F-35 Lightning II - Discussione Ufficiale

[TT-1 Pinto]

F-35 ... il centro di manutenzione italiano di Cameri apre i battenti ai clienti internazionali con un jet norvegese ...

Cita

Italy’s F-35 final assembly line has been qualified to start offering maintenance to European jets and this month received its first customer: a Norwegian F-35.
The Norwegian fighter flew in July 4 after the facility at Cameri in northern Italy achieved full operational capability for F-35 overhauls last month, F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin said.
A spokeswoman for the firm said the DoD joint program office for the fighter certified Cameri’s Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul, and Upgrade (MROU) facility as achieving full operating capability in June.
Cameri, an Italian air force base which started life as a final assembly line for Italy’s expected order of 90 jets and delivered the first in 2015, is owned by the Italian government and operated by Italian state-controlled defense firm Leonardo in partnership with Lockheed Martin.

... defensenews.com ... https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2022/07/15/italy-f-35-maintenance-hub-opens-for-international-customers-with-norwegian-jet/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Il motore dell'F-35 è a un bivio, con in gioco miliardi di dollari per l'industria ... 
E i militari dovranno prendere decisioni su quale motore adottare entro non troppo tempo ... ma, a quanto pare, la situazione è parecchio complicata ...

Cita

The Pentagon and industry agree the F-35 engine needs improvements. 
But despite years of development and debate, the path forward isn’t yet clear.
With the fifth-generation fighter’s missile capacity, electronic warfare, and targeting systems advancing beyond what was originally conceived, and the U.S. Air Force concerned about the potential for war against China, the service is planning to put more power and cooling ability on the F-35.
But there remain multiple options for how to get there. 
One approach is making a series of upgrades to the existing Pratt & Whitney-made F135 engine currently powering the F-35 through the Enhanced Engine Program.
Another potential path is an entirely new replacement engine using cutting-edge technology such as a third stream of air to improve fuel efficiency and thrust. 
Pratt & Whitney and General Electric Aviation have each developed competing versions as part of the Adaptive Engine Transition Program, known as AETP.
Officials from the Air Force and Defense Department so far have not decided whether the F-35 will receive a new adaptive engine or an upgraded F135. 
But within the next year, the companies expect the military’s future plans to come into focus.
The military’s decision will determine the future power and propulsion capabilities of the cornerstone of the Air Force’s fighter fleet - not to mention where billions of defense dollars will ultimately go.

... defensenews.com ... https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022/07/15/the-f-35-engine-is-at-a-crossroads-with-billions-of-dollars-for-industry-at-stake/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Raggiunto l'accordo fra LM e JPO per i lotti 15-16-17 ...

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/f-35-jpo-and-lockheed-martin-reach-handshake-deal-for-375-aircraft/ ...

... defensenews.com ... https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022/07/19/lockheed-touts-handshake-deal-with-pentagon-for-next-three-lots-of-f-35s/ ...

Modificato 19 Luglio 2022 da TT-1 Pinto
***

[TT-1 Pinto]

General Electric studia l'opzione del motore adattivo XA100 per l'F-35B ...

Cita

With ongoing ground tests of the General Electric XA100 adaptive cycle combat engine set to end soon, the engine-maker is studying how the advanced propulsion system - proposed for the Lockheed Martin F-35A/C - could be adapted to include the short-take-off-and-vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35B version.
The study is being undertaken with the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), Lockheed Martin and Rolls-Royce, the provider of the lift fan system which enables the F-35B version to operate in STOVL mode. 
Results of the study - which will outline the feasibility of modifying the variable cycle engine for operation in future versions of the variant now flown by the U.S. Marine Corps, Japan, UK, Singapore and Italy - will be available in time for the fall meeting of the JSF Executive Steering Board.
“We offer a 100% common solution between the F-35A and the F-35C -no structural redesign of either aircraft is required,” says David Tweedie, vice president and general manager of GE Edison Works Advanced Products unit. 
“For the B model that was initially outside the scope of what we undertook, but it's been 10 years of hard effort to really mature this technology and get this design to the point that we think we're ready to launch.”

... aviationweek.com ... https://aviationweek.com/shownews/farnborough-airshow/ge-studies-xa100-adaptive-engine-option-f-35b ...

 

Motore General Electric XA100 AETP per l'F-35 ... “La tecnologia è pronta e le esigenze sono maggiori di prima. Ora è il momento di procedere” ...

Cita

Tests on GE Aviation's XA100 adaptive cycle engine have shown that the technology has matured enough and that the time has come to move the program forward.
In March the second of two prototypes of the XA100 began testing with the U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tullahoma, Tennessee. 
The engine was developed as part of the USAF’s Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) and is aimed at providing a new powerplant for the F-35A (and the Navy’s F-35C) around the end of the decade.
Results from the ongoing Arnold tests, and those conducted by the engine-maker at its Evendale, Ohio, plant - which now total several hundred hours of run-time.
“We believe that we have reached a critical decision point,” said David Tweedie, v-p and general manager advanced projects at GE’s Edison Works, the company’s research and development business unit for military solutions. 
“Everyone agrees that something needs to be done. The technology is ready, and the needs are greater than they were. Now it’s time to proceed.”

... ainonline.com ... https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2022-07-21/ge-believes-time-right-transformational-engine ...

[engine]

La Cechia    ci pensa e annuncia : 

https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/f-35-ecco-come-repubblica-ceca-fara-felice-lockheed-martin-e-biden/

 

Qui , qualche approfondimento :

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2022/07/czech-republic-buy-24-f35.html

[mariotv]

2 ore fa, engine ha scritto:

Qui , qualche approfondimento :

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2022/07/czech-republic-buy-24-f35.html

...quindi le Forze aeree ceche vorrebbero passare dal "niente" (i Gripen delle versioni originali sono da anni solo in leasing dalle Forze aeree svedesi) al "meglio" attuale. Le differenti ma parallele valutazioni elvetico / finlandesi hanno soprattutto evidenziato la convenienza (finanziaria) dell' aereo USA rispetto a una... presunta concorrenza. Nessuno dubita, credo, della complessiva superiorita' dell'F-35 rispetto al duo europeo Rafale / Typhoon, concepito in tempi di guerra fredda. Insomma che senso ha poi insistere con aerei che non hanno certamente "sfondato" oltre ai non piu' che importanti bisogni di 4 o 5 Stati europei?... Siamo al punto di partecipazioni a competizioni (che cominciano ad essere "patetiche") per la grandeur parigina e del suo numero uno e per la dimostrazione delle capacita' tecnologiche europee?... Beh, il tempo passa e oltre dieci anni fa si dissertava, mi pare anche in questo forum, sul pro e sul contro di Rafale e di Efa. Se ben ricordo le vantate mete produttive e di vendita per gli Stati direttamente interessati erano superiori dell' attuale realta'. Vabbe', l'F-35 vale di piu' e costa meno...molto meno, parola di svizzero. 

[engine]

La scelta è probabilmente dovuta alla possibilità di allinearsi a Polonia , Germania ( ??? sui tedeschi continuo ad avere qualche  " dubia " ) , Finlandia e Norvegia, giusto per citare i paesi più esposti all'aggressività putiniana.

In tal modo aumenta il numero di squadriglie con aerei adatti a lanciare le B-61 e c'è anche la possibilità di ricominciare a organizzare degli " squadron exchanges " con materiale omogeneo ( differenze fra i blocks permettendo )  , nonchè    di armonizzare la manutenzione e progettare munizionamento comune   .

Modificato 22 Luglio 2022 da engine

[mariotv]

In piu' degli allineamenti "militari" citati sopra esiste gia' in parte e ci sara' ancor di piu' entro il prossimo decennio un' ampia comunita' di utilizzatori di un unico tipo di aereo da combattimento come mai si e' verificato. 

[TT-1 Pinto]

L'eventuale adozione da parte degli Stati Uniti dei nuovi motori "AETP" potrebbe causare problemi agli altri acquirenti degli F-35 ...

Cita

Da FlightGlobal ...

Why engine replacement plan would hurt F-35’s international credentials ...
By James Maclaren - 25 July 2022

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 has become the air force centrepiece for a growing number of Western nations. 
The interoperability of the aircraft’s operations and sustainment systems is recognised as a force multiplier in the delivery of combat air power, whether deployed to blunt Russian aggression in Europe or challenge China’s rise to dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.
The decision to operate the aircraft is driven in large measure by the requirement for a fighter that can evolve over an expected four-decade lifecycle, during which it will be developed and upgraded, enabling it to maintain superiority over Russian and Chinese rivals.
While the aircraft’s stealth, sensor and strike abilities are well known, its technical interoperability is a crucial factor in delivering consistent frontline capability, which strengthens US-led global alliances.
This interoperability is more than allies co-ordinating and communicating effort; it is integration at the level of the operating platform. 
This capability was seamlessly demonstrated by the inclusion of a US Marine Corps (USMC) F-35B squadron in the air wing of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
This level of integration offers decisive combat flexibility and has energised the fifth-generation modernisation of European and other allied air forces – and is widely seen as a major contribution to Western security and deterrence.
Against this success, a US decision to begin serious consideration of retrofitting the F-35 fleet via the Adaptive Engine Technology Programme (AETP) may raise eyebrows in the defence ministries of the many allies and prospective operators of the aircraft.
Consideration of an AETP retrofit appears to be a unilateral one, driven by the needs of the type’s single largest operator: the US Air Force.
The current F135 propulsion system supplied by Pratt & Whitney is at the heart of F-35 performance capabilities. 
Shifting the programme in the direction of AETP – an effort originally conceived to support development of sixth-generation fighter capability – may leave partners and allies wondering where the considerable technical and financial risk may eventually fall.

FORCED CHANGE?

These concerns are made sharper by the rapid timeframe for such a retrofit envisaged by the US Congress, with key influencers there suggesting the fleet could gain a new propulsion system by the end of 2027.
Whether allies will be forced to accept AETP to maintain interoperability or will need to diverge by running on the current propulsion system – with its consequences on supply chain, sustainment and interoperability – remains to be seen.
An AETP retrofit could be particularly bad news for the UK – the programme’s only Level 1 partner – and Japan, which is the largest overseas purchaser of the F-35. 
The lack of design compatibility with the short take-off and vertical landing B-model operated by both countries will have a major impact – as it will on the USMC.
The retrofit proposal is not a done deal, however. 
P&W’s proposed F135 upgrade goes a long way to achieving the necessary operational capability, and opponents question the need for the effort and resources required to overcome the technical challenges of changing the combat aircraft’s propulsion system.
A decision from Congress is expected in early 2023. 
In the meantime, the effects of this proposal on the coalition of F-35 partners and operators will begin to bubble to the surface, as nations evaluate the impact on their own militaries and supporting industries.
If international concern is raised, US lawmakers would do well to listen. 
The pursuit of propulsion perfection should not be at the expense of the allied interoperability which the F-35 programme promised. 
The aircraft is already being delivered with deployed operational capability and represents a unique step change in international defence co-operation.

(James Maclaren is a freelance journalist and writer specialising in defence and security, and a former UK military officer, based in London).

[Flaggy]

Se mai gli Stati uniti scegliessero il nuovo motore (e fosse la prima volata che lo fanno nel corso della produzione di un velivolo), mi sa che i vecchi aerei resteranno col vecchio per un bel po’ (magari fino alla fine dei loro giorni) e non solo nelle flotte dei clienti esteri, ma anche in quella USA. Il motore è l’impianto più costoso di un velivolo e l’F135 non mi pare così lacunoso da richiedere assolutamente un rimpiazzo per finanziare il quale bisognerà dissanguarsi.

Piuttosto i pacchetti di aggiornamento dovranno tenere conto del fatto che parte della flotta non sarà compatibile con tutto e in particolare con tutto ciò che richiede potenza elettrica e necessità di raffreddamento non gestibili con il motore attuale. Possibilmente si dovrà in qualche modo garantire la producibilità del velivolo col motore vecchio (magari opportunamente aggiornabile) per chi non ha ancora completato l’acquisizione di tutti i velivoli programmati e non vuole gestire flotte troppo eterogenee senza spendere badilate di soldi in rimotorizzazioni.

Se il nuovo contesto internazionale richiede motori più performati, forse è il caso che cominci a spingere anche verso una maggiore flessibilità rispetto al modo ferraginoso e lento con cui è stato gestito finora il programma F-35.

D'altra parte aerei blasonati costruiti i centinaia di esemplari non si sono mai fatti mancare l'inevitabile moltiplicazione di versioni e sottoversioni che in qualche modo si è sempre gestita.

[nsauro]

Alla faccia dell'aereo "universale" col 75% delle parti comuni tra le varie versioni . 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Numerosi membri del Congresso hanno scritto una lettera al Sottosegretario alla Difesa William LaPlante per raccomandare che venga installato sugli F-35 la versione migliorata del motore F135 di P&W  e non il futuro motore "AETP" ...

Cita

Some 35 members of Congress, anxious to keep the  F135 in the F-35, sent LaPlante a letter July 22 urging him t o drop the idea of putting the AETP in the F-35. 
Putting the AETP in the F-35 would be too risky, they said, and it is already “the most complex and expensive program” in the Pentagon’s portfolio. 
Now that the F-35 is transitioning to high-rate production and sustainment, a new engine would needlessly complicate matters, they said. 
The letter stressed that the “cornerstone” of the F-35 program is that all users rely on a common logistics base; and that introducing a dissimilar engine would add cost and expand the count of parts needed to keep on hand.
“Now is not the time” to introduce a new variable into the F-35’s struggle to reach affordable sustainment costs, the lawmakers said, also noting Kendall’s own testimony earlier this year that the AETP is likely to be a $6 billion development program to reach operational status.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/kendall-says-f-35-engine-decision-needed-soon-wont-limp-along-on-rd/ ...

[maxiss]

Intanto.. ulteriori 375 veivoli per il Pentagono (ossia lotti 15,16,17)..

 

https://www.rid.it/shownews/5101

Modificato 29 Luglio 2022 da maxiss

[Flaggy]

Era scontato..

https://www.rid.it/shownews/5109

[maxiss]

La Grecia vuole raddoppiare, avanti anche la repubblica ceca..

 

https://www.analisidifesa.it/2022/07/la-grecia-punta-a-raddoppiare-gli-f-35-la-repubblica-ceca-ne-vuole-ordinare-24/

[TT-1 Pinto]

Dopo la messa a terra dei T-38 e dei T-6 per problemi al sistema di espulsione Martin-Baker ... ora tocca agli F-35A dell'USAF ...

Cita

The Air Force has grounded its F-35A fighters as it checks for potentially faulty parts in the type’s Martin-Baker ejection seats. 
The move follows by a day the service’s grounding nearly half its T-38 supersonic trainers and about a sixth of its T-6A primary trainers for the same issue.
Air Combat Command announced that it was standing down its F-35As, as did U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Education and Training Command. 
Pacific Air Forces was expected to follow suit. 
The Navy is following a similar inspection protocol on its jets with Martin-Baker seats, including its F-35Bs/Cs, F/A-18s, EA-18s, T-45s, and F-5Ns.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/air-force-f-35s-grounded-as-search-for-faulty-ejection-seat-parts-widens/ ...

[engine]

Il 27/7/2022 at 08:27, nsauro ha scritto:

Alla faccia dell'aereo "universale" col 75% delle parti comuni tra le varie versioni . 

Il nuovo motore fa parte della naturale evoluzione dell'aereo.

Cosa normale per una macchina ordinata in molti esemplari e la cui produzione viene proiettata in un periodo prolungato di anni.

A questo punto il modello col nuovo propulsore potrebbe benissimo essere chiamato F - 35 D .

Si tenga d'occhio anche l'evoluzione dei sensori di rilevamento .

Come confronto storico , si guardi al numero di versioni del Phantom II .

A beneficiare dell'eventuale nuova versione potrebbero essere gli ultimi acquirenti :  Polonia , Svizzera , Finlandia, Grecia , Cechia .

[nsauro]

Hai pienamente ragione, la mia era una battuta!!!
Comunque, realisticamente parlando credo che l'intenzione iniziale fosse utopica, bellissimo avere una linea quasi comune, con la stessa logistica, quasi stessa formazione per tecnici, piloti ecc. ma impossibile da realizzare, come si è dimostrato. 
Forse, come dici te, per i nuovi acquirenti potrebbe essere una bella cosa il motore nuovo, cominciando da zero avrebbero una sola linea. Per chi ha già la prima versione, forse sarebbe meglio un aggiornamento dell'attuale per non complicare la logistica...

[engine]

Bisogna vedere se il nuovo motore è compatibile con la presa d'aria esistente , dato che le due cose sono legate .

Presumiamo di sì .

Bisogna anche vedere se l'installazione del nuovo propulsore comporterà modifiche strutturali , nel caso che la massa  sia significativamente diversa : punti di aggancio , prese d'aria per il raffreddamento e analisi delle vibrazioni e dei conseguenti sforzi di fatica, giusto per dirne alcune.

Nel caso si rendessero necessarie , imbarcare tale motore su cellule vecchie sarebbe improponibile , a meno di prolungati fermi in officina / azienda per le modifiche del caso.

Per chi ha le cellule originali , è meglio tenersi il motore attuale  e puntare più su aggiornamento dei sensori e munizionamento, analogamente a quanto avvenuto per gli F 16 A delle forze aeree europee  appartenenti al gruppo di acquirenti  originale ( NL , B , N , D ) .

[mariotv]

Finlandia ed F-35

Sulla rivista svizzera Sky news 8/22 si puo' leggere un ampio articolo su Finlandia e F-35. L' occasione e' stata data dall' organizzazione dell' annuale meeting aereo svoltosi a Pori, nel sud ovest finlandese tenutosi a meta' giugno scorso.

Le Forze aerei finlandesi, dopo un' accurata valutazione differente ma temporalmente parallela a quella svizzera, hanno deciso per l' acquisto di 64 Lighting II per mezzo di uno stanziamento straordinario. Benche' la decisione di Helsinki sia avvenuta quasi 6 mesi dopo quella svizzera, l' iter istituzionale finnico consente una fornitura degli apparecchi parecchio tempo prima rispetto a quelli per le Forze aeree svizzere. In pratica: il contratto d' acquisto e' stato stipulato una decina di giorni prima dell' inizio della crisi Ucraina. Fornitura degli F-35 Bolck 4 a partire dalla seconda meta' del 2025 negli USA, dal 2026 in Finlandia. Conclusione dell' operazione nel 2030. Il programma impegnera' industrie locali per ca. 3,4 miliardi di Euro con l' impegno di 6000 persone.

Indubbiamente per il vasto e poco popolato Paese nord europeo il rinnovo della linea aerea da combattimento e' un segnale di impegno militare nei confronti del grande Paese dell' est con il quale la Finlandia ha ben 1300 km di confine comune.

 

[TT-1 Pinto]

General Electric Aviation e  Pratt & Whitney presentano pubblicamente i rispettivi piani sul futuro motore degli F-35 ... mentre la decisione sulla scelta incombe ...

Cita

Meeting with reporters, industry leaders, and military officials from across the world at the Farnborough International Airshow, engine-makers GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney laid out their competing visions for the future of F-35 propulsion in July.
While executives from both companies agreed that the fifth-gen fighter’s engine program needs a change, they continue to pitch sharply different approaches - and assessments of what the problem itself is.
GE is pushing to replace the current F135 engine with its cutting-edge XA100, developed as part of the Air Force’s Advanced Engine Transition Program and described by David Tweedie, GE’s general manager of Advanced Combat Engines, as providing a generational-level jump in capabilities.
Pratt & Whitney is offering what it calls its F135 Enhanced Engine Package, which Jennifer Latka, vice president of the F135 program, likened to a “block upgrade” that will be cheaper, faster to field, and more than sufficient for the Joint Program Office’s needs.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/ge-pratt-whitney-pitch-their-f-35-engine-plans-at-farnborough/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Saranno 18 i nuovi F-35 per l'Italia ...
Dalla pagina "Contracts" del DoD del 9 Agosto 2022 alla voce NAVY ...

Cita

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a not-to-exceed $524,100,000 undefinitized modification (P00015) to a previously awarded fixed-price incentive (firm target) advanced acquisition contract (N0001920C0009). 
This modification increases the ceiling to procure long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for the production of seven Lot 15 F-35A aircraft, two Lot 15 F-35B aircraft, seven Lot 16 F-35A, and two Lot 16 F-35B aircraft for the government of Italy. 
Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (57%); El Segundo, California (14%); Warton, United Kingdom (9%); Cameri, Italy (4%); Orlando, Florida (4%); Nashua, New Hampshire (3%); Baltimore, Maryland (3%); San Diego, California (2%); Nagoya, Japan (2%); and various undisclosed locations outside the continental U.S. (2%), and is expected to be completed in June 2025. 
Non-U.S. Department of Defense participant funds in the amount of $524,100,000 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 
The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

... defense.gov ... https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/3122316/ ...

 & 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Risolto (o quasi) il problema al sistema di espulsione Martin-Baker che aveva causato la messa a terra degli F-35 ... 

Cita

Two weeks after announcing a stand down of its F-35 fleet to check for potentially faulty parts in the fighters’ ejection seats, the Air Force has mostly completed its inspections and the aircraft have been cleared to resume normal operations, Air Combat Command announced Aug. 15.
The stand down, ordered July 29, affected fleets across ACC, Air Education and Training Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and Pacific Air Forces. 
In a statement to Air Force Magazine, an ACC spokesperson said most of the service’s 349 jets were inspected, along with additional supplies of the part in question, a cartridge-actuated device, or CAD.
Each fighter has two CADs, and all told, 706 of the cartridges were inspected. 
Of those 706, four “were found to be suspect” and replaced, the spokesperson said.
A number of F-35s remained uninspected as of Aug. 15. 
The ACC spokesperson clarified that they are in depot status. 
Under a Time Compliance Technical Directive, all aircraft must be inspected within 90 days.

... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/air-force-f-35-stand-down-ends-after-ejection-seat-inspections/ ...

Anche qui ... defensenews.com ... https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022/08/15/all-us-air-force-f-35s-are-flying-again-after-ejection-seat-checks/ ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Qualche dettaglio sul "Lotto 15" ...

Cita

Lot 15 of the F-35 fighter will include up to 129 aircraft, with 49 F-35As for the Air Force, and cost up to $7.6 billion, according to the details of a contract award announced by the Pentagon on Aug. 12.
The final contract award came less than a month after the F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin announced a “handshake” deal for Lots 15-17 of the fighter, the result of months of delayed negotiations.
As part of that handshake deal, the JPO agreed to buy 375 fighters for an average of 125 per lot, roughly in line with the 129 agreed to in Lot 15 but well below the 156 per year that Lockheed Martin CEO James D. Taiclet had previously predicted.
The announcement of the handshake agreement did not include any information on pricing, per-variant totals, or how many each service and partner country would receive.

 ... airforcemag.com ... https://www.airforcemag.com/f-35-lot-15-will-include-up-to-129-fighters-cost-7-6-billion/ ...

 

[maxiss]

Vuoi vedere che ritorna la Turchia?

https://m.dagospia.com/erdogan-non-rinnova-il-contratto-con-la-russia-per-i-missili-s-400-e-il-segnale-che-l-accordo-321076