Internationale fighter ontwikkelingen

[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

[Harald]

Saab receives equipment order for Gripen

Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for the procurement of additional LITENING 5 target designator pods, including maintenance capabilities. The order is valued at SEK 390 million.

LITENING 5 is used in the precision designation of targets through laser targeting and target tracking. FMV previously ordered this version of LDP for Gripen E, and are also now integrated on Gripen C/D. This order comprises the additional pods, maintenance and spare parts.

"By building up a maintenance capability for this version of target designation pod, Saab is ensuring that the Swedish Armed Forces can maintain them within Sweden's borders," says Lars Tossman, head of Saab's Aeronautics business area.

The pods and maintenance capabilities will be delivered to FMV in 2026.

https://www.saab.com/newsroom/press-releases/2024/saab-receives-equipment-order-for-gripen

[Harald]

Israel to receive F35 and MK8 bombs from exceptionnal U.S. military aid
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_april_2024_global_security_army_industry/israel_to_receive_f35_and_mk8_bombs_from_exceptionnal_u.s._military_aid.html

The United States has recently authorized the shipment of bombs and military planes to Israel, amidst ongoing tensions and conflict in the Gaza Strip, The Washington Post disclosed. This considerable military support arrives as the U.S. publicly voices concerns over potential Israeli military actions in Rafah ( southern Gaza). this package is in addition to the usual U.S. aid package, which amounts to 3.8 billion dollars annually.




Israel to receive 50 new F-15IA Eagle II Fighter Jets from US
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_april_2024_global_security_army_industry/israel_to_receive_50_new_f-15ia_eagle_ii_fighter_jets_from_us.html

On April 2, 2024, CNN revealed that the Biden administration is preparing to formally notify Congress of its intention to approve the sale of 50 F-15EX fighter jets to Israel, in a deal valued at $18 billion. This transaction includes the acquisition of 25 new F-15EX "Eagle 2", also designated "F-15IA Ra'am II" in Israeli terminology and the upgrade of 25 existing F-15I aircraft to this advanced standard. The new jets, which will take about five years to build, respond to an initial request from Israel in January 2023 aimed at strengthening its air force.

[Sparkplug]

Last Marine Harrier Pilots Complete Training As AV-8B's End Draws Near

With the Marine Corps planning to retire its last Harriers in 2026, the final two pilots have been trained to fly the 'jump jet.'

by Thomas Newdick | PUBLISHED Apr 2, 2024 2:13 PM EDT


U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Becky Calhoun/Released

The U.S. military is gearing up for the forthcoming retirement of another iconic aircraft type, with the last pilots now having graduated onto the AV-8B Harrier II attack jet. As we have explained in the past, the U.S. Marine Corps is pressing ahead with plans to remove the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft from its inventory before the end of 2026, with this latest development a highly symbolic one within this process.

In a media release yesterday, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) announced the graduation of the final two pilots to convert to the AV-8B. Last Friday, Capt. Joshua Corbett and Capt. Sven Jorgensen received the 7509 Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). The four-digit MOS code denotes the primary occupational field and specialty of all Marines: In this case, it is reserved for pilots qualified to fly the Harrier.


The transition fully away from the Harrier as presented in the most recent Aviation Place from the Marine Corps. 2022 Marine Aviation Plan

.../...

Update: The FY25 budget documents provide additional information on the more recent status of the Marine Corps Harrier II fleet, providing fleet figures for June 2023. As of that point, the active inventory comprised 47 radar-equipped AV-8Bs (of which 10 were new-production aircraft and 37 remanufactured), plus six two-seat TAV-8Bs. Another 20 AV-8Bs were listed as being stored in the boneyard as of March 2024, according to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), though their condition was not specified.

https://www.twz.com/air/last-marine-harrier-pilots-complete-training-as-av-8bs-end-draws-near

[Benji87]

Ah duidelijk, dat bericht heb ik niet gelezen. Zal wel een politieke afweging zijn om argentinie in het goed kamp te houden.

Amerikaanse standpunt over amerikaanse toestellen is duidelijk, vandaar mijn verwarring.

Denk wel dat het zoiets is.

https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Waarom-China-mogelijk-stuurt-op-een-marinebasis-in-Argentinie-060223.html#:~:text=Tot%20op%20heden%20is%20China,momenteel%20nog%20sporadisch%20en%20gering.

[Huzaar1]

Blijft onzinnig. Laat Europa Oekraïne van wapens voorzien. De VS heeft zat airframes die ze kunnen doneren aan de Argentijnen.

Eens hoor, maar in deze tijden is het wel eens lastig elke zet te begrijpen.

[Lynxian]

Ah duidelijk, dat bericht heb ik niet gelezen. Zal wel een politieke afweging zijn om argentinie in het goed kamp te houden.

Amerikaanse standpunt over amerikaanse toestellen is duidelijk, vandaar mijn verwarring.

Blijft onzinnig. Laat Europa Oekraïne van wapens voorzien. De VS heeft zat airframes die ze kunnen doneren aan de Argentijnen.