Internationale fighter ontwikkelingen

[Sparkplug]

'Interchangeable Almost:' NATO Air Deputy Pushes Even Deeper Integration

April 25, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

NATO Allied Air Command is making moves now for its member nations' air forces to be able to service each others' fighters, fly them with each others' weapons, and integrate more closely than they have in decades, a top official said April 24—ahead of an influx of F-35s and a coming wave of sixth-generation fighters.

Interoperability has long been a cornerstone of NATO. But Russia's invasion of Ukraine has charged the effort with a new urgency unseen since the end of the Cold War, NATO Allied Air Command's Deputy boss, RAF Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, said at an event hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.


USAF and Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft conduct a bilateral air-to-air training exercise. New simulators allow F-35 pilot's from the two countries to communicate and train together more effectively. Tech Sgt. Rachel Maxwell

The F-35 is perhaps the most obvious example, with the U.S. and a dozen European NATO countries having either purchased the fifth-generation fighter or planning to do so.

• United Kingdom
• Belgium
• Netherlands
• Italy
• Denmark
• Norway
• Sweden (moet zijn Finland)
• Poland
• Germany (planned)
• Czech Republic (planned)
• Greece (planned)
• Romania (planned)

.../...

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/interchangeable-almost-nato-air-deputy-integration/

[Sparkplug]

F-35 Tech Upgrade Slips to 2025; 'Truncated' Version in the Fall

April 23, 2024 | By John A. Tirpak

Deliveries of full-up Tech Refresh Three-equipped F-35s, previously expected in the middle of this year, now won't come until 2025, Lockheed Martin officials reported on their April 23 first-quarter earnings call. In the meantime, they hope to deliver a so-called "truncated" version of the hardware/software package this fall.

Chief Executive Officer Jim Taiclet said there will be two releases of TR-3: a "combat training-capable" version that should be delivered in the third quarter of this and a "fully combat-capable" version in 2025. Lockheed has been storing newly-built F-35s with the TR-3 pending completion of testing and integration. Some 70 aircraft are in storage at an undisclosed location, awaiting a green light for delivery.


The factory floor at Lockheed Martin's F-35 factory in Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed Martin courtesy photo

.../...

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/f-35-tech-upgrade-2025-truncated/

[Harald]

Croatian Air Force welcome the arrival of six Rafale fighters

The Croatian Air Force (Hrvatsko ratno zrakoplovstvo i protuzračna obrana, HRZ i PZO) officially received its first six Rafale fighter jets in a ceremony held on Apr. 25, at the 91st operational base near Zagreb. This marks a significant milestone in the country's ongoing military modernization efforts.

https://alert5.com/2024/04/26/croatian-air-force-welcome-the-arrival-of-six-rafale-fighters/

[Harald]

The RAF Typhoon Display Team Reveals New Livery For 2024 Display Season  (heel gaaaaf !!)

The new special colored aircraft is painted in a 1944 era 'Day Fighter' scheme that remembers a Hawker Typhoon of 257 Squadron, FM-G.
On Apr. 22, 2024, the Royal Air Force unveiled at RAF Coningsby the Typhoon FGR4 of the Typhoon Display Team, that will be flown by Flight Lieutenant Turnbull from 29 Squadron throughout the 2024 season. Nicknamed "Moggy", the display aircraft was given a special color scheme to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day.

The aircraft, ZJ913, showcases a paint scheme reminiscent of a 'Day Fighter' design from 1944, paying homage to a Hawker Typhoon from 257 Squadron, bearing the designation FM-G. On D-Day this aircraft was flown by Pilot Officer Denzel Jenkins.

https://theaviationist.com/2024/04/22/raf-typhoon-display-team-new-livery/

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8x9ngq




Extra foto's
https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&p=1585509

[Harald]

One Country Expressed Interest In Buying The A-10, Air Force Secretary Says ( Het is niet Oekranie ) ( een squadron voor NL ..    hahahaha )

The U.S. Air Force might find a buyer for its A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft once they are retired from active service.
The U.S. Air Force is in the process of retiring its A-10 attack jet fleet, with plans to phase out 56 aircraft from its total fleet of 265 by fiscal 2028. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Secretary Kendall noted that at least one country has expressed some interest in obtaining the A-10s. However, there won't be significant support for the aircraft once they're out of the American inventory due to their age and lack of a support base.

.../...

Although Kendall did not specify the country, he mentioned that Ukraine, often mentioned as one of the countries which could benefit of the aircraft, despite its upcoming acquisition of F-16s, hasn't shown much interest due to concerns about survivability.

In fact, the A-10C Thunderbolt II can be effective if operated in a pretty permissive environment, that Ukraine is not.

.../...

https://theaviationist.com/2024/04/23/a-10-international-customer/

[Harald]

Argentina's First F-16 Breaks Cover

Argentina Signed Deal to acquire 24 F-16s from Denmark. The F-16 will replace the obsolete A-4R Fightinghawk, with first deliveries expected later this year.
Six months after the approval from the United States, Argentina officially concluded the deal during a signing ceremony at Skrydstrup Air Base in Denmark on April 16. During the ceremony, which saw the participation of the Defense ministers of both countries, it was confirmed that Argentina will receive 24 F-16AM/BM from the Royal Danish Air Force, together with eight spare engines, spare parts for five years and four flight simulators.

After the signing of the deal, the first F-16 with the insignias of the Fuerza Aérea Argentina was unveil unveiled. The aircraft, the F-16BM 86-0199/ET-199, is painted in dark grey "Have Glass" color scheme, with full color Argentine flag and roundel. Interestingly, the F-16 was also armed with an inert GBU-31 JDAM and BRU-61 rack with four GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs.



gehele artikel zie link

https://theaviationist.com/2024/04/16/argentinas-first-f-16-breaks-cover/

[Huzaar1]

Grote stap, en nee NL heeft die nog niet op het oog, CLSK vast wel, de CDLS ook, maar Nederland niet  .

[Harald]

Lockheed Martin Unveils New Mako Hypersonic Missile Which Can Be Carried Internally By The F-35

Mako = Multi-Mission Hypersonic Missile

The new multirole, multiplatform Mako missile can be employed against targets both on land and at sea, making it a very versatile weapon that can be used in multiple mission sets.
Lockheed Martin, in partnership with CoAspire, unveiled the new Mako multi-mission hypersonic missile during this week's Sea Air Space 2024 exposition. Initially developed with internal funding for the U.S. Air Force Stand In Attack Weapon (SiAW) program, the company is now pitching the weapon to the U.S. Navy to be employed also by carrier-based aircraft.

.../...

https://theaviationist.com/2024/04/10/lockheed-martin-unveils-new-mako-hypersonic-missile-which-can-be-carried-internally-by-the-f-35/



Lockheed Martin's New Mako Hypersonic Missile Breaks Cover
https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/sea-air-space-2024/2024/04/lockheed-martin-unveils-mako-hypersonic-missile/

[Sparkplug]

Navy EA-18G Growlers Get AIM-9X, Super Hornets Can Now Carry More Sidewinders

Adding additional AIM-9X Sidewinder capacity to Navy fast jets was in response to an urgent need to take down Houthi drones.

by Joseph Trevithick | PUBLISHED Apr 9, 2024 4:39 PM EDT



U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft can now carry AIM-9X Sidewinders under their wings. As part of the same process, the service has cleared AIM-9Xs to go on pylons underneath the wings of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, expanding the total number of Sidewinders those jets can carry on a single sortie. The Navy took these steps specifically to help give Super Hornets and Growlers flying over and around the Red Sea more options to engage Houthi drones.

Navy Rear Admiral Stephen Tedford, head of Naval Air Systems Command's (NAVAIR) Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, or PEO (U&W), disclosed the new details regarding AIM-9X on Growler and Super Hornet at the Navy League's annual Sea Air Space conference yesterday.

PEO (U&W), together with NAVAIR's Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), worked on "an accelerated path to generate a flight clearance that allows us to carry the AIM-9X on inboard stations on the F/A-18[E/F Super Hornet]. So, instead of just being limited to two, they're now carrying four," Tedford explained. "That also allows us to carry them on Growler."

.../...

It is worth noting that Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) EA-18Gs are already capable of carrying AIM-9Xs on their outboard wing stations. This was originally an Australia-specific requirement for Growler, along with the ability to carry the Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) pod. However, the Navy supported that integration effort, which can only have helped the service speed up the process of clearing its own Growlers to carry AIM-9Xs on those same wing stations.


A pair of RAAF Growlers. An AIM-9X can be seen on the right outboard underwing pylon on the aircraft in the foreground. Australian Department of Defense

.../...

https://www.twz.com/air/navy-ea-18g-growlers-get-aim-9x-super-hornets-can-now-carry-more-sidewinders

[Harald]

Pentagon delays F-35 retrofits amid upgrade woes

Older F-35 stealth fighters were slated to start getting the Technology Refresh 3 upgrade this month, but the Pentagon has postponed the retrofit plan to an unspecified date.

Problems with an upgrade installed on some Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters rolling off the production line have now disrupted plans to incorporate those upgrades on existing aircraft, and the F-35 Joint Program Office does not have a date for when those jets will get the much-anticipated retrofits.

The F-35 program "was scheduled to begin TR-3 [Technology Refresh 3] retrofits in April 2024 with the intent to modify 149 aircraft over the subsequent 12-month period," JPO spokesperson Russ Goemaere told Breaking Defense. But now, "[t]he Program is working closely with F-35 customers to establish a new start date for those modifications based on a number of factors including software and supply chains.

"Very capable TR-2 jets will continue to fly operational missions while awaiting the start of TR-3 retrofits," he said. A breakdown of how those planned retrofits are shared across the fighter's three variants and international customer base was not immediately available.

"We must improve our efficiency in integrating and testing TR-3 and Block 4 capabilities (Hardware and Software)," Goemaere said.

Since July 2023, the Pentagon has refused to accept newly built F-35s due to software woes with the TR-3 upgrade, which has slipped numerous times past its original fielding date expected for April 2023. TR-3 is now projected to be completed sometime between July and September of this year, when Lockheed will then be able to deliver new, fully upgraded planes, according to the company. (The F-35 program is also exploring a plan to resume deliveries before TR-3 is finished, but no decision has yet been made.)

Lockheed has continued to build and deliver jets equipped with TR-2 in the meantime, and previously planned on shipping out TR-3 kits that could be swapped out with TR-2 on existing fighters starting this month. But the upgrade's continued software woes, combined with supply chain issues constraining the production of TR-3 hardware, have now pushed back those retrofit plans to an unspecified date.

Though the JPO acknowledged there's no specified date for the retrofits, Goemaere claimed they are "not delayed indefinitely.

"Retrofits will be deferred for a period time until TR-3 software performance improves and manufacturing rates of TR-3 hardware meets the demands of production, sustainment, and retrofits," he said. "The F-35 program has been and continues to take steps to increase manufacturing rates with progress over recent months."

Goemaere did tell Breaking Defense that "[d]elays in production of TR-3 parts for new aircraft builds has caused delays in production of TR-3 parts for current aircraft," adding "recovery is expected in FY25." Goemaere also said that "risk still remains with TR-3 delivery and production. However, the JPO and Lockheed Martin anticipate production of TR-3 hardware kits will keep pace with the delivery schedule once DD250 resumes." DD250 refers to the government's check out process for accepting new weapon systems.

TR-3 — which features a more powerful processor, greater memory and a panoramic cockpit display that collectively enable a suite of new capabilities known as Block 4 — has been a source of pride for Lockheed but also a headache as problems arose. The company has maintained it can still build at a rate of 156 jets per year, but only 75 to 110 new stealth fighters are expected to be delivered in 2024 as a result of the TR-3 issues.

As many as 100 to 120 jets could be awaiting delivery come the year's end as Lockheed works to clear out its backlog once acceptances resume, executives said during the company's January earnings call. The Pentagon has additionally been withholding $7 million in payments for each newly-built F-35 placed in storage, Bloomberg reported, which could amount to a total of over $800 million if the delivery pause stretches through June.

In December, F-35 program head Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt warned lawmakers about TR-3 hardware shortages and pointed the finger at some supply chain issues. Challenges with getting "a couple" of unspecified TR-3 components risked impacts to both newly built jets and planned retrofits, Schmidt testified.

"The TR-3 hardware is coming up a ramp that is not where it needs to be. It is not meeting our contractual requirements," Schmidt said. He later told reporters that industry has "a little time here to ramp up, but they need to do it quickly parts-wise."

For its part, the Air Force has said that TR-3 issues informed the service's decision to scale back its latest fighter buy, with the Navy and Marine Corps also cutting their F-35 spending due to budget caps imposed by Congress.

"We want the planes that we want. And the TR-3 [and] Block 4 capabilities have been delayed. So, our approach is to minimize the impact of that by procuring fewer of those in the first years of the FYDP [future years defense program]," Kristyn Jones, who is performing the duties of the service's under secretary, told reporters in a March 11 briefing. Toward the end of the five-year FYDP spending outlook, the F-35 buy would then climb back up as more capabilities become available, she added. Following the briefing, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed to Breaking Defense that the service's decision was influenced by "both software and hardware delays."

The National Guard in its FY25 unfunded priority list requested money to restore the F-35 purchases that the Air Force sought to cut.

Citing the company's quiet period ahead of an earnings call planned for later this month, Lockheed declined to answer detailed questions about TR-3 production for this report, but said "TR-3 remains our top priority and we continue to produce F-35s at rate.

"We expect to begin delivering TR-3 jets in the third quarter and are committed to providing unrivaled, advanced capabilities in support of our customers' missions," the company continued. "As stated in our January earnings call, the aircraft delivery range for 2024 is between 75 and 110 and requires TR-3 suppliers to keep pace with production demands, both this year and in the future. We have deployed employees to suppliers to expedite quality hardware delivery and are working to ensure the required kit production capacity infrastructure, supporting demand for new production aircraft, modification and spares."

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/04/pentagon-delays-f-35-retrofits-amid-upgrade-woes/

[Sparkplug]

Vertel eens meer

De oorspronkelijke weapon stations 1 en 9 werden om aerodynamische redenen buiten gebruik gesteld. McDonnell Douglas had deze oorspronkelijk bedoeld voor ECM pods. Nu zijn ze bruikbaar voor air-to-air missiles.

https://theaviationist.com/2023/01/12/f-15ex-fires-air-to-air-missiles-from-new-weapon-stations-for-the-first-time/

https://www.eglin.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3257485/f-15ex-proves-out-full-air-to-air-capability/

[Huzaar1]

Het is goed dat de twee oorspronkelijke weapon stations onder de vleugels aan de uiterste linker- en rechterkant weer terug zijn. Dit is zoals McDonnell Douglas het oorspronkelijk had bedoeld. Meteen nadat de F-15A operationeel werd, werden deze twee weapon stations buiten gebruik gesteld.

Vertel eens meer

[Sparkplug]

Wat maakt dit nu een eagle 2.0 nu dan? Want volgens mij hebben ze dus weer een upgrade van de F15-EX. Ben wel nieuwsgierig naar waar de upgrade hem in zit.

De F-15IA (Advanced) is een doorontwikkeling dat begon bij de F-15SA (Saudi Advanced). De F-15QA (Qatari Advanced) en de F-15EX behoren hier ook toe.

Motoren van GE (F110-GE-F129). Oudere versies hebben P&W F100-PW-220 of F100-PW-229. Om maar niet te beginnen over de radar en andere systemen.

De oudere F-15I was een gebaseerd op de F-15E Strike Eagle met eigen Israëlische avionica e.d. Dat zal bij de F-15IA niet anders zijn.

Het is goed dat de twee oorspronkelijke weapon stations onder de vleugels aan de uiterste linker- en rechterkant weer terug zijn. Dit is zoals McDonnell Douglas het oorspronkelijk had bedoeld. Meteen nadat de F-15A operationeel werd, werden deze twee weapon stations buiten gebruik gesteld.

De F-15EX heeft ook AN/ALQ-250 EPAWSS (Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System). Misschien krijgt de F-15IA dit ook, tenzij Elbit of een ander Israëlisch bedrijf iets soortgelijks levert.

https://www.baesystems.com/en/product/eagle-passive-active-warning-survivability-system-epawss

[Benji87]

https://www.twz.com/air/f-15-sale-to-israel-reportedly-ready-to-close-will-gaza-change-that

Wat maakt dit nu een eagle 2.0 nu dan? Want volgens mij hebben ze dus weer een upgrade van de F15-EX. Ben wel nieuwsgierig naar waar de upgrade hem in zit.

[Harald]

https://www.twz.com/air/f-15-sale-to-israel-reportedly-ready-to-close-will-gaza-change-that