Internationale fighter ontwikkelingen

Gestart door Lex, 19/12/2015 | 16:32 uur

Sparkplug

China's second FC-31 takes flight

23 December, 2016 | SOURCE: Flightglobal.com | BY: Greg Waldron | Singapore

Chinese defence websites have published footage of what is apparently the second AVIC FC-31 Gyrfalcon fighter aircraft.
Still imagery shows the aircraft taking off. One major difference is the configuration of the aircraft's twin canted tail. Produced by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, the FC-31 features a cropped tail, whereas the first prototype designated J-31, had a nearly triangular tails with a horizontal top.

A brief, grainy video purported to be of the flight also indicates that the engines are not smoking. The J-31 that performed during Airshow China in Zhuhai in 2014 was notable for the exhaust produced by its pair of Klimov R-93 engines. This is the same powerplant used in the single-engined Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17, which is also notable for engine exhaust.



The status of the FC-31 is not clear. The J-31 did not appear at the 2016 Zhuhai air show, although a large model was displayed in the hall, near an "advanced avionics concept cockpit" with a sidestick controller, conventional heads up display, and large multi-function touch screen display.

AVIC held a surprise media briefing about the type at the Dubai air show in 2015, which appeared to mainly be a call for financial backing. It held no media briefings related to the FC-31 at this year's Airshow China, and AVIC officials declined to discuss the aircraft.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/chinas-second-fc-31-takes-flight-432720/
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)

The Official F-35 Price Tags Are Bogus

Pentagon statements do not reflect real costs or original estimates

by WINSLOW WHEELER

December 22 - 2016

On Dec. 12, 2016, president-elect Donald Trump asserted that F-35 unit cost was "out of control" through his preferred medium Twitter. On Dec. 19, 2016, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, in charge of the Joint Strike Fighter project, gave the press his version of things.

Multiple media outlets passed along the officer's comments, but with no analysis of the completeness and accuracy of Bogdan's assertions. The reports offered no context or alternative views on the stealth fighter's actual cost per plane.

The general said each one of the Air Force's F-35A would cost $102.1 million, while both the U.S. Marine Corps' F-35Bs and and U.S. Navy's F-35Cs would set the taxpayer back 132 million each. Those costs average to approximately $122 million for a "generic" F-35.

Bogdan got these numbers from the funds Congress set aside in the 2015 defense budget for what the Pentagon called "Lot 9," just one of a number of planned F-35 purchases. In November 2016, the U.S. military was still negotiating the final deal with plane-maker Lockheed Martin.

Needless to say, the unit costs Bogdan gave the media were incomplete. They involve only the Pentagon's existing contracts with Lockheed and engine-maker Pratt & Whitney to build the airframes and jet motors.

The numbers do not, for example, include the cost to buy maintenance equipment and other necessary support elements. They do not include money the Pentagon will spend to fix design errors discovered in testing now and in the future.

These figures are not the "sticker price."

One could calculate a far more complete price from the appropriations that Bogdan told Congress he needed to buy functioning airplanes. The difference between what he is telling the press now and what he told Congress in 2015 is significant — it is also the difference between a factory simply putting together a airplane and delivering an airplane that can actually fly and operate.

For the 2015 fiscal year, the F-35 project chief petitioned Congress for $6.4 billion to produce 34 F-35s for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. This amount did not included separate funds for research and development and other costs that the Pentagon asked for in budget request

With the production data, we can calculate a F-35A has a price tag of $157 million, not $102 million. It's $265 million for a F-35B and $355 million for a F-35C, not $132 million for either variant.

On average, these F-35s cost $188 million apiece, not $122 million.

More basically, Bogdan says the F-35's price has been coming down, and indeed it has. The $188 million generic price in 2015 was less than the $250 million the Pentagon quoted in 2001.

For the 2017 fiscal year, Congressional appropriations showed us that the total costs came down again to $128 million for a generic F-35. That's $113 million for an F-35A, $142 million for an F-35B and $241 million for a F-35C.

However, an old Congressional Research Service report on the F-35 tells us that in 1994 the Pentagon was promising F-35As for $31 million, F-35Bs for $31 to $38 million and F-35Cs for between $30 and 35 million. In 2017 dollars, those costs would be $53 million per F-35A, $53 million to $65 million for each F-35B and $51 million to $60 million for a single F-35C.

Put another way, in 2017, a F-35A costs about twice what the Pentagon promised Congress more than two decades earlier. Compared to this initial estimate, the F-35B costs more than twice as much now, while an F-35C is about four times more expensive.

I suspect Trump can recognize when he is being scammed. In this case, the Pentagon is telling him American taxpayers can get F-35s for only two to four times what they originally advertised.

In 2014, Winslow Wheeler retired as the Director of the Straus Military Reform Project at the Project On Government Oversight. He worked on national security issues for 31 years in the U.S. Senate for members of both political parties and at the Government Accountability Office.

https://warisboring.com/the-official-f-35-price-tags-are-bogus-99d67799e2ac#.wpn419w6d

Sparkplug

New Photos Reveal Russian Advanced T-50 Fighter Plane Test-Flying

(Source: Russia Today; posted Dec 18, 2016)


Russia has flown an eighth prototype of its next-generation Sukhoi T-50 fighter, and its photos were posted on the website of the United Aircraft Corp. unit where it was manufactured. (UAC photo)

New pictures of the Russian cutting-edge T-50 prototype fifth-generation fighter jet have been published on the planemaker's official website.

The images were unveiled by the producing Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant and apparently show a first flight of a prototype model of the T-50 (T-50-8). The plane is being developed by one of Russia's leading aviation companies, the Sukhoi, to replace its Sukhoi Su-27 fighter currently in service.

The respective test prototype accomplished its first flight on November 17, the BMPD blog, focusing on the defense industry, reported, though the information was not officially confirmed.

The fighter jet will come with advanced radar-evading stealth technology and a powerful 9-A1-4071K cannon which has a range of 1,800 meters and can fire at a rate of 1,800 rounds per minute.

The cutting-edge aircraft is coming at a cost of $50 million per aircraft, but its capabilities are thought to be worth the hefty price tag. The fighter can reach a top speed of 1,516 MPH (2,440kmh) and a battle range of 3,418 miles.

Defense industry analysts have made comparisons to the American F-22 Raptor, with the National Interest giving the edge to the T-50 for its high maneuverability: its three-dimensional thrust-vector jets can tilt in any direction to help the pilot execute maneuvers.

The Russian Defense Ministry is expected to buy at least one squadron of T-50 next year, the deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov, announced in September at an international military expo outside Moscow.

"According to the plan, mass production of the PAK FA (T-50) will start in 2017. We'll buy at least one squadron of the planes in the first batch," Borisov said.

Another model of T-50, with some minor modifications and different components, is being developed for export to India.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/179768/eighth-prototype-of-russian-t_50-fighter-enters-flight-test.html
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Sparkplug

Joint Strike Missile completes long range flight test

Kongsberg Defence Systems 20.12.2016



The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) has successfully completed a flight test in the United States. The missile was launched from an Edwards Air Force-based F-16 over the Utah Test and Training Range west of Salt Lake City.

The JSM is a unique strike capability designed for internal carriage on the F-35. The test demonstrated safe separation from the aircraft performing a number of challenging flight manoeuvres, long range while continuously alternating speed and altitude, unique capabilities for this class of strike missiles.

The JSM is in development for the Norwegian Armed Forces and will complete the qualification program in 2018. JSM will have unmatched operational capabilities enabling the F-35 to fight well-defended targets across long distances. The missile will be integrated on the F-35A but can also be integrated on other types of aircraft. KONGSBERG and Raytheon are partnered to provide the JSM for US and international customers.

 "The test verified all intended goals completing another milestone towards full integration on the F-35. The JSM program is on track to provide the war fighter a long range precision strike anti-ship and land attack capability", says Eirik Lie, Acting President Kongsberg Defence Systems.

https://www.kongsberg.com/en/kds/news/2016/december/joint%20strike%20missile%20completes%20long%20range%20flight%20test/
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

walter leever

#1157
Citaat van: Thomasen op 20/12/2016 | 10:54 uur
Als er geld overblijft in het projectbudget dan zou dat kunnen gebeuren ja. Maar weest niet verbaasd als dat niet gebeurd.
Dit was echter wel ironisch bedoeld voor de geachte lezers alhier aanwezig.  ;)

Zoals bekend ben ik geen voorstander van dit vliegtuig,ga de redenen niet weer herhalen(maar heeft iets met prijs,capabilities en afspraken te maken)

Maar goed die brug is genomen en nu moeten we door.

dudge

Citaat van: walter leever op 20/12/2016 | 10:41 uur
Valt hartsikke mee,nog meer kopen van die handel.  :devil:

Als er geld overblijft in het projectbudget dan zou dat kunnen gebeuren ja. Maar weest niet verbaasd als dat niet gebeurd.

jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)

#1155
Citaat van: walter leever op 20/12/2016 | 10:41 uur
Valt hartsikke mee,nog meer kopen van die handel.  :devil:

Langzaam maar zeker groeit het ene uiterste van het spectrum naar het andere... De Gripen wordt langzaam duurder en de F35A daalt gestaag in aanschafprijs.

Als nu ook de US dollar koers (vs Euro) een beetje wil meewerken  :angel:

Sparkplug

Het was ook handig geweest als zij de stukprijs exclusief de motor hadden vermeld. Tot nu toe werd telkens de prijs exclusief de motor doorgegeven.
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

walter leever

#1153
Citaat van: jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter) op 20/12/2016 | 07:41 uur
Here's the price tag for the latest batch of F35s (LRIP-9)

The following is a breakdown of the unit price per variant in current year dollars (including aircraft, engine, and fee):

42 F-35A model aircraft: $102.1 million a jet
13 F-35B model aircraft: $131.6 million a jet
  2 F-35C model aircraft: $132.2 million a jet

https://www.businessinsider.nl/lrip-9-f35-jet-2016-12/

Valt hartstikke mee,nog meer kopen van die handel.  :devil:

jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)

Here's the price tag for the latest batch of F35s (LRIP-9)

The following is a breakdown of the unit price per variant in current year dollars (including aircraft, engine, and fee):

42 F-35A model aircraft: $102.1 million a jet
13 F-35B model aircraft: $131.6 million a jet
  2 F-35C model aircraft: $132.2 million a jet

https://www.businessinsider.nl/lrip-9-f35-jet-2016-12/

Micheltje



QF-4 Phantom maakt laatste operationele vlucht


Ruim 58 jaar na de eerste vlucht maakt de Amerikaanse luchtmacht nog steeds gebruik van de F-4 Phantom. De laatste twintig jaar is dat weliswaar op minder glorieuze wijze, namelijk als vliegend doelwit voor andere gevechtsvliegtuigen. Maar omdat het aantal beschikbare Phantoms snel slinkt, komt ook hieraan een eind. Op 21 december zal de F-4 Phantom vanaf Holloman AFB (Nieuw-Mexico) officieel haar laatste operationele vlucht maken in dienst van de USAF.


Vliegend doelwit
Tot 1996 vloog de Phantom bij de USAF als operationeel gevechtsvliegtuig, in de 'Wild Weasel' rol tegen vijandelijke radarinstallaties. Sindsdien zijn ruim 300 Phantoms omgebouwd tot 'drone', een onbemand vliegend doelwit dat op afstand te besturen is. Na de conversie tot drone werden de betreffende toestellen aangeduid als QF-4, waarbij de Q aangeeft dat het een drone betreft. De meeste QF-4's waren onder meer herkenbaar aan de rood gespoten vleugeltips en staart.


Opvolger
Tot halverwege vorig jaar vlogen de QF-4 drones vanaf Tyndall AFB in Florida en Holloman AFB in Nieuw-Mexico. In juni vorig jaar zijn de laatste twee QF-4's van Tyndall overgebracht naar Holloman. Vanaf Tyndall vliegt nu de opvolger van de QF-4: de QF-16. Net als ooit van de Phantom, staan er grote aantallen overtollige F-16's opgeslagen in de woestijn van Arizona (het bekende AMARG, bij Davis-Monthan AFB). Een aantal van deze F-16's zullen de komende jaren worden omgebouwd tot doelwit. Net als bij de QF-4's gebeurt dit door BAe Systems in Mojave, Californië.



Roemloos einde
De USAF gebruikt voor de onbemande missies meestal de afkorting NULLO – Not Under Live Local Operation. Na enkele NULLO-missies vonden de meeste Phantoms al een roemloos einde in zee, neergeschoten door een luchtdoelraket. Enkele QF-4's waren een langer leven beschoren. Dat zijn de toestellen die gebruikt werden als doelsleper. Enkele maanden geleden vloog een QF-4 al de laatste NULLO-vlucht. Sindsdien vlogen de overgebleven Phantoms vanaf Holloman alleen nog maar bemande vluchten. Deze Phantoms zijn gespoten in 'retro'-camouflagekleuren, bijvoorbeeld waarmee de USAF Phantoms vlogen tijdens de Vietnam-oorlog. Wat er met de enkele QF-4's gebeurt die na 21 december overblijven, is nog onbekend. Mogelijk vinden ze hun weg naar musea in de Verenigde Staten.



Vliegende Phantoms
Tenminste één vliegende F-4 is er wel in Amerika, na 21 december; de Collings Foundation heeft een vliegwaardige F-4D, welke al enkele jaren voorvliegt tijdens vliegshows. In Europa en Azië is de Phantom nog wel volop operationeel. De luchtmachten van Griekenland, Japan, Turkije en Zuid-Korea maken actief gebruik van het type en ook in Iran en Egypte zou het toestel nog operationeel zijn. De komende jaren zal het aantal operationele Phantoms echter snel afnemen. In mei 2017 zal de Griekse luchtmacht haar laatste RF-4E fotoverkenners buiten dienst stellen. En met de toekomstige aflevering van de F-35 aan Turkije zullen de Turkse F-4E's waarschijnlijk in 2017 of 2018 worden uitgefaseerd. In Japan vliegen nog twee squadrons met de F-4EJ luchtverdedigingsjager en een squadron met de RF-4E fotoverkenningsversie. De verwachting is dat deze toestellen tot ongeveer 2020 zullen blijven doorvliegen – meer dan 60 jaar na de eerste vlucht van de F-4!


https://www.upinthesky.nl/2016/12/17/qf-4-phantom-maakt-laatste-operationele-vlucht/?utm_source=Nieuwsbrief+Up+In+The+Sky&utm_campaign=a3b46f0f03-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_Dagelijks_ochtend&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5b061083c5-a3b46f0f03-121031205

Sparkplug

#1150
Italy has become the first country to operate the F-35 outside of the U.S.

By David Cenciotti - December 15, 2016

Actually, the Italian (not the Israeli) Air Force has been the first service to take delivery of the first operational F-35s outside the United States.

On Dec. 12, whilst several Israeli and international media outlets focused on the delivery of the first F-35I "Adir" to Nevatim airbase (delayed by some 6 hours because of fog) highlighting how Israel had just become "the first country after the US" to get the new plane, far from the spotlight, the 13° Gruppo (Squadron) of the 32° Stormo (Wing) of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force, ItAF) received its first two F-35A Lightning II, becoming the very first country to take delivery of the 5th generation stealth jet outside of the U.S.

Noteworthy, the delivery flight was carried out by two Italian military pilots (the Israeli planes were flown by Lockheed Martin pilots) who flew their two JSFs (Joint Strike Fighters) to Amendola, where the aircraft landed in the early afternoon on Monday.

Indeed, whereas the arrival of the first Israeli or Dutch F-35s got a significant media coverage (with constant updates, live streaming on social media, etc.), the Italian Air Force has kept a very "low profile" about its achievements with the F-35 so far.

However, Italy has made some significant work on the Lightning II: on Dec. 3, 2015, the ItAF welcomed the first F-35 at the Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility at Cameri, in northwestern Italy. That aircraft was also the first assembled and delivered outside the U.S.

Then, on Feb. 5, 2016 the first Italian Air Force F-35, successfully completed the type's very first transatlantic crossing landing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. To prepare for the 7-hour transoceanic flight the Italian Air Force conducted tanker trials in the U.S. (in July 2015) with its KC-767A, that became the first tanker not operated by the U.S. Air Force to undergo refueling certification trials with an F-35.

Three Italian F-35s are currently deployed at Luke's multinational F-35 pilot training centre.

And, as explained mentioned, on Dec. 12, the first two aircraft (reportedly AL-5 and AL-6) arrived at their operational base in southeastern Italy.

The F-35 is for sure the most famous (and controversial) defense program in Italy.

For the moment, Rome's plan is to procure 90 F-35 to replace the ItAF's ageing AMX and Tornado and the Italian Navy's AV-8B+ Harrier jump jets.



https://theaviationist.com/2016/12/15/italy-has-become-the-first-country-to-operate-the-f-35-outside-of-the-u-s/
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Sparkplug

China to receive first batch of Su-35s from Russia by end of 2016, says report

Gabriel Dominguez, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly - 15 December 2016


China is set to receive the first four of 24 Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighters by 25 December, according to TASS news agency. Source: IHS/Patrick Allen

China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is set to receive the first four of 24 Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 'Flanker-E' multirole fighters before the end of 2016, Russia's TASS news agency reported on 14 December.

"The first four Sukhoi Su-35s are to fly over to China by 25 December," the state-owned media outlet quoted an unnamed source within Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) as saying.

FSMTC deputy chief Vladimir Drozhzhov had told TASS in November that Moscow had begun acting on the first phase of its contractual liabilities to China to provide the multirole fighters.

This followed an announcement made in September by Vyacheslav Shport, the governor of Khabarovsk Krai, that the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO) would deliver all 24 Su-35s between 2016 and 2018.

The aircraft deal, announced in November 2015 by Russian defence conglomerate Rostec, makes China the first foreign contractor of the Su-35, which is claimed to be an upgraded and highly manoeuvrable '4++ generation' fighter with characteristics and performance close to those of upcoming 'fifth-generation' combat aircraft.

It is described by IHS Jane's All the World's Aircraft: Development & Production as having a maximum level speed of Mach 2.25 at 11,000 m (36,089 ft), a rate of climb of 16,800 m/min at sea level, a combat payload of 8,000 kg, and a maximum range with internal fuel of 1,529 km (sea level).

The Sino-Russian agreement reportedly includes not only the sale of the 24 fighters for a total of USD2 billion (USD83 million per unit) but also the delivery of ground support equipment and spare aircraft engines.

According to IHS Jane's World Air Forces , China has been trying to acquire the Su-35 - along with its Saturn 117S jet engine - from Russia for several years. Interest in the fighter was first shown eight years ago by then PLAAF Commander General Xu Qiliang at the Airshow China 2008.

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http://www.janes.com/article/66291/china-to-receive-first-batch-of-su-35s-from-russia-by-end-of-2016-says-report
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Sparkplug

Saudi Arabia receives first F-15SA Eagle fighters

Gareth Jennings, London and Lindsay Peacock, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly - 14 December 2016


A Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) Boeing F-15SA Eagle lands at RAF Lakenheath in the UK on 10 December on its way to the Kingdom. Source: Matt Varley

The first of 152 Boeing F-15SA (Saudi Advanced) Eagle fighters arrived in the Kingdom on 13 December.

Images showing the initial four aircraft, comprising two remanufactured F-15S (93-0857 and 93-0899) and two newbuild F-15SA platforms (12-1006 and 12-1010), arriving at King Khalid Air Base (KKAB) in Saudi Arabia were posted online following a four-day ferry flight from the United States via the United Kingdom. A further two aircraft are expected to begin the journey imminently.

While there has been no official word of the delivery from either the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) or Boeing, the event was charted on social media, by aircraft enthusiasts, and through internet radar tracking sites. The ferry flight was reportedly delayed slightly due to serviceability issues with the US Air Force McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender tanker aircraft that trailed them across the Atlantic Ocean and onwards from the UK.

As the most advanced variant of the Eagle built to date, the F-15SA features two additional hardpoints (from 9 to 11) and weapon systems; upgraded avionics (with a digital 'glass' cockpit, joint helmet-mounted cueing system, and a disorientation recovery capability); a BAE Systems Digital Electronic Warfare System/Common Missile Warning System (DEWS/CMWS); fly-by-wire controls; an infrared search-and-track (IRST) system; the Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)3 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar; and more powerful General Electric F110-GE-129 engines.

Deliveries of 84 newbuild and 68 remanufactured F-15SAs were originally slated to run from 2015 through to 2019. However, problems reported in development have pushed this schedule back by approximately 12 months. The part Boeing-owned Alsalam Aircraft Company near Riyadh is building the wing sets for the remanufactured aircraft.

As revealed in August, the RSAF F-15SAs are to be operated by 55 Formal Training Unit (FTU) and 6 Squadron (currently an F-15S unit) at King Khalid Air Base (KKAB) in the south-west of Saudi Arabia; by 29 Squadron (not currently stood-up) at King Faisal Air Base (KFAB) in the north-west of the country; and by 92 Squadron (currently an F-15S unit) and the Fighter Weapons School at King Abdulaziz Air Base (KAAB) on the Gulf coast near Bahrain.

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http://www.janes.com/article/66203/saudi-arabia-receives-first-f-15sa-eagle-fighters
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Ronald Elzenga

Citaat van: ARM-WAP op 15/12/2016 | 11:25 uur
Mooi om te lezen...
Echter... ik denk dat dé beslissing al genomen is. 'We' gaan lekker op de kar springen en hetzelfde toestel afnemen als onze NAVO-partners die reeds op verschillende niveaus meewerken aan dat project.

Persoonlijk heb ik nog steeds een voorkeur voor de Gripen...  En ik denk dat met de BE-NE(-LUX) samenwerking we best met twee niveaus mogen werken:
- F-35  en
- Gripen
Ik denk dat de Gripen een hele goede keuze was geweest..mits ook directe bondgenoten dat toestel hadden gekozen. Maar nu dat niet zo is en naar Noorwegen en Denemarken ook Nederland de F35 heeft gekozen, denk ik dat een Belgische keuze in deze ook die kant op zal gaan. Zeker als we de samenwerking tussen Nederlandse en Belgische luchtmacht verder willen intensiveren. Kan natuurlijk ook als België een ander toestel kiest..maar toch.