F-35B/C Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter)

[Flathatter13]

Yes, we do have money for a new big bomber, but it's easy to cut a program that hasn't produced an airplane yet for more F-22's. After all, how many airmen are losing their jobs to force shaping? (sounds like Military Lay-offs to me)

ummm. No we don't have money for it, and congress has already said we can't have money for it.

Before the AF buys anything else the next thing that will be purchased is tankers before they start falling apart from age and hours.

 

[Flathatter13]

They literally built the A-10 AROUND the GAU-8, from my understanding. Just snapping on a 30 mm cannon to a Viper doesn't seem like nearly as good of a Close Support platform.
And then taking what Flathat said about the F-16 not being a good Close Support aircraft to begin with...seriously, what's wrong with keeping the A-10?

Or maybe, for CAS, we should go back to dropping hand grenades from biplanes.

Don't get me wrong the F-16 is a good plane but it moves to fast and is waaaaay to vulnerable to ground fire to be a true CAS aircraft like the A-10 is. I doubt with all the the funding for upgrades and new wings that the A-10 will be going away anytime soon. It will continue on as the bastard stepchild of the AF but one that no-one can deny when it comes to being good at it's job.

 

[HeyJoe]

F-35B Rollout approachth!...it's here!!

Lockheed Martin has announced that they are on schedule to roll out the first production F-35B on 18 December. Meanwhile, the F-35A returned to flight on 7 December.

 

[OneBadSSS]

So when is the Navy expected to start a training pipeline for these badboys?

 

[jmac12]

From things I've read, this program is not exactly on the fast track, and as you said, the A just returned to flight for the first time since May, after they experienced some major issues with the electrical system. Defense industry daily has pretty good coverage of the program, and it sounds like some of the foreign investors are getting impatient and starting to consider other options.
So, to answer your question about a training pipeline, I would venture to guess that it won't be any time in the near future, but if you have college and flight school ahead of you, maybe it will be standing up when you wing. I guess they are still putting out 2015 as an IOC, but maybe someone else has some more info on this. I would expect to be headed to some sort of Rhino rag (E/F/G) if you wind up flying jets though.

 

[Uncle Fester]

They're going to be standing up a JSF RAG-ish sort of animal at Eglin in the near future (if they haven't already - a Rhino guy from my last cruise had orders to go there). I think the idea is to figure out a joint-training curriculum from the get-go. Kinda seems like cart-before-the-horse to me, but... I'm pretty sure the first CAT I F-35 stud is still in Jr High at the moment.

 

[Harrier Dude]

... I'm pretty sure the first CAT I F-35 stud is still in Jr High at the moment.

Or gaining valuable experience in the Civil Air Patrol....

Last word I heard was that the F-35 RAG will start up in 2009. Not quite sure I believe that, though. Initiallly it'll be a bunch of AV-8B and F/A-18 guys doing a shit ton of sims. Proabbly a slow process.

 

[HuggyU2]

Eglin AFB's 33rd Fighter Wing (currently flying the Eagle) will become an Air Education and Training in about a year. They are slated to get their first F-35 around Jan 2010, according to the PA gal I spoke with in Sept.

 

[HeyJoe]

They're going to be standing up a JSF RAG-ish sort of animal at Eglin in the near future (if they haven't already - a Rhino guy from my last cruise had orders to go there). I think the idea is to figure out a joint-training curriculum from the get-go. Kinda seems like cart-before-the-horse to me, but... I'm pretty sure the first CAT I F-35 stud is still in Jr High at the moment.

As uncle Fester says, the Air Force has lead to establish the multi-service F-35 Joint Integrated Training Center at Eglin AFB. The Air Force announced last year that they will transition the 33rd Fighter Wing (currently operating F-15C Eagles) to the F-35A/B/C training mission. At that time they expecting first aircraft to arrive in 2010 and the first Marine squadron to achieve IOC by 2012 with Navy and Air Force to follow in 2013. The Navy has already established a Fleet Introduction Team locally and has a fully staffed JSF "Special Management Office" (SMO) at "CNAF East" (in AIRLANT spaces) patterned on the ACC model at Langley AFB.

You can judge for yourself how many F-35s will be available by the latest procurement profile that has only 2 F-35s delivering in FY09 increasing to 12 the following year followed by 16 in 2011 and 30 in 2012. That's not a lot of aircraft to dole out to Development and Operational Testing and equip the Eglin Training needs. 43 will be delivered in 2013 and then things really ramp up in 2014 with 118 total delivered and 83 going to the US (Australia, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Turkey and the UK get the remander of the difference). Of course, any plans or schedule are at the mercy of annual funding revisions by services and ultimately the Congressional allocations as well as any technical issues in getting the production versions of the F-35 into developmental and operational testing.

So if you're looking to get in a JSF cockpit, the Marines have the most comprehensive planning already on paper with personnel requirements programmed to begin training by 1 October 2010. JSF staffing priorities start with supporting Developmental Testing at PAX River and the Operational Test team. The second priority is staffing the Joint Integrated Training Center being established at Eglin AFB. The Marines are still pressing for first squadron (VMA-211) to transition beginning in FY12, but remains to be seen whether they will transition the squadron and include any new pilots direct from flight school that early in the introduction of the F-35. There will be 6 F-35B squadrons (3 former AV-8B squadrons and 3 former F/A-18 squadrons) by 2015 so opportunites will be much greater by then.

 

[HeyJoe]

Commandant presides at rollout

CMC looks pretty happy with F-35B almost ready to rock n' roll (with a little paint and fuel).

 

[VetteMuscle427]

So what happens to your RCS when you start getting bullets put through the skin and have to patch it?

 

[FLY_USMC]

The Marines are still pressing for first squadron (VMA-211) to transition beginning in FY12,

I was told it was a VMFA Squadron that was first, I don't remember which one, VMFA-3XX was what it was, told it was already stood up?

 

[Harrier Dude]

I've heard several version of "who's first". I won't believe it 'till I see it. And by then, I'll be off fishing or something!

 

[raptor10]

The JSF is being sold on the premise of "first day stealth," which has morphed into a "day one asset." Destroy the enemy air defenses and the need for stealth can be balanced with extra payload (decidedly unstealthy external pylons).

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/5B3E111D_1143_EC82_2E449141E32A507C.pdf

AI How important is first day stealth capability in a new air platform?

CAS Increasingly important, which is why JSF is so important to the RAF. The proliferation of advanced surface-to-air missiles and fighters will place a premium on advanced low observable capabilities but we should not become fixated on this as a ‘first day’ capability. JSF will be able to attack highly defended ‘first day’ targets but the aircraft will also be able to conduct
the full range of air power tasks. It will also be an extremely capable ISTAR platform because of its advanced radar and sensors, much of which has been developed from the F22.

 

[HeyJoe]

I was told it was a VMFA Squadron that was first, I don't remember which one, VMFA-3XX was what it was, told it was already stood up?

VFMA-332 (AW) is in "Cadre" stage and is programmed to be "stood up" in FY11.