F-35 LRIP 4 Cost “Targets” out

F-35A: $111.6m
F-35B: $109.4m
F-35C: $142.9 m

All price targets w/o engines. LRIP 4 F135 engine price not out, but P&W says it will be 10% less than LRIP 3 ($19m for conventional, $38m for STOVL lift fan system)

H/T Amy Butler, AvWeek
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/awx/2010/12/16/awx_12_16_2010_p0-277980.xml&headline=JSF%20LRIP%20IV%20Cost%20Targets%20Released&channel=defense

On December 9th, the F-35 program met its requirement to fly a minumum of 394 tests flights in 2010. The “B” is 2 flights behind its requirement, but the “A” and “C” are ahead. The flying year ends December 22nd, so we will have to wait and see how many flights and test points were accomplished.

Just checked LM’s press release. For the month of November, the program flew 60 flights against a plan of 51. The -A’s and -B’s exceeded their monthly “targets,” while the -C’s are just 2 flights behind. Still no mention about vertical evolutions for the -B’s, nor a resolution of parts / reliability issues.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2010/101215ae_f35-flighttest-target-reached.html

isn’t that from a while back? it’s what kicked off the whole surprised debate about 6 AMRAAM in the summer.

I made the point back then in one of the UK F35B related threads that 6 AMRAAM makes the F35 a very useful aircraft to operate from the new RN carriers!

Even if its not as good as Typhoon:)

6 won’t fit in a -B.

Just like I said before, LM has shot itself into its own foot. For years they have been trumpeting out F-22 as the best thing since sliced bread with SC, stealth and kinematic advantages, defined generations just to separate the new toy from everything else..

The bloody thing is that now they need to make money with a fighter that has none of the described virtues – is neither stealthy, nor fast. So they have to either disprove all the claims they have made before or make the F-35 look a bit better than it is by highlighting the few good things it has and keeping shut about everything else (especially speed, aerobatic capabilities and RCS).

Which is exactly what they’re doing.. And it’s funny to watch fans following whatever they spit out like a herd of brainless sheep.

We shouldn’t forget that LM is the manufacturer of both aircraft, and they will always portray the attributes and capabilities of their products in a most positive light – just like any other manufacturer would in their position. This is the danger of using promotional materials supplied by the manufacturer as actual performance data, including interviews from company test pilots – particularly for an aircraft in a flight test program.

As for the F-22A, even though it did not meet all the objectives set forth in the design specification (like many aircraft,) it has been accepted into service, and remains the most formidable air superiority fighter currently in service.

Dear sir,

I would like the see the Typhoon on a self escorting strike mission with 4-6 LGB and 2 A2A missiles and full fuel load super cruise at mach 1.3-1.5. if it can do this this, I would be impressed.

If you want to retain the F-35’s ability to remain stealthy (and possibly supercruise,) the loadout would have to be internal: 2 AIM’s (sta 5 & 7) and 2 A-G (sta 4 & 8) weps max.

It’s not just me that has a great deal of faith in Stealth. As Russia and India are investing heavily in Stealth on the PAK-FA.

Which is actually interesting. What the Russians seem to be doing with the PAK-FA is making it just stealthy enough to gain an advantage over a (probably non-stealthy) opponent. Something the USN should think about when designing the NGAD aircraft.

F-35 LRIP IV ADDITIONAL funding

“Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $6,900,000 undefinitized contract action (UCA) modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-09-C-0010) for additional recurring sustainment and system engineering sustainment activities in support of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot IV procurement. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35); El Segundo, Calif. (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Fla. (10 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); and Baltimore, Md. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.”