It’s still years away as Valkyrie is a sub-scale demonstrator.
Correct, UAI status on AARGM is not known. I was assuming they got off of their a$$e$ for a change and did something smart.
AARGM-ER integration could be one of the new weapon systems mentioned in the block-4 chart from AFA though the first platform will almost certainly be the EA-18G.
https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contrac…ticle/1779133/
The funny thing is that it will actually be easier, faster, & cheaper to integrate into the F-35 thanks to to UAI.
All KPPs for the F-35 are in the A2G config so there is no reason to assume this metric is not also A2G.
The requirement for the F-35A is 9Gs under full internal combat load (not sure of the fuel load part).
Funny how even with the HMDS of the F-35, it can still dominate even a “clean” (ie no weapons, jammers, pods, or EFTs) F-16.
By the end of the week, though, they (F-16s) had dropped their wing tanks, transitioned to a single centerline fuel tank and were still doing everything they could not to get gunned by us. A week later they stripped the jets clean of all external stores, which made the BFM fights interesting, to say the least…
https://www.reddit.com/r/F35Lightning/comments/8a66ta/out_of_the_shadows_rnlaf_experiences_with_the/
Time for mandatory (optional for the rest of us) 2-factor authentication for Mods?
I would not mind.
waiting for the 2020 budget documents a bit more eagerly than usual…
12 days and counting
USN Declares F-35C IOC
The Navy declared today that its F-35C Joint Strike Fighter was operationally ready to deploy and conduct missions around the world.
The initial operational capability (IOC) declaration comes after the Navy’s first F-35C squadron, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, conducted aircraft carrier qualifications aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in early December, received its safe-for-flight operations certification on Dec. 12 and spent the intervening weeks working with the Navy’s test community to prove it could operate and maintain the new stealthy jets.
“The F-35C is ready for operations, ready for combat and ready to win,” Commander of Naval Air Forces Vice Adm. DeWolfe Miller said in a statement today.
“We are adding an incredible weapon system into the arsenal of our Carrier Strike Groups that significantly enhances the capability of the joint force.”
More at the JUMP
https://news.usni.org/2019/02/28/navy-declares-initial-operational-capability-for-f-35c-joint-strike-fighter
REd Flag 191- Newws— Talk about a Pain Train 😀
What does Australia think of the F-35? One Air Force commander details his experience
By: Nigel Pittaway…
{Air Commodore Mike } Kitcher also described a sortie he flew in the Red Flag 19-1 exercise held in Nevada in February, in which RAAF Hornets flew with U.S. Air Force F-35As as part of an international strike package.
“One of the key strike missions I did that day was to watch an eight-ship [formation] of F-35s kick open a door, which was a fairly hard door to open. Some F-22s came in after that to hold the door open, and the F-35s went back and picked up a strike train that consisted of [RAAF] Hornets, Super Hornets from the U.S. Navy, Typhoons from the [British] Royal Air Force and U.S. Air Force F-16s, supported by U.S. Navy [EA-18G] Growlers and U.S. Air Force F-16s,” Kitcher said.
“That was the first time I’ve been in a high-end exercise, involving a significant air threat, a significant surface-to-air threat and even a cyberthreat. You could see the way the F-35 was working with Classic Hornets, Super Hornets, Typhoons and Growlers to solve a very difficult problem. I’m confident that we’ll be doing that in Australia with our F-35s and our Super Hornets and Growlers within the next couple of years.”
Why would you need to turn you head anyways? There is no need to use the helmet to line up a shot since the F-35 has already ID’d the target and maintains a weapon’s grade lock via EODAS.
I think General Goldfien said it best at 3:43
I know they are to get an “Orange Wire” F-35 but I don’t know when.
If Israel wants to integrate their weapons without anyone else knowing, the easiest way to do it create their own UAI drivers for their own weapons. With the upcoming ALIS filters they can can even keep it out of ALIS.
I noticed that they said “7 New Weapon Systems” rather than just the weapon. I guess this might mean that all Paveways, JDAMS, Sidewinders, JSOWs, and AMRAAMs are covered under current integration.