Internationale fighter ontwikkelingen

[Sparkplug]

VIDEO: F-35 begins Raytheon JSOW qualification flights

By James Drew, Washington DC | 01 April 2016

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II will soon count Raytheon's AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) among its list internally carried munitions after "cleanly" releasing the 475kg (1,050lb) inert glide bomb during a trial off the coast of Maryland.

The drop test on 23 March by the Naval Air Station Patuxent River-based CF-05 test aircraft is the first of many that will take place in 2016 to qualify the bomb for use by the stealthy combat jet.

US Navy

Until now, the F-35 has only released satellite-guided Mk80-series bombs equipped with Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits from its internal weapons bay. Equipping the aircraft with a "standoff" glide bomb allows it to hit threatening targets, like anti-aircraft missiles, from safer distances.

"The addition of this guided glide bomb equips the F-35 Lightning II with a medium-range, all-weather weapon capable of engaging targets from further vantage points well out of range of typical enemy anti-aircraft and counter-air defences," the US Navy says in a statement on 1 April. "This lethality and survivability delivers a decisive advantage over adversaries."

According to Raytheon, JSOW can strike targets 22km (12nm) away when released from an altitude of 500ft, or 130km (70nm) when released at 40,000ft. JDAMs, meanwhile, can hit targets up to 28km (15nm) away, depending on the speed and altitude of its release.

By comparison, the Russian SA-2 surface-to-air missile system can target aircraft within a 43km radius, and the mobile SA-6 can reach out 26km. More powerful Russian missile systems like the SA-10 (S-300) and SA-21 (S-400) have ranges approaching 150km and 431km, respectively, according to a report by the Mitchell Institute.


F-35 Integrated Test Team

JSOW will come standard in the F-35 Block 3F configuration, and must be qualified for use by the navy's first combat-coded F-35C squadron at the time it declares initial operational capability (IOC) in 2018.

Other Block 3F-specific weapons include the Boeing Small Diameter Bomb as well as the MBDA AIM-132 Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) and Raytheon UK Paveway IV for the Royal Air Force.

ASRAAM units were recently shipped to the USA for F-35 testing and the 227kg (500lb) Paveway IV was first dropped from a B-model in June.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/video-f-35-begins-raytheon-jsow-qualification-fligh-423782/

[Harald]

The Eagles are coming back !   

Air National Guard F-15s Head to Iceland and the Netherlands

Twelve F-15C Eagles and approximately 350 Airmen and support equipment from the 131st Fighter Squadron, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, and the 194th Fighter Squadron, Fresno Air National Guard Base, California, will deploy to the European theater beginning April 1, 2016.

The arrival of these F-15s marks the latest iteration of a Theater Security Package to come to the European theater in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

Units will conduct training alongside NATO allies and partners as part of OAR to strengthen interoperability, demonstrate the U.S. commitment to a Europe that is whole, free, at peace, secure, and prosperous and to deter further Russian aggression.

Upon arrival in Europe, the F-15s will head to two separate locations to simultaneously support the NATO air surveillance mission in Iceland and conduct flying training at Leeuwarden Air Base, Netherlands.

During their six months in theater, the TSP will also forward deploy to other NATO and partner nations to include Bulgaria, Estonia and Romania.

While at Leeuwarden, the F-15s will participate in Exercise Frisian Flag, an international exercise designed to bring fighter aircraft from multiple countries together to work on interoperability, planning and execution.

Theater Security Packages are rotational forces of stateside Total Force Airmen and aircraft that augment existing Air Force capabilities in Europe.

The F-15s will remain in theater through Sept. 2016.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/172612/usaf-deploys-f_15s-to-iceland%2C-netherlands.html

[Sparkplug]

BAE's APKWS rockets go to war on AV-8B Harrier

By James Drew, Washington DC | 31 March 2016

BAE Systems' laser-guided rocket has been rushed into combat on the AV-8B Harrier, seven months after it was requested by the top brass of the US Marine Corps.

The semi-active-laser-seeking 70mm (2.75in) rocket, enabled by BAE's mid-body guidance and control section, is already deployed on US Navy and Marine Corps attack helicopters and was recently acquired by the Army for the AH-64 Apache gunship, but it will soon become a standard tool on the fixed-wing AV-8B jump jet.

US Naval Air Systems Command is delivering 80 units initially to Marine Attack Squadron-223 (VMA-223), which is currently deployed to an undisclosed location, likely somewhere in the Middle East.

NAVAIR could not say if the VMA-223 Harriers were currently engaged in combat against the Islamic State terrorist organisation in Iraq and Syria, but the quick delivery supports "combat operations". The first fixed-wing variants were delivered to theater this month.


AV-8B equipped with Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) during testing at China Lake, California
US Navy

"The intent of this requirement was to quickly provide the AV-8B with a low-cost, low-collateral damage, high-precision weapon in support of combat operations," Navy Capt Al Mousseau, who heads NAVAIR's munitions acquisition office PMA-242, says in a 30 March statement.

"This capability will provide commanders with a warfighting alternative to better enable weapon-to-target pairing," adds AV-8B life cycle programme manager Col Fred Schenk.

NAVAIR confirmed that a series of qualification flights took place to guarantee the rocket's compatibility with the AV-8B platform. It was first trailed on the Harrier during a demonstration programme in 2013, BAE says, along with the US Air Force A-10 and F-16.

The second phase, after meeting the immediate warfighting need, is to make APKWS a standard weapon choice on all AV-8Bs, NAVAIR says.

Developed under the APKWS-II programme to convert the unguided Hydra 70 rocket into a precision-guided, close-air-support weapon, the navy has carried it forward as a lower cost alternative to the AGM-114 Hellfire missile for attacking unarmoured vehicles and enemy combatants on the ground.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/baes-apkws-rockets-go-to-war-on-av-8b-harrier-423724/

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

2x Europees export succes.
Ik zeg chapeau!!!

De hoofdprijs voor Dassault is in de maak in de VAE: 60 Rafales,

De VS is/lijkt momenteel om diverse redenen uit die gratie.

[Zander]

2x Europees export succes.
Ik zeg chapeau!!!

[Sparkplug]

Qatar, France Complete Dassault Rafale Fighter Jet Deal

Awad Mustafa, Defense News | March 29, 2016

DOHA, Qatar — France and Qatar completed the deal for 24 Dassault Rafale fighter jets at the opening day of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference.

.../...

Zie onderstaande link voor het complete artikel.
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/2016/03/29/dassault-rafale-france-qatar-fighter-jet/82377564/

Deze complete deal heeft een waarde van € 6,7 miljard.

[Sparkplug]

FIDAE 2016: Saab touts Gripen to Latin American fighter market

Gareth Jennings, Santiago - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly | 29 March 2016


A mock-up of the Gripen E being displayed at the FIDAE Airshow 2016, as Saab looks to build on its recent regional success in Brazil with further Latin American orders. Source: IHS/Gareth Jennings

Saab is displaying a full-size mock-up of its Gripen E combat aircraft at the FIDAE Airshow 2016, as it looks to build on its regional success with the type in Brazil.

The model of the single-seat Gripen E (a twin-seat Gripen F is also in development) is featuring on the company's stand during the event, which is taking place at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport from 29 March to 3 April.

Having already sealed a deal with Brazil for 36 Gripen E/F fighters (28 single-seat Gripen Es and eight twin-seat Gripen Fs), Saab is looking to consolidate and expand its Latin American presence with additional sales to other regional operators as they look to recapitalise largely antiquated and increasingly difficult and costly inventories to sustain with more modern and capable types. IHS Jane's Markets Forecast projects a future Latin American requirement of 285 fighter aircraft out to 2025, valued at USD12.5 billion.

Latin America is a region that is largely defined by restricted budgets (there is a reason that fighter inventories in the region average more than 30-years of age), restricting options for renewal.

At the top-end of the spectrum, most fighter types, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Sukhoi Su-35 'Flanker-E' among others, cost upwards of USD100 million to procure and thousands of dollars an hour to operate and maintain, and are therefore out of reach of most if not all of the continent's air arms.

At the bottom-end, surplus aircraft, such as the early-model Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons that have been retired from the US Air Force and placed into storage, might be affordable but they offer little in increased capabilities over many of the types they might replace.

Straddling these two extremes is the Gripen, which is being offered in both its current C/D and its newer E/F (NG in its demonstrator guise) incarnations depending on the customer's performance requirements, budgets, and timelines.

Want to read more? For analysis on this article and access to all our insight content, please enquire about our subscription options ihs.com/contact

To read the full article, Client Login

(349 of 868 words)

http://www.janes.com/article/59070/fidae-2016-saab-touts-gripen-to-latin-american-fighter-market

[Harald]

FIDAE 2016: Textron aims to crash Latin American fighter market with Scorpion 
(ook de Russen en de Chinesen zullen zeker van zich laten horen en misschien nog wel een succesje voor Saab's Gripen)

Textron AirLand is showcasing its Scorpion to the Latin American market at the FIDAE Airshow for the first time as the company looks to secure its elusive launch customer for the multirole aircraft. The twin-seat, twin-engined jet is being displayed at the event, running at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport from 29 March to 3 April.

First revealed in September 2013, the Scorpion has been developed to suit mission sets including counterinsurgency (COIN), border patrol, maritime surveillance, counter-narcotics, and air defence, in a package set to cost no more than USD20 million to procure and USD3,000 per hour to operate.

Textron AirLand has built the platform around a 2.3 m 3 payload bay in the centre of its fuselage that can accept a variety of sensors and weapons systems, depending on the mission. The Scorpion also has six underwing hardpoints - three on each side - to carry additional sensors, fuel, or weapons such as the Textron G-CLAW and Textron/Thales Fury guided glide munitions.

Company-supplied performance specifications give the Scorpion a top speed of 450 kt, a service ceiling of 45,000 ft, and a ferry range of 4,450 km. The aircraft's combination of speed, range/endurance, and large weapons payload along with its integrated yet modular sensor package and its affordable procurement and operating costs make it a highly promising solution for the light fighter/strike market.

For cash-strapped Latin America, the Scorpion is a particularly attractive option, given that it can perform the vast majority of tasks that regional air arms usually demand on their combat fleets, but at a fraction of the procurement, operating, and sustainment costs of more advanced types. IHS Jane's Markets Forecast projects a future Latin American requirement of 285 fighter aircraft out to 2025, valued at USD12.5 billion.

http://www.janes.com/article/59072/fidae-2016-textron-aims-to-crash-latin-american-fighter-market-with-scorpion

[Sparkplug]

Slimmed-down F-35 Gen III helmet to be introduced sooner

By James Drew, Washington DC | 29 March 2016

The Pentagon is bullish about resolving issues with the F-35 Lightning II's escape system that has restricted lightweight pilots of from flying the fifth-generation combat jet, with the joint programme office (JPO) now expecting delivery of a slimmed-down "Gen 3" helmet from Rockwell Collins by November for rollout in 2017.

One US Air Force pilot was transferred to the F-22 Raptor last year after sled tests of the Lockheed Martin F-35's emergency escape system revealed "unacceptable" loads and stresses on mannequin weighing 47kg (103lb) and 62kg (136lb) when ejecting with the newly delivered third-generation helmet. Those loads might break a human pilot's neck or cause serious injury.

Fixes include a switch on the Martin Baker US16E (MK16) ejection seat that delays the parachute's opening "by milliseconds" when occupied by a lightweight pilot, plus a head support panel sewn between the parachute risers. However, a weight reduction for the third-generation helmet from 2.3kg (5.1lb) to 2.1kg (4.6lb) has also been required.

Estimates in February predicted that a helmet solution, which uses lighter-weight materials and has detachable day and night visors, would have lagged ejection seat modifications by "eight to nine months". Lockheed, Rockwell and other suppliers have since promised to deliver it sooner, officials say.

"We'll have our first Gen 3 light helmets now aligned with the seat in November of 2016, so we can remove the restriction for the lightweight pilots weighing under 136lb," Bogdan said at a forum in Washington DC earlier this month. "We've tested helmets with similar mass properties, and we think it's going to work."


F-35 Gen III Helmet Mounted Display System
Lockheed Martin

On 29 March, the programme office confirmed that November delivery date, and said one test asset is already on hand to validate that a reduced weight helmet will indeed reduce the likelihood of a serious neck injury during ejection, in combination with Martin-Baker's seat modifications.

"Those three fixes will be in place this year," a spokesman says. Those changes will be gradually rolled out across the fleet and cut into aircraft production beginning in 2017.

The heavier, third generation Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) replaces a less-capable model and both are produced by Rockwell Collins and Elbit Systems of America's Vision Systems International joint venture. The first operational third-generation helmet was delivered in August.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/slimmed-down-f-35-gen-iii-helmet-to-be-introduced-so-423620/

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

En dan te bedenken dat lang geleden een type soms al na 5 jaar ver over datum was.

Maar toen had je voldoende verschillende types met een overlap.... nu is het wel heel eenzijdig geworden en persoonlijk vind ik dat er overlappende cycli moeten zijn om innovatief en zijn, up to date te blijven en de concurrentie scherp te houden...

Daarnaast: het voorkomt een boeggolf en minder geschreeuw over, bijvoorbeeld, de kosten van het F35 programma en had je de 378 miljard US dollar kunnen verdelen over een aantal programma's.

[Sparkplug]

Dat dan weer wel....

Maar kijk een naar de F16:  eerste productie kisten eind jaren zeventig van de vorige eeuw, laatste productiekisten vermoedelijk rond eind dit decennium (afgerond 40 jaar) en dan vliegen de laatste productiekisten nog minimaal 30 jaar (we zitten al op 70 jaar)... tel hierbij de ontwikkelfase en de uitloop en we gaan richting 80 jaar F16.

En dan te bedenken dat lang geleden een type soms al na 5 jaar ver over datum was.

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

Nog even en de kleinkinderen vliegen op hetzelfde jachtvliegtuigtype 

Dat dan weer wel....

Maar kijk een naar de F16:  eerste productie kisten eind jaren zeventig van de vorige eeuw, laatste productiekisten vermoedelijk rond eind dit decennium (afgerond 40 jaar) en dan vliegen de laatste productiekisten nog minimaal 30 jaar (we zitten al op 70 jaar)... tel hierbij de ontwikkelfase en de uitloop en we gaan richting 80 jaar F16.

[Sparkplug]

F-35 Will Fly Until 2070 — Six Years Longer Than Planned

Lara Seligman, Defense News - March 24, 2016

WASHINGTON — The F-35 joint strike fighter will fly until 2070, reflecting a decision by the US armed services to extend the operational life of the fleet by six years.

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/2016/03/24/f-35-fly-until-2070-six-years-longer-than-planned/82224282/

Nog even en de kleinkinderen vliegen op hetzelfde jachtvliegtuigtype 

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

F-35 Will Fly Until 2070 — Six Years Longer Than Planned

Lara Seligman, Defense News - March 24, 2016

WASHINGTON — The F-35 joint strike fighter will fly until 2070, reflecting a decision by the US armed services to extend the operational life of the fleet by six years.

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/2016/03/24/f-35-fly-until-2070-six-years-longer-than-planned/82224282/

[Sparkplug]

Software fix readied to prevent further F-35 delay

By Stephen Trimble Washington DC | 24 March 2016

Flight tests starting next week will determine whether a key milestone for the US Air Force version of the Lockheed Martin F-35A will be delayed only four months or perhaps even longer, programme officials say.

The USAF had planned to stand-up the first F-35A squadron and declare initial operational capability (IOC) in August. But a planned computer processor upgrade late last year destabilized the software that connects mission systems, such as the radar, to the flight computer.

"What the pilots are seeing is when they take-off and they need to use the sensors, particularly the radar, the communication between the radar and the computer is mistimed," says Lt Gen Chris Bogdan, the F-35 programme executive, speaking at the House Armed Services subcommittee on tactical air and land forces on 23 March.

As timing delays pile up, the radar enters a degraded mode or shuts down completely, he says, requiring several minutes to restart. The software causes a sensor to shut down an average of once every 4h, he adds.

The US Marine Corps declared IOC with the F-35B model last summer with Block 2B software, offering the bare minimum of weapons and manoeuvring authority. A few months later, Lockheed introduced the Block 3I standard, which re-hosts the Block 2B software on a more advanced computer processor. The USAF plans to announce IOC with the next software upgrade called Block 3F, which would the F-35 to carry a full complement of weapons and enable the full flight envelope.

Although no new functionality was added, rehosting the Block 2B software on the Block 3I hardware caused the failure rate to soar from once every 30h to once every 4h. "The complexity of that re-hosting should not be understated," says Sean Stackley, assistant secretary of the navy for acquisition.

In the long-term, the programme hopes to return to the Block 2B level of stability, but in the interim the goal is more modest. For IOC, the USAF would accept Block 3F software with an average system failure rate of once every 8-10h, Stackley says.

A software patch developed for the Block 3I standard will enter flight testing next week. If failure rate improves to the 8-10h threshold, the impact on the USAF IOC schedule will be "minimal", Bogdan says.

But the next challenge will be introducing the Block 3F software, which adds significant new functions for operating the sensors, weapons and flight controls.

"We are wary that further issues will emerge," Stackley says.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/software-fix-readied-to-prevent-further-f-35-delay-423497/