THE F-32 LEWINSKY I can see it now

Marines Could Fly CTOL JSF Posted by Bill Sweetman at 9/14/2010

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/de … d=blogDest

“The US Marine Corps could declare initial operational capability with the Air Force’s F-35A variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, as delays and a major review cast more doubt on the feasibility of meeting a late-2012 IOC date with the F-35B short take-off, vertical landing variant.

The change is one of the options emerging from an in-depth review of the JSF program, covering the path from now until initial operating capability and full production, Lockheed Martin F-35 general manager Tom Burbage said Monday at the Air Force Association convention at National Harbor, Maryland. This is the review that underlies recent discussions about “rephasing” the F-35 program.

The technical baseline review (TBR) was commissioned after the JSF’s Nunn-McCurdy breach earlier this year and supports a Defense Acquisition Board review in November. Burbage characterizes the TBR as featuring a different role for Air Force Materiel Command and Naval Air Systems Command, which have hitherto delegated the management of the program to the JSF Program Office.

The syscoms “are taking a much stronger role as we get to introducing the aircraft to operations”, Burbage said on Monday. Although the TBR also includes an independent manufacturing review, a major focus is on the critical path towards IOC.

In the case of the F-35B, there are three major items on the critical path, Burbage says. The most important, underpinning the others, is the vertical landing test program. Since March, F-35 BF-1, the only jet instrumented for vertical landings in the initial test phase, has accomplished about half as many vertical landings as scheduled, performing a dozen flights. Burbage says that 42 flights are “the magic number” after which the other F-35B test assets can start flying in vertical mode. BF-2 is being modified with the necessary instrumentation to share BF-1’s role and reach that point more quickly.

The second key critical path item is the “ready for training” date, which indicates that enough testing has been done to allow the aircraft to be flown safely by operational pilots rather than test pilots, and without the constant monitoring in the test environment. The Marines’ IOC criteria include the availability of 20 trained pilots.

The third big critical item is ship qualification, which was due to start in the first half of 2011, and Burbage adds that “there is a myriad of other things to be done.”

The Marines have continued to insist that they will declare IOC in late 2012, and Burbage stresses that it is the operator’s role to make that call. However, he says, one of the options being floated as the TBR continues is “why don’t the Marines fly the CTOL aircraft?”

The F-35As have so far proven more reliable than the F-35Bs, and the Marine IOC plan has always called for training to start on the F-35A. The Marine inventory also includes combat aircraft such as the F/A-18D and EA-6B, which are for practical purposes land-based in Marine service.

Therefore, an F-35A IOC could form a bridge to the definitive F-35B – while taking some pressure off the program and giving it more time to fix what are still characterized as component-quality issues with the STOVL jet.”

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3a9ef38fbc-a861-4c83-905b-b344e4987680&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest

speculation or what?

I interviewed Tom Burbage later the same day (yesterday) and he insisted he DID NOT say the Marines could declare IOC with F-35As.

According to Burbage, what he said was that the Marines could begin “up-and-away” CTOL flight training on F-35A while waiting for the STOVL training envelope to be cleared.

IOC as defined by the Marines requires 20 trained pilots and F-35Bs cleared for both expeditionary (land-based) and ship-based operations, he says.

The Technical Baseline Review to be completed by mid-October will determine the work required to complete JSF development. It will determine whether the steps required to achieve USMC IOC can be accomplished in the time available. Burbage acknowledges the TBR could force the Marines to push back its IOC.

But he was adamant he did not say the Marines could hold their 2012 IOC by flying As instead of Bs. Pity, because I think it’s quite a good idea…but on that would send the Pentagon beancounters into a tailspin.

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-14515.html

You’re missing the point, the jassm hit the hospital 30 miles away from where the launcher once was when it fired, and the whole incident went to wikileaks.

Your still missing the point, the F-35 was in egress an couldn’t get to the launcher so there was a hand off. If 1 F-35 sees the launch then every shooter on the battle field will have the data in seconds. and someone was spot on for correcting me that using a munition with a IR terminal seeker would keep collateral damage down, touche. My point is that the F-35 is not just a shooter but a node. As far as hiding in caves goes, those are not hard to close down after they see a few of there m8s buried alive they might be reluctant to come out and play. But you prove my point even further concerning the F-35. its a data sharing scud hunting machine built for this type of work. The pilot doesn’t have to spot a tel with his mark 1 eye ball. If he fly’s over it, its likely that the AESA will spot it. If they don’t come out to play then the mission is still a success.

What about a ucav?