F-35 Lightning II

[Ayoshi]

Lockheed Martin awarded contract for F-35 modification kits and special tooling | Air Recognition - 17 May 2019 10:14

Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in December 2023. Fiscal 2017 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy); non-U.S. DoD participant; and FMS funds in the amount of $11,944,605 will be obligated at time of award, $332,847 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This order combines purchases for the Marine Corps ($7,196,895; 60 percent); Air Force ($2,127,150; 18 percent); Navy ($332,847; 2.9 percent); non-U.S. DoD participant ($1,525,994; 12.8 percent); and FMS customers ($761,719; 6.3 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/89207/cubic-to-deliver-video-data-link-solution-for-the-f-35-lightning-ii-program

Cubic to deliver Video Data Link solution for the F-35 Lightning II program
12 June 2019

The VDL capability is a secure and mission-enhancing system that enables the aircraft to receive and transmit metadata and sensor to and from multiple ground or airborne units. The radio-based VDL solution is software-defined and it features high-performance processing that can support future live video enhancements, while minimizing size, weight, power and cooling (SWAP-C), according to the company.

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/89144/usn-readies-carrier-fleet-for-f-35cs

USN readies carrier fleet for F-35Cs
10 June 2019

The US Navy (USN) is designing modifications for its next Ford-class carriers to accommodate operational Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) squadrons, service officials said, and the USN remains on schedule for changes to existing Ford- and Nimitz-class ships.

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Those two ships are already well under construction. The successor ships will get the required modifications during the proper stage of construction.

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F-35Cs reached initial operational capability (IOC) on 28 February 2019, but the USN does not expect to deploy the first operational squadron of the aircraft until 2021, and service officials anticipate making all necessary modifications to operationally deploy the aircraft when the vessels are needed.

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/90095/lockheed-martin-begins-integration-of-auto-gcas-into-f-35as

Lockheed Martin begins integration of Auto GCAS into F-35As
25 July 2019

Auto GCAS uses terrain mapping, geolocation, and automation to detect and avoid potential ground collisions. When the system recognises imminent impact, it prompts the pilot to take action. If the pilot is unresponsive, Auto GCAS assumes temporary control to divert the aircraft out of harm's way and then returns control of the aircraft to the pilot once on a safe trajectory.

The technology was originally developed for the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon in partnership with NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). A source familiar with the programme told Jane's on 24 July that Auto GCAS for the F-35 and the F-16 are inherently the same, with tailoring to ensure the system integrates with the F-35's operational flight programme.

Lockheed Martin said that the incorporation of Auto GCAS on the F-35 is taking place seven years earlier than originally expected. Lockheed Martin cited positive feasibility studies that it conducted with AFRL before Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) implemented an agile approach to developing the technology for F-35 use.

Lockheed Martin has begun integrating Auto GCAS onto the F-35A, a technology that can pull the aircraft out of tailspins if a pilot is unresponsive. Source: Lockheed Martin

[Ayoshi]

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/anti-collision-software-integrated-into-first-f-35-jets/

Anti-Collision software integrated into first F-35 jets
August 2, 2019

The firms say that they have successfully fielded the life-saving technology seven years earlier than previously planned.

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Originally developed for the F-16 in partnership with NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory, Auto-GCAS uses terrain mapping, geolocation and automation to detect and avoid potential ground collisions. When the program recognises imminent impact, it will prompt the pilot to take action. If the pilot is unresponsive, Auto-GCAS assumes temporary control to divert the aircraft out of harm’s way, and then returns control of the aircraft to the pilot once on a safe trajectory.

The system has been operating successfully aboard the F-16 for more than five years and has already been credited with saving eight F-16 pilots’ lives since 2014.

[Ayoshi]

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2019/08/06/f-35-talks-to-army-missile-command-system/

F-35 talks to US Army’s missile command system, says Lockheed

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The F-35 joint strike fighter demonstrated its ability to send data to the U.S. Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System during the Orange Flag Evaluation 19-2 at Palmdale, California, and Fort Bliss, Texas, in June.

F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin announced in an Aug. 6 statement that the jet, in a live demonstration, sent track data to the IBCS through the F-35 ground station and “F-35-IBCS adaptation kit.”

The Northrop Grumman-developed IBCS was able to “receive and develop fire control quality composite tracks during the exercise, leveraging the F-35 as an elevated sensor," the statement added.

The capability is seen as important in multidomain operations because it would be able to detect threats that are tough for ground-based sensors alone to pick up.

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The IBCS was originally developed as the brains of the Army’s future air and missile defense system, but its potential mission continues to grow as the service works to tie other sensors to IBCS to create a layered defense.

The service is also working to tie in radars and sensors for its Indirect Fire Protection Capability as well as its Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense system. The idea now is for the IBCS to tie into any sensor or shooter the Army brings into its framework.

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/90644/bae-systems-wins-f-35-electronic-warfare-upgrade-deal

BAE Systems wins F-35 electronic warfare upgrade deal
26 August 2019

The Pentagon has awarded BAE Systems a contract to upgrade and modernise the electronics warfare suite aboard the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), with an eye towards mitigating evolving threats posed by near-peer competitors such as Russia and China.

The upgrade and modernisation deal with BAE Systems, which was awarded to the company on 21 August, focuses on revamping the company’s AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare (EW) suite on the Block 4 variant of the F-35. The upgrade work integrates 11 new capabilities into the fifth-generation fighter’s EW suite, building upon the company’s work on the previous Block 1, Block 2, and Block 3 versions of the suite.

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/92248/australian-company-quickstep-awarded-more-work-in-global-f-35-programme

Australian company Quickstep awarded more work in global F-35 programme
30 October 2019

Australian company Quickstep has picked up more work in the global programme for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price announced on 30 October.

The Sydney-based firm was awarded a contract for the production of 10 new composite parts in support of JSF programme in a move that comes just weeks after the company opened an expansion of its Bankstown facility.

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/91972/ausa-2019-f-35-joint-strike-fighter-closer-to-ibcs-integration

AUSA 2019: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter closer to IBCS integration
16 October 2019

The US Army and the US Air Force integrated track data from an F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter with the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) during Orange Flag Evaluation (OFE) 19-2.

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/93533/pentagon-lockheed-martin-sign-new-f-35-sustainment-contract

Pentagon, Lockheed Martin sign new F-35 sustainment contract
06 January 2020

The Pentagon has awarded Lockheed Martin a USD1.9 billion contract to support operations and sustainment (O&S) of the global F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) fleet, according to a company statement.

The 2020 Annualized Sustainment Contract will cover industry sustainment activities through 31 December 2020. This deal funds critical sustainment activities for aircraft currently in the fleet and builds enterprise capacity to support the future fleet of more than 3,000 F-35 aircraft.

This contract includes industry sustainment experts supporting base and depot maintenance, pilot and maintainer training, and sustaining engineering around the world. It also covers fleet-wide data analytics and supply chain management for part repair and replenishment to enhance overall supply availability for the fleet.

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/93604/usaf-issues-rfi-for-f-35a-siaw-missile

USAF issues RFI for F-35A SiAW missile
09 January 2020

The sources sought solicitation issued on 8 January calls for potential vendors ahead of the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the SiAW that is geared at affording the USAF's F-35As with an internally-carried anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capability.

A model of the AARGM-ER missile being used for a fit check in an F-35 weapons bay. The SiAW missile will leverage this missile to provide the F-35A with an internally-carried A2/AD capability. Source: Northrop Grumman

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/93703/majority-of-f-35-supply-chain-will-be-out-of-turkey-by-march

Majority of F-35 supply chain will be out of Turkey by March
14 January 2020

The Pentagon has not changed its position from August 2019 that Turkey had a limited opportunity to rejoin the F-35 programme - only if it completely divested the S-400.

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The Pentagon will spend between USD500 million and USD600 million to shift part of the programme's supply chain out of Turkey. Nearly 900 aircraft parts, including the centre fuselage and the cockpit display, are produced in Turkey.

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/93997/pentagon-considering-leasing-aerial-refuelling-tankers-to-mitigate-kc-46-delays


A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus KC-30 (A330 MRTT) refuels a Lockheed Martin F-35A. Airbus and Lockheed Martin are jointly exploring opportunities to offer the A330 MRTT as a leased tanker capability. Source: US Air Force

[Ayoshi]

https://www.janes.com/article/94336/update-newer-f-35as-cracking-due-to-gun-use

Update: Newer F-35As cracking due to gun use
14 February 2020

Key Points
* Lot 9 and newer F-35As have developed cracks after gun use
* The aircraft variant’s gun inaccuracy has stumped the programme for years