First Avionics-Equipped F-35 Rolls Out

[Metallic]

FORT WORTH, Texas, January 23rd, 2009 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has completed the first F-35 Lightning II equipped with mission systems, a milestone that will lead to the first avionics testing on board an F-35 aircraft.

The short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) F-35 variant left the factory on Wednesday, Jan. 21, and goes to the fuel facility for functional fuel system checks before it is scheduled for delivery to the flight line by the end of January. Its first flight is expected this summer.

Mission systems, or avionics, are the on-board sensors that enable the aircraft to detect, locate, identify, track and target adversaries from long ranges; detect fast-moving incoming threats such as missiles; and receive and transmit large amounts of battle-space information through secure data links. These 5th generation sensors and data links will be integral to providing the warfighter in the air and on the ground a fused picture of the battlespace.

“Testing of this aircraft will represent the fourth tier of our avionics validation process, comprising ground-based laboratory testing, airborne lab testing of individual sensors on surrogate aircraft, airborne testing of the fully integrated mission systems package on the Cooperative Avionics Test Bed, and, finally, airborne testing of the integrated system on an actual F-35,” said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 program general manager.

The aircraft, called BF-4, will carry the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar and Integrated Communications, Navigation and Identification suite, and the BAE Systems Electronic Warfare system. The Block 0.5 mission systems software, which incorporates more than half of the combat-ready Block 3 software, will drive the system. BF-4 will be updated with additional equipment and software through Block 3, the last block in the System Development and Demonstration program.

The jet is the latest addition to the fleet of five F-35s already undergoing testing. Earlier aircraft are validating F-35 subsystems and flying qualities while retiring technical risk. BF-4’s first flight is planned for mid-year 2009, following a comprehensive series of ground tests. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

 

[metalfalcon]

Now this is what i call a "AWESOME BEAUTY. MARVEL OF ENGINEERING, WONDER OF THE MODERN WORLD". Truly a Master Piece.

Setting New standards for Military Aviation.

 

[Metallic]

Second Lockheed Martin F-35B STOVL Fighter Achieves Successful First Flight
26 February 2009

FORT WORTH, Texas --- Lockheed Martin's second short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B Lightning II accomplished its first flight on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The aircraft, known as BF-2, joins a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A and another STOVL F-35B that already have logged a combined total of 84 flights.

During its flight on Wednesday, BF-2 went through a series of maneuvers to assess its subsystems and basic handling qualities, and to check on-board instrumentation. Subsequent missions will take the aircraft higher and faster, in a structured series of flights. All F-35 test aircraft to date have been powered by the Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan, the most powerful engine ever to fly in a jet fighter.

"The F-35 program is now entering a period of greatly accelerated flight testing, as aircraft are delivered to the flight line at an ever-increasing rate," said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 program general manager. "Each aircraft that rolls off the assembly line fulfills a unique verification objective and moves us closer to our customers' initial operational capability dates."

BF-2 is on schedule to deploy to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., later this year. It will remain in Fort Worth for the next several months to conduct a series of ground-test events, instrumentation calibrations, powered hover-pit testing (simulating flight) and airworthiness flights, including STOVL-mode operation. Initial flights will be in conventional mode.

BF-2 is essentially identical to the first STOVL jet, BF-1. The major difference lies with the instrumentation - the two aircraft have different roles during flight testing. BF-2 will conduct flutter envelope expansion, air-refueling testing, high angle-of-attack testing, performance and propulsion testing, weapons testing and radar-signature testing. BF-1 will concentrate on initial STOVL flight operations such as short takeoffs, hovers and vertical landings, and will conduct ship-suitability and gun-integration testing. BF-1's first vertical landing is planned for the middle of 2009.

The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation stealth fighter. Three F-35 variants derived from a common design, developed together and using the same sustainment infrastructure worldwide will replace at least 13 types of aircraft for 11 nations initially, making the Lightning II the most cost-effective fighter program in history.

Source: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.

 

[Metallic]

F-35 Production, Testing and Participation Shift Into High Gear in 2009
Mar 2, 2009

ORLANDO, FL: In a single calendar year, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II program will complete all remaining System Development and Demonstration aircraft, deliver the first production-model F-35s to the armed services and initiate full-scale flight test operations at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

"Two-thousand nine is shaping up to be a year of firsts for the F-35 program, with the first flight of our F-35C carrier variant, the first vertical landing of our F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant, the first stand-ups of our test sites as Edwards and Pax River, the first training aircraft delivered to the U.S. Air Force and the first F-35 orders from our international partners," said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 program general manager, speaking at the Air Force Association's 2009 Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. "Already, we have delivered eight of 19 SDD jets, and we are moving aircraft off the assembly line at a rate of about one per month, a pace that continues to accelerate."

Additionally, the program will continue to validate the F-35's highly evolved mission systems software and hardware by adding to the more than 1,100 hours of flight testing and 115,000 hours of laboratory testing already completed. The initiation of flight testing for the first mission-systems-equipped F-35 will reinforce technical risk reduction efforts for the most powerful and comprehensive avionics system ever packaged into a fighter.

"As we mature the F-35, we continue to see evidence of ever-strengthening customer support - in the U.S. Air Force's request for stepped-up production, in the U.S. Navy's call for reinstatement of three early-production F-35Cs, and in Norway's and the Netherlands' endorsement of the F-35 as their future fighter," Crowley said. "We will see more of the same in 2009, as we prove out the Lightning II's capabilities, and as our international partners begin ordering their first airplanes."

The F-35, a supersonic, 5th generation stealth aircraft, is the world's most advanced multi-role fighter. Three F-35 variants derived from a common design, developed together and using the same sustainment infrastructure worldwide, will replace at least 13 types of aircraft for 11 nations initially, making the Lightning II the most cost-effective fighter program in history.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

 

[Metallic]

F-35 JSF

Autonomic Logistics (AL)
Because logistics support accounts for two-thirds of an aircraft's life cycle cost, the F-35 will achieve unprecedented levels of reliability and maintainability, combined with a highly responsive support and training system linked with the latest in information technology. The aircraft will be ready to fight anytime and anyplace. Autonomic Logistics (AL) is a seamless, embedded solution that integrates current performance, operational parameters, current configuration, scheduled upgrades and maintenance, component history, predictive diagnostics (prognostics) and health management, and service support for the F-35. Essentially, AL does invaluable and efficient behind-the-scenes monitoring, maintenance and prognostics to support the aircraft and ensure its continued good health.

Commonality
Commonality is the key to affordability – on the assembly line; in shared-wing platforms; in common systems that enhance maintenance, field support and service interoperability; and in almost 100 percent commonality of the avionics suite. Component commonality across all three variants reduces unique spares requirements and the logistics footprint. In addition to reduced flyaway costs, the F-35 is designed to affordably integrate new technology during its entire life cycle.

Distributed Aperture System (DAS)
In a joint effort with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems will provide key electronic sensors for the F-35, which includes spearheading the work on the Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (DAS). This system will provide pilots with a unique protective sphere around the aircraft for enhanced situational awareness, missile warning, aircraft warning, day/night pilot vision, and fire control capability.

Diverterless Inlet
The F-35's diverterless inlet lightens the overall weight of the aircraft. Traditional aircraft inlets were comprised of many moving parts and are much heavier than newer diverterless inlets. The diverterless inlet also eliminates all moving parts.

Electro-Optical Targeting System
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control and Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems are jointly providing key electronic sensors for the F-35 to include the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS). The internally mounted EOTS will provide extended range detection and precision targeting against ground targets, plus long range detection of air-to-air threats.

Helmet Mounted Display System
Vision Systems International, LLC (VSI) is developing the most advanced and capable Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) for the F-35. Utilizing extensive design experience gained on successful production Helmet Mounted Displays (HMD), the F-35 HMDS will replace the traditional Head-Up-Display (HUD) while offering true sensor fusion.

Integrated Communications, Navigation and Identification Avionics
Northrop Grumman Space Technology's integrated avionics satisfy the requirements for greatly increased functionalities within extreme space and weight limitations via modular hardware that could be dynamically programmed to reconfigure for multiple functions. This "smart"-box approach delivers increased performance, quicker deployment, higher availability, enhanced scalability and lower life cycle costs.

Interoperability
The F-35 will have the most robust communications suite of any fighter aircraft built to date. The F-35 will be the first fighter to possess a satellite communications capability that integrates beyond line of sight communications throughout the spectrum of missions it is tasked to perform. The F-35 will contain the most modern tactical datalinks which will provide the sharing of data among its flight members as well as other airborne, surface and ground-based platforms required to perform assigned missions. The commitment of JSF partner nations to common communications capabilities and web-enabled logistics support will enable a new level of coalition interoperability. These capabilities allow the F-35 to lead the defense community in the migration to the net-centric warfighting force of the future.

Low Observability
An integrated airframe design, advanced materials and an axisymmetric nozzle maximize the F-35's stealth features.

Multi-Function Display System
Rockwell Collins's 8"x20" Multi-Function Display System (MFDS) will be the panoramic projection display for the F-35. MFDS employs leading edge technology in projection engine architecture, video, compression, illumination module controls and processing memory – all of which will make the MFDS the most advanced tactical display. One-gigabyte-per-second data interfaces will enable the MFDS to display six full motion images simultaneously. The adaptable layout will be easily reconfigurable for different missions or mission segments. Projection display technology will provide a high-luminance, high-contrast, and high-resolution picture with no viewing angle effect.

Multi-Mission Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems is developing the Multi-Mission Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar for the F-35. This advanced multi-function radar has gone through extensive flight demonstrations during the Concept Demonstration Phase (CDP). The radar will enable the F-35 JSF pilot to effectively engage air and ground targets at long range, while also providing outstanding situational awareness for enhanced survivability.

Propulsion
The F-35 Propulsion Systems are the most powerful fighter/attack turbofans in the world. There are two manufacturers with propulsion systems currently being tested. The propulsion systems are interchangeable and both will power the F-35. There are two major engine variants for the F-35. One engine will power the CTOL and CV versions of the aircraft, while the other will power the STOVL version. The F135 engine is made by Pratt & Whitney, the F136 by a team, known as the Fighter Engine Team comprised of General Electric and Rolls-Royce. Both the F135 and the F136 STOVL engines will utilize common exhaust and Lift System systems.

**F135
The Pratt & Whitney F135 family of advanced propulsion systems utilize cutting edge technology to provide the F-35 with higher performance than conventional fighter aircraft. The engine consists of a 3-stage fan, a 6-stage compressor, an annular combustor, a single stage high-pressure turbine, and a 2 stage low-pressure turbine.

The F135 is currently in the SDD phase. The F135 is using the lessons learned from the F119 engine core and the JSF119 during the CDA stage to reduce risk in SDD. During SDD the F135 test engines will undergo a range of ground and flight tests to simulate various mission profiles. In these tests the system demonstration engines will be run for hours throughout various flight envelopes to ensure they meet performance requirements. One of the vital milestone tests occured at the end of 2003 with the first F135 engine to test.

The first CTOL F135 engine test occurred on 11 October 2003. The first STOVL F135 engine test occurred on 14 April 2004.

**F136
The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team (FET) F136 engine is currently in the Pre-SDD phase. The objective of the F136 Pre-SDD phase is to reduce risk prior to entering SDD. The FET is utilizing technology developed from previous aircraft engine programs to design this engine. The F136 engine consists of a 3-stage fan, 5-stage compressor, a 3-stage low-pressure turbine section and a single stage high-pressure turbine.

The F136 team will transition into the SDD phase of their program later in 2005. The F135 and F136 teams are working closely to develop common propulsion system components.

The first CTOL F136 engine to test occurred on 22 July 2004. The first STOVL F136 engine to test occurred on 10 February 2005.

Rolls-Royce Lift System
While Rolls-Royce is a member of the Fighter Engine Team with GE on the F136, they are also subcontracted to Pratt & Whitney on the F135 to provide the Lift System for the F-35. The Lift System is comprised of the Lift Fan, Clutch, Drive Shaft, Roll Posts and the Three Bearing Swivel Module (3BSM).

Shaft Driven Lift Fan (SDLF)
Lockheed Martin developed the idea for a Short Take-Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) lift system that uses a vertically oriented Shaft Driven Lift Fan (SDLF). A two-stage low-pressure turbine on the engine provides the horsepower necessary to power the Rolls-Royce designed Lift Fan. The Lift Fan generates a column of cool air that provides nearly 20,000 pounds of lifting power using variable inlet guide vanes to modulate the airflow, along with an equivalent amount of thrust from the downward vectored rear exhaust to lift the aircraft. The Lift Fan utilizes a clutch that engages the shaft drive system for STOVL operations. Because the lift fan extracts power from the engine, exhaust temperatures are reduced by about 200 degrees compared to traditional STOVL systems.

The SDLF concept was successfully demonstrated through a Large Scale Powered Model (LSPM) in 1995-96 and during the flight-testing of the X-35B during the summer of 2001. The Lift Fan, a patented Lockheed Martin concept, was developed and produced by Rolls-Royce Corp. in Indianapolis, Indiana and in Bristol, England.

Robust Structure
Continuous tailhook-to-nose-gear structure and catapult-compatible nose gear launch system are strengthened for catapult and arresting loads.

Sophisticated Cockpit
The F-35 provides its pilot with unsurpassed situational awareness, positive target identification and precision strike under any weather condition. Mission systems integration and outstanding over-the-nose visibility features are designed to dramatically enhance pilot performance.

Weapons Integration
The F-35 will employ a variety of US and allied weapons. From JDAMs to Sidewinders to the UK Storm Shadow, the F-35 has been designed to carry either internally or externally a large array of weapons.

 

[ARSENAL6]

THis will be one scary machine after the a-10
Lilke the saying goes I hate be inside of a tank when this jet is flying about !

 

[Metallic]

First UK Joint Strike Fighters (F-35) to be purchased
United Kingdon - 18 March 2009

The first of the UK's next generation of supersonic stealth fast jets, the Joint Strike Fighters, are to be purchased by the MOD, Defence Secretary John Hutton has announced today, Wednesday 18 March 2009.

Mr Hutton said that three Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test aircraft are to be purchased, marking a significant milestone in the UK's commitment to the JSF project.

JSF will provide the UK with an unrivalled 'fifth-generation' tactical air system, designed with stealth characteristics and advanced sensors, and will afford the UK a 'step change' in capability.

The new aircraft will replace the capability provided by the Joint Force Harriers.

The UK is the only Level 1 partner with the US in the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the JSF programme. Other international partners at Levels 2 and 3 are the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Canada, Norway, Australia and Turkey.

The SDD contract with Lockheed Martin was signed in October 2001. Its overall value is some $41bn to which the UK is contributing £2bn.

Defence Secretary John Hutton, who announced the purchase of the three test aircraft today while on a visit to Washington, said:

"The Joint Strike Fighter will form an essential part of our Future Combat Air capability.

"By purchasing three aircraft for testing, we will secure access to the development of the programme. Working alongside their US colleagues, our pilots will gain an unrivalled understanding of this awesome aircraft and its capabilities.

"This is a vital programme for UK Defence both for the military and for industry, with over 100 UK companies involved in the programme."

UK military personnel will work alongside their US counterparts in an initial operational test and evaluation programme for the aircraft.

JSF is the aircraft of choice to fulfil MOD's Joint Combat Aircraft requirement and will fly off the two new Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. The purchase of three test aircraft will enable MOD to move forward in developing the Carrier Strike capability.

The UK variant will be a multi-role fighter/attack aircraft with a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capability similar to the current Joint Force Harrier, and will be able to operate from land bases or aircraft carriers.

Advantages over the Harrier will include supersonic flight, stealth, improved survivability and range, and being able to carry munitions inboard and externally. Vertical lift will be provided by a Rolls-Royce-developed fan system.

Compared with the conventional take-off and landing (F-35A) variant already flying, the F-35B has a shaft-driven lift fan mounted behind the cockpit, roll ducts installed in the wing and swivelling nozzle fitted to the engine.

In STOVL mode, doors open above and below the lift fan, a clutch engages to drive the two-stage contra-rotating fan from the engine and the rear nozzle pivots downward to deflect engine thrust.

The JSF will keep the RAF and the Royal Navy at the forefront of military aviation technology and give them an aircraft that will surpass most current and planned future aircraft and weapons systems until the middle of this century.

The prime contracts for these aircraft will be placed in the US but the decision to place an order for UK aircraft is equally good news for UK industry. There is significant UK industrial interest in the JSF programme with over 100 companies involved in the programme, ranging from major UK JSF industrial partners down to lower tier suppliers of composite materials. The potential UK return on investment is substantial.

Since 2001 UK industrial expertise has made a significant contribution to the success of JSF with BAE Systems producing the tail section of the airframes, Rolls-Royce partnering with GE Aerospace for the F136 engine and producing the lift fan for the STOVL variant, and Martin Baker making the ejection seats.

UK companies and locations involved include BAE Systems - Salmesbury; Rolls-Royce - Filton, Bristol; Ultra Electronics - High Wycombe; Honeywell Normalair - Yeovil; Goodrich Actuation - Wolverhampton and Liverpool; GE Aerospace - Cheltenham; Martin Baker - High Wycombe; and Selex - Farnborough.

The new short take-off/vertical landing capable aircraft for the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy


F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in flight

 

[Metallic]

First U.S. Marine Pilots Lockheed Martin F-35
United States - 19 March 2009

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 19th, 2009 -- U.S. Marine Corps pilot Maj. Joseph T. Bachmann became the first Marine to fly the F-35 Lightning II, on March 19, 2009.

Maj. Joseph T. "O.D." Bachmann today became the first U.S. Marine Corps pilot to fly the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II, logging the flight-test program’s 90th mission. He is the fifth pilot to fly the stealthy, multi-role fighter.

"The plane performed wonderfully," said Bachmann, a member of the F-35 Integrated Test Force and one of the team test pilots who will fly the F-35B Lightning II at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., test site, beginning this summer. "The U.S. Marine Corps will be getting an aircraft with extraordinary capabilities that is very easy to fly. Today is another step toward delivery of the first jets to Marines on the front line."

Bachmann’s first flight was in F-35 AA-1, a conventional takeoff and landing variant with controls and flying qualities essentially identical to the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B. The F-35B will replace Marine Corps AV-8B STOVL fighters and F/A-18 strike fighters. It will be the Marines’ primary fighter, and will provide a unique combination of capabilities: stealth, supersonic speed, STOVL basing flexibility and network-enabled mission systems.

Bachmann is the second active-duty service member to fly the F-35. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. James "Flipper" Kromberg first piloted the Lightning II on Jan. 30, 2008. Bachmann has more than 2,000 hours of flight time in more than 30 different types of aircraft and is currently qualified in the F/A-18 A-F.

During his military career, Bachmann made two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom – one from the "Harrier Carrier," USS Bataan, and the other land-based at Al Asad, Iraq. During flight operations in Iraq, Bachmann earned four Air Medals and a Navy Commendation with a Combat V.

The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation stealth fighter. Three F-35 variants derived from a common design, developed together and using the same sustainment infrastructure worldwide will replace at least 13 types of aircraft for 11 nations initially, making the Lightning II the most cost-effective fighter program in history.

U.S. Marine Corps pilot Maj. Joseph T. Bachmann became the first Marine to fly the F-35 Lightning II, on March 19, 2009. Bachmann has more than 2,000 hours of flight time in more than 30 different types of aircraft. (Photo by Tom Harvey, Lockheed Martin)


Source: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

 

[Myth_buster_1]

last pic...

lol is that powerade?

btw that helmet just blew me away i mean i am just speechless. oooooveeeeeeeeee

 

[Metallic]

F135 STOVL Engine Begins Hover Pit Testing Aboard F-35B Aircraft

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., March 26, 2009 - The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II has begun two weeks of hover pit testing powered by Pratt & Whitney's F135 propulsion system. Hover pit testing of the F135 Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant demonstrates integration of Pratt & Whitney's flight-proven F135 engine with Rolls Royce-designed STOVL lift components. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.

"Hover pit testing of the F-35 Lightning II Air System is a major step toward achieving F-35 powered lift flight operations, and is a significant milestone for the Pratt & Whitney F135 team, Rolls-Royce and Lockheed Martin," said Bill Gostic, vice president, Pratt & Whitney F135 Engine Programs. "The testing is designed to demonstrate the F-35 and F135 integrated flight and propulsion control system and the STOVL thrust produced by the F135 propulsion system as installed in the Lightning II."

The Pratt & Whitney F135 was awarded a Statement of Qualification for F-35 Short Take Off and Vertical Landing powered lift operations last month, becoming the first production propulsion system in history to provide vertical lift and supersonic capabilities with stealth technology.

"Pratt & Whitney is proud to support the Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin's F-35 STOVL through hover pit testing and STOVL powered lift operations leading to initial STOVL production deliveries," Gostic said.

For eight years and more than 11,000 test hours, Pratt & Whitney has been designing, developing and testing the F135 to deliver the most advanced fifth generation fighter engine for the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, as well as eight international partner countries.

The F135 is derived from mature technology of the only operational fifth generation fighter engine, the F119, enhanced with technologies proven in Air Force and Navy technology programs. The F135 is the only engine powering the F-35 Lightning II flight test program.

The F135 propulsion system is the power of choice for the F-35 and has proven it can meet diverse aircraft requirements. The ground and flight test experience demonstrates the maturity and the associated reliability of the F135 engine for armed forces around the world.

 

[Metallic]

Lockheed Martin Receives $2.1 Billion for Third Lot of F-35 Low-Rate Production
UNITED STATES - 3 JUNE 2009

FORT WORTH, Texas --- The United States Department of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin a $2.1 billion contract modification to produce 17 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters in the third lot of low-rate initial production (LRIP). The buy also includes the first international orders - two F-35 operational test aircraft for the United Kingdom and one for the Netherlands.

The contract adds to a May 2008 award of $197 million to fund LRIP 3 long-lead materials, and to a March 2009 contract modification award of $320 million for tooling and test equipment, also beginning in LRIP 3.

Assembly of 14 aircraft in the first two LRIP lots is already under way, with initial F-35 deliveries to the U.S. Air Force scheduled to begin in 2010. Eight development aircraft have entered testing, and the remaining 11 are planned to roll out by year's end.

"As we move more deeply into F-35 production, we are seeing the steady increases in quality and efficiency that track to our target production rate of one aircraft per working day in the 2015 time frame," said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 program general manager.

In March and April, Lockheed Martin received additional contracts totaling $306 million to prepare for the production of 32 additional F-35 Lightning II fighters in LRIP 4. The U.S. and eight nations partnering in the project plan to acquire 3,173 F-35 fighters.

The F-35 is maturing and retiring technical risk rapidly, with 70 percent of system software complete and on schedule, early production processes delivering aircraft with quality levels that surpass those of mature fighter programs, and flight-test aircraft that have recorded zero technical discrepancies in more than 80 percent of their missions.

The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation stealth fighter. Three F-35 variants derived from a common design, developed together and using the same sustainment infrastructure worldwide, will replace at least 13 types of aircraft for nine nations initially, making the Lightning II the most cost-effective fighter program in history.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.


Source: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

 

[Metallic]

Northrop Grumman Makes Delivery of Flight-Ready Integrated CNI System for F-35 Lightning II
UNITED STATES - 8 JUNE 2009

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has delivered the initial flight-ready integrated communications, navigation and identification (CNI) system for Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program. The system has successfully completed safety of flight tests and obtained approval for flying this summer onboard the first mission systems equipped F-35 aircraft.

When fully developed, Northrop Grumman's integrated CNI system will provide the capability equivalent of more than 40 avionics subsystem functions to F-35 pilots. By using its industry-leading software-defined radio technology, Northrop Grumman's design enables simultaneous support for dozens of critical functions while greatly reducing size and weight on the advanced fighter. These functions include Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), automatic acquisition of fly-to points and various voice and data communications such as the Multifunction Advanced Data Link that was approved by the U.S. Department of Defense Joint Requirements Oversight Council for use on all low-observable platforms.

"This will be the first of many integrated CNI avionics systems that will fly on F-35 aircraft," said Roger Fujii, vice president of Network Communication Systems for Northrop Grumman's Information Systems sector. "We have been pleased with our system's performance on the CATBird (Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter Cooperative Avionics Test Bed), and those flight tests give us high confidence in the next-generation communications capabilities we continue to bring to the warfighter."

The integrated CNI system that was delivered to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has nearly 500,000 lines of software and incorporates the Joint Tactical Radio System software architecture. Delivered capabilities include Ultra High Frequency/Very High Frequency receive and transmit, IFF transponder, radar altimeter, tactical air navigation (TACAN) and system hardware and software diagnostics.

The F-35 is a supersonic, multirole, 5th generation stealth fighter. Three F-35 variants derived from a common design, developed together and using the same sustainment infrastructure worldwide, will replace at least 13 types of aircraft for nine nations initially, making the Lightning II the most cost-effective fighter program in history.


Source: Northrop Grumman Corporation

 

[Metallic]

Lockheed Martin and KONGSBERG take next step toward integrating the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) on F-35 JSF.
9 June 2009

FORT WORTH, Texas – Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] have entered into a cooperative agreement with the objective of integrating the Joint Strike Missile on the F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter. Following integration and certification, the Joint Strike Missile (JSM), could be carried internally and externally on the F-35.

The JSM is a new missile that builds on the mature Naval Strike Missile technology, which is currently in production for the Royal Norwegian Navy and the Polish Navy. The Norwegian MoD awarded a contract to KONGSBERG in April 2009 for the first phase of the JSM development.

The agreement signed today follows on to the Joint Marketing Agreement from 2007. The Joint Marketing Agreement resulted in the development contract for the first phase of the JSM program and U.S. Government decision to include the JSM as a candidate in its future efforts to provide the F-35 with air-to-surface warfare capability.

Steve O’Bryan, Vice President of Business Development for Lockheed Martin, said, “The JSM will fulfill the advanced air-to-surface warfare mission capability with a missile that can be carried in each weapons bay of the F-35 A/C. Through this agreement, we at Lockheed Martin are committing ourselves to bring the JSM’s crucial capabilities to F-35 operators.”

Harald Ånnestad, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace noted that this agreement “is a joint commitment of Lockheed Martin and KONGSBERG to provide the F-35 partner countries with the required capabilities.”

The agreement will carry this effort further as the two companies coordinate their business development and engineering efforts to offer a high-performance, low-risk defence capability that takes full advantage of the F-35’s attributes.

The 1,000-pound, stealthy and highly maneuverable anti-ship missile has the capability to strike sea and land targets. It employs Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) guidance with a unique imaging infrared seeker, in-flight data link and an automatic target recognizer (ATR). The missile has a range in excess of 150 nautical miles (= in excess of 277 km).

The agreement will benefit the warfighter by combining the strength and experience of Lockheed Martin and KONGSBERG to develop and market a new capability. KONGSBERG has strong experience in anti-ship missiles, weapons integration, target recognition software and mission planning systems. The stealthy F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role 5th Generation fighter designed to replace a wide range of existing aircraft, including the AV-8B Harrier, A-10, F-16, F/A-18 Hornet and United Kingdom Harrier GR.7 and Sea Harrier.


Source: Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace

 

[Metallic]

Lockheed Martin Meets F-35 Schedule Commitment With Roll-Out of Radar-Signature Test Aircraft
UNITED STATES - 15 JUNE 2009

A detailed, full-scale representation of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter rolled out of the Fort Worth factory today, with production-representative Very Low Observable airframe structure and coatings. Along with dedicated flight test aircraft, the model will be a key component in validating the F-35's radar-evading properties.

"Today's milestone is the realization of an F-35 test schedule commitment we made more than two years ago," said Dan Crowley, F-35 executive vice president and program manager for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike fighter program. "We continue to achieve outstanding progress in F-35 design, development, production, ground test and early flight test."

J.D. McFarlan, Lockheed Martin vice president of F-35 Development, said the F-35 Highly Accurate Low Observable (HALO) radar pole model is fully representative of the F-35's radar signature. "The aircraft will be used in tests that provide data about the radar-signature characteristics of the F-35 aircraft family."

Initial testing of the model will occur in Lockheed Martin's new Acceptance Test Facility in Fort Worth - a radio frequency-secure building - with follow-on testing conducted at a remote site. The Acceptance Test Facility will be used to provide the required data on the stealth performance of all F-35s before delivery. At the remote site, the model will be affixed to a tall pole and tested in the open air, hence the term "pole model."

Crowley said the program is making crucial progress across all fronts. "All nine F-35 partners are on track with the United States, Italy and Norway having down-selected to the F-35. We are on track to support the Low Rate Initial Production delivery plan and to meet the Initial Operational Capability dates of the services. Test aircraft are returning from missions without technical problems in 80 percent of our flights. Engine performance has been flawless in flight. The first eight development aircraft all were delivered within 60 days on average of the schedule we committed to in February 2008, and the list goes on."

Key partners in the construction of the model included Janicki Industries, Fain Models and Northrop Grumman.

"As the first F-35 air frame to complete all production finishing processes, HALO also provided the Component and Aircraft Final Finishes teams with valuable experience that will translate to improvements in processes for all subsequent production aircraft," McFarlan said.

The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation stealth fighter. Three F-35 variants derived from a common design, developed together and using the same sustainment infrastructure worldwide will replace at least 13 types of aircraft for 11 nations initially, making the Lightning II the most cost-effective fighter program in history.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.


Source: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

 

[Metallic]

Kongsberg Signs Deal to Make JSF Parts
2 JULY 2009

Northrop Grumman Corporation has selected Kongsberg as a strategic partner to produce 5th generation composite components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program. Northrop Grumman is a principal partner of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 industry team.

The two companies signed the long-term framework agreement today. The current agreement is valued at approx. 460 Million NOK, and it has a potential value of 2.5 Billion NOK [$393 million—Ed.] for the duration of the F-35 Program.

The new carbon fiber components that Kongsberg will produce are highly complex and require close tolerance fabrication to meet the key performance parameters of the F-35 aircraft. The company's initial deliveries will support lot 3 low rate initial production aircraft, which will begin the program's transition to full rate production.

"Kongsberg has made key capital investments that will enable them to meet the program's demanding quality requirements," said Ram Ramkumar, Northrop Grumman's Director of International Programs for the F-35. "The company's production capabilities are critical to the success of the F-35 program and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship".

Kongsberg has recently received F-35 special process approvals that enable production of F-35 hardware, added Ramkumar.

"This is an important milestone for Kongsberg", says Harald Ånnestad, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. "The agreement is the result of hard work from both teams, and paves the way for years of close cooperation between our companies in this exciting programme".

The parts will be produced at the new 30,000 m2 plant built in Kongsberg. Production is currently in start-up and will last until 2015.


Source: Kongsberg