shrink back in fear! I know because the Honey Badger and the twins kinda stand way back when I start humming the empyreal march!

As you said, feel the force - it is coming. By 2020, it is expected that there will be 850 of them. Direct from Tyndall Air Force Base :

 

[FORBIN]

On the way !

More nice

 

[FORBIN]

Now 12 boys for 34th FS to Hill initialy planned 12/16 for august total 24 after, so deliveries completely in the time, some problems ... but LM have delivered always on the time.

They mention only internal weapons seems right now only test F-35s can be armed with external weapons.

10 Questions on the F-35A Lightning II

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. --
The F-35A is on track to be declared initially operationally capable between August and December 2016.

IOC is the first step Air Combat Command will take in bringing the F-35 online as the latest fifth generation multirole fighter. In IOC configuration, the aircraft will be able to penetrate areas with developed air defenses, provide close air support to ground troops and be readily deployable to conflict theaters.

Col. David Chace is the F-35 systems management office chief and lead for F-35 operational requirements at Air Combat Command. He leads a multi-discipline team of maintenance professionals, program managers, operators and engineers not only with the responsibility for F-35 requirements, but also weapons systems fielding.

Below is a recent Q&A with Chace that outlines where ACC is in the IOC process.
Q1: What is the process for becoming IOC?

A1: There are a number of criteria that must be met in terms of capabilities and performance to become IOC. The requirements, established in 2013, include 12-24 aircraft with trained and equipped Airman for basic close air support, interdiction and limited SEAD/DEAD in a contested environment and operating from a deployed location. To support those operations we need the proper logistics and operational elements in place, including having the proper personnel, equipment and appropriate technical manuals.

Q2: Do you think you will reach IOC with just 12 F-35 aircraft?

A2: The forecast is that we will have more than 12 aircraft. There are currently 12 aircraft available at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Some of those are going through the last few modifications required to support IOC. We will have additional aircraft in the modification process beginning in August. Depending on the actual IOC date, modifications may be complete on the additional F-35s.

Q3: Who decides when the F-35 is IOC?

A3: The commander of Air Combat Command will make the IOC decision in direct consultation with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. It is a capabilities-based decision, with input received from units assigned to operational testing and evaluation at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Q4: Where is the F-35 in the IOC timeline?

A4: Since beginning this process over five years ago with the first F-35s on the ground, we are in the final stages of IOC. These steps focus on training and equipping our personnel. There are no known technical issues today that would prevent us from reaching IOC in our August-December timeframe. The F-35 recently deployed from Hill to Mountain Home where crews, maintenance and support personnel conducted a number of missions. During that deployment, crews attained a 100 percent sortie generation rate with 88 of 88 planned sorties and a 94 percent hit rate with 15 of 16 bombs on target.

These numbers provide a positive indication of where we are when it comes to stability and component performance.

Feedback from the events at Mountain Home will feed into the overall evaluation of F-35 capabilities. The second evaluation will take place in the operational test environment with F-35 mission sets the Air Force intends to execute after IOC. All reports will be delivered in July and feed into the overall F-35 capabilities report. The ultimate goal is to provide a needed capability to the warfighter to execute the mission. It is not calendar-based or event-based.

Q5: What has the feedback been from the field so far?

A5: The feedback from unit operators in place today has been very positive for the F-35, not just concerning performance but the ability the aircraft has with other platforms. In particular at Hill, integration with the F-15E has gone very well. We’ve also been demonstrating the ability to put bombs on target. All of that information will be provided to us in the formal IOC readiness assessments.

Q6: What are some of the key metrics you’re hoping to see out of the deployment to Mountain Home?

A6: We’re looking for the ability to deliver combat power and the instruments that go into supporting that, such as aircraft stability and the capability to generate sorties. We’re also looking for feedback on the functionality of ALIS to support that sortie generation.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: ALIS is the Autonomic Logistics Interface System, which makes the F-35 a flying information hub, enabling pilots to plan ahead and manage entire battlespaces.)

Q7: What weapons capability will the F-35 have achieved at IOC?

Q7: The F-35, a 5th generation aircraft, is a survival platform that can detect, track and engage targets in a contested environment. At the time we declare IOC we will focus on three mission sets that will concentration on the number and type of weapons the aircraft can carry. Those weapons include two GBU-31s and two GBU-12s, or two AMRAAMs.

Q8: Is this aircraft capable of deploying to Iraq or Syria to battle ISIS like the F-22 did?

A8: After IOC, it will be available to support the needs of the combatant commanders.

Q9: How soon the F-35 will be deployed to overseas locations?

A9: There are a number of events being considered for the F-35, to include training exercises and deployments. These events are being assessed and planned for through the needs of the combatant commanders.

Q10: After IOC is declared, what are the next steps for the F-35?

A10: It’s a constantly evolving responsibility working hand-in-hand with our sister services and partners in development. We are actively engaged in the other activities taking place to field the F-35, such as system upgrades, such as Block 3F for full warfighter capability and future basing locations. Additional squadrons are planned for Hill as well as at Luke Air Force Base with seven of the partner nations, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska and locations in Europe and the Pacific. The entry of the F-35 into Air National Guard units will take place in Burlington, Vermont and the first F-35 weapons school class at Nellis Air Force Base is also being projected on the timeline. We also continue to evaluate the future threat environment and how the F-35 must adapt to remain survivable against those threats. Right now we’re looking at delivering the first increment of modernization to the F-35 in late 2020 or early 2021.

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[Air Force Brat]

On the way !

More nice
View attachment 28608

I like the Zinc Chromate birds the best, don't even ask me why??? LOL

 

[FORBIN]

About last prevision mid june for lots 12 - 14/ FRP 1 - 3 include export fighters :

For USAF, impossible to be exact for A coz export also but the number seems have not changed, 60 by year
B : same, 20 B for USMC/year
C : a little diffferent - 2 on 3 years 36 vs 38 insignificant, FRP 1 6 vs 8 before , FRP 2 : 12 vs 10 ; FRP 3 : 18 vs 20
But good point 18 for FRP 3 before mentionned eventually only btw 10/20 with 18 possible transitionned 3,5 Sqns in 2 years.