F-35 Program - General Discussion

DaveS124

Active Member
Screenshot attached of Eric L Palmer's latest Twitter comment from the unhinged world of APA F-35 lunacy.

Poor Eric, it seems to have taken a toll on his friendships.

Quite something for him to claim SME status, but in APA world reality and fantasy aren't two distinct entities.
 

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ngatimozart

Super Moderator
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
Screenshot attached of Eric L Palmer's latest Twitter comment from the unhinged world of APA F-35 lunacy.

Poor Eric, it seems to have taken a toll on his friendships.

Quite something for him to claim SME status, but in APA world reality and fantasy aren't two distinct entities.
Since when is he a SME on the F-35? Seems he can't be messaged either :D:D:D

sdied in dunny.jpg
 

MARKMILES77

Active Member
Australian Defence Magazine
16 May 2019

Lockheed Martin has developed a new weapons rack for US Air Force F-35As and US Navy F-35Cs that allows the aircraft to carry two additional AIM-120 air-to-air missiles.
The ‘Sidekick’ rack replaces the two existing racks inside the F-35 variants, bringing the total number of missiles carried per plane to six. The two new internal weapons add weight but do not compromise the stealth of the aircraft, unlike extra missiles that the F-35 can currently carry on external mounts.

Test pilot Tony Wilson told US media that the Sidekick was developed within Lockheed Martin. It is not compatible with the vertical take-off F-35B variant operated by the US Marine Corps.
New rack adds two missiles to US F-35s - Australian Defence Magazine
 

OPSSG

Super Moderator
Staff member
It's no wonder Singapore announced in March 2019, that Singapore would buy 4 with an option for 8. This makes sense, as Mindef would only exercise the option, if the the price is right (as visibility on this reduced price was not certain, at that time).
Lockheed have pitched a F-35A price to the Pentagon that is under US$80 million per aircraft, for a multi Lot purchase. This is Lots 12 - 14 comprising of approximately 450 aircraft.

Price Drop: Lockheed Pitches $80M F-35A to Pentagon
It's done - deal closed after pitch. The flyaway price of the F-35A will drop below US$80 million one year earlier than planned.

On 10 June 2019, Pentagon acquisition czar Ellen Lord announced a US$34B agreement for F-35 Low Rate Initial Production Lots 12-14 that will see the delivery of 478 F-35 aircraft, including 157 for Lot 12 (see: $34B = Biggest Procurement In History As Lockheed, DoD Handshake Deal for 478 F-35s). Lord said in the statement that the Pentagon will reap an estimated 8.8 percent in savings from Lot 11 to Lot 12 for F-35A’s, and an average of 15 percent reduction “across all variants from Lot 11 to Lot 14.”

IMO this price is only possible with Tokyo adding 63 F-35A models, as well as 42 F-35B models, for a total of 147 F-35 fighters in Dec 2018. This large order in 2018 makes Japan second to the US in terms of procured F-35s, with the UK (138 total fighters) now third.
 
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It's no wonder Singapore announced in March 2019, that Singapore would buy 4 with an option for 8. This makes sense, as Mindef would only exercise the option, if the the price is right (as visibility on this reduced price was not certain, at that time).

It's done - deal closed after pitch. The flyaway price of the F-35A will drop below US$80 million one year earlier than planned.

On 10 June 2019, Pentagon acquisition czar Ellen Lord announced a US$34B agreement for F-35 Low Rate Initial Production Lots 12-14 that will see the delivery of 478 F-35 aircraft, including 157 for Lot 12 (see: $34B = Biggest Procurement In History As Lockheed, DoD Handshake Deal for 478 F-35s). Lord said in the statement that the Pentagon will reap an estimated 8.8 percent in savings from Lot 11 to Lot 12 for F-35A’s, and an average of 15 percent reduction “across all variants from Lot 11 to Lot 14.”

IMO this price is only possible with Tokyo adding 63 F-35A models, as well as 42 F-35B models, for a total of 147 F-35 fighters in Dec 2018. This large order in 2018 makes Japan second to the US in terms of procured F-35s, with the UK (138 total fighters) now third.

Works for me Brother, loving this airplane, have you seen the F-35A model demo, "Dojo" flew the air display at RIAT 2018, now that, was awesome!
 

RobWilliams

Super Moderator
Staff member
Great news, it did seem a bit out-of-place imagining F-35 conducting SEAD with external AARGM-ER. Making the F-35 a six-shooter certainly helps offset the reduced number of platforms in the sky.

Also useful that the AIM-260 plans have the same profile as AIM-120, so it won't be a case of '4 of that or 6 of these'.
 

Boagrius

Well-Known Member
Great news, it did seem a bit out-of-place imagining F-35 conducting SEAD with external AARGM-ER. Making the F-35 a six-shooter certainly helps offset the reduced number of platforms in the sky.

Also useful that the AIM-260 plans have the same profile as AIM-120, so it won't be a case of '4 of that or 6 of these'.
And that is before you consider the likes of SACM or LREW - missiles that are also in the pipeline AFAIK. Definitely an interesting suite of weapons starting to emerge for the F35 as time goes on.
 

Boagrius

Well-Known Member
BAE Systems Wins Major F-35 Electronic Warfare Upgrade

Electronic warfare has emerged as the new focus of a larger, multiyear $10 billion makeover of the Lockheed Martin F-35.

Ending a yearlong negotiating process that involved discussions with potential alternative suppliers, Lockheed has selected BAE Systems to deliver a package of upgrades under the Block 4 program to the ASQ-239 electronic warfare/countermeasures subsystem, both companies announced on Aug. 21.

- New upgrade preceded by recent technology insertion
- Block 4 could expand frequency band coverage, add cognitive capability...

...BAE also announced the insertion of a critical new technology into the ASQ-239 to help pave the way for future Block 4 upgrades. In addition to a towed decoy, multiple apertures, and the dispensers and controller for radio-frequency and infrared countermeasures, the ASQ-239 also includes technique generators—called Rack 2A and Rack 2B—to counter electronic threats.

BAE has now inserted the DTIP system into the ASQ-239 to upgrade Racks 2A and 2B. The acronym DTIP is a combination of two other acronyms: DCRTG, for the Digital Channelized Receiver/Techniques Generator, and TIP, for the Tuner Insertion Program. The combination results in a centralized electronic warfare processor that is more powerful, yet smaller. As a result, the DTIP will allow Lockheed to commission BAE to deliver new capabilities under Block 4.
https://aviationweek.com/combat-aircraft/bae-systems-wins-major-f-35-electronic-warfare-upgrade

Interesting development. Can anyone clarify what is meant by the Rack 2A and 2B "technique generators"? Would they include emitters in their own right or are they simply responsible for formulating the jamming/EW signal to be produced by APG81 or ALE70? I have always wondered whether F35 has dedicated emitters capable of wide-angle ASPJ or if it relies exclusively on its radar and towed decoy to produce EW output.
 
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King Wally

Active Member
The F-35 weapons bay is being modified to allow internal carriage of the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER). The mod will also allow for the carriage of an extra 2 AIM-120 AAM. This mod is expectect to be completed by July 2022.

https://aviationweek.com/defense/f-35-mod-adds-new-missiles-weapons-bay
This is likely old news but I was impressed today reading how the F35 can accommodate up to 4 x GPS guided SDB1's per weapons bay (I assume with still room for a single Air to Air missile internal per bay.)

RAAF F-35As prepares to conduct SDB1 testing – ADBR

That's a pretty hefty 8 guided ground attack weapons all internally stored, presumably with another 2 AMRAAM's.
 

Boagrius

Well-Known Member
Yup. Sucks to be a red team GBAD operator. All those LO weapons flying about the place...

I take it this was the experience for the Syrians when the Israelis let loose with SDB not too long ago. Quite a handy capability for sure.
 

seaspear

Well-Known Member
F-35 set for laser boost
This article comes from Fox news so Im not sure of content value but its details are interesting in the claim to use a laser finish in the future on the skin of the ircraft in America to improve finish and lifespan ?, would members here be able to comment on this ,and would aircraft assembled using this technique considering that many of the parts of this aircraft come from other participating countries in the program and are not produced locally would this be just good Q.A
 

beepa

New Member
F-35 set for laser boost
This article comes from Fox news so Im not sure of content value but its details are interesting in the claim to use a laser finish in the future on the skin of the ircraft in America to improve finish and lifespan ?, would members here be able to comment on this ,and would aircraft assembled using this technique considering that many of the parts of this aircraft come from other participating countries in the program and are not produced locally would this be just good Q.A
Typical Fox Fake News. The process is to be used to strengthen vulnerable bulkheads etc, nowhere does it state (other than in a Fox Reporters mind) that it has anything to do with the "Skin" of the aircraft. The process being used on only F35b and F35c is a give away that it has nothing to do with the "Skin."
 

seaspear

Well-Known Member
this was also in the article as a navy release
New F-35 Modification Facility Brings Strategic Capability to FRCE
The article below from Wiki
Other applications of laser peening technologies[edit]


Use of laser shocks to measure the bond strength of coatings on metals has been developed over a period of years in France called LASAT for Laser Adhesion Test.[27] This application is also based on the behavior of shockwaves to reflect from the rear free surface of a work piece as a tensile wave. If the back surface is coated with an adherent coating, the tensile wave can be tailored to fracture the bond upon reflection from the surface. By controlling the characteristics of the shock wave, the bond strength of the coating can be measured, or alternatively, determined in a comparative sense.[28]

Careful tailoring of the shockwave shape and intensity has also enabled the inspection of bonded composite structures via laser shocking.[29][30] The technology, termed Laser Bond Inspection initiates a shockwave that reflects off the backside of a bonded structure and returns as a tensile wave. As the tensile wave passes back through the adhesive bond, depending on the strength of the bond and the peak tensile stress of the stress wave, the tensile wave will either pass through the bond or rupture it. By controlling the pressure of the tensile wave this procedure is capable of reliably locally testing adhesion strength between bonded joints. This technology is most often found in application to bonded fiber composite material structures but has also been shown to be successful in evaluating bonds between metal-composite material. Fundamental issues are also studied to characterize and quantify the effect of shock wave produced by laser inside these complex materials.[31][32][33]

The above article suggests that this is a possibility for this use whether the durability of "stealth coating"is improved Im not sure and perhaps the article itself does not communicate well in what the aim of the process is
 

Millennium7

Member
A video about the exchange of information and how it works in an advanced plane like the F35

Mod Edit: Embedded link promoting a YouTube channel deleted.
-Preceptor
 
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