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

IOC by the Numbers
7/28/2016
There are 222 F-35A maintainers at Hill AFB, Utah, now, and 150 more are in the pipeline, handily beating requirements for initial operational capability for the new fighter, Lt. Col. Steven Anderson, 388th Maintenance Group deputy commander, told reporters in a telecon Wednesday. The
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, which has been problematic in recent months, is up to the task of supporting a six-ship deployment, as required for IOC, he said, and will improve in the months and years to come. There are a combined 21 Active Duty and Reserve pilots certified—and three more nearly certified—“combat mission ready” in the air-to-air, close air support, interdiction, and “limited” suppression of enemy air defense missions, he reported. The CAS profile is similar to that flown by F-16s in Afghanistan in recent years, Lt. Col. George Watkins, 34th FS commander said, with GPS-guided and laser-guided bombs. The 34th Fighter Squadron has actually overflown its allotted flying hours by 14.5 percent “because of the increased reliability of the Low-Rate Initial Production Lot 7 and 8 aircraft,” and nine of the 15 aircraft serving with the unit were delivered early, Anderson added. Maintainers and depot workers at Hill worked “158 days … nonstop” to achieve IOC on time by Aug. 1, he said, and completed necessary modifications to the initial 12 aircraft “33 days ahead of schedule.” The timeline for
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for real-world missions will be up to ACC chief Gen. Hawk Carlisle, but the unit is ready, Watkins said.
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and let's see EDIT this year if History Repeats Itself:

Jul 5, 2016
Jul 3, 2015


in the meantime, I was (almost) fooled by
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after F-35B IOC was described as such a success in
F-35 OT-1 By the Numbers
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while later the hard data were obtained (
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), made available in
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which you may (and some of you won't :) read to check this graphics:
dote-flight-operations-chart_480.jpg

which is yet another
F-35 OT-1 By the Numbers

so I have been skeptical about the official success stories, as in (recent examples posted here):

Jun 23, 2016
from inside: "... 88 sorties ... Seven F-35As ... June 6-17 ..." deployment, so it's, on average, almost exactly, one sortie per one day per one aircraft ... with no info about the duration of those flights

Wednesday at 2:06 PM
from inside: "... the squadron received its first two F-35B aircraft on May 9 — three days after it completed its final flights with the Harrier. Officials did not immediately respond to a request about when the remaining joint strike fighters made by Lockheed Martin Corp. would join the squadron. ..." so in my opinion, the headline is pathetic

is all this just the business as usual? LOL
OK this time, with F-35, quote, handily beating requirements, end of quote, I'm on high alert :)
 
Last edited:

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Yep, the USAF is declaring IOC as soon as Monday, as per the Air Force Magazine Daily Report this morning, could one of you smart boys post a link please?? The F-35A is cleared of all G limitations with the nitrogen inerting on the fuel system. I believe the initial squadron is at Hill AFB, Utah, and they are indeed ready to go fight, contrary to all the Nay Sayers. So before we post some of those non-sense articles, check your six, AFB has your six O'clock!
...hehehe...and the beat goes on.

We will now have IOC for the Alpha Dog and the Bravo Dog.

The only operational 5th generation aircraft in the world are the USAF F-22, the USMC F-35B, and (will be) the USAF F-35A.

I believe that the US Navy F-35C will be the next.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
First Israeli F-35 ‘Adir’ is Airborne
By Tamir Eshel - Jul 28, 201617868
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The first F-35 bound to Israel made its maiden flight June 26 from Fort Worth, Texas, flown by Lockheed Martin’s test pilot. The aircraft will now conduct a series of flight tests to confirm its airworthiness. It is expected to land in Israel on December 12, 2016. These test flights will be concluded in November, in time for the first two aircraft to begin their cross-Atlantic ferry flight to Israel.

Since the Israeli government decision was made in September 2010, IAF personnel have been preparing for the arrival of the new jets. The first cadre of aircrew members is currently undergoing conversion training. An advanced simulator center is constructed at the base to help train pilots along with technical crews that are trained to maintain the new, stealthy fighter jet. At the IAF Air Base in Nevatim, infrastructure is being prepared for the arrival of the first aircraft in December.

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FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
IOC by the Numbers
7/28/2016

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and let's see EDIT this year if History Repeats Itself:

Jul 5, 2016

OK this time, with F-35, quote, handily beating requirements, end of quote, I'm on high alert :)

In the meantime also :) i get it 15 F-35A now i have 13 before full 24 for end of year and first time from Cold War USAF have one FS in more, a little event :cool:

Don't forget the 48 F-16 based there which remains good boys.

F-35 IOC Imminent

The Air Force will declare initial operational capability of the F-35A as early as Monday, meeting a goal set three years ago. Leaders of the F-35A enterprise at Hill AFB, Utah, on Wednesday told reporters in a teleconference that “all the boxes have been checked off” of the requirements for declaring IOC. “We have achieved all our milestones,” 388th Maintenance Group Deputy Commander Lt. Col. Steven Anderson said, and “we have submitted all the data to Air Combat Command” for ACC chief Gen. Hawk Carlisle to make the declaration official. USAF officials have said to expect an IOC press conference at the Pentagon between Aug. 1-3 next week. Friday, Aug. 5, a celebration of the achievement will be held at Hill and will feature speeches from senior USAF and industry leaders connected with the program. Hill has 15 F-35A aircraft, Anderson said, and 12 of those “have completed five critical aircraft modifications” to get them to the proper configuration. Those mods included
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that lifted limits on how many Gs the aircraft can pull, as well as lightning protections that lift a rule that kept the jets 25 nautical miles away from thunderstorms, making them safer “in the air and on the ground,” Anderson said. The aircraft now being delivered from Lockheed Martin—in the 3iP6.21 software configuration—have also
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. “We are getting good aircraft off the line from Lockheed Martin,” Anderson said. Newly delivered jets don’t need as many mods because the changes have been incorporated on the production line, he said. The 16th aircraft will be delivered in August and plans call for 72 jets at Hill by the end of 2019.

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FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
...hehehe...and the beat goes on.

We will now have IOC for the Alpha Dog and the Bravo Dog.

The only operational 5th generation aircraft in the world are the USAF F-22, the USMC F-35B, and (will be) the USAF F-35A.

I believe that the US Navy F-35C will be the next.
Planned 2018 waiting anxious know what first frontline VFA but wiht less order as planned also USN have recent Super Hornet... ramp up more long, FRP deliveries for 2022/23 definitely few VFA embarked up to 2025 about 1 Sqn for some CAW and not before 2030, 2 by CAW.
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
I complete with a pic :p

And except new electronic, stealth ofc the range of the F-35C CR of 1120 km vs 700 for a Hornet, 900 Super Hornet is an important point especialy for big areas...
With FT very possible up to 1300 km, must be equiped ofc.

F-22-35.jpg
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Really excited :)

nitrogen inerting on the fuel system
About it I have read a small artice a time but very rarely mentioned, very special system, i don' t know the details seems only for combattants which are less vulnerable to damage with it, pressure matters also maybe o_O

For cooling system for decrease IR signature except design mainly for nozzles, ( excellent shapes for the F-22 ) engines hidden/remote also weapons bay open on the ground, i don' t think F-35 is different than F-22 with a cooling system working with the fuel system IIRC.

I don' t think in relation with you have mentionned in the quote Brat ?

Those mods included
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The logistics center finished a depot-level modification to the F-35A’s fuel system, alleviating an overpressure condition during elevated G-maneuvers
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After
cooling system for decrease IR signature
waiting an answer dudes :)
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
AIM-9X and seems not in a test aircraft.... sure block 3F armed with external weapons, Block 2B ?? and Block 3i ? no sure.

Some have idea put the gun in pod on the F-35A :rolleyes: two guns :mad:

 
F-35B Tactics Evolving As Pilots’ Understanding Of Technology Matures
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July 29, 2016 12:15 PM
"The first was done with fewer planes than Davis thought was needed, but otherwise went according to plan. He said the pilots were given a scenario that was “very high-end, off the ship, go into the jaws of death, double-digit SAMs, fighter threat, and go after a very strategic target on the ground. I watched them do it as a foursome, which normally I would say it would be 13 or 14 airplanes normally, what I would do as [commanding officer] of the weapons school, which I was. … They killed the fighters, they killed the SAMs, they killed the target, they came home."

let me tell you this: if something sounds too good to be true, then it's probably too good to be true
 
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