The
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a
fifth-generationAircraft classified as fifth generation jet fighters are those in service approximately from 2005 onward, until the succeeding generation of fighters enter service. These aircraft combine high performance airframes, internally carried advanced air to air, and air to ground weapons, all aspect...
, single-seat, single-engine,
stealthStealth aircraft are aircraft that use stealth technology to interfere with radar detection as well as means other than conventional aircraft by employing a combination of features to reduce visibility in the visual, audio, infrared and radio frequency spectrum...
-capable
multirole fighterA multirole combat aircraft is an aircraft that can be used as both a fighter aircraft and a ground attack aircraft...
, that can perform
close air supportIn military tactics, close air support is air action against hostile targets that requires detailed coordination and integration with ground forces. It is typically used to support ground troops, providing firepower at critical points....
,
tactical bombingTactical bombing uses aircraft to attack troops and military equipment in the battle zone. This is in contrast to strategic bombing, which attacks an enemy's cities and factories to debilitate the enemy's capacity to wage war as well as the civilian population's will to continue the war.Tactical...
, and
air defenseAerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift...
missions. The F-35 has three different models; one is the
conventional takeoff and landingCTOL is an acronym for Conventional Take-off and Landing, and is the process whereby conventional aircraft take off and land, involving the use of runways. The aircraft will taxi along the runway until its rotation speed is reached, then climb into the air...
variant, the second is
short takeoff and vertical-landingSTOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
variant, and the third is a
carrierCATOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Under this technique, aircraft launch using a catapult assisted take off and land on the ship using arrestor wires...
-based variant.
The F-35 is descended from the
X-35The X-35 was an experimental aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin for the Joint Strike Fighter Program. It was declared the winner over the Boeing X-32 and went on to enter production in the early 21st century as the F-35 Lightning II.-Development:...
, the product of the
Joint Strike FighterJoint Strike Fighter is a development and acquisition program that will replace a wide range of aging fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft for the United States and its allies. After a competition between the Boeing X-32 and the Lockheed Martin X-35, a final design was chosen based on the...
(JSF) program. Its development is being principally funded by the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and other partner governments providing additional funding. It is being designed and built by an aerospace industry team led by
Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin is a multinational aerospace manufacturer, global security and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed with Martin Marietta. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Lockheed Martin employs 146,000 people...
with
Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth largest defense contractor in the world in 2008, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over 122,000...
and
BAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is the world's second-largest defence contractor and the largest in Europe...
as major partners. Demonstrator aircraft flew in 2000, with the
first flightThe first flight of a new aircraft type is always a historic occasion for the type. It is also one of the most dangerous, because the exact handling characteristics of the aircraft are generally unknown. The first flight of a new type is almost invariably flown by a highly experienced test pilot...
on 15 December 2006.
Requirement
The JSF program was designed to replace the U.S. military's
F-16The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
,
A-10The A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force to provide close air support of ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets with a limited air interdiction...
,
F/A-18The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
(excluding F/A-18E/F) and AV-8B tactical fighter aircraft. To keep development, production, and operating costs down, a common design was planned in three variants that share 80% of their parts:
- F-35A, conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL
CTOL is an acronym for Conventional Take-off and Landing, and is the process whereby conventional aircraft take off and land, involving the use of runways. The aircraft will taxi along the runway until its rotation speed is reached, then climb into the air...
) variant.
- F-35B, short-takeoff and vertical-landing (STOVL
STOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
) variant.
- F-35C, carrier-based CATOBAR
CATOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Under this technique, aircraft launch using a catapult assisted take off and land on the ship using arrestor wires...
(CV) variant.
The F-35 is intended to be the world's premier strike aircraft through 2040, with close- and long-range air-to-air capability second only to that of the
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
. The F-35 is required to be four times more effective than existing fighters in air-to-air combat, eight times more effective in air-to-ground combat, and three times more effective in reconnaissance and suppression of air defenses – all while having better range and requiring less logistics support.
With takeoff weights up to 60,000 lb (27,000 kg), the F-35 is considerably heavier than the lightweight fighters it replaces. In empty and maximum gross weights, it more closely resembles the single-seat, single-engine
F-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 bore the brunt of strike bombing over North Vietnam during the early years of the Vietnam War...
which was the largest single-engine fighter of the Vietnam era.
Origins and selection
The Joint Strike Fighter evolved out of several requirements for a common fighter to replace existing types. The actual JSF development contract was signed on 16 November 1996.
The contract for System Development and Demonstration (SDD) was awarded on 26 October 2001 to Lockheed Martin, whose X-35 beat the
Boeing X-32The Boeing X-32 was a multi-purpose jet fighter in the Joint Strike Fighter contest. It lost to the Lockheed Martin X-35 demonstrator which was further developed into the F-35 Lightning II.-Background:...
. According to Department of Defense officials and British Minister of Defence Procurement Lord Bach, the X-35 consistently outperformed the X-32, although both met or exceeded requirements. The designation of the fighter as "F-35" came as a surprise to Lockheed, which had been referring to the aircraft in-house by the designation "F-24".
Design phase
The F-35 was in danger of missing performance requirements in 2004 because it weighed too much – reportedly, by 2,200
poundThe pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
s (1,000 kg) or 8 percent. In response, Lockheed Martin added engine thrust and shed more than a ton by thinning the aircraft's skin; shrinking the weapons bay and vertical tails; rerouting some thrust from the roll-post outlets to the main nozzle; and redesigning the wing-mate joint, portions of the electrical system, and the portion of the aircraft immediately behind the cockpit.
On 7 July 2006, the U.S. Air Force officially announced the name of the F-35: Lightning II, in honor of Lockheed's
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era twin-prop
P-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
and the
Cold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition existing after World War II , primarily between the USSR and its satellite states, and the powers of the Western world, including the United States...
-era jet, the
English Electric LightningThe English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, remembered for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor; RAF pilots...
. English Electric Company's aircraft division was a predecessor of F-35 partner
BAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is the world's second-largest defence contractor and the largest in Europe...
. Lightning II was also an early company name for the aircraft that became the
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
.
On 6 April 2009, US Secretary of Defense
Robert GatesRobert Michael Gates is currently serving as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense. He took office on December 18, 2006. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W. Bush as Director of...
proposed speeding up production for the US to buy 2,443 F-35s.
On 21 April 2009 media reports, citing
PentagonIn geometry, a pentagon is any five-sided polygon. A pentagon may be simple or self-intersecting. The internal angles in a simple pentagon total 540°.- Regular pentagons :...
sources, said that during 2007 and 2008, computer spies managed to copy and siphon off several terabytes of data related to F-35's design and the electronics systems, potentially enabling the development of defense systems against the aircraft. However, Lockheed Martin has rejected suggestions that the project has been compromised, saying that it "does not believe any classified information had been stolen".
Design
The F-35 appears to be a smaller, slightly more conventional, one-engine sibling of the sleeker, twin-engine
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
, and indeed drew elements from it. The exhaust duct design was inspired by the
General DynamicsGeneral Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. The company has changed markedly in the post-Cold War era of defense consolidation. The company has four main business segments:...
Model 200 design, which was proposed for a 1972 supersonic VTOL fighter requirement for the
Sea Control ShipA Sea Control Ship is a type of small aircraft carrier designed and conceptualized by the United States Navy under Chief of Naval Operations Elmo Zumwalt in the 1970s...
. For specialized development of the F-35B STOVL variant,
LockheedThe Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta in 1995 to form Lockheed Martin.-Origins:...
consulted with the Yakovlev Design Bureau, purchasing design data from their development of the
Yakovlev Yak-141 "Freestyle"The Yakovlev Yak-141 is a supersonic VTOL fighter aircraft from the Soviet Union. It did not enter production.-Design and development:...
. Although several experimental designs have been built and tested since the 1960s including the Navy's unsuccessful Rockwell XFV-12, the F-35B is to be the first operational supersonic STOVL fighter.
The F-35 is designed to be America's "premier surface-to-air missile killer and is uniquely equipped for this mission with cutting edge processing power, synthetic aperture radar integration techniques, and advanced target recognition."
Some improvements over current-generation fighter aircraft are:
- Durable, low-maintenance stealth technology
Stealth technology also known as LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures , which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, in order to make them less visible to radar, infrared , sonar and other...
;
- Integrated avionics and sensor fusion that combine information from off- and onboard sensors to increase the pilot's
An aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887 as a variation of the French 'aviation', from the latin 'avis', coined 1863 by G. de la Landelle in "Aviation ou Navigation Aérienne"...
situational awareness and improve target identification and weapon delivery, and to relay information quickly to other command and control (C2) nodes;
- High speed data networking including IEEE 1394b and Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel, or FC, is a gigabit-speed network technology primarily used for storage networking. Fibre Channel is standardized in the T11 Technical Committee of the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards , an American National Standards Institute –accredited standards...
.
The teens series of fighters (F-15, F-16, F/A-18) were notable for always carrying large external fuel tanks, but as a stealth aircraft the F-35 must fly most missions on internal fuel.
Unlike the F-22 and F/A-18, the F-35 lacks leading edge extensions (LEX) and instead uses stealth-friendly chines for vortex lift in the same fashion as the
SR-71 BlackbirdThe Lockheed SR-71 is an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft by the Lockheed Skunk Works as a Black project. The SR-71 was unofficially named the Blackbird, and called the Habu by its crews, referring to an Okinawan...
. The small bumps just forward of the engine air intakes form part of the diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) which is a simpler, lighter and stealthier means to ensure high-quality airflow to the engine over a wide range of conditions.
Cockpit
The F-35 features a full-panel-width "panoramic cockpit display" (PCD), with dimensions of 20 by 8 inches (50 by 20 centimeters). A cockpit speech-recognition system (
Direct Voice InputDirect Voice Input is a style of Human-Machine Interaction "HMI" in which the user makes voice commands to issue instructions to the machine...
) is planned to improve the pilot's ability to operate the aircraft over the current-generation interface. The F-35 will be the first U.S. operational fixed-wing aircraft to use this system, although similar systems have been used in AV-8B and trialled in previous U.S. jets, particularly the
F-16 VISTAThe General Dynamics F-16 VISTA The F-16 VISTA testbed aircraft incorporated a multi-axis thrust vectoring engine nozzle that provides for more active control of the aircraft in a post-stall situation...
. In development the system has been integrated by Adacel Systems Inc with the speech recognition module supplied by SRI International. The pilot flies the aircraft by means of a right-hand
side-stickA side-stick is an aircraft cockpit arrangement where the control column is located to the side of the pilot, usually at the right ....
and left-hand throttle.
A helmet mounted display system (HMDS) will be fitted to all models of the F-35. A helmet mounted cueing system is already in service with the F-15s, F-16s and F/A-18s. While some fighters have offered HMDS along with a head up display (HUD), this will be the first time in several decades that a front-line tactical jet fighter has been designed to not carry a HUD.
The
Martin-BakerMartin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd. is a manufacturer of ejection seats and safety related equipment for aviation. The company origins were as an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection seats...
US16E ejection seat is used in all F-35 variants. The US16E seat design balances major performance requirements, including safe terrain clearance limits, pilot load limits, and pilot size. It uses a twin-catapult system that is housed in side-rails.
Sensors
The F-35 includes an advanced, powerful sensor suite. The main sensor on board the F-35 is its
AN/APG-81The AN/APG-81 is an Active Electronically Scanned Array designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 Lightning II.The Joint Strike Fighter AN/APG-81 AESA radar is a result of the US government's competition for the world's largest AESA acquisition contract...
AESA-radar, designed by
Northrop Grumman Electronic SystemsNorthrop Grumman Electronic Systems was created by Northrop Grumman's acquisition of Westinghouse Electronic Systems Group in 1996. The Electronic Systems sector is a leading designer, developer, and manufacturer of a wide variety of advanced defense electronics and systems...
. It is augmented by the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) mounted under the nose of the aircraft, designed by Lockheed Martin. This gives the same capabilities as the
Lockheed Martin Sniper XRThe Lockheed Martin Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod provides positive target identification, autonomous tracking, coordinate generation, and precise weapons guidance from extended standoff ranges. The Sniper ATP is intended for use on the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II...
without compromising the aircraft's stealth. A version of the EOTS will also be used by the
General Atomics AvengerThe General Atomics Avenger is a developmental unmanned combat air vehicle built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the United States military...
.
Six additional passive infrared sensors are distributed over the aircraft as part of Northrop Grumman's AN/AAQ-37 distributed aperture system (DAS), which acts as a missile warning system, reports missile launch locations, detects and tracks approaching aircraft spherically around the F-35, and replaces traditional night vision goggles for night operations and navigation. All DAS functions are performed simultaneously, in every direction, at all times. The F-35's AN/ASQ-239 (Barracuda) Electronic Warfare systems are designed by BAE and include Northrop Grumman components. The communications, navigation and identification (CNI) suite is designed by Northrop Grumman and includes the
Multifunction Advanced Data LinkMultifunction Advanced Data Link is a future data waveform to provide secure data-linking technology between stealth aircraft. It began as a method to coordinate between F35 aircraft , but HQ Air Combat Command wants to expand the capabiltiy to coordinate future USAF strike forces of all AF...
(MADL). The F-35 will be the first jet fighter that has sensor fusion that combines both radio frequency and IR tracking for continuous target detection and identification in all directions which is shared via MADL to other platforms without compromising their low observability.
Engines
The F-35's main engine is the
Pratt & Whitney F135The Pratt & Whitney F135 is an afterburning turbofan developed for the F-35 Lightning II single-engine strike fighter. The F135 family has several distinct variants, including a conventional, forward thrust variant and a multi-cycle STOVL variant that includes a forward lift fan...
. The
General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136The General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 is an advanced turbofan engine being developed by General Electric and Rolls-Royce plc specifically for the F-35 Lightning II.-Design and development:...
is being developed as an alternate engine. The STOVL versions of both powerplants use the
Rolls-Royce LiftSystemThe Rolls-Royce LiftSystem is an innovative propulsion system designed for use in the STOVL variant of the F-35 Lightning II developed during the Joint Strike Fighter Program...
, patented by Lockheed Martin and built by Rolls-Royce. This system is more like the Russian
Yak-141The Yakovlev Yak-141 is a supersonic VTOL fighter aircraft from the Soviet Union. It did not enter production.-Design and development:...
and German
VJ 101D/EThe EWR VJ 101 was an experimental German jet fighter VTOL tiltjet aircraft. VJ stood for "Versuchsjäger", . It was to be the basis for a successor to the F-104G Starfighter, but was cancelled in 1968 after a five-year test program...
than the preceding generation of STOVL designs, such as the
Harrier Jump JetThe Harrier Jump Jet, often referred to as just "Harrier" or "the Jump Jet", is a British designed military jet aircraft capable of Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing via thrust vectoring...
in which all of the lifting air went through the main fan of the
Rolls-Royce PegasusThe Rolls Royce Pegasus is a turbofan engine originally designed by Bristol and now manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. This engine used in Harrier jet aircraft in the 1960s, is able to direct thrust downwards which can then be swivelled to power a jet aircraft forward...
engine, as it was not found practical to design a single fan that would be big enough to push through enough low speed air for vertical lift and yet small enough to handle the smaller flow required for supersonic flight.
The LiftSystem is composed of a lift fan, driveshaft, 2 roll posts and a "3 Bearing Swivel Module" (3BSM). The 3BSM is a
thrust vectoringThrust vectoring is the ability of an aircraft or other vehicle to direct the thrust from its main engine in a direction other than parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis. The technique was originally envisaged to provide upward vertical thrust as a means to give aircraft vertical or short ...
nozzle which allows the main engine exhaust to be deflected downward at the tail of the aircraft. The lift fan near the front of the aircraft provides a counter-balancing thrust. Somewhat like a vertically mounted
turbopropTurboprop engines are a type of aircraft powerplant that use a gas turbine to drive a propeller. The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
within the forward fuselage, the lift fan is powered by the engine's low-pressure (LP) turbine via a driveshaft and gearbox. Roll control during slow flight is achieved by diverting pressurized air from the LP turbine through wing mounted thrust nozzles called Roll Posts.
The F-35B lift fan achieves the same 'flow multiplier' effect as the Harrier's huge, but supersonically impractical, main fan. Like lift engines, this added machinery is just deadweight during horizontal flight but provides a net increase in payload capacity during vertical flight. The cool exhaust of the fan also reduces the amount of hot, high-velocity air that is projected downward during vertical takeoff (which can damage runways and aircraft carrier decks). Though complicated and risky, the lift system has been made to work to the satisfaction of DOD officials.
To date F-136 funding has come at the expense of other parts of the program, reducing the number of aircraft built and increasing their costs. However, the F-136 team has claimed that their engine has a greater temperature margin which may prove critical for VTOL operations in hot high altitude conditions.
Armament
The F-35 includes a
GAU-22/AThe General Dynamics GAU-12/U Equalizer is a five-barrel 25 mm Gatling gun-style rotary cannon. The GAU-12/U is used by the United States, Italy and Spain, which mount the weapon in their fighter jets such as the AV-8B Harrier II, airborne gunships such as the Lockheed AC-130, and land-based...
four-barrel
25 mmThe 25 mm caliber/.98425 inch is one of the standard sizes of cannon and autocannon ammunition for NATO forces. The round itself has a length of approximately 223 mm .-Usage:...
cannon. The cannon will be mounted internally with 180 rounds in the F-35A and fitted as an external pod with 220 rounds in the F-35B and F-35C. The gun pod for the B and C variants will have stealth features. This pod could be used for different equipment in the future, such as EW, reconnaissance equipment, or possibly a rearward facing radar.
Internally (current planned weapons for integration), up to two air-to-air missiles and two air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons (up to two 2,000 lb bombs in A and C models (BRU-68); two 1,000 lb bombs in the B model (BRU-67)) can be carried in the bomb bays. These could be
AIM-120 AMRAAMThe AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM , is a modern Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile capable of all weather day and night performance. It is also commonly known as the Slammer in USAF service...
,
AIM-132 ASRAAMThe AIM-132 Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile is a British infrared homing air-to-air missile. It is currently in service in the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force, replacing the AIM-9 Sidewinder in those services....
, the
Joint Direct Attack MunitionThe Joint Direct Attack Munition is a "joint" United States Air Force and United States Navy program that utilizes a guidance kit that converts existing unguided gravity bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather "smart" munitions...
(JDAM) – up to 2,000 lb (910 kg), the
Joint Standoff WeaponThe AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon is the product of a joint venture between the United States Navy and Air Force to deploy a standardized medium range precision guided weapon, especially for engagement of defended targets at ranges outside that of standard anti-aircraft defenses, thereby...
(JSOW),
Small Diameter BombsThe GBU-39 Small-Diameter Bomb is a 250 pound guided bomb that is intended to provide aircraft with the ability to carry a higher number of bombs. Most US Air Force aircraft will be able to carry a pack of four SDBs in place of a single 2,000 lb bomb.-Development:Two variants are being developed...
(SDB) – a maximum of four in each bay, the
BrimstoneBrimstone is an advanced air-launched anti-tank guided missile developed by MBDA.-Overview:The missile was designed to meet the RAF's requirement for a long range anti-armour weapon, allowing strike aircraft to attack tanks and armoured vehicles at stand-off range, replacing the BL755 cluster bomb...
anti-armor missiles, and Cluster Munitions (WCMD). The
MBDA MeteorMeteor is an active radar guided beyond-visual-range air to air missile being developed by MBDA to equip the Eurofighter Typhoons of the UK's Royal Air Force , Germany's Luftwaffe, Spain's Ejército del Aire and Italy's Aeronautica Militare Italiana, the F-35 of the British Royal Navy, the Dassault...
air-to-air missile is currently being adapted to fit internally in the missile spots and may be integrated into the F-35. The UK had originally planned to put up to four AIM-132 ASRAAM internally but this has been changed to carry 2 internal and 2 external ASRAAMs. It has also been stated by a Lockheed executive that the internal bay will eventually be modified to accept up to 6 AMRAAMs.
At the expense of being more detectable by radar, many more missiles, bombs and fuel tanks can be attached on four wing pylons and two near wingtip positions. The two wingtip locations can only carry AIM-9X Sidewinder. The other pylons can carry the AIM-120 AMRAAM,
Storm ShadowStorm Shadow is an Anglo-French air-launched cruise missile, manufactured by MBDA and used by France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Greece. Storm Shadow is the British name for the weapon; in French service it is called SCALP EG...
,
AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Stand-off MissileThe AGM-158 JASSM is a low observable standoff cruise missile developed in the United States.- Overview :...
(JASSM) cruise missiles, guided bombs, 480-gallon and 600-gallon fuel tanks. An air-to-air load of eight AIM-120s and two AIM-9s is conceivable using internal and external weapons stations, as well as a configuration of six 2,000 lb bombs, two AIM-120s and two AIM-9s. With its payload capability, the F-35 can carry more air to air and air to ground weapons than legacy fighters it is to replace as well as the
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
. Solid-state lasers were being developed as optional weapons for the F-35 as of 2002.
OODA loop
The F-35 fights in an entirely new way. Rather than using thrust vectoring, canards or supercruise to line up the target directly ahead of the aircraft, like 4.5 Generation jet fighters, the F-35 uses combined radio frequency and infrared (SAIRST) situational awareness to track all nearby aircraft continually, the pilot's helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) to display and select targets and High Off-Boresight (HOBS) weapons to eliminate them. Because of this the F-35 does not have the dashboard-mounted head up display seen in previous generation jet fighters as there is simply no reason to point the entire aircraft at the target. As Northrop Grumman puts it, "maneuvering is irrelevant".
The
OODA loopThe OODA loop is a concept originally applied to the combat operations process, often at the strategic level in both the military operations. It is now also often applied to understand commercial operations and learning processes...
has been decisive in air to air combat since at least the dawn of the jet age and the F-35 is the first aircraft built to excel at all levels of it. Stealth and advanced sensors give the edge in observation, automated target tracking gives the edge in orientation, sensor fusion simplifies decision making and the aircraft's controls allow action against targets without having to look away from them.
Concerns over performance
Concerns about the F-35's performance have resulted partially from reports of RAND simulations where numerous Russian
SukhoiSukhoi is a major Russian aircraft manufacturer famous for its fighters. Founded by Pavel Sukhoi in 1939 as the Sukhoi Design Bureau , it is currently known as Sukhoi Corporation...
fighters defeat a handful of F-35s by denying tanker refueling. As a result of these issues then Australian defence minister
Joel FitzgibbonJoel Andrew Fitzgibbon is an Australian politician and Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Hunter in New South Wales. From December 2007 to June 2009 he was the Minister for Defence in the first Rudd Ministry...
requested a formal briefing from the
Australian Department of DefenceThe Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force. The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
on the computer simulation. This briefing stated that the reports of the simulation were inaccurate, and that it did not compare the F-35's performance against that of other aircraft.
RAND has applied the same tanker denial scenario against the F-22 Raptor and seems to favor a new medium bomber design.
The criticism of the F-35 has been dismissed by the Pentagon and manufacturer. The USAF has conducted an analysis of the F-35's air-to-air performance against all 4th generation fighter aircraft currently available, and has found the F-35 to be at least four times more effective. Maj Gen Charles R. Davis, USAF, the F-35 program executive officer, has stated that the "F-35 enjoys a significant Combat Loss Exchange Ratio advantage over the current and future air-to-air threats, to include Sukhois". The Russian, Indian, Chinese, and other air forces operate
Sukhoi Su-27/30The Sukhoi Su-27 is a one-seat Mach-2 class jet fighter plane originally manufactured by the Soviet Union, and designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau...
fighters.
Manufacturing responsibilities
Lockheed Martin AeronauticsLockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a major unit of Lockheed Martin with headquarters at Fort Worth, Texas.Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is also based in Marietta, Georgia and Palmdale, California. Palmdale is home to the Advanced Development Programs , informally known as the "Skunk Works"...
is the prime contractor and performs aircraft final assembly, overall system integration, mission system, and provides forward fuselage, wings and flight controls system.
Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth largest defense contractor in the world in 2008, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over 122,000...
provides
Active Electronically Scanned ArrayAn Active Electronically Scanned Array , also known as active phased array radar is a type of phased array radar whose transmitter and receiver functions are composed of numerous small solid-state transmit/receive modules...
(AESA) radar, Infrared Distributed Aperture System (DAS), Communications, Navigation, Identification (CNI), center fuselage, weapons bay, and arrestor gear.
BAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is the world's second-largest defence contractor and the largest in Europe...
provides aft fuselage and empennages, horizontal and vertical tails, crew life support and escape systems,
Electronic warfareElectronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum or to attack the enemy. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly unimpeded access to, the EM spectrum...
systems, fuel system, and Flight Control Software (FCS1).
AleniaAlenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, is a European aerospace company from Italy. Its subsidiaries include Alenia Aermacchi and Alenia Aeronavali...
will perform final assembly for Italy and, according to an Alenia executive, assembly of all European aircraft with the exception of Turkey and the United Kingdom.
In July 2009, a lawsuit by a former F-35 software worker against Lockheed Martin concerning the safety and quality of its software was unsealed. The lawsuit states that the software for the jet may be unsafe because standards are not being followed.
Next Generation Jammer
The USMC is considering replacing their EA-6B Prowler Electronic Attack aircraft with F-35s that have stealthy jammer pods attached.
On 30 September 2008, the United States Navy outlined the basic requirements of the NGJ and stated that the design must be modular and open. The Navy has selected four companies to submit designs for the Next Generation Jammer.
Testing
On 19 February 2006, the first F-35A (designated AA-1) was rolled out in
Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the seventeenth-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city within the state of Texas. Located in and a cultural gateway into the American West, the city covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, and Denton counties, serving as the county seat for Tarrant...
. The aircraft underwent extensive ground testing at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, adjacent to Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth manufacturing facility, in fall 2006. On 15 September 2006 the first engine run of the
F135The Pratt & Whitney F135 is an afterburning turbofan developed for the F-35 Lightning II single-engine strike fighter. The F135 family has several distinct variants, including a conventional, forward thrust variant and a multi-cycle STOVL variant that includes a forward lift fan...
afterburning turbofan was conducted in an airframe, with the tests completed on 18 September after a static run with full afterburner. The engine runs were the first time that the F-35 was completely functional on its own power systems. On 15 December 2006, the F-35A completed its maiden flight.
On 3 May 2007, electrical arcing inside an electrical-hydraulic control unit forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing. It was grounded until 7 December, when test pilot Jon Beesley flew a 55-minute test flight.
A unique feature of the test program is the use of the so-called Lockheed CATBird avionic testbed, a highly modified
Boeing 737-300The Boeing 737 is a short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has nine variants with the -600, -700, -800 and -900 currently in production.Originally envisioned in...
, inside of which are racks holding all of F-35's avionics, as well as a complete F-35 cockpit.
On 31 January 2008 at Fort Worth, Texas, Lt Col James "Flipper" Kromberg of the U.S. Air Force became the first military service pilot to evaluate the F-35, taking the aircraft through a series of maneuvers on its 26th flight.
On 12 March 2008, the first F-35A (designated AA-1) began
aerial refuelingAerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight. Applied to helicopters, it is known as HAR for Helicopter Aerial Refueling...
testing on its 34th test flight. Another milestone was reached on 13 November 2008, when the AA-1 flew supersonic for the first time. A speed of Mach 1.05 was reached at 30,000 feet (9,144 meters), including four transitions through the sound barrier, and a total of eight minutes in supersonic flight.
On 11 June 2008, after extensive ground testing, the first F-35B (designated BF-1) made its maiden flight at Fort Worth. The flight, which featured a conventional takeoff, was piloted by BAE Systems' test pilot Graham Tomlinson. The BF-1 is the second of 19 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) F-35s, and the first to use new weight-optimized design features that will apply to all future F-35s.
On 19 December 2008, Lockheed Martin rolled out the first weight-optimized F-35A (designated AF-1). It is the first F-35 to be produced at a full-rate production speed – the
assembly lineAn assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned logistics to create a finished product much faster than with handcrafting-type methods...
moves at 50 inches (127 centimeters) per hour – and is structurally identical to final production F-35As that will be delivered starting in 2010.
As of 5 January 2009, six F-35s are complete, including AF-1 and AG-1, and 17 are in production. "Thirteen of the 17 in production are pre-production test aircraft, and all of those will be finished in 2009," said John R. Kent, acting manager of F-35 Lightning II Communications at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. "The other four are the first production-model planes, and the first of those will be delivered in 2010 to the U.S. Air Force, and will go to Eglin."
The F-35 testing program completed "just under 100 sorties and about as many hours in 2.5 years" as of June 2009 according Defense Technology International. To meet the current target date of mid-2014 for completion of operational testing, the test program "will have to go from the slowest to the fastest in history". Furthermore: "The GAO also reports that the goal set for FY2009 was 317 flights; as of mid-May, however, fewer than 30 test flights had been performed this year."
In 2008 the Pentagon's Joint Estimate Team (JET) reported to the Congress that their estimate was that the F-35 program was two years behind the latest public schedule.
In March 2009, the United States Government Accountability Office reported that the JSF program office "noted that JSF’s technical, software,
production processes, and testing maturity are tracking to plan and substantially exceeding standards set in past programs. The manufacturing
fit and quality of the jets are unprecedented and production processes are improving with each jet."
Environmental concerns
In late 2008 the Air Force revealed that the F-35 would be about twice as loud at takeoff as the
F-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. Developed for the United States Air Force, it first flew in July 1972, and is one of the most recognized modern fighters. The F-15 is expected to remain...
and up to four times as loud upon landing. As a result, residents near
Davis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis-Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base adjacent to Tucson, Arizona, named in honor of World War I pilots Lieutenants Samuel H. Davis and Oscar Monthan, both Tucson natives. Davis-Monthan AFB is primarily an Air Combat Command installation with the 355th Fighter Wing as...
, Arizona and
Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of World War I aviator and test pilot Lt Col Frederick Irving Eglin...
, Florida, possible homes of the jet, have requested that the Air Force conduct environmental impact studies concerning the F-35's noise levels. The city of
Valparaiso, FloridaValparaiso is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, in the United States, and it is named after the Chilean city of Valparaiso. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,408. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 6,336...
, adjacent to Eglin AFB, threatened in February 2009 to sue the Air Force over the impending arrival of the F-35s. However, it was reported in March 2009 that testing by Lockheed Martin and the Royal Australian Air Force revealed that the F-35 was not as loud as first reported, being "only about as noisy as an F-16 fitted with a Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 engine" and "quieter than the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet."
International participation
While the United States is the primary customer and financial backer, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Norway and Denmark have agreed to contribute
US$The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
4.375 billion toward the development costs of the program. Total development costs are estimated at more than US$40 billion (underwritten largely by the United States), while the purchase of an estimated 2,400 planes is expected to cost an additional US$200 billion. The nine major partner nations plan to acquire over 3,100 F-35s through 2035, making the F-35 one of the most numerous jet fighters.
There are three levels of international participation. The levels generally reflect the financial stake in the program, the amount of technology transfer and subcontracts open for bid by national companies, and the order in which countries can obtain production aircraft. The United Kingdom is the sole "Level 1" partner, contributing US$2.5 billion, about 10% of the development costs under the 1995
Memorandum of UnderstandingA memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action...
that brought the UK into the project. Level 2 partners are
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
, which is contributing US$1 billion; and the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
, US$800 million. Level 3 partners are
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, US$475 million;
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
, US$195 million;
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, US$144 million;
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
, US$122 million and
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
, US$110
millionOne million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The name is derived from Italian, where mille was 1,000, and 1,000,000 became milione, "a large thousand"....
.
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
and
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
have joined as Security Cooperative Participants (SCP).
Some of the partner countries have wavered in their public commitment to the JSF program, hinting or warning that unless they receive more subcontracts or technology transfer, they will forsake JSF for the
Eurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine canard-delta wing multirole aircraft. It is being designed and built by a consortium of three separate partner companies: Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems, and EADS working through a holding company Eurofighter GmbH which was formed in 1986...
,
Saab JAS 39 GripenThe Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. Gripen International acts as a prime contracting organisation and is responsible for marketing, selling and supporting the Gripen fighter around the world....
,
Dassault RafaleThe Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engined delta-wing highly agile multi-role 4.5th-generation jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Introduced in 2000, the Rafale is being produced both for land-based use with the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations with...
or simply upgrade their existing aircraft. Furthermore, F-35 export competitiveness has been hurt by international buyers finding either its export variant too costly per unit or "watered down". While the F-16E/F costs $50 million per export copy, the F-35 is likely to cost between $65–120 million.
United Kingdom
The
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
planned to acquire 138 F-35Bs as of December 2006 for the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
and the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
. But speculation mounts in 2009 that they may switch from the F-35B to the F-35C model, with its greater range and payload the UK would require fewer aircraft and save about $25 million for each aircraft ordered.
The UK became increasingly frustrated by a lack of U.S. commitment to grant access to the technology that would allow the UK to maintain and upgrade its F-35s without US involvement. This is understood to relate mainly to the software for the aircraft. For five years, British officials sought an
ITARInternational Traffic in Arms Regulations is a set of United States government regulations that control the export and import of defense-related articles and services on the United States Munitions List...
waiver to secure greater technology transfer. This request, which had the blessing of the Bush administration, was repeatedly blocked by U.S. Representative
Henry HydeHenry John Hyde , an American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2007, representing the 6th District of Illinois, an area of Chicago's northwestern suburbs which included O'Hare International Airport...
, who said that the UK needed to tighten its laws protecting against the unauthorized transfer of the most advanced U.S. technology to third parties.
On 27 May 2006, President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
and Prime Minister
Tony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
announced that "Both governments agree that the UK will have the ability to successfully operate, upgrade, employ, and maintain the Joint Strike Fighter such that the UK retains operational sovereignty over the aircraft." On 12 December 2006, Lord Drayson signed an agreement which met the UK's demands for further participation, i.e., access to software source code and operational sovereignty. The agreement allows "an unbroken British chain of command" for operation of the aircraft. Drayson said Britain would "not be required to have a US citizen in our own operational chain of command". Drayson also said, however, that Britain is still considering an unspecified "Plan B" alternative to buying the Joint Strike Fighter.
On 25 July 2007, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that they have placed orders for the two new aircraft carriers of the
Queen Elizabeth class that will allow the purchase of the F-35B variant. On 2 May 2008, however, the
Washington PostThe Washington Post is the newspaper with the largest circulation in Washington, D.C. and is the city's oldest paper, founded in 1877. Being located in the nation's capital, it has a particular emphasis on national politics and international affairs...
reported that an
Inspector GeneralIn a civilian or military administration, an Inspector General is a high ranking official charged with the mission to inspect and report on some bodies in their field of competency...
's report chided the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Security Service for failing to ensure that BAE Systems was exercising appropriate controls over access to sensitive technologies, while both BAE and Lockheed Martin denied that any technology had been compromised.
On 18 March 2009, Defence Secretary
John HuttonJohn Matthew Patrick Hutton is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness in Cumbria since 1992, and has served in a number of Cabinet offices, including Defence Secretary and Business Secretary....
announced the MoD had agreed to purchase three test F-35s.
Italy
As of October 2008,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
planned to acquire 131 of the planes: 109 F-35As and 22 F-35Bs. On 7 October 2008, Italy announced it will not participate in initial F-35 testing and evaluation, and will not purchase test aircraft. The Navy plans to use the F-35Bs on their new Cavour
STOVLSTOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
Carrier.
Netherlands
The
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
has plans to acquire 85 F-35As for the
Royal Netherlands Air ForceThe Royal Netherlands Air Force , Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht , is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeeling of the Dutch Army was founded on 1 July 1913, with just four pilots...
. The aircraft will replace an aging fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16AM. The Dutch government expects the costs to be €5.5 billion for the initial purchase and €9.1 billion for 30 years of service. On 19 November 2007, in the Dutch Parliament, the Secretary of Defence was questioned about the JSF delay, technical problems and rising costs. However, on 29 February 2008, the
executive councilThe Dutch Council of Ministers is the executive council of Dutch government, formed by all the ministers. This executive council initiates laws and policy. The Council of Ministers is distinct from the Cabinet which also includes state secretaries...
of the
Dutch governmentThe politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
decided to go ahead with the purchase of two test aircraft and a MOU was signed. On 7 September 2008 Dutch television show "Reporter" reports that counter orders are lagging behind compared to promises and that an active lobby by the Royal Netherlands Air Force has manipulated the Dutch government into participating in the project.
Canada
Canada has been involved in the Joint Strike Fighter Program from its beginning, investing US$10 million to be an "informed partner" during the evaluation process. Once Lockheed Martin was selected as the primary contractor for the JSF program, Canada elected to become a level 3 participant along with Norway, Denmark, Turkey, and Australia on the JSF project. An additional US$100 million from the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) over 10 years and an another $50 million from
Industry CanadaIndustry Canada is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for regional economic development, investment, and innovation/research and development. The department employs 6104 FTEs across Canada....
were dedicated in 2002, making them an early participant of the JSF program.
Canada's rationale for joining the JSF project was not due to an urgent need to replace Canada's fleet of
CF-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet is a Canadian Forces aircraft, based on the American F/A-18 Hornet. Following the New Fighter Aircraft competition, the F/A-18 was selected as the winner in 1980 and a production order was awarded. The Canadian Forces began receiving the CF-18 in 1982...
s; instead, it was driven primarily by economics. Through Canadian government investment in the JSF project, Canadian companies were allowed to compete for contracts within the JSF project, as there were fears that being shut out from industrial participation in such a large program would severely damage the Canadian aviation industry. Joining also furthered Canadian access to information regarding the F-35 as a possible contender when it eventually plans to replace the CF-18 Hornet fleet. Improved interoperability with major allies allowed the DND to gain insight on leading edge practices in composites, manufacturing and logistics, and offered the ability to recoup some investment if the government did decide to purchase the F-35.
As a result of the Canadian government investment in the JSF project, 144 contracts were awarded to Canadian companies, universities, and government facilities. Financially, the contracts value US$490 million for the period 2002 to 2012, with an expected value of US$1.1 billion from current contracts in the period between 2013 and 2023, and a total potential estimated value of Canadian JSF involvement from US$4.8 billion to US$6.8 billion.
Turkey
On 12 July 2002,
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
became the seventh international partner in the JSF Project, joining the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark and Norway. On 25 January 2007, Turkey signed a
memorandum of understandingA memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action...
(MoU) for involvement in F-35 production. The
Turkish Air ForceThe Turkish Air Force is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. It is one of the oldest air forces in the world and operates one of the largest combat aircraft fleets of NATO...
is planning to initially order 116 F-35A "CTOL/Air Force versions" at a reported cost of $11 billion. It is reported that the aircraft will be produced under license in Turkey by the
Turkish Aerospace IndustriesTurkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. is the center of technology in design, development, manufacturing, integration of aerospace systems, modernization and after sales support in Turkey....
(TAI).
A Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed between
TAITurkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. is the center of technology in design, development, manufacturing, integration of aerospace systems, modernization and after sales support in Turkey....
and Northrop Grumman ISS (NGISS) International on 6 February 2007. With the LOI, TAI becomes the second source for the F-35 Lightning II center fuselage during the JSF Signing. The number of center fuselages to be produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries will be determined depending on the number of F-35s Turkey will procure and the number of F-35s to be produced worldwide. The LOI represents a potential value in excess of $3 billion. Northrop Grumman currently produces all F-35 center fuselages at its F-35 assembly facility in
Palmdale, CaliforniaPalmdale is a city located in the northeast reaches of Los Angeles County, California, United States.The first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city , Palmdale is separated from Los Angeles by the San Gabriel Mountain range...
.
TAI of Turkey is one of the two international suppliers to Northrop Grumman (the other being Denmark). On 10 December 2007, the Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) was authorized by the Northrop Grumman to commence fabricating subassemblies for the first two F-35 production aircraft. The subassemblies – composite components and aircraft access doors – will be used in the F-35 center fuselage, a major section of the aircraft being produced by Northrop Grumman, a principal member of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 global industry team.
It is also anticipated that TAI after 2013 will also produce 100% of the F-35 under license from Lockheed Martin Corporation, as was also the case with the F-16 Fighting Falcon program Peace Onyx I and II. Turkey also intends to incorporate in the future several Turkish designed and manufactured electronic systems into the F-35 platform.
Murad Bayar, head of the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, has said that Turkey may increase its order to 120 aircraft instead of purchasing less advanced
Eurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine canard-delta wing multirole aircraft. It is being designed and built by a consortium of three separate partner companies: Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems, and EADS working through a holding company Eurofighter GmbH which was formed in 1986...
s.
Australia
Australia is participating in the F-35's development, but has not yet placed an order for the aircraft. It is expected that some 75 to 100 F-35As will be ordered to replace the
Royal Australian Air Force'sThe Royal Australian Air Force is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF began in March 1912 as the Australian Flying Corps making it the second oldest air force in the world...
(RAAF's)
F/A-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
aircraft.
The Australian Government announced that it would buy into the F-35's development on 22 June 2002. This decision ended the competition to replace Australia's F/A-18 and
F-111The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" is a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also fills the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s and first entering service in 1967, the United States Air Force ...
aircraft before it formally began, with other aircraft manufacturers being advised that it would not be worth submitting proposals. The Government argued that joining the F-35 program at an early stage would allow Australia to influence the F-35's development, provide the Government with information on the aircraft's suitability, and generate savings of over $600 million if an order for F-35s is eventually placed. Australia formally signed up to the F-35 Systems Development and Demonstration phase as a Level 3 participant on 30 October 2002.
In November 2006, satisfied with the F-35's progress to date, the Government gave 'first pass' initial approval to the project under which F-35s will be acquired, with a decision on whether to order the aircraft being scheduled for late 2008. Following this initial approval, on 13 December 2006 Australia signed the JSF Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development Memorandum of Understanding which commits Australia to the next phase of the F-35's development. In October 2006, the deputy chief of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshal John Blackburn, publicly stated that the RAAF had considered suitable aircraft which could be acquired if the F-35 was delayed, but that such aircraft were not believed to be necessary on the basis of the F-35 program's progress at the time.
Concerns over the F-35s delivery schedule developed in Australia during 2007. In February the
Minister for DefenceThe Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Senator John Faulkner is the current Minister....
announced that a risk mitigation strategy which involved obtaining F/A-18F Hornets was being developed to prevent a gap in the RAAF's air combat capability if the F-35 program was delayed. This strategy was adopted, and an order for 24 F/A-18Fs was announced on 6 March 2007. These aircraft are scheduled to enter service with the RAAF in 2010 and be fully operational by 2012.
Following the 2007 Australian Federal Election, the new
Australian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party.Known as the ALP for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the 2007 federal election...
Government launched an inquiry into the replacement of the RAAF's air combat capability. The party had expressed concerns over the F-35's adequacy while it was in opposition, and proposed acquiring
F-22The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
s to replace or supplement the RAAF's F-35 force. An approach was made to the U.S. Government for F-22s in early 2008, but was not successful as these aircraft are not available for export. In April 2008 it was reported that the air combat review had found that the F-35 was the most suitable aircraft for Australia. In October 2008 it was reported that the Australian Government may order 75 F-35s instead of the 100 originally (and still officially) planned, due to the impact of the global financial crisis and a large long-term funding gap in the Defence budget. The Government's
Defence white paperDefending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030 is an Australian Government white paper released on 2 May 2009. The publication seeks to provide guidance for Australia's defence policy and the Australian Defence Force during the period 2009–2030.-Background:A commitment to develop a...
released in April 2009 argued for a purchase of up to 100 F-35s, however.
There has been much debate in Australia over whether the F-35 is the most suitable aircraft for the RAAF. It has been claimed that the F-35's performance is inferior to Russian-built fighters operated by countries near Australia (such as the Su-27 and Su-30 in Indonesia), that it cannot meet the RAAF's long-range strike requirement, and that further delays to the F-35 program may result in the RAAF experiencing a shortage of combat aircraft. The RAAF believes that the F-35 will meet Australia's needs however, and both of Australia's major political parties currently support the development and purchase of the aircraft (though differences remain on the deadline and the number of aircraft).
On 21 August 2009, it was reported that the RAAF would get two F-35s for testing in 2014 and that the initial squadron would be delayed until 2017.
On 11 September 2009, Air Marshall Mark Binskin said that a fourth squadron of F-35s for the RAAF would be imperative.
Norway
Norway participates in the F-35 program as a Level 3 partner in the System Development and Demonstration phase with a view to enabling its industry to compete for industrial opportunities. Norwegian National Deputy Rune Fagerli, the country's sole representative on the Joint Strike Fighter program, told SPACE.com the Norwegian Royal Ministry of Defence has pledged $125 million in preparations to replace a fleet of F-16 jets that have about 12 years left of operation. "By getting involved here, on the ground level, we can try and address the needs of Norway into this capable fighter early," said Fagerli, a colonel. In Norway, F-16s are fitted with drag chutes because of wet, slippery runways. International cooperation to aircraft development could also yield aircraft from cooperating nations that fit well together during combat. Fagerli also mentioned that Norwegian pilots currently fly missions over Afghanistan in F-16s alongside Danish and Dutch aviators.
Norway has several times threatened to put their support on hold unless substantial guarantees for an increased industrial share is provided. Despite this Norway has signed all the Memoranda of Understanding, including the latest one detailing the future production phase of the JSF program. They have, however, indicated that they will increase and strengthen their cooperation with both competitors of the JSF, the Typhoon and the Gripen.
The F-35 was evaluated along with
JAS 39 GripenThe Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. Gripen International acts as a prime contracting organisation and is responsible for marketing, selling and supporting the Gripen fighter around the world....
by the Norwegian Future Combat Aircraft Capability Project as a replacement for the F-16s currently in-service. On 20 November 2008, the government released a statement saying it will support buying F-35s for the
Royal Norwegian Air ForceThe Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . Six hundred personnel are also serving their one-year national service in the Air Force...
instead of the Saab Gripen NG.
The Norwegian Air Force has decided to develop the Joint Strike Missile for the F-35 and other aircraft.
Denmark
Denmark has joined the Joint Strike Fighter program as a Level 3 partner and the
Royal Danish Air ForceThe Royal Danish Air Force is the expeditionary air force of Denmark with capability organised to support both international operations and homeland security.-History:All military aviation was prohibited during the Nazi occupation, 1940-45...
is considering the replacement of 48 of its aging F-16 fighters with next generation aircraft.
Israel
In 2003,
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
signed a formal letter of agreement, worth almost $20 million, to join the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) effort for the F-35 as a "security cooperation participant" (SCP). The
Israeli Air ForceThe Israeli Air Force is the air force of the Israel Defense Forces...
(IAF) stated in 2006 that the F-35 is a key part of IAF's recapitalization plans, and that Israel intends to buy over 100 F-35A fighters at an estimated cost of over $5 billion to replace their F-16s over time. Israel was reinstated as a partner in the development of the F-35 on 31 July 2006, after Israeli participation was put on hold following the Chinese arms deal crisis.
On 16 November 2006, Yaakov Katz, of The Jerusalem Post reported that if no jet fighters were delivered to Israel between the last batch of F-16s in 2007 and the first F-35s in 2014 then the Israeli air force would decline in numbers as older fighters wore out and were retired.
On 3 September 2007,
IDFThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are Israel's military forces, comprising the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi announced the purchase of a squadron of F-35s which Israel will begin receiving in 2014. However, U.S. defense officials later agreed to allow Israel to receive the fighters as early as 2012. The price of each F-35 is expected to reach $70–80 million.
The Jerusalem PostThe Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post...
reports that the Pentagon has agreed to supply the F-35A variant to Israel as early as 2012, instead of in 2014 or 2015. This would make Israel one of the first nations to receive the aircraft, and very possibly the first foreign nation. Previous objections to Israel’s installation of its own technology in the F-35 – as it has done with every US fighter it has received – were also reportedly overcome. At present, the only Israeli technology in the standard version will be the JSF HMDS helmet-mounted display system, designed in cooperation with
Elbit SystemsElbit Systems Ltd. is one of the world's largest defense electronics manufacturers and integrators. Established in 1967, and based in Haifa, Israel, Elbit has over ten thousand employees....
. Israel also asked to manufacture F-35 aircraft locally at a 1:2 ratio, but the reports did not indicate whether that request was granted. On 30 September 2008, the US DoD reported that Israel has requested to purchase 25 F-35As with options to buy up to 50 F-35As or F-35Bs.
On 24 June 2009,
The Jerusalem Post reported that an understanding had been reached on "the main basic issues". These include Israeli electronics and the ability to maintain the aircraft independently and that deliveries could start as early as 2014.
On 10 July 2009, the Israeli Air Force submitted an official Letter of Request (LOR) to the Pentagon to purchase its first squadron of 25 F-35As.
On 8 September 2009,
The Jerusalem Post reported that negotiations had bogged down again over Israeli insistence that they be given sufficient technical details to enable them to equip the aircraft with their own technologies and repair them independently.
Singapore
In February 2003, Singapore joined the JSF program's System Design and Development (SDD) Phase, as a Security Co-operation Participant (SCP).
Potential exports
The F-35 is a possible future offer to the
Indian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the armed forces of India. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
as of July 2007. This has been interpreted as part of a tactic to sell the
F-16The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
as a multirole fighter to the IAF, as part of its
competitionThe Indian Air Force Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft Competition, commonly known as the MRCA Tender, is an ongoing competition to supply the Indian Air Force with 126 Multi-Role Combat Aircraft. The Defence Ministry has allocated Rs. 42,000 crore for the purchase of these aircraft The Indian Air...
to acquire 126 new fighters.
Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin is a multinational aerospace manufacturer, global security and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed with Martin Marietta. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Lockheed Martin employs 146,000 people...
formally expressed its interest to sell F-35s to India. It is also known that the
Indian NavyThe Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. It currently has approximately 55,000 personnel on active duty, including 5,000 members of the naval aviation branch and 2,000 marine commandos, making it the world's fifth largest navy...
has shown interest in buying the F-35B.
The
Brazilian Air ForceThe Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
recently has added the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the list of aircraft under consideration for its relaunched new fighter procurement, called F-X2. The F-35 replaces the F-16, which was in contention for the previous F-X BR program, shelved in 2003 and finally abandoned in 2006. Lockheed Martin did not offer the F-35 and instead bid the F-16BR in 2008.
The
Finnish Air ForceThe Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
has expressed its interest in the F-35, and other "advanced aircraft", as the replacement for its F-18C Hornets. An eventual purchase decision would be taken around 2015.
The future
Spanish NavyThe Spanish Navy is the maritime arm of the Spanish Military, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path from the Far East to America across the...
ship Juan Carlos I (L61) is adapted to carry JSF and AV-8B Harrier.
Lockheed Martin is offering the F-35 to the
Hellenic Air ForceThe Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated HAF is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the world...
as F-4E Peace Icarus 2000 and F-16C/D Block 30 replacement.
The
Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition and jurisdiction over China into a democratic state with limited international recognition and jurisdiction only over Taiwan and minor islands, though it...
(Taiwan) has requested to buy the F-35 from the US. However this has been rejected by the US in fear of a critical response from
BeijingBeijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China...
. In March 2009 Taiwan again was looking to buy U.S. fifth-generation fighter jets featuring stealth and vertical takeoff capabilities.
The United States has asked Japan for a billion yen for basic information about the F-35 and is only willing to disclose information about the F-35's stealth features after Japan commits to the purchase.
South Korea will most likely buy 60 F-35s for the third stage of its F-X program.
Variants
The F-35 is planned to be built in three different versions to suit the needs of its various users.
F-35A
The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing (
CTOLCTOL is an acronym for Conventional Take-off and Landing, and is the process whereby conventional aircraft take off and land, involving the use of runways. The aircraft will taxi along the runway until its rotation speed is reached, then climb into the air...
) variant intended for the US Air Force and other air forces. It is the smallest, lightest F-35 version and is the only variant equipped with an internal cannon, the GAU-22/A. This
25 mmThe 25 mm caliber/.98425 inch is one of the standard sizes of cannon and autocannon ammunition for NATO forces. The round itself has a length of approximately 223 mm .-Usage:...
cannon is a development of the
GAU-12The General Dynamics GAU-12/U Equalizer is a five-barrel 25 mm Gatling gun-style rotary cannon. The GAU-12/U is used by the United States, Italy and Spain, which mount the weapon in their fighter jets such as the AV-8B Harrier II, airborne gunships such as the Lockheed AC-130, and land-based...
carried by the USMC's
AV-8B Harrier IIThe McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century...
. It is designed for increased effectiveness compared to the 20 mm
M61 VulcanThe M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style cannon, which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft for...
cannon carried by other USAF fighters.
The F-35A is expected to match the F-16 in maneuverability, instantaneous and sustained high-g performance, and outperform it in stealth, payload, range on internal fuel, avionics, operational effectiveness, supportability and survivability. It also has an internal laser designator and infrared sensors, equivalent to the Sniper XR pod carried by the F-16, but built in to remain stealthy.
The A variant is primarily intended to replace the USAF's
F-16 Fighting FalconThe Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
, beginning in 2013, and replace the
A-10 Thunderbolt IIThe A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force to provide close air support of ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets with a limited air interdiction...
starting in 2028.
F-35B
The F-35B is the short takeoff and vertical landing (
STOVLSTOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
) variant of the aircraft. Similar in size to the A variant, the B sacrifices some fuel volume to make room for the vertical flight system. Takeoffs and landing with vertical flight systems are by far the riskiest, and in the end, a decisive factor in design. Like the
AV-8B Harrier IIThe McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century...
, the B's guns will be carried in a ventral pod. Whereas F-35A is stressed to 9 g, F-35B and F-35C are stressed to 7.5 g.
The
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
and
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
plan to use this variant to replace their Harrier GR7/GR9s. The
United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
intends to purchase 340 F-35Bs to replace all current inventories of the
F/A-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
(A, B, C and D-models),
AV-8B Harrier IIThe McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century...
and possibly the EA-6B Prowler in the
fighterA fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets by dropping bombs. Fighters are small, fast, and maneuverable...
, attack, and possibly
electronic warfareElectronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum or to attack the enemy. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly unimpeded access to, the EM spectrum...
roles.
One of the British requirements was that the F-35B design should have a Ship-borne Rolling and Vertical Landing (SRVL) mode so that wing lift could be added to powered lift to increase the maximum landing weight of carried weapons.
The Marines are investigating the use of the SRVL method to operate F-35Bs from CVNs without disrupting carrier operations as the landing method uses the same pattern of approach as wire arrested landings. However the aircraft is able to "bring back" 2 x 1K JDAM, 2 x AIM-120 and reserve fuel to a vertical landing.
The F-35B was unveiled at Lockheed's Fort Worth plant on 18 December 2007, and the first test flight was on 11 June 2008. The B variant is expected to be available beginning in 2012.
Unlike the other variants, the F-35B has no landing hook and the "STOVL/HOOK" button in the cockpit initiates conversion instead of dropping the hook.
F-35C
The F-35C carrier variant will have a larger, folding wing and larger control surfaces for improved low-speed control, and stronger landing gear and hook for the stresses of
carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power great distances without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
landings. The larger wing area allows for decreased landing speed, increased range and payload, with twice the range on internal fuel compared with the
F/A-18C HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
, achieving much the same goal as the heavier
F/A-18E/F Super HornetThe Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a 4.5+ generation carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft. The F/A-18E single-seat variant and F/A-18F tandem-seat variant are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm gun and can carry...
.
The
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
will be the sole user for the carrier variant. It intends to buy 480 F-35Cs to replace the F/A-18A, B, C, and D Hornets. The F-35C will also serve as a stealthier complement to the Super Hornet. On 27 June 2007, the carrier variant completed its Air System Critical Design Review (CDR). This allows the first two functional prototype F-35C units to be produced. The C variant is expected to be available beginning in 2014. The first production F-35C was rolled out on 29 July 2009.
Specifications (F-35 Lightning II)
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a
fifth-generationAircraft classified as fifth generation jet fighters are those in service approximately from 2005 onward, until the succeeding generation of fighters enter service. These aircraft combine high performance airframes, internally carried advanced air to air, and air to ground weapons, all aspect...
, single-seat, single-engine,
stealthStealth aircraft are aircraft that use stealth technology to interfere with radar detection as well as means other than conventional aircraft by employing a combination of features to reduce visibility in the visual, audio, infrared and radio frequency spectrum...
-capable
multirole fighterA multirole combat aircraft is an aircraft that can be used as both a fighter aircraft and a ground attack aircraft...
, that can perform
close air supportIn military tactics, close air support is air action against hostile targets that requires detailed coordination and integration with ground forces. It is typically used to support ground troops, providing firepower at critical points....
,
tactical bombingTactical bombing uses aircraft to attack troops and military equipment in the battle zone. This is in contrast to strategic bombing, which attacks an enemy's cities and factories to debilitate the enemy's capacity to wage war as well as the civilian population's will to continue the war.Tactical...
, and
air defenseAerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift...
missions. The F-35 has three different models; one is the
conventional takeoff and landingCTOL is an acronym for Conventional Take-off and Landing, and is the process whereby conventional aircraft take off and land, involving the use of runways. The aircraft will taxi along the runway until its rotation speed is reached, then climb into the air...
variant, the second is
short takeoff and vertical-landingSTOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
variant, and the third is a
carrierCATOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Under this technique, aircraft launch using a catapult assisted take off and land on the ship using arrestor wires...
-based variant.
The F-35 is descended from the
X-35The X-35 was an experimental aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin for the Joint Strike Fighter Program. It was declared the winner over the Boeing X-32 and went on to enter production in the early 21st century as the F-35 Lightning II.-Development:...
, the product of the
Joint Strike FighterJoint Strike Fighter is a development and acquisition program that will replace a wide range of aging fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft for the United States and its allies. After a competition between the Boeing X-32 and the Lockheed Martin X-35, a final design was chosen based on the...
(JSF) program. Its development is being principally funded by the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and other partner governments providing additional funding. It is being designed and built by an aerospace industry team led by
Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin is a multinational aerospace manufacturer, global security and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed with Martin Marietta. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Lockheed Martin employs 146,000 people...
with
Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth largest defense contractor in the world in 2008, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over 122,000...
and
BAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is the world's second-largest defence contractor and the largest in Europe...
as major partners. Demonstrator aircraft flew in 2000, with the
first flightThe first flight of a new aircraft type is always a historic occasion for the type. It is also one of the most dangerous, because the exact handling characteristics of the aircraft are generally unknown. The first flight of a new type is almost invariably flown by a highly experienced test pilot...
on 15 December 2006.
Requirement
The JSF program was designed to replace the U.S. military's
F-16The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
,
A-10The A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force to provide close air support of ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets with a limited air interdiction...
,
F/A-18The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
(excluding F/A-18E/F) and AV-8B tactical fighter aircraft. To keep development, production, and operating costs down, a common design was planned in three variants that share 80% of their parts:
- F-35A, conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL
CTOL is an acronym for Conventional Take-off and Landing, and is the process whereby conventional aircraft take off and land, involving the use of runways. The aircraft will taxi along the runway until its rotation speed is reached, then climb into the air...
) variant.
- F-35B, short-takeoff and vertical-landing (STOVL
STOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
) variant.
- F-35C, carrier-based CATOBAR
CATOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Under this technique, aircraft launch using a catapult assisted take off and land on the ship using arrestor wires...
(CV) variant.
The F-35 is intended to be the world's premier strike aircraft through 2040, with close- and long-range air-to-air capability second only to that of the
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
. The F-35 is required to be four times more effective than existing fighters in air-to-air combat, eight times more effective in air-to-ground combat, and three times more effective in reconnaissance and suppression of air defenses – all while having better range and requiring less logistics support.
With takeoff weights up to 60,000 lb (27,000 kg), the F-35 is considerably heavier than the lightweight fighters it replaces. In empty and maximum gross weights, it more closely resembles the single-seat, single-engine
F-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 bore the brunt of strike bombing over North Vietnam during the early years of the Vietnam War...
which was the largest single-engine fighter of the Vietnam era.
Origins and selection
The Joint Strike Fighter evolved out of several requirements for a common fighter to replace existing types. The actual JSF development contract was signed on 16 November 1996.
The contract for System Development and Demonstration (SDD) was awarded on 26 October 2001 to Lockheed Martin, whose X-35 beat the
Boeing X-32The Boeing X-32 was a multi-purpose jet fighter in the Joint Strike Fighter contest. It lost to the Lockheed Martin X-35 demonstrator which was further developed into the F-35 Lightning II.-Background:...
. According to Department of Defense officials and British Minister of Defence Procurement Lord Bach, the X-35 consistently outperformed the X-32, although both met or exceeded requirements. The designation of the fighter as "F-35" came as a surprise to Lockheed, which had been referring to the aircraft in-house by the designation "F-24".
Design phase
The F-35 was in danger of missing performance requirements in 2004 because it weighed too much – reportedly, by 2,200
poundThe pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
s (1,000 kg) or 8 percent. In response, Lockheed Martin added engine thrust and shed more than a ton by thinning the aircraft's skin; shrinking the weapons bay and vertical tails; rerouting some thrust from the roll-post outlets to the main nozzle; and redesigning the wing-mate joint, portions of the electrical system, and the portion of the aircraft immediately behind the cockpit.
On 7 July 2006, the U.S. Air Force officially announced the name of the F-35: Lightning II, in honor of Lockheed's
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era twin-prop
P-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
and the
Cold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition existing after World War II , primarily between the USSR and its satellite states, and the powers of the Western world, including the United States...
-era jet, the
English Electric LightningThe English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, remembered for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor; RAF pilots...
. English Electric Company's aircraft division was a predecessor of F-35 partner
BAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is the world's second-largest defence contractor and the largest in Europe...
. Lightning II was also an early company name for the aircraft that became the
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
.
On 6 April 2009, US Secretary of Defense
Robert GatesRobert Michael Gates is currently serving as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense. He took office on December 18, 2006. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W. Bush as Director of...
proposed speeding up production for the US to buy 2,443 F-35s.
On 21 April 2009 media reports, citing
PentagonIn geometry, a pentagon is any five-sided polygon. A pentagon may be simple or self-intersecting. The internal angles in a simple pentagon total 540°.- Regular pentagons :...
sources, said that during 2007 and 2008, computer spies managed to copy and siphon off several terabytes of data related to F-35's design and the electronics systems, potentially enabling the development of defense systems against the aircraft. However, Lockheed Martin has rejected suggestions that the project has been compromised, saying that it "does not believe any classified information had been stolen".
Design
The F-35 appears to be a smaller, slightly more conventional, one-engine sibling of the sleeker, twin-engine
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
, and indeed drew elements from it. The exhaust duct design was inspired by the
General DynamicsGeneral Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. The company has changed markedly in the post-Cold War era of defense consolidation. The company has four main business segments:...
Model 200 design, which was proposed for a 1972 supersonic VTOL fighter requirement for the
Sea Control ShipA Sea Control Ship is a type of small aircraft carrier designed and conceptualized by the United States Navy under Chief of Naval Operations Elmo Zumwalt in the 1970s...
. For specialized development of the F-35B STOVL variant,
LockheedThe Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta in 1995 to form Lockheed Martin.-Origins:...
consulted with the Yakovlev Design Bureau, purchasing design data from their development of the
Yakovlev Yak-141 "Freestyle"The Yakovlev Yak-141 is a supersonic VTOL fighter aircraft from the Soviet Union. It did not enter production.-Design and development:...
. Although several experimental designs have been built and tested since the 1960s including the Navy's unsuccessful Rockwell XFV-12, the F-35B is to be the first operational supersonic STOVL fighter.
The F-35 is designed to be America's "premier surface-to-air missile killer and is uniquely equipped for this mission with cutting edge processing power, synthetic aperture radar integration techniques, and advanced target recognition."
Some improvements over current-generation fighter aircraft are:
- Durable, low-maintenance stealth technology
Stealth technology also known as LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures , which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, in order to make them less visible to radar, infrared , sonar and other...
;
- Integrated avionics and sensor fusion that combine information from off- and onboard sensors to increase the pilot's
An aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887 as a variation of the French 'aviation', from the latin 'avis', coined 1863 by G. de la Landelle in "Aviation ou Navigation Aérienne"...
situational awareness and improve target identification and weapon delivery, and to relay information quickly to other command and control (C2) nodes;
- High speed data networking including IEEE 1394b and Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel, or FC, is a gigabit-speed network technology primarily used for storage networking. Fibre Channel is standardized in the T11 Technical Committee of the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards , an American National Standards Institute –accredited standards...
.
The teens series of fighters (F-15, F-16, F/A-18) were notable for always carrying large external fuel tanks, but as a stealth aircraft the F-35 must fly most missions on internal fuel.
Unlike the F-22 and F/A-18, the F-35 lacks leading edge extensions (LEX) and instead uses stealth-friendly chines for vortex lift in the same fashion as the
SR-71 BlackbirdThe Lockheed SR-71 is an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft by the Lockheed Skunk Works as a Black project. The SR-71 was unofficially named the Blackbird, and called the Habu by its crews, referring to an Okinawan...
. The small bumps just forward of the engine air intakes form part of the diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) which is a simpler, lighter and stealthier means to ensure high-quality airflow to the engine over a wide range of conditions.
Cockpit
The F-35 features a full-panel-width "panoramic cockpit display" (PCD), with dimensions of 20 by 8 inches (50 by 20 centimeters). A cockpit speech-recognition system (
Direct Voice InputDirect Voice Input is a style of Human-Machine Interaction "HMI" in which the user makes voice commands to issue instructions to the machine...
) is planned to improve the pilot's ability to operate the aircraft over the current-generation interface. The F-35 will be the first U.S. operational fixed-wing aircraft to use this system, although similar systems have been used in AV-8B and trialled in previous U.S. jets, particularly the
F-16 VISTAThe General Dynamics F-16 VISTA The F-16 VISTA testbed aircraft incorporated a multi-axis thrust vectoring engine nozzle that provides for more active control of the aircraft in a post-stall situation...
. In development the system has been integrated by Adacel Systems Inc with the speech recognition module supplied by SRI International. The pilot flies the aircraft by means of a right-hand
side-stickA side-stick is an aircraft cockpit arrangement where the control column is located to the side of the pilot, usually at the right ....
and left-hand throttle.
A helmet mounted display system (HMDS) will be fitted to all models of the F-35. A helmet mounted cueing system is already in service with the F-15s, F-16s and F/A-18s. While some fighters have offered HMDS along with a head up display (HUD), this will be the first time in several decades that a front-line tactical jet fighter has been designed to not carry a HUD.
The
Martin-BakerMartin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd. is a manufacturer of ejection seats and safety related equipment for aviation. The company origins were as an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection seats...
US16E ejection seat is used in all F-35 variants. The US16E seat design balances major performance requirements, including safe terrain clearance limits, pilot load limits, and pilot size. It uses a twin-catapult system that is housed in side-rails.
Sensors
The F-35 includes an advanced, powerful sensor suite. The main sensor on board the F-35 is its
AN/APG-81The AN/APG-81 is an Active Electronically Scanned Array designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 Lightning II.The Joint Strike Fighter AN/APG-81 AESA radar is a result of the US government's competition for the world's largest AESA acquisition contract...
AESA-radar, designed by
Northrop Grumman Electronic SystemsNorthrop Grumman Electronic Systems was created by Northrop Grumman's acquisition of Westinghouse Electronic Systems Group in 1996. The Electronic Systems sector is a leading designer, developer, and manufacturer of a wide variety of advanced defense electronics and systems...
. It is augmented by the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) mounted under the nose of the aircraft, designed by Lockheed Martin. This gives the same capabilities as the
Lockheed Martin Sniper XRThe Lockheed Martin Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod provides positive target identification, autonomous tracking, coordinate generation, and precise weapons guidance from extended standoff ranges. The Sniper ATP is intended for use on the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II...
without compromising the aircraft's stealth. A version of the EOTS will also be used by the
General Atomics AvengerThe General Atomics Avenger is a developmental unmanned combat air vehicle built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the United States military...
.
Six additional passive infrared sensors are distributed over the aircraft as part of Northrop Grumman's AN/AAQ-37 distributed aperture system (DAS), which acts as a missile warning system, reports missile launch locations, detects and tracks approaching aircraft spherically around the F-35, and replaces traditional night vision goggles for night operations and navigation. All DAS functions are performed simultaneously, in every direction, at all times. The F-35's AN/ASQ-239 (Barracuda) Electronic Warfare systems are designed by BAE and include Northrop Grumman components. The communications, navigation and identification (CNI) suite is designed by Northrop Grumman and includes the
Multifunction Advanced Data LinkMultifunction Advanced Data Link is a future data waveform to provide secure data-linking technology between stealth aircraft. It began as a method to coordinate between F35 aircraft , but HQ Air Combat Command wants to expand the capabiltiy to coordinate future USAF strike forces of all AF...
(MADL). The F-35 will be the first jet fighter that has sensor fusion that combines both radio frequency and IR tracking for continuous target detection and identification in all directions which is shared via MADL to other platforms without compromising their low observability.
Engines
The F-35's main engine is the
Pratt & Whitney F135The Pratt & Whitney F135 is an afterburning turbofan developed for the F-35 Lightning II single-engine strike fighter. The F135 family has several distinct variants, including a conventional, forward thrust variant and a multi-cycle STOVL variant that includes a forward lift fan...
. The
General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136The General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 is an advanced turbofan engine being developed by General Electric and Rolls-Royce plc specifically for the F-35 Lightning II.-Design and development:...
is being developed as an alternate engine. The STOVL versions of both powerplants use the
Rolls-Royce LiftSystemThe Rolls-Royce LiftSystem is an innovative propulsion system designed for use in the STOVL variant of the F-35 Lightning II developed during the Joint Strike Fighter Program...
, patented by Lockheed Martin and built by Rolls-Royce. This system is more like the Russian
Yak-141The Yakovlev Yak-141 is a supersonic VTOL fighter aircraft from the Soviet Union. It did not enter production.-Design and development:...
and German
VJ 101D/EThe EWR VJ 101 was an experimental German jet fighter VTOL tiltjet aircraft. VJ stood for "Versuchsjäger", . It was to be the basis for a successor to the F-104G Starfighter, but was cancelled in 1968 after a five-year test program...
than the preceding generation of STOVL designs, such as the
Harrier Jump JetThe Harrier Jump Jet, often referred to as just "Harrier" or "the Jump Jet", is a British designed military jet aircraft capable of Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing via thrust vectoring...
in which all of the lifting air went through the main fan of the
Rolls-Royce PegasusThe Rolls Royce Pegasus is a turbofan engine originally designed by Bristol and now manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. This engine used in Harrier jet aircraft in the 1960s, is able to direct thrust downwards which can then be swivelled to power a jet aircraft forward...
engine, as it was not found practical to design a single fan that would be big enough to push through enough low speed air for vertical lift and yet small enough to handle the smaller flow required for supersonic flight.
The LiftSystem is composed of a lift fan, driveshaft, 2 roll posts and a "3 Bearing Swivel Module" (3BSM). The 3BSM is a
thrust vectoringThrust vectoring is the ability of an aircraft or other vehicle to direct the thrust from its main engine in a direction other than parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis. The technique was originally envisaged to provide upward vertical thrust as a means to give aircraft vertical or short ...
nozzle which allows the main engine exhaust to be deflected downward at the tail of the aircraft. The lift fan near the front of the aircraft provides a counter-balancing thrust. Somewhat like a vertically mounted
turbopropTurboprop engines are a type of aircraft powerplant that use a gas turbine to drive a propeller. The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
within the forward fuselage, the lift fan is powered by the engine's low-pressure (LP) turbine via a driveshaft and gearbox. Roll control during slow flight is achieved by diverting pressurized air from the LP turbine through wing mounted thrust nozzles called Roll Posts.
The F-35B lift fan achieves the same 'flow multiplier' effect as the Harrier's huge, but supersonically impractical, main fan. Like lift engines, this added machinery is just deadweight during horizontal flight but provides a net increase in payload capacity during vertical flight. The cool exhaust of the fan also reduces the amount of hot, high-velocity air that is projected downward during vertical takeoff (which can damage runways and aircraft carrier decks). Though complicated and risky, the lift system has been made to work to the satisfaction of DOD officials.
To date F-136 funding has come at the expense of other parts of the program, reducing the number of aircraft built and increasing their costs. However, the F-136 team has claimed that their engine has a greater temperature margin which may prove critical for VTOL operations in hot high altitude conditions.
Armament
The F-35 includes a
GAU-22/AThe General Dynamics GAU-12/U Equalizer is a five-barrel 25 mm Gatling gun-style rotary cannon. The GAU-12/U is used by the United States, Italy and Spain, which mount the weapon in their fighter jets such as the AV-8B Harrier II, airborne gunships such as the Lockheed AC-130, and land-based...
four-barrel
25 mmThe 25 mm caliber/.98425 inch is one of the standard sizes of cannon and autocannon ammunition for NATO forces. The round itself has a length of approximately 223 mm .-Usage:...
cannon. The cannon will be mounted internally with 180 rounds in the F-35A and fitted as an external pod with 220 rounds in the F-35B and F-35C. The gun pod for the B and C variants will have stealth features. This pod could be used for different equipment in the future, such as EW, reconnaissance equipment, or possibly a rearward facing radar.
Internally (current planned weapons for integration), up to two air-to-air missiles and two air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons (up to two 2,000 lb bombs in A and C models (BRU-68); two 1,000 lb bombs in the B model (BRU-67)) can be carried in the bomb bays. These could be
AIM-120 AMRAAMThe AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM , is a modern Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile capable of all weather day and night performance. It is also commonly known as the Slammer in USAF service...
,
AIM-132 ASRAAMThe AIM-132 Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile is a British infrared homing air-to-air missile. It is currently in service in the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force, replacing the AIM-9 Sidewinder in those services....
, the
Joint Direct Attack MunitionThe Joint Direct Attack Munition is a "joint" United States Air Force and United States Navy program that utilizes a guidance kit that converts existing unguided gravity bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather "smart" munitions...
(JDAM) – up to 2,000 lb (910 kg), the
Joint Standoff WeaponThe AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon is the product of a joint venture between the United States Navy and Air Force to deploy a standardized medium range precision guided weapon, especially for engagement of defended targets at ranges outside that of standard anti-aircraft defenses, thereby...
(JSOW),
Small Diameter BombsThe GBU-39 Small-Diameter Bomb is a 250 pound guided bomb that is intended to provide aircraft with the ability to carry a higher number of bombs. Most US Air Force aircraft will be able to carry a pack of four SDBs in place of a single 2,000 lb bomb.-Development:Two variants are being developed...
(SDB) – a maximum of four in each bay, the
BrimstoneBrimstone is an advanced air-launched anti-tank guided missile developed by MBDA.-Overview:The missile was designed to meet the RAF's requirement for a long range anti-armour weapon, allowing strike aircraft to attack tanks and armoured vehicles at stand-off range, replacing the BL755 cluster bomb...
anti-armor missiles, and Cluster Munitions (WCMD). The
MBDA MeteorMeteor is an active radar guided beyond-visual-range air to air missile being developed by MBDA to equip the Eurofighter Typhoons of the UK's Royal Air Force , Germany's Luftwaffe, Spain's Ejército del Aire and Italy's Aeronautica Militare Italiana, the F-35 of the British Royal Navy, the Dassault...
air-to-air missile is currently being adapted to fit internally in the missile spots and may be integrated into the F-35. The UK had originally planned to put up to four AIM-132 ASRAAM internally but this has been changed to carry 2 internal and 2 external ASRAAMs. It has also been stated by a Lockheed executive that the internal bay will eventually be modified to accept up to 6 AMRAAMs.
At the expense of being more detectable by radar, many more missiles, bombs and fuel tanks can be attached on four wing pylons and two near wingtip positions. The two wingtip locations can only carry AIM-9X Sidewinder. The other pylons can carry the AIM-120 AMRAAM,
Storm ShadowStorm Shadow is an Anglo-French air-launched cruise missile, manufactured by MBDA and used by France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Greece. Storm Shadow is the British name for the weapon; in French service it is called SCALP EG...
,
AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Stand-off MissileThe AGM-158 JASSM is a low observable standoff cruise missile developed in the United States.- Overview :...
(JASSM) cruise missiles, guided bombs, 480-gallon and 600-gallon fuel tanks. An air-to-air load of eight AIM-120s and two AIM-9s is conceivable using internal and external weapons stations, as well as a configuration of six 2,000 lb bombs, two AIM-120s and two AIM-9s. With its payload capability, the F-35 can carry more air to air and air to ground weapons than legacy fighters it is to replace as well as the
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
. Solid-state lasers were being developed as optional weapons for the F-35 as of 2002.
OODA loop
The F-35 fights in an entirely new way. Rather than using thrust vectoring, canards or supercruise to line up the target directly ahead of the aircraft, like 4.5 Generation jet fighters, the F-35 uses combined radio frequency and infrared (SAIRST) situational awareness to track all nearby aircraft continually, the pilot's helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) to display and select targets and High Off-Boresight (HOBS) weapons to eliminate them. Because of this the F-35 does not have the dashboard-mounted head up display seen in previous generation jet fighters as there is simply no reason to point the entire aircraft at the target. As Northrop Grumman puts it, "maneuvering is irrelevant".
The
OODA loopThe OODA loop is a concept originally applied to the combat operations process, often at the strategic level in both the military operations. It is now also often applied to understand commercial operations and learning processes...
has been decisive in air to air combat since at least the dawn of the jet age and the F-35 is the first aircraft built to excel at all levels of it. Stealth and advanced sensors give the edge in observation, automated target tracking gives the edge in orientation, sensor fusion simplifies decision making and the aircraft's controls allow action against targets without having to look away from them.
Concerns over performance
Concerns about the F-35's performance have resulted partially from reports of RAND simulations where numerous Russian
SukhoiSukhoi is a major Russian aircraft manufacturer famous for its fighters. Founded by Pavel Sukhoi in 1939 as the Sukhoi Design Bureau , it is currently known as Sukhoi Corporation...
fighters defeat a handful of F-35s by denying tanker refueling. As a result of these issues then Australian defence minister
Joel FitzgibbonJoel Andrew Fitzgibbon is an Australian politician and Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Hunter in New South Wales. From December 2007 to June 2009 he was the Minister for Defence in the first Rudd Ministry...
requested a formal briefing from the
Australian Department of DefenceThe Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force. The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
on the computer simulation. This briefing stated that the reports of the simulation were inaccurate, and that it did not compare the F-35's performance against that of other aircraft.
RAND has applied the same tanker denial scenario against the F-22 Raptor and seems to favor a new medium bomber design.
The criticism of the F-35 has been dismissed by the Pentagon and manufacturer. The USAF has conducted an analysis of the F-35's air-to-air performance against all 4th generation fighter aircraft currently available, and has found the F-35 to be at least four times more effective. Maj Gen Charles R. Davis, USAF, the F-35 program executive officer, has stated that the "F-35 enjoys a significant Combat Loss Exchange Ratio advantage over the current and future air-to-air threats, to include Sukhois". The Russian, Indian, Chinese, and other air forces operate
Sukhoi Su-27/30The Sukhoi Su-27 is a one-seat Mach-2 class jet fighter plane originally manufactured by the Soviet Union, and designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau...
fighters.
Manufacturing responsibilities
Lockheed Martin AeronauticsLockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a major unit of Lockheed Martin with headquarters at Fort Worth, Texas.Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is also based in Marietta, Georgia and Palmdale, California. Palmdale is home to the Advanced Development Programs , informally known as the "Skunk Works"...
is the prime contractor and performs aircraft final assembly, overall system integration, mission system, and provides forward fuselage, wings and flight controls system.
Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth largest defense contractor in the world in 2008, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over 122,000...
provides
Active Electronically Scanned ArrayAn Active Electronically Scanned Array , also known as active phased array radar is a type of phased array radar whose transmitter and receiver functions are composed of numerous small solid-state transmit/receive modules...
(AESA) radar, Infrared Distributed Aperture System (DAS), Communications, Navigation, Identification (CNI), center fuselage, weapons bay, and arrestor gear.
BAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is the world's second-largest defence contractor and the largest in Europe...
provides aft fuselage and empennages, horizontal and vertical tails, crew life support and escape systems,
Electronic warfareElectronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum or to attack the enemy. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly unimpeded access to, the EM spectrum...
systems, fuel system, and Flight Control Software (FCS1).
AleniaAlenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, is a European aerospace company from Italy. Its subsidiaries include Alenia Aermacchi and Alenia Aeronavali...
will perform final assembly for Italy and, according to an Alenia executive, assembly of all European aircraft with the exception of Turkey and the United Kingdom.
In July 2009, a lawsuit by a former F-35 software worker against Lockheed Martin concerning the safety and quality of its software was unsealed. The lawsuit states that the software for the jet may be unsafe because standards are not being followed.
Next Generation Jammer
The USMC is considering replacing their EA-6B Prowler Electronic Attack aircraft with F-35s that have stealthy jammer pods attached.
On 30 September 2008, the United States Navy outlined the basic requirements of the NGJ and stated that the design must be modular and open. The Navy has selected four companies to submit designs for the Next Generation Jammer.
Testing
On 19 February 2006, the first F-35A (designated AA-1) was rolled out in
Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the seventeenth-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city within the state of Texas. Located in and a cultural gateway into the American West, the city covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, and Denton counties, serving as the county seat for Tarrant...
. The aircraft underwent extensive ground testing at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, adjacent to Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth manufacturing facility, in fall 2006. On 15 September 2006 the first engine run of the
F135The Pratt & Whitney F135 is an afterburning turbofan developed for the F-35 Lightning II single-engine strike fighter. The F135 family has several distinct variants, including a conventional, forward thrust variant and a multi-cycle STOVL variant that includes a forward lift fan...
afterburning turbofan was conducted in an airframe, with the tests completed on 18 September after a static run with full afterburner. The engine runs were the first time that the F-35 was completely functional on its own power systems. On 15 December 2006, the F-35A completed its maiden flight.
On 3 May 2007, electrical arcing inside an electrical-hydraulic control unit forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing. It was grounded until 7 December, when test pilot Jon Beesley flew a 55-minute test flight.
A unique feature of the test program is the use of the so-called Lockheed CATBird avionic testbed, a highly modified
Boeing 737-300The Boeing 737 is a short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has nine variants with the -600, -700, -800 and -900 currently in production.Originally envisioned in...
, inside of which are racks holding all of F-35's avionics, as well as a complete F-35 cockpit.
On 31 January 2008 at Fort Worth, Texas, Lt Col James "Flipper" Kromberg of the U.S. Air Force became the first military service pilot to evaluate the F-35, taking the aircraft through a series of maneuvers on its 26th flight.
On 12 March 2008, the first F-35A (designated AA-1) began
aerial refuelingAerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight. Applied to helicopters, it is known as HAR for Helicopter Aerial Refueling...
testing on its 34th test flight. Another milestone was reached on 13 November 2008, when the AA-1 flew supersonic for the first time. A speed of Mach 1.05 was reached at 30,000 feet (9,144 meters), including four transitions through the sound barrier, and a total of eight minutes in supersonic flight.
On 11 June 2008, after extensive ground testing, the first F-35B (designated BF-1) made its maiden flight at Fort Worth. The flight, which featured a conventional takeoff, was piloted by BAE Systems' test pilot Graham Tomlinson. The BF-1 is the second of 19 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) F-35s, and the first to use new weight-optimized design features that will apply to all future F-35s.
On 19 December 2008, Lockheed Martin rolled out the first weight-optimized F-35A (designated AF-1). It is the first F-35 to be produced at a full-rate production speed – the
assembly lineAn assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned logistics to create a finished product much faster than with handcrafting-type methods...
moves at 50 inches (127 centimeters) per hour – and is structurally identical to final production F-35As that will be delivered starting in 2010.
As of 5 January 2009, six F-35s are complete, including AF-1 and AG-1, and 17 are in production. "Thirteen of the 17 in production are pre-production test aircraft, and all of those will be finished in 2009," said John R. Kent, acting manager of F-35 Lightning II Communications at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. "The other four are the first production-model planes, and the first of those will be delivered in 2010 to the U.S. Air Force, and will go to Eglin."
The F-35 testing program completed "just under 100 sorties and about as many hours in 2.5 years" as of June 2009 according Defense Technology International. To meet the current target date of mid-2014 for completion of operational testing, the test program "will have to go from the slowest to the fastest in history". Furthermore: "The GAO also reports that the goal set for FY2009 was 317 flights; as of mid-May, however, fewer than 30 test flights had been performed this year."
In 2008 the Pentagon's Joint Estimate Team (JET) reported to the Congress that their estimate was that the F-35 program was two years behind the latest public schedule.
In March 2009, the United States Government Accountability Office reported that the JSF program office "noted that JSF’s technical, software,
production processes, and testing maturity are tracking to plan and substantially exceeding standards set in past programs. The manufacturing
fit and quality of the jets are unprecedented and production processes are improving with each jet."
Environmental concerns
In late 2008 the Air Force revealed that the F-35 would be about twice as loud at takeoff as the
F-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. Developed for the United States Air Force, it first flew in July 1972, and is one of the most recognized modern fighters. The F-15 is expected to remain...
and up to four times as loud upon landing. As a result, residents near
Davis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis-Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base adjacent to Tucson, Arizona, named in honor of World War I pilots Lieutenants Samuel H. Davis and Oscar Monthan, both Tucson natives. Davis-Monthan AFB is primarily an Air Combat Command installation with the 355th Fighter Wing as...
, Arizona and
Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of World War I aviator and test pilot Lt Col Frederick Irving Eglin...
, Florida, possible homes of the jet, have requested that the Air Force conduct environmental impact studies concerning the F-35's noise levels. The city of
Valparaiso, FloridaValparaiso is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, in the United States, and it is named after the Chilean city of Valparaiso. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,408. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 6,336...
, adjacent to Eglin AFB, threatened in February 2009 to sue the Air Force over the impending arrival of the F-35s. However, it was reported in March 2009 that testing by Lockheed Martin and the Royal Australian Air Force revealed that the F-35 was not as loud as first reported, being "only about as noisy as an F-16 fitted with a Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 engine" and "quieter than the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet."
International participation
While the United States is the primary customer and financial backer, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Norway and Denmark have agreed to contribute
US$The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
4.375 billion toward the development costs of the program. Total development costs are estimated at more than US$40 billion (underwritten largely by the United States), while the purchase of an estimated 2,400 planes is expected to cost an additional US$200 billion. The nine major partner nations plan to acquire over 3,100 F-35s through 2035, making the F-35 one of the most numerous jet fighters.
There are three levels of international participation. The levels generally reflect the financial stake in the program, the amount of technology transfer and subcontracts open for bid by national companies, and the order in which countries can obtain production aircraft. The United Kingdom is the sole "Level 1" partner, contributing US$2.5 billion, about 10% of the development costs under the 1995
Memorandum of UnderstandingA memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action...
that brought the UK into the project. Level 2 partners are
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
, which is contributing US$1 billion; and the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
, US$800 million. Level 3 partners are
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, US$475 million;
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
, US$195 million;
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, US$144 million;
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
, US$122 million and
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
, US$110
millionOne million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The name is derived from Italian, where mille was 1,000, and 1,000,000 became milione, "a large thousand"....
.
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
and
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
have joined as Security Cooperative Participants (SCP).
Some of the partner countries have wavered in their public commitment to the JSF program, hinting or warning that unless they receive more subcontracts or technology transfer, they will forsake JSF for the
Eurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine canard-delta wing multirole aircraft. It is being designed and built by a consortium of three separate partner companies: Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems, and EADS working through a holding company Eurofighter GmbH which was formed in 1986...
,
Saab JAS 39 GripenThe Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. Gripen International acts as a prime contracting organisation and is responsible for marketing, selling and supporting the Gripen fighter around the world....
,
Dassault RafaleThe Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engined delta-wing highly agile multi-role 4.5th-generation jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Introduced in 2000, the Rafale is being produced both for land-based use with the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations with...
or simply upgrade their existing aircraft. Furthermore, F-35 export competitiveness has been hurt by international buyers finding either its export variant too costly per unit or "watered down". While the F-16E/F costs $50 million per export copy, the F-35 is likely to cost between $65–120 million.
United Kingdom
The
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
planned to acquire 138 F-35Bs as of December 2006 for the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
and the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
. But speculation mounts in 2009 that they may switch from the F-35B to the F-35C model, with its greater range and payload the UK would require fewer aircraft and save about $25 million for each aircraft ordered.
The UK became increasingly frustrated by a lack of U.S. commitment to grant access to the technology that would allow the UK to maintain and upgrade its F-35s without US involvement. This is understood to relate mainly to the software for the aircraft. For five years, British officials sought an
ITARInternational Traffic in Arms Regulations is a set of United States government regulations that control the export and import of defense-related articles and services on the United States Munitions List...
waiver to secure greater technology transfer. This request, which had the blessing of the Bush administration, was repeatedly blocked by U.S. Representative
Henry HydeHenry John Hyde , an American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2007, representing the 6th District of Illinois, an area of Chicago's northwestern suburbs which included O'Hare International Airport...
, who said that the UK needed to tighten its laws protecting against the unauthorized transfer of the most advanced U.S. technology to third parties.
On 27 May 2006, President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
and Prime Minister
Tony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
announced that "Both governments agree that the UK will have the ability to successfully operate, upgrade, employ, and maintain the Joint Strike Fighter such that the UK retains operational sovereignty over the aircraft." On 12 December 2006, Lord Drayson signed an agreement which met the UK's demands for further participation, i.e., access to software source code and operational sovereignty. The agreement allows "an unbroken British chain of command" for operation of the aircraft. Drayson said Britain would "not be required to have a US citizen in our own operational chain of command". Drayson also said, however, that Britain is still considering an unspecified "Plan B" alternative to buying the Joint Strike Fighter.
On 25 July 2007, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that they have placed orders for the two new aircraft carriers of the Queen Elizabeth
class that will allow the purchase of the F-35B variant. On 2 May 2008, however, the Washington PostThe Washington Post is the newspaper with the largest circulation in Washington, D.C. and is the city's oldest paper, founded in 1877. Being located in the nation's capital, it has a particular emphasis on national politics and international affairs...
reported that an
Inspector GeneralIn a civilian or military administration, an Inspector General is a high ranking official charged with the mission to inspect and report on some bodies in their field of competency...
's report chided the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Security Service for failing to ensure that BAE Systems was exercising appropriate controls over access to sensitive technologies, while both BAE and Lockheed Martin denied that any technology had been compromised.
On 18 March 2009, Defence Secretary
John HuttonJohn Matthew Patrick Hutton is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness in Cumbria since 1992, and has served in a number of Cabinet offices, including Defence Secretary and Business Secretary....
announced the MoD had agreed to purchase three test F-35s.
Italy
As of October 2008,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
planned to acquire 131 of the planes: 109 F-35As and 22 F-35Bs. On 7 October 2008, Italy announced it will not participate in initial F-35 testing and evaluation, and will not purchase test aircraft. The Navy plans to use the F-35Bs on their new Cavour
STOVLSTOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
Carrier.
Netherlands
The
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
has plans to acquire 85 F-35As for the
Royal Netherlands Air ForceThe Royal Netherlands Air Force , Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht , is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeeling of the Dutch Army was founded on 1 July 1913, with just four pilots...
. The aircraft will replace an aging fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16AM. The Dutch government expects the costs to be €5.5 billion for the initial purchase and €9.1 billion for 30 years of service. On 19 November 2007, in the Dutch Parliament, the Secretary of Defence was questioned about the JSF delay, technical problems and rising costs. However, on 29 February 2008, the
executive councilThe Dutch Council of Ministers is the executive council of Dutch government, formed by all the ministers. This executive council initiates laws and policy. The Council of Ministers is distinct from the Cabinet which also includes state secretaries...
of the
Dutch governmentThe politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
decided to go ahead with the purchase of two test aircraft and a MOU was signed. On 7 September 2008 Dutch television show "Reporter" reports that counter orders are lagging behind compared to promises and that an active lobby by the Royal Netherlands Air Force has manipulated the Dutch government into participating in the project.
Canada
Canada has been involved in the Joint Strike Fighter Program from its beginning, investing US$10 million to be an "informed partner" during the evaluation process. Once Lockheed Martin was selected as the primary contractor for the JSF program, Canada elected to become a level 3 participant along with Norway, Denmark, Turkey, and Australia on the JSF project. An additional US$100 million from the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) over 10 years and an another $50 million from
Industry CanadaIndustry Canada is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for regional economic development, investment, and innovation/research and development. The department employs 6104 FTEs across Canada....
were dedicated in 2002, making them an early participant of the JSF program.
Canada's rationale for joining the JSF project was not due to an urgent need to replace Canada's fleet of
CF-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet is a Canadian Forces aircraft, based on the American F/A-18 Hornet. Following the New Fighter Aircraft competition, the F/A-18 was selected as the winner in 1980 and a production order was awarded. The Canadian Forces began receiving the CF-18 in 1982...
s; instead, it was driven primarily by economics. Through Canadian government investment in the JSF project, Canadian companies were allowed to compete for contracts within the JSF project, as there were fears that being shut out from industrial participation in such a large program would severely damage the Canadian aviation industry. Joining also furthered Canadian access to information regarding the F-35 as a possible contender when it eventually plans to replace the CF-18 Hornet fleet. Improved interoperability with major allies allowed the DND to gain insight on leading edge practices in composites, manufacturing and logistics, and offered the ability to recoup some investment if the government did decide to purchase the F-35.
As a result of the Canadian government investment in the JSF project, 144 contracts were awarded to Canadian companies, universities, and government facilities. Financially, the contracts value US$490 million for the period 2002 to 2012, with an expected value of US$1.1 billion from current contracts in the period between 2013 and 2023, and a total potential estimated value of Canadian JSF involvement from US$4.8 billion to US$6.8 billion.
Turkey
On 12 July 2002,
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
became the seventh international partner in the JSF Project, joining the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark and Norway. On 25 January 2007, Turkey signed a
memorandum of understandingA memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action...
(MoU) for involvement in F-35 production. The
Turkish Air ForceThe Turkish Air Force is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. It is one of the oldest air forces in the world and operates one of the largest combat aircraft fleets of NATO...
is planning to initially order 116 F-35A "CTOL/Air Force versions" at a reported cost of $11 billion. It is reported that the aircraft will be produced under license in Turkey by the
Turkish Aerospace IndustriesTurkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. is the center of technology in design, development, manufacturing, integration of aerospace systems, modernization and after sales support in Turkey....
(TAI).
A Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed between
TAITurkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. is the center of technology in design, development, manufacturing, integration of aerospace systems, modernization and after sales support in Turkey....
and Northrop Grumman ISS (NGISS) International on 6 February 2007. With the LOI, TAI becomes the second source for the F-35 Lightning II center fuselage during the JSF Signing. The number of center fuselages to be produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries will be determined depending on the number of F-35s Turkey will procure and the number of F-35s to be produced worldwide. The LOI represents a potential value in excess of $3 billion. Northrop Grumman currently produces all F-35 center fuselages at its F-35 assembly facility in
Palmdale, CaliforniaPalmdale is a city located in the northeast reaches of Los Angeles County, California, United States.The first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city , Palmdale is separated from Los Angeles by the San Gabriel Mountain range...
.
TAI of Turkey is one of the two international suppliers to Northrop Grumman (the other being Denmark). On 10 December 2007, the Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) was authorized by the Northrop Grumman to commence fabricating subassemblies for the first two F-35 production aircraft. The subassemblies – composite components and aircraft access doors – will be used in the F-35 center fuselage, a major section of the aircraft being produced by Northrop Grumman, a principal member of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 global industry team.
It is also anticipated that TAI after 2013 will also produce 100% of the F-35 under license from Lockheed Martin Corporation, as was also the case with the F-16 Fighting Falcon program Peace Onyx I and II. Turkey also intends to incorporate in the future several Turkish designed and manufactured electronic systems into the F-35 platform.
Murad Bayar, head of the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, has said that Turkey may increase its order to 120 aircraft instead of purchasing less advanced
Eurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine canard-delta wing multirole aircraft. It is being designed and built by a consortium of three separate partner companies: Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems, and EADS working through a holding company Eurofighter GmbH which was formed in 1986...
s.
Australia
Australia is participating in the F-35's development, but has not yet placed an order for the aircraft. It is expected that some 75 to 100 F-35As will be ordered to replace the
Royal Australian Air Force'sThe Royal Australian Air Force is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF began in March 1912 as the Australian Flying Corps making it the second oldest air force in the world...
(RAAF's)
F/A-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
aircraft.
The Australian Government announced that it would buy into the F-35's development on 22 June 2002. This decision ended the competition to replace Australia's F/A-18 and
F-111The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" is a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also fills the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s and first entering service in 1967, the United States Air Force ...
aircraft before it formally began, with other aircraft manufacturers being advised that it would not be worth submitting proposals. The Government argued that joining the F-35 program at an early stage would allow Australia to influence the F-35's development, provide the Government with information on the aircraft's suitability, and generate savings of over $600 million if an order for F-35s is eventually placed. Australia formally signed up to the F-35 Systems Development and Demonstration phase as a Level 3 participant on 30 October 2002.
In November 2006, satisfied with the F-35's progress to date, the Government gave 'first pass' initial approval to the project under which F-35s will be acquired, with a decision on whether to order the aircraft being scheduled for late 2008. Following this initial approval, on 13 December 2006 Australia signed the JSF Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development Memorandum of Understanding which commits Australia to the next phase of the F-35's development. In October 2006, the deputy chief of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshal John Blackburn, publicly stated that the RAAF had considered suitable aircraft which could be acquired if the F-35 was delayed, but that such aircraft were not believed to be necessary on the basis of the F-35 program's progress at the time.
Concerns over the F-35s delivery schedule developed in Australia during 2007. In February the
Minister for DefenceThe Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Senator John Faulkner is the current Minister....
announced that a risk mitigation strategy which involved obtaining F/A-18F Hornets was being developed to prevent a gap in the RAAF's air combat capability if the F-35 program was delayed. This strategy was adopted, and an order for 24 F/A-18Fs was announced on 6 March 2007. These aircraft are scheduled to enter service with the RAAF in 2010 and be fully operational by 2012.
Following the 2007 Australian Federal Election, the new
Australian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party.Known as the ALP for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the 2007 federal election...
Government launched an inquiry into the replacement of the RAAF's air combat capability. The party had expressed concerns over the F-35's adequacy while it was in opposition, and proposed acquiring
F-22The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
s to replace or supplement the RAAF's F-35 force. An approach was made to the U.S. Government for F-22s in early 2008, but was not successful as these aircraft are not available for export. In April 2008 it was reported that the air combat review had found that the F-35 was the most suitable aircraft for Australia. In October 2008 it was reported that the Australian Government may order 75 F-35s instead of the 100 originally (and still officially) planned, due to the impact of the global financial crisis and a large long-term funding gap in the Defence budget. The Government's
Defence white paperDefending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030 is an Australian Government white paper released on 2 May 2009. The publication seeks to provide guidance for Australia's defence policy and the Australian Defence Force during the period 2009–2030.-Background:A commitment to develop a...
released in April 2009 argued for a purchase of up to 100 F-35s, however.
There has been much debate in Australia over whether the F-35 is the most suitable aircraft for the RAAF. It has been claimed that the F-35's performance is inferior to Russian-built fighters operated by countries near Australia (such as the Su-27 and Su-30 in Indonesia), that it cannot meet the RAAF's long-range strike requirement, and that further delays to the F-35 program may result in the RAAF experiencing a shortage of combat aircraft. The RAAF believes that the F-35 will meet Australia's needs however, and both of Australia's major political parties currently support the development and purchase of the aircraft (though differences remain on the deadline and the number of aircraft).
On 21 August 2009, it was reported that the RAAF would get two F-35s for testing in 2014 and that the initial squadron would be delayed until 2017.
On 11 September 2009, Air Marshall Mark Binskin said that a fourth squadron of F-35s for the RAAF would be imperative.
Norway
Norway participates in the F-35 program as a Level 3 partner in the System Development and Demonstration phase with a view to enabling its industry to compete for industrial opportunities. Norwegian National Deputy Rune Fagerli, the country's sole representative on the Joint Strike Fighter program, told SPACE.com the Norwegian Royal Ministry of Defence has pledged $125 million in preparations to replace a fleet of F-16 jets that have about 12 years left of operation. "By getting involved here, on the ground level, we can try and address the needs of Norway into this capable fighter early," said Fagerli, a colonel. In Norway, F-16s are fitted with drag chutes because of wet, slippery runways. International cooperation to aircraft development could also yield aircraft from cooperating nations that fit well together during combat. Fagerli also mentioned that Norwegian pilots currently fly missions over Afghanistan in F-16s alongside Danish and Dutch aviators.
Norway has several times threatened to put their support on hold unless substantial guarantees for an increased industrial share is provided. Despite this Norway has signed all the Memoranda of Understanding, including the latest one detailing the future production phase of the JSF program. They have, however, indicated that they will increase and strengthen their cooperation with both competitors of the JSF, the Typhoon and the Gripen.
The F-35 was evaluated along with
JAS 39 GripenThe Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. Gripen International acts as a prime contracting organisation and is responsible for marketing, selling and supporting the Gripen fighter around the world....
by the Norwegian Future Combat Aircraft Capability Project as a replacement for the F-16s currently in-service. On 20 November 2008, the government released a statement saying it will support buying F-35s for the
Royal Norwegian Air ForceThe Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . Six hundred personnel are also serving their one-year national service in the Air Force...
instead of the Saab Gripen NG.
The Norwegian Air Force has decided to develop the Joint Strike Missile for the F-35 and other aircraft.
Denmark
Denmark has joined the Joint Strike Fighter program as a Level 3 partner and the
Royal Danish Air ForceThe Royal Danish Air Force is the expeditionary air force of Denmark with capability organised to support both international operations and homeland security.-History:All military aviation was prohibited during the Nazi occupation, 1940-45...
is considering the replacement of 48 of its aging F-16 fighters with next generation aircraft.
Israel
In 2003,
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
signed a formal letter of agreement, worth almost $20 million, to join the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) effort for the F-35 as a "security cooperation participant" (SCP). The
Israeli Air ForceThe Israeli Air Force is the air force of the Israel Defense Forces...
(IAF) stated in 2006 that the F-35 is a key part of IAF's recapitalization plans, and that Israel intends to buy over 100 F-35A fighters at an estimated cost of over $5 billion to replace their F-16s over time. Israel was reinstated as a partner in the development of the F-35 on 31 July 2006, after Israeli participation was put on hold following the Chinese arms deal crisis.
On 16 November 2006, Yaakov Katz, of The Jerusalem Post reported that if no jet fighters were delivered to Israel between the last batch of F-16s in 2007 and the first F-35s in 2014 then the Israeli air force would decline in numbers as older fighters wore out and were retired.
On 3 September 2007,
IDFThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are Israel's military forces, comprising the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi announced the purchase of a squadron of F-35s which Israel will begin receiving in 2014. However, U.S. defense officials later agreed to allow Israel to receive the fighters as early as 2012. The price of each F-35 is expected to reach $70–80 million.
The Jerusalem PostThe Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post...
reports that the Pentagon has agreed to supply the F-35A variant to Israel as early as 2012, instead of in 2014 or 2015. This would make Israel one of the first nations to receive the aircraft, and very possibly the first foreign nation. Previous objections to Israel’s installation of its own technology in the F-35 – as it has done with every US fighter it has received – were also reportedly overcome. At present, the only Israeli technology in the standard version will be the JSF HMDS helmet-mounted display system, designed in cooperation with
Elbit SystemsElbit Systems Ltd. is one of the world's largest defense electronics manufacturers and integrators. Established in 1967, and based in Haifa, Israel, Elbit has over ten thousand employees....
. Israel also asked to manufacture F-35 aircraft locally at a 1:2 ratio, but the reports did not indicate whether that request was granted. On 30 September 2008, the US DoD reported that Israel has requested to purchase 25 F-35As with options to buy up to 50 F-35As or F-35Bs.
On 24 June 2009, The Jerusalem Post
reported that an understanding had been reached on "the main basic issues". These include Israeli electronics and the ability to maintain the aircraft independently and that deliveries could start as early as 2014.
On 10 July 2009, the Israeli Air Force submitted an official Letter of Request (LOR) to the Pentagon to purchase its first squadron of 25 F-35As.
On 8 September 2009, The Jerusalem Post reported that negotiations had bogged down again over Israeli insistence that they be given sufficient technical details to enable them to equip the aircraft with their own technologies and repair them independently.
Singapore
In February 2003, Singapore joined the JSF program's System Design and Development (SDD) Phase, as a Security Co-operation Participant (SCP).
Potential exports
The F-35 is a possible future offer to the
Indian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the armed forces of India. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
as of July 2007. This has been interpreted as part of a tactic to sell the
F-16The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
as a multirole fighter to the IAF, as part of its
competitionThe Indian Air Force Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft Competition, commonly known as the MRCA Tender, is an ongoing competition to supply the Indian Air Force with 126 Multi-Role Combat Aircraft. The Defence Ministry has allocated Rs. 42,000 crore for the purchase of these aircraft The Indian Air...
to acquire 126 new fighters.
Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin is a multinational aerospace manufacturer, global security and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed with Martin Marietta. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Lockheed Martin employs 146,000 people...
formally expressed its interest to sell F-35s to India. It is also known that the
Indian NavyThe Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. It currently has approximately 55,000 personnel on active duty, including 5,000 members of the naval aviation branch and 2,000 marine commandos, making it the world's fifth largest navy...
has shown interest in buying the F-35B.
The
Brazilian Air ForceThe Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
recently has added the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the list of aircraft under consideration for its relaunched new fighter procurement, called F-X2. The F-35 replaces the F-16, which was in contention for the previous F-X BR program, shelved in 2003 and finally abandoned in 2006. Lockheed Martin did not offer the F-35 and instead bid the F-16BR in 2008.
The
Finnish Air ForceThe Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
has expressed its interest in the F-35, and other "advanced aircraft", as the replacement for its F-18C Hornets. An eventual purchase decision would be taken around 2015.
The future
Spanish NavyThe Spanish Navy is the maritime arm of the Spanish Military, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path from the Far East to America across the...
ship Juan Carlos I (L61) is adapted to carry JSF and AV-8B Harrier.
Lockheed Martin is offering the F-35 to the
Hellenic Air ForceThe Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated HAF is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the world...
as F-4E Peace Icarus 2000 and F-16C/D Block 30 replacement.
The
Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition and jurisdiction over China into a democratic state with limited international recognition and jurisdiction only over Taiwan and minor islands, though it...
(Taiwan) has requested to buy the F-35 from the US. However this has been rejected by the US in fear of a critical response from
BeijingBeijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China...
. In March 2009 Taiwan again was looking to buy U.S. fifth-generation fighter jets featuring stealth and vertical takeoff capabilities.
The United States has asked Japan for a billion yen for basic information about the F-35 and is only willing to disclose information about the F-35's stealth features after Japan commits to the purchase.
South Korea will most likely buy 60 F-35s for the third stage of its F-X program.
Variants
The F-35 is planned to be built in three different versions to suit the needs of its various users.
F-35A
The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing (
CTOLCTOL is an acronym for Conventional Take-off and Landing, and is the process whereby conventional aircraft take off and land, involving the use of runways. The aircraft will taxi along the runway until its rotation speed is reached, then climb into the air...
) variant intended for the US Air Force and other air forces. It is the smallest, lightest F-35 version and is the only variant equipped with an internal cannon, the GAU-22/A. This
25 mmThe 25 mm caliber/.98425 inch is one of the standard sizes of cannon and autocannon ammunition for NATO forces. The round itself has a length of approximately 223 mm .-Usage:...
cannon is a development of the
GAU-12The General Dynamics GAU-12/U Equalizer is a five-barrel 25 mm Gatling gun-style rotary cannon. The GAU-12/U is used by the United States, Italy and Spain, which mount the weapon in their fighter jets such as the AV-8B Harrier II, airborne gunships such as the Lockheed AC-130, and land-based...
carried by the USMC's
AV-8B Harrier IIThe McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century...
. It is designed for increased effectiveness compared to the 20 mm
M61 VulcanThe M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style cannon, which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft for...
cannon carried by other USAF fighters.
The F-35A is expected to match the F-16 in maneuverability, instantaneous and sustained high-g performance, and outperform it in stealth, payload, range on internal fuel, avionics, operational effectiveness, supportability and survivability. It also has an internal laser designator and infrared sensors, equivalent to the Sniper XR pod carried by the F-16, but built in to remain stealthy.
The A variant is primarily intended to replace the USAF's
F-16 Fighting FalconThe Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
, beginning in 2013, and replace the
A-10 Thunderbolt IIThe A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force to provide close air support of ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets with a limited air interdiction...
starting in 2028.
F-35B
The F-35B is the short takeoff and vertical landing (
STOVLSTOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
) variant of the aircraft. Similar in size to the A variant, the B sacrifices some fuel volume to make room for the vertical flight system. Takeoffs and landing with vertical flight systems are by far the riskiest, and in the end, a decisive factor in design. Like the
AV-8B Harrier IIThe McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century...
, the B's guns will be carried in a ventral pod. Whereas F-35A is stressed to 9 g, F-35B and F-35C are stressed to 7.5 g.
The
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
and
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
plan to use this variant to replace their Harrier GR7/GR9s. The
United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
intends to purchase 340 F-35Bs to replace all current inventories of the
F/A-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
(A, B, C and D-models),
AV-8B Harrier IIThe McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century...
and possibly the EA-6B Prowler in the
fighterA fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets by dropping bombs. Fighters are small, fast, and maneuverable...
, attack, and possibly
electronic warfareElectronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum or to attack the enemy. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly unimpeded access to, the EM spectrum...
roles.
One of the British requirements was that the F-35B design should have a Ship-borne Rolling and Vertical Landing (SRVL) mode so that wing lift could be added to powered lift to increase the maximum landing weight of carried weapons.
The Marines are investigating the use of the SRVL method to operate F-35Bs from CVNs without disrupting carrier operations as the landing method uses the same pattern of approach as wire arrested landings. However the aircraft is able to "bring back" 2 x 1K JDAM, 2 x AIM-120 and reserve fuel to a vertical landing.
The F-35B was unveiled at Lockheed's Fort Worth plant on 18 December 2007, and the first test flight was on 11 June 2008. The B variant is expected to be available beginning in 2012.
Unlike the other variants, the F-35B has no landing hook and the "STOVL/HOOK" button in the cockpit initiates conversion instead of dropping the hook.
F-35C
The F-35C carrier variant will have a larger, folding wing and larger control surfaces for improved low-speed control, and stronger landing gear and hook for the stresses of
carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power great distances without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
landings. The larger wing area allows for decreased landing speed, increased range and payload, with twice the range on internal fuel compared with the
F/A-18C HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
, achieving much the same goal as the heavier
F/A-18E/F Super HornetThe Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a 4.5+ generation carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft. The F/A-18E single-seat variant and F/A-18F tandem-seat variant are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm gun and can carry...
.
The
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
will be the sole user for the carrier variant. It intends to buy 480 F-35Cs to replace the F/A-18A, B, C, and D Hornets. The F-35C will also serve as a stealthier complement to the Super Hornet. On 27 June 2007, the carrier variant completed its Air System Critical Design Review (CDR). This allows the first two functional prototype F-35C units to be produced. The C variant is expected to be available beginning in 2014. The first production F-35C was rolled out on 29 July 2009.
Specifications (F-35 Lightning II)
The
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a
fifth-generationAircraft classified as fifth generation jet fighters are those in service approximately from 2005 onward, until the succeeding generation of fighters enter service. These aircraft combine high performance airframes, internally carried advanced air to air, and air to ground weapons, all aspect...
, single-seat, single-engine,
stealthStealth aircraft are aircraft that use stealth technology to interfere with radar detection as well as means other than conventional aircraft by employing a combination of features to reduce visibility in the visual, audio, infrared and radio frequency spectrum...
-capable
multirole fighterA multirole combat aircraft is an aircraft that can be used as both a fighter aircraft and a ground attack aircraft...
, that can perform
close air supportIn military tactics, close air support is air action against hostile targets that requires detailed coordination and integration with ground forces. It is typically used to support ground troops, providing firepower at critical points....
,
tactical bombingTactical bombing uses aircraft to attack troops and military equipment in the battle zone. This is in contrast to strategic bombing, which attacks an enemy's cities and factories to debilitate the enemy's capacity to wage war as well as the civilian population's will to continue the war.Tactical...
, and
air defenseAerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift...
missions. The F-35 has three different models; one is the
conventional takeoff and landingCTOL is an acronym for Conventional Take-off and Landing, and is the process whereby conventional aircraft take off and land, involving the use of runways. The aircraft will taxi along the runway until its rotation speed is reached, then climb into the air...
variant, the second is
short takeoff and vertical-landingSTOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
variant, and the third is a
carrierCATOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Under this technique, aircraft launch using a catapult assisted take off and land on the ship using arrestor wires...
-based variant.
The F-35 is descended from the
X-35The X-35 was an experimental aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin for the Joint Strike Fighter Program. It was declared the winner over the Boeing X-32 and went on to enter production in the early 21st century as the F-35 Lightning II.-Development:...
, the product of the
Joint Strike FighterJoint Strike Fighter is a development and acquisition program that will replace a wide range of aging fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft for the United States and its allies. After a competition between the Boeing X-32 and the Lockheed Martin X-35, a final design was chosen based on the...
(JSF) program. Its development is being principally funded by the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and other partner governments providing additional funding. It is being designed and built by an aerospace industry team led by
Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin is a multinational aerospace manufacturer, global security and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed with Martin Marietta. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Lockheed Martin employs 146,000 people...
with
Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth largest defense contractor in the world in 2008, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over 122,000...
and
BAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is the world's second-largest defence contractor and the largest in Europe...
as major partners. Demonstrator aircraft flew in 2000, with the
first flightThe first flight of a new aircraft type is always a historic occasion for the type. It is also one of the most dangerous, because the exact handling characteristics of the aircraft are generally unknown. The first flight of a new type is almost invariably flown by a highly experienced test pilot...
on 15 December 2006.
Requirement
The JSF program was designed to replace the U.S. military's
F-16The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
,
A-10The A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force to provide close air support of ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets with a limited air interdiction...
,
F/A-18The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
(excluding F/A-18E/F) and AV-8B tactical fighter aircraft. To keep development, production, and operating costs down, a common design was planned in three variants that share 80% of their parts:
- F-35A, conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL
CTOL is an acronym for Conventional Take-off and Landing, and is the process whereby conventional aircraft take off and land, involving the use of runways. The aircraft will taxi along the runway until its rotation speed is reached, then climb into the air...
) variant.
- F-35B, short-takeoff and vertical-landing (STOVL
STOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
) variant.
- F-35C, carrier-based CATOBAR
CATOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Under this technique, aircraft launch using a catapult assisted take off and land on the ship using arrestor wires...
(CV) variant.
The F-35 is intended to be the world's premier strike aircraft through 2040, with close- and long-range air-to-air capability second only to that of the
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
. The F-35 is required to be four times more effective than existing fighters in air-to-air combat, eight times more effective in air-to-ground combat, and three times more effective in reconnaissance and suppression of air defenses – all while having better range and requiring less logistics support.
With takeoff weights up to 60,000 lb (27,000 kg), the F-35 is considerably heavier than the lightweight fighters it replaces. In empty and maximum gross weights, it more closely resembles the single-seat, single-engine
F-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 bore the brunt of strike bombing over North Vietnam during the early years of the Vietnam War...
which was the largest single-engine fighter of the Vietnam era.
Origins and selection
The Joint Strike Fighter evolved out of several requirements for a common fighter to replace existing types. The actual JSF development contract was signed on 16 November 1996.
The contract for System Development and Demonstration (SDD) was awarded on 26 October 2001 to Lockheed Martin, whose X-35 beat the
Boeing X-32The Boeing X-32 was a multi-purpose jet fighter in the Joint Strike Fighter contest. It lost to the Lockheed Martin X-35 demonstrator which was further developed into the F-35 Lightning II.-Background:...
. According to Department of Defense officials and British Minister of Defence Procurement Lord Bach, the X-35 consistently outperformed the X-32, although both met or exceeded requirements. The designation of the fighter as "F-35" came as a surprise to Lockheed, which had been referring to the aircraft in-house by the designation "F-24".
Design phase
The F-35 was in danger of missing performance requirements in 2004 because it weighed too much – reportedly, by 2,200
poundThe pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
s (1,000 kg) or 8 percent. In response, Lockheed Martin added engine thrust and shed more than a ton by thinning the aircraft's skin; shrinking the weapons bay and vertical tails; rerouting some thrust from the roll-post outlets to the main nozzle; and redesigning the wing-mate joint, portions of the electrical system, and the portion of the aircraft immediately behind the cockpit.
On 7 July 2006, the U.S. Air Force officially announced the name of the F-35: Lightning II, in honor of Lockheed's
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era twin-prop
P-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
and the
Cold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition existing after World War II , primarily between the USSR and its satellite states, and the powers of the Western world, including the United States...
-era jet, the
English Electric LightningThe English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, remembered for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor; RAF pilots...
. English Electric Company's aircraft division was a predecessor of F-35 partner
BAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is the world's second-largest defence contractor and the largest in Europe...
. Lightning II was also an early company name for the aircraft that became the
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
.
On 6 April 2009, US Secretary of Defense
Robert GatesRobert Michael Gates is currently serving as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense. He took office on December 18, 2006. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W. Bush as Director of...
proposed speeding up production for the US to buy 2,443 F-35s.
On 21 April 2009 media reports, citing
PentagonIn geometry, a pentagon is any five-sided polygon. A pentagon may be simple or self-intersecting. The internal angles in a simple pentagon total 540°.- Regular pentagons :...
sources, said that during 2007 and 2008, computer spies managed to copy and siphon off several terabytes of data related to F-35's design and the electronics systems, potentially enabling the development of defense systems against the aircraft. However, Lockheed Martin has rejected suggestions that the project has been compromised, saying that it "does not believe any classified information had been stolen".
Design
The F-35 appears to be a smaller, slightly more conventional, one-engine sibling of the sleeker, twin-engine
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
, and indeed drew elements from it. The exhaust duct design was inspired by the
General DynamicsGeneral Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. The company has changed markedly in the post-Cold War era of defense consolidation. The company has four main business segments:...
Model 200 design, which was proposed for a 1972 supersonic VTOL fighter requirement for the
Sea Control ShipA Sea Control Ship is a type of small aircraft carrier designed and conceptualized by the United States Navy under Chief of Naval Operations Elmo Zumwalt in the 1970s...
. For specialized development of the F-35B STOVL variant,
LockheedThe Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta in 1995 to form Lockheed Martin.-Origins:...
consulted with the Yakovlev Design Bureau, purchasing design data from their development of the
Yakovlev Yak-141 "Freestyle"The Yakovlev Yak-141 is a supersonic VTOL fighter aircraft from the Soviet Union. It did not enter production.-Design and development:...
. Although several experimental designs have been built and tested since the 1960s including the Navy's unsuccessful Rockwell XFV-12, the F-35B is to be the first operational supersonic STOVL fighter.
The F-35 is designed to be America's "premier surface-to-air missile killer and is uniquely equipped for this mission with cutting edge processing power, synthetic aperture radar integration techniques, and advanced target recognition."
Some improvements over current-generation fighter aircraft are:
- Durable, low-maintenance stealth technology
Stealth technology also known as LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures , which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, in order to make them less visible to radar, infrared , sonar and other...
;
- Integrated avionics and sensor fusion that combine information from off- and onboard sensors to increase the pilot's
An aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887 as a variation of the French 'aviation', from the latin 'avis', coined 1863 by G. de la Landelle in "Aviation ou Navigation Aérienne"...
situational awareness and improve target identification and weapon delivery, and to relay information quickly to other command and control (C2) nodes;
- High speed data networking including IEEE 1394b and Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel, or FC, is a gigabit-speed network technology primarily used for storage networking. Fibre Channel is standardized in the T11 Technical Committee of the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards , an American National Standards Institute –accredited standards...
.
The teens series of fighters (F-15, F-16, F/A-18) were notable for always carrying large external fuel tanks, but as a stealth aircraft the F-35 must fly most missions on internal fuel.
Unlike the F-22 and F/A-18, the F-35 lacks leading edge extensions (LEX) and instead uses stealth-friendly chines for vortex lift in the same fashion as the
SR-71 BlackbirdThe Lockheed SR-71 is an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft by the Lockheed Skunk Works as a Black project. The SR-71 was unofficially named the Blackbird, and called the Habu by its crews, referring to an Okinawan...
. The small bumps just forward of the engine air intakes form part of the diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) which is a simpler, lighter and stealthier means to ensure high-quality airflow to the engine over a wide range of conditions.
Cockpit
The F-35 features a full-panel-width "panoramic cockpit display" (PCD), with dimensions of 20 by 8 inches (50 by 20 centimeters). A cockpit speech-recognition system (
Direct Voice InputDirect Voice Input is a style of Human-Machine Interaction "HMI" in which the user makes voice commands to issue instructions to the machine...
) is planned to improve the pilot's ability to operate the aircraft over the current-generation interface. The F-35 will be the first U.S. operational fixed-wing aircraft to use this system, although similar systems have been used in AV-8B and trialled in previous U.S. jets, particularly the
F-16 VISTAThe General Dynamics F-16 VISTA The F-16 VISTA testbed aircraft incorporated a multi-axis thrust vectoring engine nozzle that provides for more active control of the aircraft in a post-stall situation...
. In development the system has been integrated by Adacel Systems Inc with the speech recognition module supplied by SRI International. The pilot flies the aircraft by means of a right-hand
side-stickA side-stick is an aircraft cockpit arrangement where the control column is located to the side of the pilot, usually at the right ....
and left-hand throttle.
A helmet mounted display system (HMDS) will be fitted to all models of the F-35. A helmet mounted cueing system is already in service with the F-15s, F-16s and F/A-18s. While some fighters have offered HMDS along with a head up display (HUD), this will be the first time in several decades that a front-line tactical jet fighter has been designed to not carry a HUD.
The
Martin-BakerMartin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd. is a manufacturer of ejection seats and safety related equipment for aviation. The company origins were as an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection seats...
US16E ejection seat is used in all F-35 variants. The US16E seat design balances major performance requirements, including safe terrain clearance limits, pilot load limits, and pilot size. It uses a twin-catapult system that is housed in side-rails.
Sensors
The F-35 includes an advanced, powerful sensor suite. The main sensor on board the F-35 is its
AN/APG-81The AN/APG-81 is an Active Electronically Scanned Array designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems for the F-35 Lightning II.The Joint Strike Fighter AN/APG-81 AESA radar is a result of the US government's competition for the world's largest AESA acquisition contract...
AESA-radar, designed by
Northrop Grumman Electronic SystemsNorthrop Grumman Electronic Systems was created by Northrop Grumman's acquisition of Westinghouse Electronic Systems Group in 1996. The Electronic Systems sector is a leading designer, developer, and manufacturer of a wide variety of advanced defense electronics and systems...
. It is augmented by the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) mounted under the nose of the aircraft, designed by Lockheed Martin. This gives the same capabilities as the
Lockheed Martin Sniper XRThe Lockheed Martin Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod provides positive target identification, autonomous tracking, coordinate generation, and precise weapons guidance from extended standoff ranges. The Sniper ATP is intended for use on the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II...
without compromising the aircraft's stealth. A version of the EOTS will also be used by the
General Atomics AvengerThe General Atomics Avenger is a developmental unmanned combat air vehicle built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the United States military...
.
Six additional passive infrared sensors are distributed over the aircraft as part of Northrop Grumman's AN/AAQ-37 distributed aperture system (DAS), which acts as a missile warning system, reports missile launch locations, detects and tracks approaching aircraft spherically around the F-35, and replaces traditional night vision goggles for night operations and navigation. All DAS functions are performed simultaneously, in every direction, at all times. The F-35's AN/ASQ-239 (Barracuda) Electronic Warfare systems are designed by BAE and include Northrop Grumman components. The communications, navigation and identification (CNI) suite is designed by Northrop Grumman and includes the
Multifunction Advanced Data LinkMultifunction Advanced Data Link is a future data waveform to provide secure data-linking technology between stealth aircraft. It began as a method to coordinate between F35 aircraft , but HQ Air Combat Command wants to expand the capabiltiy to coordinate future USAF strike forces of all AF...
(MADL). The F-35 will be the first jet fighter that has sensor fusion that combines both radio frequency and IR tracking for continuous target detection and identification in all directions which is shared via MADL to other platforms without compromising their low observability.
Engines
The F-35's main engine is the
Pratt & Whitney F135The Pratt & Whitney F135 is an afterburning turbofan developed for the F-35 Lightning II single-engine strike fighter. The F135 family has several distinct variants, including a conventional, forward thrust variant and a multi-cycle STOVL variant that includes a forward lift fan...
. The
General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136The General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 is an advanced turbofan engine being developed by General Electric and Rolls-Royce plc specifically for the F-35 Lightning II.-Design and development:...
is being developed as an alternate engine. The STOVL versions of both powerplants use the
Rolls-Royce LiftSystemThe Rolls-Royce LiftSystem is an innovative propulsion system designed for use in the STOVL variant of the F-35 Lightning II developed during the Joint Strike Fighter Program...
, patented by Lockheed Martin and built by Rolls-Royce. This system is more like the Russian
Yak-141The Yakovlev Yak-141 is a supersonic VTOL fighter aircraft from the Soviet Union. It did not enter production.-Design and development:...
and German
VJ 101D/EThe EWR VJ 101 was an experimental German jet fighter VTOL tiltjet aircraft. VJ stood for "Versuchsjäger", . It was to be the basis for a successor to the F-104G Starfighter, but was cancelled in 1968 after a five-year test program...
than the preceding generation of STOVL designs, such as the
Harrier Jump JetThe Harrier Jump Jet, often referred to as just "Harrier" or "the Jump Jet", is a British designed military jet aircraft capable of Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing via thrust vectoring...
in which all of the lifting air went through the main fan of the
Rolls-Royce PegasusThe Rolls Royce Pegasus is a turbofan engine originally designed by Bristol and now manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. This engine used in Harrier jet aircraft in the 1960s, is able to direct thrust downwards which can then be swivelled to power a jet aircraft forward...
engine, as it was not found practical to design a single fan that would be big enough to push through enough low speed air for vertical lift and yet small enough to handle the smaller flow required for supersonic flight.
The LiftSystem is composed of a lift fan, driveshaft, 2 roll posts and a "3 Bearing Swivel Module" (3BSM). The 3BSM is a
thrust vectoringThrust vectoring is the ability of an aircraft or other vehicle to direct the thrust from its main engine in a direction other than parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis. The technique was originally envisaged to provide upward vertical thrust as a means to give aircraft vertical or short ...
nozzle which allows the main engine exhaust to be deflected downward at the tail of the aircraft. The lift fan near the front of the aircraft provides a counter-balancing thrust. Somewhat like a vertically mounted
turbopropTurboprop engines are a type of aircraft powerplant that use a gas turbine to drive a propeller. The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
within the forward fuselage, the lift fan is powered by the engine's low-pressure (LP) turbine via a driveshaft and gearbox. Roll control during slow flight is achieved by diverting pressurized air from the LP turbine through wing mounted thrust nozzles called Roll Posts.
The F-35B lift fan achieves the same 'flow multiplier' effect as the Harrier's huge, but supersonically impractical, main fan. Like lift engines, this added machinery is just deadweight during horizontal flight but provides a net increase in payload capacity during vertical flight. The cool exhaust of the fan also reduces the amount of hot, high-velocity air that is projected downward during vertical takeoff (which can damage runways and aircraft carrier decks). Though complicated and risky, the lift system has been made to work to the satisfaction of DOD officials.
To date F-136 funding has come at the expense of other parts of the program, reducing the number of aircraft built and increasing their costs. However, the F-136 team has claimed that their engine has a greater temperature margin which may prove critical for VTOL operations in hot high altitude conditions.
Armament
The F-35 includes a
GAU-22/AThe General Dynamics GAU-12/U Equalizer is a five-barrel 25 mm Gatling gun-style rotary cannon. The GAU-12/U is used by the United States, Italy and Spain, which mount the weapon in their fighter jets such as the AV-8B Harrier II, airborne gunships such as the Lockheed AC-130, and land-based...
four-barrel
25 mmThe 25 mm caliber/.98425 inch is one of the standard sizes of cannon and autocannon ammunition for NATO forces. The round itself has a length of approximately 223 mm .-Usage:...
cannon. The cannon will be mounted internally with 180 rounds in the F-35A and fitted as an external pod with 220 rounds in the F-35B and F-35C. The gun pod for the B and C variants will have stealth features. This pod could be used for different equipment in the future, such as EW, reconnaissance equipment, or possibly a rearward facing radar.
Internally (current planned weapons for integration), up to two air-to-air missiles and two air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons (up to two 2,000 lb bombs in A and C models (BRU-68); two 1,000 lb bombs in the B model (BRU-67)) can be carried in the bomb bays. These could be
AIM-120 AMRAAMThe AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM , is a modern Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile capable of all weather day and night performance. It is also commonly known as the Slammer in USAF service...
,
AIM-132 ASRAAMThe AIM-132 Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile is a British infrared homing air-to-air missile. It is currently in service in the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force, replacing the AIM-9 Sidewinder in those services....
, the
Joint Direct Attack MunitionThe Joint Direct Attack Munition is a "joint" United States Air Force and United States Navy program that utilizes a guidance kit that converts existing unguided gravity bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather "smart" munitions...
(JDAM) – up to 2,000 lb (910 kg), the
Joint Standoff WeaponThe AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon is the product of a joint venture between the United States Navy and Air Force to deploy a standardized medium range precision guided weapon, especially for engagement of defended targets at ranges outside that of standard anti-aircraft defenses, thereby...
(JSOW),
Small Diameter BombsThe GBU-39 Small-Diameter Bomb is a 250 pound guided bomb that is intended to provide aircraft with the ability to carry a higher number of bombs. Most US Air Force aircraft will be able to carry a pack of four SDBs in place of a single 2,000 lb bomb.-Development:Two variants are being developed...
(SDB) – a maximum of four in each bay, the
BrimstoneBrimstone is an advanced air-launched anti-tank guided missile developed by MBDA.-Overview:The missile was designed to meet the RAF's requirement for a long range anti-armour weapon, allowing strike aircraft to attack tanks and armoured vehicles at stand-off range, replacing the BL755 cluster bomb...
anti-armor missiles, and Cluster Munitions (WCMD). The
MBDA MeteorMeteor is an active radar guided beyond-visual-range air to air missile being developed by MBDA to equip the Eurofighter Typhoons of the UK's Royal Air Force , Germany's Luftwaffe, Spain's Ejército del Aire and Italy's Aeronautica Militare Italiana, the F-35 of the British Royal Navy, the Dassault...
air-to-air missile is currently being adapted to fit internally in the missile spots and may be integrated into the F-35. The UK had originally planned to put up to four AIM-132 ASRAAM internally but this has been changed to carry 2 internal and 2 external ASRAAMs. It has also been stated by a Lockheed executive that the internal bay will eventually be modified to accept up to 6 AMRAAMs.
At the expense of being more detectable by radar, many more missiles, bombs and fuel tanks can be attached on four wing pylons and two near wingtip positions. The two wingtip locations can only carry AIM-9X Sidewinder. The other pylons can carry the AIM-120 AMRAAM,
Storm ShadowStorm Shadow is an Anglo-French air-launched cruise missile, manufactured by MBDA and used by France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Greece. Storm Shadow is the British name for the weapon; in French service it is called SCALP EG...
,
AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Stand-off MissileThe AGM-158 JASSM is a low observable standoff cruise missile developed in the United States.- Overview :...
(JASSM) cruise missiles, guided bombs, 480-gallon and 600-gallon fuel tanks. An air-to-air load of eight AIM-120s and two AIM-9s is conceivable using internal and external weapons stations, as well as a configuration of six 2,000 lb bombs, two AIM-120s and two AIM-9s. With its payload capability, the F-35 can carry more air to air and air to ground weapons than legacy fighters it is to replace as well as the
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
. Solid-state lasers were being developed as optional weapons for the F-35 as of 2002.
OODA loop
The F-35 fights in an entirely new way. Rather than using thrust vectoring, canards or supercruise to line up the target directly ahead of the aircraft, like 4.5 Generation jet fighters, the F-35 uses combined radio frequency and infrared (SAIRST) situational awareness to track all nearby aircraft continually, the pilot's helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) to display and select targets and High Off-Boresight (HOBS) weapons to eliminate them. Because of this the F-35 does not have the dashboard-mounted head up display seen in previous generation jet fighters as there is simply no reason to point the entire aircraft at the target. As Northrop Grumman puts it, "maneuvering is irrelevant".
The
OODA loopThe OODA loop is a concept originally applied to the combat operations process, often at the strategic level in both the military operations. It is now also often applied to understand commercial operations and learning processes...
has been decisive in air to air combat since at least the dawn of the jet age and the F-35 is the first aircraft built to excel at all levels of it. Stealth and advanced sensors give the edge in observation, automated target tracking gives the edge in orientation, sensor fusion simplifies decision making and the aircraft's controls allow action against targets without having to look away from them.
Concerns over performance
Concerns about the F-35's performance have resulted partially from reports of RAND simulations where numerous Russian
SukhoiSukhoi is a major Russian aircraft manufacturer famous for its fighters. Founded by Pavel Sukhoi in 1939 as the Sukhoi Design Bureau , it is currently known as Sukhoi Corporation...
fighters defeat a handful of F-35s by denying tanker refueling. As a result of these issues then Australian defence minister
Joel FitzgibbonJoel Andrew Fitzgibbon is an Australian politician and Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Hunter in New South Wales. From December 2007 to June 2009 he was the Minister for Defence in the first Rudd Ministry...
requested a formal briefing from the
Australian Department of DefenceThe Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force. The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
on the computer simulation. This briefing stated that the reports of the simulation were inaccurate, and that it did not compare the F-35's performance against that of other aircraft.
RAND has applied the same tanker denial scenario against the F-22 Raptor and seems to favor a new medium bomber design.
The criticism of the F-35 has been dismissed by the Pentagon and manufacturer. The USAF has conducted an analysis of the F-35's air-to-air performance against all 4th generation fighter aircraft currently available, and has found the F-35 to be at least four times more effective. Maj Gen Charles R. Davis, USAF, the F-35 program executive officer, has stated that the "F-35 enjoys a significant Combat Loss Exchange Ratio advantage over the current and future air-to-air threats, to include Sukhois". The Russian, Indian, Chinese, and other air forces operate
Sukhoi Su-27/30The Sukhoi Su-27 is a one-seat Mach-2 class jet fighter plane originally manufactured by the Soviet Union, and designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau...
fighters.
Manufacturing responsibilities
Lockheed Martin AeronauticsLockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a major unit of Lockheed Martin with headquarters at Fort Worth, Texas.Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is also based in Marietta, Georgia and Palmdale, California. Palmdale is home to the Advanced Development Programs , informally known as the "Skunk Works"...
is the prime contractor and performs aircraft final assembly, overall system integration, mission system, and provides forward fuselage, wings and flight controls system.
Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth largest defense contractor in the world in 2008, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over 122,000...
provides
Active Electronically Scanned ArrayAn Active Electronically Scanned Array , also known as active phased array radar is a type of phased array radar whose transmitter and receiver functions are composed of numerous small solid-state transmit/receive modules...
(AESA) radar, Infrared Distributed Aperture System (DAS), Communications, Navigation, Identification (CNI), center fuselage, weapons bay, and arrestor gear.
BAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is the world's second-largest defence contractor and the largest in Europe...
provides aft fuselage and empennages, horizontal and vertical tails, crew life support and escape systems,
Electronic warfareElectronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum or to attack the enemy. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly unimpeded access to, the EM spectrum...
systems, fuel system, and Flight Control Software (FCS1).
AleniaAlenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, is a European aerospace company from Italy. Its subsidiaries include Alenia Aermacchi and Alenia Aeronavali...
will perform final assembly for Italy and, according to an Alenia executive, assembly of all European aircraft with the exception of Turkey and the United Kingdom.
In July 2009, a lawsuit by a former F-35 software worker against Lockheed Martin concerning the safety and quality of its software was unsealed. The lawsuit states that the software for the jet may be unsafe because standards are not being followed.
Next Generation Jammer
The USMC is considering replacing their EA-6B Prowler Electronic Attack aircraft with F-35s that have stealthy jammer pods attached.
On 30 September 2008, the United States Navy outlined the basic requirements of the NGJ and stated that the design must be modular and open. The Navy has selected four companies to submit designs for the Next Generation Jammer.
Testing
On 19 February 2006, the first F-35A (designated AA-1) was rolled out in
Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the seventeenth-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city within the state of Texas. Located in and a cultural gateway into the American West, the city covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, and Denton counties, serving as the county seat for Tarrant...
. The aircraft underwent extensive ground testing at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, adjacent to Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth manufacturing facility, in fall 2006. On 15 September 2006 the first engine run of the
F135The Pratt & Whitney F135 is an afterburning turbofan developed for the F-35 Lightning II single-engine strike fighter. The F135 family has several distinct variants, including a conventional, forward thrust variant and a multi-cycle STOVL variant that includes a forward lift fan...
afterburning turbofan was conducted in an airframe, with the tests completed on 18 September after a static run with full afterburner. The engine runs were the first time that the F-35 was completely functional on its own power systems. On 15 December 2006, the F-35A completed its maiden flight.
On 3 May 2007, electrical arcing inside an electrical-hydraulic control unit forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing. It was grounded until 7 December, when test pilot Jon Beesley flew a 55-minute test flight.
A unique feature of the test program is the use of the so-called Lockheed CATBird avionic testbed, a highly modified
Boeing 737-300The Boeing 737 is a short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has nine variants with the -600, -700, -800 and -900 currently in production.Originally envisioned in...
, inside of which are racks holding all of F-35's avionics, as well as a complete F-35 cockpit.
On 31 January 2008 at Fort Worth, Texas, Lt Col James "Flipper" Kromberg of the U.S. Air Force became the first military service pilot to evaluate the F-35, taking the aircraft through a series of maneuvers on its 26th flight.
On 12 March 2008, the first F-35A (designated AA-1) began
aerial refuelingAerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight. Applied to helicopters, it is known as HAR for Helicopter Aerial Refueling...
testing on its 34th test flight. Another milestone was reached on 13 November 2008, when the AA-1 flew supersonic for the first time. A speed of Mach 1.05 was reached at 30,000 feet (9,144 meters), including four transitions through the sound barrier, and a total of eight minutes in supersonic flight.
On 11 June 2008, after extensive ground testing, the first F-35B (designated BF-1) made its maiden flight at Fort Worth. The flight, which featured a conventional takeoff, was piloted by BAE Systems' test pilot Graham Tomlinson. The BF-1 is the second of 19 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) F-35s, and the first to use new weight-optimized design features that will apply to all future F-35s.
On 19 December 2008, Lockheed Martin rolled out the first weight-optimized F-35A (designated AF-1). It is the first F-35 to be produced at a full-rate production speed – the
assembly lineAn assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned logistics to create a finished product much faster than with handcrafting-type methods...
moves at 50 inches (127 centimeters) per hour – and is structurally identical to final production F-35As that will be delivered starting in 2010.
As of 5 January 2009, six F-35s are complete, including AF-1 and AG-1, and 17 are in production. "Thirteen of the 17 in production are pre-production test aircraft, and all of those will be finished in 2009," said John R. Kent, acting manager of F-35 Lightning II Communications at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. "The other four are the first production-model planes, and the first of those will be delivered in 2010 to the U.S. Air Force, and will go to Eglin."
The F-35 testing program completed "just under 100 sorties and about as many hours in 2.5 years" as of June 2009 according Defense Technology International. To meet the current target date of mid-2014 for completion of operational testing, the test program "will have to go from the slowest to the fastest in history". Furthermore: "The GAO also reports that the goal set for FY2009 was 317 flights; as of mid-May, however, fewer than 30 test flights had been performed this year."
In 2008 the Pentagon's Joint Estimate Team (JET) reported to the Congress that their estimate was that the F-35 program was two years behind the latest public schedule.
In March 2009, the United States Government Accountability Office reported that the JSF program office "noted that JSF’s technical, software,
production processes, and testing maturity are tracking to plan and substantially exceeding standards set in past programs. The manufacturing
fit and quality of the jets are unprecedented and production processes are improving with each jet."
Environmental concerns
In late 2008 the Air Force revealed that the F-35 would be about twice as loud at takeoff as the
F-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. Developed for the United States Air Force, it first flew in July 1972, and is one of the most recognized modern fighters. The F-15 is expected to remain...
and up to four times as loud upon landing. As a result, residents near
Davis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis-Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base adjacent to Tucson, Arizona, named in honor of World War I pilots Lieutenants Samuel H. Davis and Oscar Monthan, both Tucson natives. Davis-Monthan AFB is primarily an Air Combat Command installation with the 355th Fighter Wing as...
, Arizona and
Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of World War I aviator and test pilot Lt Col Frederick Irving Eglin...
, Florida, possible homes of the jet, have requested that the Air Force conduct environmental impact studies concerning the F-35's noise levels. The city of
Valparaiso, FloridaValparaiso is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, in the United States, and it is named after the Chilean city of Valparaiso. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,408. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 6,336...
, adjacent to Eglin AFB, threatened in February 2009 to sue the Air Force over the impending arrival of the F-35s. However, it was reported in March 2009 that testing by Lockheed Martin and the Royal Australian Air Force revealed that the F-35 was not as loud as first reported, being "only about as noisy as an F-16 fitted with a Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 engine" and "quieter than the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet."
International participation
While the United States is the primary customer and financial backer, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Norway and Denmark have agreed to contribute
US$The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
4.375 billion toward the development costs of the program. Total development costs are estimated at more than US$40 billion (underwritten largely by the United States), while the purchase of an estimated 2,400 planes is expected to cost an additional US$200 billion. The nine major partner nations plan to acquire over 3,100 F-35s through 2035, making the F-35 one of the most numerous jet fighters.
There are three levels of international participation. The levels generally reflect the financial stake in the program, the amount of technology transfer and subcontracts open for bid by national companies, and the order in which countries can obtain production aircraft. The United Kingdom is the sole "Level 1" partner, contributing US$2.5 billion, about 10% of the development costs under the 1995
Memorandum of UnderstandingA memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action...
that brought the UK into the project. Level 2 partners are
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
, which is contributing US$1 billion; and the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
, US$800 million. Level 3 partners are
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, US$475 million;
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
, US$195 million;
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, US$144 million;
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
, US$122 million and
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
, US$110
millionOne million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The name is derived from Italian, where mille was 1,000, and 1,000,000 became milione, "a large thousand"....
.
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
and
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
have joined as Security Cooperative Participants (SCP).
Some of the partner countries have wavered in their public commitment to the JSF program, hinting or warning that unless they receive more subcontracts or technology transfer, they will forsake JSF for the
Eurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine canard-delta wing multirole aircraft. It is being designed and built by a consortium of three separate partner companies: Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems, and EADS working through a holding company Eurofighter GmbH which was formed in 1986...
,
Saab JAS 39 GripenThe Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. Gripen International acts as a prime contracting organisation and is responsible for marketing, selling and supporting the Gripen fighter around the world....
,
Dassault RafaleThe Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engined delta-wing highly agile multi-role 4.5th-generation jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Introduced in 2000, the Rafale is being produced both for land-based use with the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations with...
or simply upgrade their existing aircraft. Furthermore, F-35 export competitiveness has been hurt by international buyers finding either its export variant too costly per unit or "watered down". While the F-16E/F costs $50 million per export copy, the F-35 is likely to cost between $65–120 million.
United Kingdom
The
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
planned to acquire 138 F-35Bs as of December 2006 for the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
and the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
. But speculation mounts in 2009 that they may switch from the F-35B to the F-35C model, with its greater range and payload the UK would require fewer aircraft and save about $25 million for each aircraft ordered.
The UK became increasingly frustrated by a lack of U.S. commitment to grant access to the technology that would allow the UK to maintain and upgrade its F-35s without US involvement. This is understood to relate mainly to the software for the aircraft. For five years, British officials sought an
ITARInternational Traffic in Arms Regulations is a set of United States government regulations that control the export and import of defense-related articles and services on the United States Munitions List...
waiver to secure greater technology transfer. This request, which had the blessing of the Bush administration, was repeatedly blocked by U.S. Representative
Henry HydeHenry John Hyde , an American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2007, representing the 6th District of Illinois, an area of Chicago's northwestern suburbs which included O'Hare International Airport...
, who said that the UK needed to tighten its laws protecting against the unauthorized transfer of the most advanced U.S. technology to third parties.
On 27 May 2006, President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
and Prime Minister
Tony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
announced that "Both governments agree that the UK will have the ability to successfully operate, upgrade, employ, and maintain the Joint Strike Fighter such that the UK retains operational sovereignty over the aircraft." On 12 December 2006, Lord Drayson signed an agreement which met the UK's demands for further participation, i.e., access to software source code and operational sovereignty. The agreement allows "an unbroken British chain of command" for operation of the aircraft. Drayson said Britain would "not be required to have a US citizen in our own operational chain of command". Drayson also said, however, that Britain is still considering an unspecified "Plan B" alternative to buying the Joint Strike Fighter.
On 25 July 2007, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that they have placed orders for the two new aircraft carriers of the
Queen Elizabeth class that will allow the purchase of the F-35B variant. On 2 May 2008, however, the
Washington PostThe Washington Post is the newspaper with the largest circulation in Washington, D.C. and is the city's oldest paper, founded in 1877. Being located in the nation's capital, it has a particular emphasis on national politics and international affairs...
reported that an
Inspector GeneralIn a civilian or military administration, an Inspector General is a high ranking official charged with the mission to inspect and report on some bodies in their field of competency...
's report chided the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Security Service for failing to ensure that BAE Systems was exercising appropriate controls over access to sensitive technologies, while both BAE and Lockheed Martin denied that any technology had been compromised.
On 18 March 2009, Defence Secretary
John HuttonJohn Matthew Patrick Hutton is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness in Cumbria since 1992, and has served in a number of Cabinet offices, including Defence Secretary and Business Secretary....
announced the MoD had agreed to purchase three test F-35s.
Italy
As of October 2008,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
planned to acquire 131 of the planes: 109 F-35As and 22 F-35Bs. On 7 October 2008, Italy announced it will not participate in initial F-35 testing and evaluation, and will not purchase test aircraft. The Navy plans to use the F-35Bs on their new Cavour
STOVLSTOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
Carrier.
Netherlands
The
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
has plans to acquire 85 F-35As for the
Royal Netherlands Air ForceThe Royal Netherlands Air Force , Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht , is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeeling of the Dutch Army was founded on 1 July 1913, with just four pilots...
. The aircraft will replace an aging fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16AM. The Dutch government expects the costs to be €5.5 billion for the initial purchase and €9.1 billion for 30 years of service. On 19 November 2007, in the Dutch Parliament, the Secretary of Defence was questioned about the JSF delay, technical problems and rising costs. However, on 29 February 2008, the
executive councilThe Dutch Council of Ministers is the executive council of Dutch government, formed by all the ministers. This executive council initiates laws and policy. The Council of Ministers is distinct from the Cabinet which also includes state secretaries...
of the
Dutch governmentThe politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
decided to go ahead with the purchase of two test aircraft and a MOU was signed. On 7 September 2008 Dutch television show "Reporter" reports that counter orders are lagging behind compared to promises and that an active lobby by the Royal Netherlands Air Force has manipulated the Dutch government into participating in the project.
Canada
Canada has been involved in the Joint Strike Fighter Program from its beginning, investing US$10 million to be an "informed partner" during the evaluation process. Once Lockheed Martin was selected as the primary contractor for the JSF program, Canada elected to become a level 3 participant along with Norway, Denmark, Turkey, and Australia on the JSF project. An additional US$100 million from the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) over 10 years and an another $50 million from
Industry CanadaIndustry Canada is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for regional economic development, investment, and innovation/research and development. The department employs 6104 FTEs across Canada....
were dedicated in 2002, making them an early participant of the JSF program.
Canada's rationale for joining the JSF project was not due to an urgent need to replace Canada's fleet of
CF-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet is a Canadian Forces aircraft, based on the American F/A-18 Hornet. Following the New Fighter Aircraft competition, the F/A-18 was selected as the winner in 1980 and a production order was awarded. The Canadian Forces began receiving the CF-18 in 1982...
s; instead, it was driven primarily by economics. Through Canadian government investment in the JSF project, Canadian companies were allowed to compete for contracts within the JSF project, as there were fears that being shut out from industrial participation in such a large program would severely damage the Canadian aviation industry. Joining also furthered Canadian access to information regarding the F-35 as a possible contender when it eventually plans to replace the CF-18 Hornet fleet. Improved interoperability with major allies allowed the DND to gain insight on leading edge practices in composites, manufacturing and logistics, and offered the ability to recoup some investment if the government did decide to purchase the F-35.
As a result of the Canadian government investment in the JSF project, 144 contracts were awarded to Canadian companies, universities, and government facilities. Financially, the contracts value US$490 million for the period 2002 to 2012, with an expected value of US$1.1 billion from current contracts in the period between 2013 and 2023, and a total potential estimated value of Canadian JSF involvement from US$4.8 billion to US$6.8 billion.
Turkey
On 12 July 2002,
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
became the seventh international partner in the JSF Project, joining the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark and Norway. On 25 January 2007, Turkey signed a
memorandum of understandingA memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action...
(MoU) for involvement in F-35 production. The
Turkish Air ForceThe Turkish Air Force is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. It is one of the oldest air forces in the world and operates one of the largest combat aircraft fleets of NATO...
is planning to initially order 116 F-35A "CTOL/Air Force versions" at a reported cost of $11 billion. It is reported that the aircraft will be produced under license in Turkey by the
Turkish Aerospace IndustriesTurkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. is the center of technology in design, development, manufacturing, integration of aerospace systems, modernization and after sales support in Turkey....
(TAI).
A Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed between
TAITurkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. is the center of technology in design, development, manufacturing, integration of aerospace systems, modernization and after sales support in Turkey....
and Northrop Grumman ISS (NGISS) International on 6 February 2007. With the LOI, TAI becomes the second source for the F-35 Lightning II center fuselage during the JSF Signing. The number of center fuselages to be produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries will be determined depending on the number of F-35s Turkey will procure and the number of F-35s to be produced worldwide. The LOI represents a potential value in excess of $3 billion. Northrop Grumman currently produces all F-35 center fuselages at its F-35 assembly facility in
Palmdale, CaliforniaPalmdale is a city located in the northeast reaches of Los Angeles County, California, United States.The first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city , Palmdale is separated from Los Angeles by the San Gabriel Mountain range...
.
TAI of Turkey is one of the two international suppliers to Northrop Grumman (the other being Denmark). On 10 December 2007, the Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) was authorized by the Northrop Grumman to commence fabricating subassemblies for the first two F-35 production aircraft. The subassemblies – composite components and aircraft access doors – will be used in the F-35 center fuselage, a major section of the aircraft being produced by Northrop Grumman, a principal member of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 global industry team.
It is also anticipated that TAI after 2013 will also produce 100% of the F-35 under license from Lockheed Martin Corporation, as was also the case with the F-16 Fighting Falcon program Peace Onyx I and II. Turkey also intends to incorporate in the future several Turkish designed and manufactured electronic systems into the F-35 platform.
Murad Bayar, head of the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, has said that Turkey may increase its order to 120 aircraft instead of purchasing less advanced
Eurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine canard-delta wing multirole aircraft. It is being designed and built by a consortium of three separate partner companies: Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems, and EADS working through a holding company Eurofighter GmbH which was formed in 1986...
s.
Australia
Australia is participating in the F-35's development, but has not yet placed an order for the aircraft. It is expected that some 75 to 100 F-35As will be ordered to replace the
Royal Australian Air Force'sThe Royal Australian Air Force is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF began in March 1912 as the Australian Flying Corps making it the second oldest air force in the world...
(RAAF's)
F/A-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
aircraft.
The Australian Government announced that it would buy into the F-35's development on 22 June 2002. This decision ended the competition to replace Australia's F/A-18 and
F-111The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" is a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also fills the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s and first entering service in 1967, the United States Air Force ...
aircraft before it formally began, with other aircraft manufacturers being advised that it would not be worth submitting proposals. The Government argued that joining the F-35 program at an early stage would allow Australia to influence the F-35's development, provide the Government with information on the aircraft's suitability, and generate savings of over $600 million if an order for F-35s is eventually placed. Australia formally signed up to the F-35 Systems Development and Demonstration phase as a Level 3 participant on 30 October 2002.
In November 2006, satisfied with the F-35's progress to date, the Government gave 'first pass' initial approval to the project under which F-35s will be acquired, with a decision on whether to order the aircraft being scheduled for late 2008. Following this initial approval, on 13 December 2006 Australia signed the JSF Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development Memorandum of Understanding which commits Australia to the next phase of the F-35's development. In October 2006, the deputy chief of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshal John Blackburn, publicly stated that the RAAF had considered suitable aircraft which could be acquired if the F-35 was delayed, but that such aircraft were not believed to be necessary on the basis of the F-35 program's progress at the time.
Concerns over the F-35s delivery schedule developed in Australia during 2007. In February the
Minister for DefenceThe Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Senator John Faulkner is the current Minister....
announced that a risk mitigation strategy which involved obtaining F/A-18F Hornets was being developed to prevent a gap in the RAAF's air combat capability if the F-35 program was delayed. This strategy was adopted, and an order for 24 F/A-18Fs was announced on 6 March 2007. These aircraft are scheduled to enter service with the RAAF in 2010 and be fully operational by 2012.
Following the 2007 Australian Federal Election, the new
Australian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party.Known as the ALP for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the 2007 federal election...
Government launched an inquiry into the replacement of the RAAF's air combat capability. The party had expressed concerns over the F-35's adequacy while it was in opposition, and proposed acquiring
F-22The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
s to replace or supplement the RAAF's F-35 force. An approach was made to the U.S. Government for F-22s in early 2008, but was not successful as these aircraft are not available for export. In April 2008 it was reported that the air combat review had found that the F-35 was the most suitable aircraft for Australia. In October 2008 it was reported that the Australian Government may order 75 F-35s instead of the 100 originally (and still officially) planned, due to the impact of the global financial crisis and a large long-term funding gap in the Defence budget. The Government's
Defence white paperDefending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030 is an Australian Government white paper released on 2 May 2009. The publication seeks to provide guidance for Australia's defence policy and the Australian Defence Force during the period 2009–2030.-Background:A commitment to develop a...
released in April 2009 argued for a purchase of up to 100 F-35s, however.
There has been much debate in Australia over whether the F-35 is the most suitable aircraft for the RAAF. It has been claimed that the F-35's performance is inferior to Russian-built fighters operated by countries near Australia (such as the Su-27 and Su-30 in Indonesia), that it cannot meet the RAAF's long-range strike requirement, and that further delays to the F-35 program may result in the RAAF experiencing a shortage of combat aircraft. The RAAF believes that the F-35 will meet Australia's needs however, and both of Australia's major political parties currently support the development and purchase of the aircraft (though differences remain on the deadline and the number of aircraft).
On 21 August 2009, it was reported that the RAAF would get two F-35s for testing in 2014 and that the initial squadron would be delayed until 2017.
On 11 September 2009, Air Marshall Mark Binskin said that a fourth squadron of F-35s for the RAAF would be imperative.
Norway
Norway participates in the F-35 program as a Level 3 partner in the System Development and Demonstration phase with a view to enabling its industry to compete for industrial opportunities. Norwegian National Deputy Rune Fagerli, the country's sole representative on the Joint Strike Fighter program, told SPACE.com the Norwegian Royal Ministry of Defence has pledged $125 million in preparations to replace a fleet of F-16 jets that have about 12 years left of operation. "By getting involved here, on the ground level, we can try and address the needs of Norway into this capable fighter early," said Fagerli, a colonel. In Norway, F-16s are fitted with drag chutes because of wet, slippery runways. International cooperation to aircraft development could also yield aircraft from cooperating nations that fit well together during combat. Fagerli also mentioned that Norwegian pilots currently fly missions over Afghanistan in F-16s alongside Danish and Dutch aviators.
Norway has several times threatened to put their support on hold unless substantial guarantees for an increased industrial share is provided. Despite this Norway has signed all the Memoranda of Understanding, including the latest one detailing the future production phase of the JSF program. They have, however, indicated that they will increase and strengthen their cooperation with both competitors of the JSF, the Typhoon and the Gripen.
The F-35 was evaluated along with
JAS 39 GripenThe Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. Gripen International acts as a prime contracting organisation and is responsible for marketing, selling and supporting the Gripen fighter around the world....
by the Norwegian Future Combat Aircraft Capability Project as a replacement for the F-16s currently in-service. On 20 November 2008, the government released a statement saying it will support buying F-35s for the
Royal Norwegian Air ForceThe Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . Six hundred personnel are also serving their one-year national service in the Air Force...
instead of the Saab Gripen NG.
The Norwegian Air Force has decided to develop the Joint Strike Missile for the F-35 and other aircraft.
Denmark
Denmark has joined the Joint Strike Fighter program as a Level 3 partner and the
Royal Danish Air ForceThe Royal Danish Air Force is the expeditionary air force of Denmark with capability organised to support both international operations and homeland security.-History:All military aviation was prohibited during the Nazi occupation, 1940-45...
is considering the replacement of 48 of its aging F-16 fighters with next generation aircraft.
Israel
In 2003,
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
signed a formal letter of agreement, worth almost $20 million, to join the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) effort for the F-35 as a "security cooperation participant" (SCP). The
Israeli Air ForceThe Israeli Air Force is the air force of the Israel Defense Forces...
(IAF) stated in 2006 that the F-35 is a key part of IAF's recapitalization plans, and that Israel intends to buy over 100 F-35A fighters at an estimated cost of over $5 billion to replace their F-16s over time. Israel was reinstated as a partner in the development of the F-35 on 31 July 2006, after Israeli participation was put on hold following the Chinese arms deal crisis.
On 16 November 2006, Yaakov Katz, of The Jerusalem Post reported that if no jet fighters were delivered to Israel between the last batch of F-16s in 2007 and the first F-35s in 2014 then the Israeli air force would decline in numbers as older fighters wore out and were retired.
On 3 September 2007,
IDFThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are Israel's military forces, comprising the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi announced the purchase of a squadron of F-35s which Israel will begin receiving in 2014. However, U.S. defense officials later agreed to allow Israel to receive the fighters as early as 2012. The price of each F-35 is expected to reach $70–80 million.
The Jerusalem PostThe Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post...
reports that the Pentagon has agreed to supply the F-35A variant to Israel as early as 2012, instead of in 2014 or 2015. This would make Israel one of the first nations to receive the aircraft, and very possibly the first foreign nation. Previous objections to Israel’s installation of its own technology in the F-35 – as it has done with every US fighter it has received – were also reportedly overcome. At present, the only Israeli technology in the standard version will be the JSF HMDS helmet-mounted display system, designed in cooperation with
Elbit SystemsElbit Systems Ltd. is one of the world's largest defense electronics manufacturers and integrators. Established in 1967, and based in Haifa, Israel, Elbit has over ten thousand employees....
. Israel also asked to manufacture F-35 aircraft locally at a 1:2 ratio, but the reports did not indicate whether that request was granted. On 30 September 2008, the US DoD reported that Israel has requested to purchase 25 F-35As with options to buy up to 50 F-35As or F-35Bs.
On 24 June 2009,
The Jerusalem Post reported that an understanding had been reached on "the main basic issues". These include Israeli electronics and the ability to maintain the aircraft independently and that deliveries could start as early as 2014.
On 10 July 2009, the Israeli Air Force submitted an official Letter of Request (LOR) to the Pentagon to purchase its first squadron of 25 F-35As.
On 8 September 2009,
The Jerusalem Post reported that negotiations had bogged down again over Israeli insistence that they be given sufficient technical details to enable them to equip the aircraft with their own technologies and repair them independently.
Singapore
In February 2003, Singapore joined the JSF program's System Design and Development (SDD) Phase, as a Security Co-operation Participant (SCP).
Potential exports
The F-35 is a possible future offer to the
Indian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the armed forces of India. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
as of July 2007. This has been interpreted as part of a tactic to sell the
F-16The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
as a multirole fighter to the IAF, as part of its
competitionThe Indian Air Force Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft Competition, commonly known as the MRCA Tender, is an ongoing competition to supply the Indian Air Force with 126 Multi-Role Combat Aircraft. The Defence Ministry has allocated Rs. 42,000 crore for the purchase of these aircraft The Indian Air...
to acquire 126 new fighters.
Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin is a multinational aerospace manufacturer, global security and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed with Martin Marietta. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Lockheed Martin employs 146,000 people...
formally expressed its interest to sell F-35s to India. It is also known that the
Indian NavyThe Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. It currently has approximately 55,000 personnel on active duty, including 5,000 members of the naval aviation branch and 2,000 marine commandos, making it the world's fifth largest navy...
has shown interest in buying the F-35B.
The
Brazilian Air ForceThe Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
recently has added the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the list of aircraft under consideration for its relaunched new fighter procurement, called F-X2. The F-35 replaces the F-16, which was in contention for the previous F-X BR program, shelved in 2003 and finally abandoned in 2006. Lockheed Martin did not offer the F-35 and instead bid the F-16BR in 2008.
The
Finnish Air ForceThe Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
has expressed its interest in the F-35, and other "advanced aircraft", as the replacement for its F-18C Hornets. An eventual purchase decision would be taken around 2015.
The future
Spanish NavyThe Spanish Navy is the maritime arm of the Spanish Military, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path from the Far East to America across the...
ship Juan Carlos I (L61) is adapted to carry JSF and AV-8B Harrier.
Lockheed Martin is offering the F-35 to the
Hellenic Air ForceThe Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated HAF is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the world...
as F-4E Peace Icarus 2000 and F-16C/D Block 30 replacement.
The
Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition and jurisdiction over China into a democratic state with limited international recognition and jurisdiction only over Taiwan and minor islands, though it...
(Taiwan) has requested to buy the F-35 from the US. However this has been rejected by the US in fear of a critical response from
BeijingBeijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China...
. In March 2009 Taiwan again was looking to buy U.S. fifth-generation fighter jets featuring stealth and vertical takeoff capabilities.
The United States has asked Japan for a billion yen for basic information about the F-35 and is only willing to disclose information about the F-35's stealth features after Japan commits to the purchase.
South Korea will most likely buy 60 F-35s for the third stage of its F-X program.
Variants
The F-35 is planned to be built in three different versions to suit the needs of its various users.
F-35A
The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing (
CTOLCTOL is an acronym for Conventional Take-off and Landing, and is the process whereby conventional aircraft take off and land, involving the use of runways. The aircraft will taxi along the runway until its rotation speed is reached, then climb into the air...
) variant intended for the US Air Force and other air forces. It is the smallest, lightest F-35 version and is the only variant equipped with an internal cannon, the GAU-22/A. This
25 mmThe 25 mm caliber/.98425 inch is one of the standard sizes of cannon and autocannon ammunition for NATO forces. The round itself has a length of approximately 223 mm .-Usage:...
cannon is a development of the
GAU-12The General Dynamics GAU-12/U Equalizer is a five-barrel 25 mm Gatling gun-style rotary cannon. The GAU-12/U is used by the United States, Italy and Spain, which mount the weapon in their fighter jets such as the AV-8B Harrier II, airborne gunships such as the Lockheed AC-130, and land-based...
carried by the USMC's
AV-8B Harrier IIThe McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century...
. It is designed for increased effectiveness compared to the 20 mm
M61 VulcanThe M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style cannon, which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft for...
cannon carried by other USAF fighters.
The F-35A is expected to match the F-16 in maneuverability, instantaneous and sustained high-g performance, and outperform it in stealth, payload, range on internal fuel, avionics, operational effectiveness, supportability and survivability. It also has an internal laser designator and infrared sensors, equivalent to the Sniper XR pod carried by the F-16, but built in to remain stealthy.
The A variant is primarily intended to replace the USAF's
F-16 Fighting FalconThe Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
, beginning in 2013, and replace the
A-10 Thunderbolt IIThe A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force to provide close air support of ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets with a limited air interdiction...
starting in 2028.
F-35B
The F-35B is the short takeoff and vertical landing (
STOVLSTOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
) variant of the aircraft. Similar in size to the A variant, the B sacrifices some fuel volume to make room for the vertical flight system. Takeoffs and landing with vertical flight systems are by far the riskiest, and in the end, a decisive factor in design. Like the
AV-8B Harrier IIThe McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century...
, the B's guns will be carried in a ventral pod. Whereas F-35A is stressed to 9 g, F-35B and F-35C are stressed to 7.5 g.
The
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
and
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
plan to use this variant to replace their Harrier GR7/GR9s. The
United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
intends to purchase 340 F-35Bs to replace all current inventories of the
F/A-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
(A, B, C and D-models),
AV-8B Harrier IIThe McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century...
and possibly the EA-6B Prowler in the
fighterA fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets by dropping bombs. Fighters are small, fast, and maneuverable...
, attack, and possibly
electronic warfareElectronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum or to attack the enemy. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly unimpeded access to, the EM spectrum...
roles.
One of the British requirements was that the F-35B design should have a Ship-borne Rolling and Vertical Landing (SRVL) mode so that wing lift could be added to powered lift to increase the maximum landing weight of carried weapons.
The Marines are investigating the use of the SRVL method to operate F-35Bs from CVNs without disrupting carrier operations as the landing method uses the same pattern of approach as wire arrested landings. However the aircraft is able to "bring back" 2 x 1K JDAM, 2 x AIM-120 and reserve fuel to a vertical landing.
The F-35B was unveiled at Lockheed's Fort Worth plant on 18 December 2007, and the first test flight was on 11 June 2008. The B variant is expected to be available beginning in 2012.
Unlike the other variants, the F-35B has no landing hook and the "STOVL/HOOK" button in the cockpit initiates conversion instead of dropping the hook.
F-35C
The F-35C carrier variant will have a larger, folding wing and larger control surfaces for improved low-speed control, and stronger landing gear and hook for the stresses of
carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power great distances without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
landings. The larger wing area allows for decreased landing speed, increased range and payload, with twice the range on internal fuel compared with the
F/A-18C HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. The F/A-18 was derived from the YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of...
, achieving much the same goal as the heavier
F/A-18E/F Super HornetThe Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a 4.5+ generation carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft. The F/A-18E single-seat variant and F/A-18F tandem-seat variant are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm gun and can carry...
.
The
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
will be the sole user for the carrier variant. It intends to buy 480 F-35Cs to replace the F/A-18A, B, C, and D Hornets. The F-35C will also serve as a stealthier complement to the Super Hornet. On 27 June 2007, the carrier variant completed its Air System Critical Design Review (CDR). This allows the first two functional prototype F-35C units to be produced. The C variant is expected to be available beginning in 2014. The first production F-35C was rolled out on 29 July 2009.
Specifications (F-35 Lightning II)
See also
External links