December 13, 201114 yr Author From DefenseNews [excerpt] Top Senators Express Dismay Over Latest F-35 DealBy KATE BRANNEN Published: 12 Dec 2011 21:32 The 2012 U.S. defense authorization bill includes tighter cost controls for the next F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) purchase, but the legislation comes too late to influence a contract the Defense Department awarded days earlier.
January 3, 201214 yr Author From Aviation Week's ARES blog [excerpt] Note that training aircraft are restricted to subsonic speeds and modest g and angle-of-attack limits until Block 2B arrives, and that "Block 2B and 3C Fleet Release timing (is) under development". Stay tuned... CV32: Block 2B doesn't look to arrive until LRIP Batch 6.
January 3, 201214 yr Note that training aircraft are restricted to subsonic speeds and modest g and angle-of-attack limits until Block 2B arrives, and that "Block 2B and 3C Fleet Release timing (is) under development". Stay tuned... After those years of development, don't sound it as proper of a great military plane ...
January 5, 201214 yr Author From Reuters [excerpt] U.S. to delay Lockheed F-35 planes again: sourcesBy Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON | Wed Jan 4, 2012 9:00pm EST (Reuters) - The Pentagon is gearing up to restructure Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program for a third time in three years, sources said, with production of more than 120 more planes to be postponed to save money and allow more time for development.
January 5, 201214 yr Author From DefenseNews [excerpt] Turkey to Order F-35 Fighters from U.S.AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Published: 5 Jan 2012 10:50 ANKARA - Turkey will buy a first batch of two F-35A Joint Strike Fighters as a sign of its commitment to the troubled U.S.-led program, the government's defense procurement agency said Jan. 5.
January 9, 201214 yr Author From F-16.net [excerpt] U.S. Navy and U.K. Royal Navy F-35 unable to get aboard ship January 8, 2012 (by Eric L. Palmer) - The U.S. Navy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) known as the F-35C is at serious risk of never being able to land aboard an aircraft carrier. This also poses a risk to the U.K. aircraft carrier program which is supposed to use the F-35C at the end of the decade.
January 10, 201214 yr Is a good compendium of risible aeronautics and programa management: He said this should come as no surprise, given the level of stove-piping that had been applied to the F-35 program's engineer community and the dominance of “form over substance” and “a total indifference to what is real” being hallmarks of the program – “Affordability is the cornerstone of the JSF Program” being but one example. Other F-35 program problems identified in the QLR Report included the helmet visual cueing which is seriously affected by design issues and airframe buffet in the heart of the combat envelope. Also, all F-35 variants suffer from paper-thin weight margins, unsafe fuel dumping, flight restrictions on diving, speed and proximity to lightning hazards to name a few. And, it can only be flown during the daytime. The program's pilot training program was supposed to start at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in 2011 after previous delays. With the design issues mentioned above, pilot training is effectively grounded due to safety concerns. There is no known date when pilot training can start.
January 14, 201214 yr Author From AOL Defense [excerpt] F-35B Weight Margins Pretty Thin, OSD Testers SayBy Colin Clark Published: January 13, 2012 PENTAGON: If you want some idea of just how closely the Pentagon's test and evaluation folks are watching Lockheed Martin's F-35, just open the newly released annual report and thumb through the 12-plus pages of densely packed information about the aircraft.
January 17, 201214 yr Author From Information Dissemination blog [excerpt] Tuesday, January 17, 2012Boondoggle This article from blog friend Eric Palmer on F-16.net last week has been picking up some traction, with a story picked up in The Telegraph yesterday, and even on the CNN blog. Apparently Lockheed Martin forgot to design the tailhook on the F-35C correctly, and the aircraft cannot land on aircraft carriers. ...
January 19, 201214 yr Author From the DOT&E FY2011 Annual Report [excerpt] The JSF Operational Test Team completed an operational assessment of the F-35 program and determined that it is not on track to meet operational effectiveness or operational suitability requirements. The JSF Operational Test Team assessed the program based on measured and predicted performance against requirements from the JSF Operational Requirements Document, which was re-validated in 2009.• The primary operational effectiveness deficiencies include poor performance in the human systems integration (e.g. helmet-mounted display, night vision capability) and aircraft handling characteristics, as well as shortfalls in maneuvering performance (e.g. F-35A combat radius, which is a KPP, and F-35C acceleration). • The driving operational suitability deficiencies include an inadequate Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) for deployed operations, excessive time for low observable maintenance repair and restoration capability, low reliability and poor maintainability performance, and deficient crypto key management and interface compatibility. • The assessment was completed prior to release of an updated program integrated master schedule. While additional time and resources in development may aid the program in resolving some deficiencies, several requirements are not going to be met given current, known program plans. After the new master schedule is available, along with documentation of the application of the additional resources applied to SDD plans, an updated operational assessment may be provided. [emphasis mine] CV32: This, despite the accelerated flight testing schedule this past year.
January 19, 201214 yr Author From DefenseNews [excerpt] F-35 May Miss Acceleration GoalJan. 18, 2012 | By DAVE MAJUMDAR The F-35 Lightning II’s transonic acceleration may not meet the requirements originally set forth for the program, a top Lockheed Martin official said. CV32: I don't expect it to be the F-22, but the implication that performance suffers unless operating with internal weapons and fuel carriage only, is troubling. Especially here, where the expectation is that the F-35A will act in the sovereignty protection role.
January 19, 201214 yr Author From AOL Defense [excerpt] Panetta To Lift F-35B Probation at Pax RiverBy Colin Clark Published: January 19, 2012 WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will lift the probationary status tomorrow that the F-35B has labored under since his predecessor imposed one year ago. This lifts a dark veil from the program, which many have critics have targeted for elimination.
February 6, 201214 yr Author From Aviation Week [excerpt] Kendall: Early F-35 Production a MistakeFeb 6, 2012 By Amy Butler WASHINGTON Acting Pentagon procurement chief Frank Kendall says it was “acquisition malpractice” to approve production of the Lockheed Martin F-35 years before the first flight of the single-engine stealthy fighter occurred. “It should not have been done,” Kendall told an audience Feb. 6 hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “But we did it.”
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