2017 F-35 news and discussion thread

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Member for

12 years 3 months

Posts: 3,106

Cant seem to find the 2016 thread, and seeing how it's a new year....

Couldn't help to but to open with this article, a fantastic example of journalistic failure.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/robert-gottliebsen/trumps-search-for-truth-about-the-jsf-no-bolt-from-the-blue/news-story/93aa2effb585cd57374817cc79e38f86?nk=b7220a6e706650338409a5502e1bfad0-1485781886

As readers will know, I am not an expert on aircraft and I obtain much of my information from Air Power Australia who has been helping Mattis and his people. Air Power has been proved right and the Australian swamp proved wrong on so many occasions over the decade that it must be embarrassing for Canberra.

This poor columnist is claiming APA is working with the U.S. SecDef. Makes you wonder what B.S. Airpower Australia is telling this journalist to get him to believe that.

Original post

Member for

9 years 9 months

Posts: 1,765

I red about Mattis initiative about a comparison betweenF-35 (what model?) and an "updated" F/A-18 but seeems me just a way to justify themselves with the voters and put pressure to LoMart than a serious thing.

Certainly, seeing the mess they have made with the Muslim ban i wonder if they are instead going for a second round there.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,407

Oh good, another couple of hundred pages of petty, childish, schoolyard point scoring and bickering by the usual suspects, to look forward to, interspersed with the (extremely) occasional piece of genuinely useful information...

-Dazza

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16 years 7 months

Posts: 3,765

I red about Mattis initiative about a comparison betweenF-35 (what model?) and an "updated" F/A-18 but seeems me just a way to justify themselves with the voters and put pressure to LoMart than a serious thing.

The "C". Mattis launched a review comparing the "C" with an updated SH.

Member for

9 years 9 months

Posts: 1,765

So, just what I have imagined as the other two are too advanced to be taken into consideration.
Or in case of B, having literally not any alternative.
Having the F/A-18 in service they could almost call on the advantage of having just one logistical line instead of two.
This + the political advantage for the amateur in chief to leave its own mark anyway, regardless of the matter in question...

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 5,396

It is difficult to understate how much NAVAIR loathes F-35C.

They view it as an Air Force airplane shoved down their throats. Built in an Air Force factory and procured by an Air Force led Government Program Office with little input from NAVAIR.

NAVAIR will harp about every little issue F-35C has while ignoring failures of NAVAIR-led programs like Super Hornet wing drop and drag or baby Hornet aileron reversal and drag or Osprey vortex ring state and nacelle leaks/fires.

NAVAIR is extremely political because NAVAIR is a government jobs program and they are fighting to keep their jobs - all 30,000 of them. Success of a non-NAVAIR program spells disaster for continued need for NAVAIR ans its 30,000 bureaucrats.

The bottom line is to beware negative sniping coming from undisclosed "official" sources because their view is likely shaped by politics.

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 4,168

It is difficult to understate how much NAVAIR loathes F-35C.

They view it as an Air Force airplane shoved down their throats. Built in an Air Force factory and procured by an Air Force led Government Program Office with little input from NAVAIR.

NAVAIR will harp about every little issue F-35C has while ignoring failures of NAVAIR-led programs like Super Hornet wing drop and drag or baby Hornet aileron reversal and drag or Osprey vortex ring state and nacelle leaks/fires.

NAVAIR is extremely political because NAVAIR is a government jobs program and they are fighting to keep their jobs - all 30,000 of them. Success of a non-NAVAIR program spells disaster for continued need for NAVAIR ans its 30,000 bureaucrats.

The bottom line is to beware negative sniping coming from undisclosed "official" sources because their view is likely shaped by politics.

Or because their views are different from Air Force ones? But i guess that if they do not want C, of course it is because they are part of the swamp........

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 4,168

AOUCH!

Member for

13 years 5 months

Posts: 276

Cant seem to find the 2016 thread, and seeing how it's a new year....

Couldn't help to but to open with this article, a fantastic example of journalistic failure.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/robert-gottliebsen/trumps-search-for-truth-about-the-jsf-no-bolt-from-the-blue/news-story/93aa2effb585cd57374817cc79e38f86?nk=b7220a6e706650338409a5502e1bfad0-1485781886

This poor columnist is claiming APA is working with the U.S. SecDef. Makes you wonder what B.S. Airpower Australia is telling this journalist to get him to believe that.

APA hasn't posted any new articles on their site since 2013. Carlo's university profile says that his areas of study have changed from electronic warfare to automated human behaviour analysis or something similar. They left the game after their public humiliation during the parliamentary defence review.

Member for

9 years 9 months

Posts: 1,765

Or because their views are different from Air Force ones? But i guess that if they do not want C, of course it is because they are part of the swamp........

Here it begin, let me the time to grab popcorn.

Joking...
I though that Mattis were a Marine, and that the starting point ofthe whole F-35 thing was the STOVL version for them, so I think the NAVAIR eventual loathing for the F-35C also if existing is not the decisive point there.
Is just the one version that is lagging behind and have a realistic alternative .

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 2,814

AOUCH!

USN make carrier aviation look so easy...:cool:

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12 years 10 months

Posts: 2,661

Its all good folks, its all good. TRUMP HAS FIXED IT! Smooth sailing from now on.

Trump says shaves $600 million from cost of 90 Lockheed F-35 aircraft

Negotiations for the 10th batch of F-35 aircraft - about 90 planes - have been under way, with a deal expected by the end of the month. The contract was expected to be around $9 billion, with the price per plane falling below $100 million.

Trump said he became involved in the discussions over the cost of the aircraft about a month ago when he was still president-elect because the negotiations were not progressing.

"They were having a lot of difficulty. There was no movement. And I was able to get $600 million approximately off those planes. So I think that was a great achievement," Trump said, suggesting the savings would be even larger as more planes are bought and as the administration looks at other contracts.

The United States is expected to spend some $391 billion over 15 years to buy about 2,443 F-35 aircraft, which are being built in different versions for the Air Force, Navy and Marines.

The price of the F-35 has typically been dropping with each new batch as Lockheed and the U.S. government ramp up production of the aircraft, which helps to lower overall costs.

While Trump and other U.S. officials have criticized the F-35 program for delays, cost overruns and high aircraft costs, the program has been stabilizing in recent years and the costs have been coming down.

"There were great delays, about seven years of delays, tremendous cost overruns," Trump told reporters. "We've ended all of that and we've got that program really, really now in good shape, so I'm very proud of that."

Sworn into office on 20th Jan. Fixed the program by 30th Jan.

Whadda man! Truly a master of the "art of the deal".

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15 years 9 months

Posts: 3,280

USN make carrier aviation look so easy...:cool:

As opposed to -- what? French carrier aviation?

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8 years 5 months

Posts: 815

Rather the master of the "art of alternative facts".

I think the correct term is post fact... ;)

Member for

8 years

Posts: 1,168

AOUCH!

This is a really close view of the pilot head. It does look like it hurts. worse than i thought

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18 years 2 months

Posts: 2,814

As opposed to -- what? French carrier aviation?

Is that your suggestion? It wasn't mine.

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 4,168

As opposed to -- what? French carrier aviation?

YES! Everything is in motivation..;

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F35C and Catapults

This is a really close view of the pilot head. It does look like it hurts. worse than i thought

Can anyone enlighten me as to why it has only now become apparent that there is a problem catapulting a light weight F35C?

As I understood it catapult tests had been conducted on land at a couple of places at least, as well as on another afloat test period, I would have thought with lightly loaded test planes to being with, there was no reported problem with these launches as far as I am aware? Or where the land trials using the EMALS system, that might have been programmed better to deal with a light weight F35C. Still confused that nothing came up at the first afloat test period..

Just a little surprised that NAVAIR has only let this cat out of the bag and suggests that it will take a couple of years to fix now...

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 4,168

Can anyone enlighten me as to why it has only now become apparent that there is a problem catapulting a light weight F35C?

As I understood it catapult tests had been conducted on land at a couple of places at least, as well as on another afloat test period, I would have thought with lightly loaded test planes to being with, there was no reported problem with these launches as far as I am aware? Or where the land trials using the EMALS system, that might have been programmed better to deal with a light weight F35C. Still confused that nothing came up at the first afloat test period..

Just a little surprised that NAVAIR has only let this cat out of the bag and suggests that it will take a couple of years to fix now...

It was known since 2014