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What is up with the F-35? Part II

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  • Originally posted by Skywatcher View Post
    Didn't work out too well in 2015 (and the secular right wing was sort of friendly and united back then), and Mr. Najib Razak also thought he had the election in the bag.
    True, but Razak didn't have the power Erdogan has today...

    Back to the F-35: the spare parts control software is still giving headaches. Big ones.

    Comment


    • Originally posted by jlvfr View Post
      Back to the F-35: the spare parts control software is still giving headaches. Big ones.
      Sounds like it's less of an issue with the software than suppliers that are unable to keep up with the demand. New build F-35s probably get priority, especially if all the little guys are contracting with Lockheed rather than DOD. With the ever expanding production lines in Fort Worth, there may not be much excess capacity to produce spares.

      Comment


      • First British f-35s arrive in the UK

        Comment


        • Originally posted by SteveDaPirate View Post
          Sounds like it's less of an issue with the software than suppliers that are unable to keep up with the demand. New build F-35s probably get priority, especially if all the little guys are contracting with Lockheed rather than DOD. With the ever expanding production lines in Fort Worth, there may not be much excess capacity to produce spares.
          That's an issue across all military aircraft.
          “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
          Mark Twain

          Comment


          • Essex Amphibious Ready Group Quietly Deployed on Tuesday with Marine F-35s

            THE PENTAGON — The three-ship Essex Amphibious Ready Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit left San Diego, Calif., on Tuesday with little fanfare for an expected Western Pacific and Middle East deployment, a defense official confirmed to USNI News on Thursday.

            The big deck USS Essex (LHD-2), amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD-23) and dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD-47) departed for an routine deployment with a squadron of Marine F-35B Lighting II Joint Strike Fighters from the “Wake Island Avengers” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, the official confirmed to USNI News.

            “The Essex Amphibious Ready Group with embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit got underway from San Diego, Tuesday,” Pacific Fleet spokesman Capt. Charlie Brown said in a Thursday statement to USNI News. “For reasons of operational security, we are not publicly disclosing any additional details.”

            The deployment is the first for Marine Joint Strike Fighters from the U.S., following a short float of Japan-based “Green Knights” of VMFA-121 on the forward-deployed amphibious warship USS Wasp (LHD-1) in March.

            The Marine F-35Bs aboard Essex are set to bring a drastically expanded set of capabilities to the ARG/MEU beyond the more-than-30-year-old design of the AV-8B Harrier II that makes up the bulk of the Marines’ strike inventory.

            “With the new aircraft, we want to be able to capitalize on all the capability that aircraft has to bear, like multi-functional data links, how do we get that information from that airplane to the ship so we can use it,” Capt. Gerald Olin, Amphibious Squadron 1 commander and commodore of the Essex ARG, said in February. “That also gives me additional command-and-control capability.”

            While the Marines have widely publicized the F-35Bs on Essex, the departure of the ARG/MEU was not announced publicly before the ships left San Diego. Typically, the service alerts media in advance of deployments for those interested in covering the departure events, as well as sends a separate announcement once the ships formally deploy. Numerous social media posts on Facebook and Twitter – posted by private citizens, not military-affiliated accounts – showed sailors and Marines manning the rails of the ships of the ARG as they departed San Diego.

            The decision to not announce the departure of the about 5,000 sailors and Marines were made at the discretion of the new U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. John Aquilino, two sources familiar with the behind-the-scenes conversations on the preparations told USNI News on Thursday. The communications move was designed to change the expectations on what information the public could expect when ships in the Pacific area of operations deploy, the sources told USNI News.

            A San Diego-based Navy official would not confirm to USNI News when called on Thursday if Essex was in port, citing a new Pacific Fleet policy that was not elaborated on. Link
            “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

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            • F-35 Air Vehicle Configuration Evolution

              Click image for larger version

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              https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2018-3367

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              • the saga continues....

                http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...-35s-to-turkey

                No Stealth For You!: Trump Signs Defense Bill That Blocks Transfer Of F-35s To Turkey

                just a snipit...

                The language in the law requires a written review within 90 days on Turkish-U.S. relations, including the use of Incirlik Air Base by American forces, as well as a risk assessment associated with delivering F-35s to Turkey as well as other platforms and weapons systems. It reads in part:

                Assessment of impacts on other United States weapon systems and platforms operated jointly with the Republic of Turkey" for the following

                (ii) the Patriot surface-to-air missile system;

                (iii) the CH–47 Chinook heavy lift helicopter;

                (iv) the AH–64 Attack helicopter;

                (v) the H–60 Black Hawk utility helicopter; and

                (vi) the F–16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.

                Only once these documents are delivered can a reevaluation of the restrictions be made.

                The first Turkish F-35 has already been delivered, but it will be some time before the jets actually migrate to Turkey as Turkish F-35 pilot training is just being spun up at Luke AFB in Arizona.

                Secretary of Defense James Mattis was opposed to blocking the transfer on the grounds that Turkey is still a regional strategic ally of the United States and that it would add to the F-35 program's cost and potentially disrupt its supply chain among other factors. But rhetoric emanating from Ankara doesn't point to the possibility of a repeal of the embargo anytime soon, as both Trump and Erdogan squabble over the return of religious leaders in each other's countries.

                Comment


                • My understanding is that while two aircraft have been 'delivered', in reality they are at Luke AFB where the first Turk pilots were training and are not actually in Turkish possession. Is that the case? Because otherwise it seems certain that any copies in actual Turkish possession get sold off to highest bidder as part of the current political fight.

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                  • ... doesn't Turkey also have a maintenance center that was supposed to support other EU countries?...

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                    • Originally posted by jlvfr View Post
                      ... doesn't Turkey also have a maintenance center that was supposed to support other EU countries?...
                      Yes. Not only would this lead to a disruption of the parts stream sourced from Turkey, since new parts would have to be certified, it also means that a new European site for engine support would have to be made available. However it is worth the cost of not letting the technology potentially fall into Russian hands IMO.

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by Josh View Post
                        My understanding is that while two aircraft have been 'delivered', in reality they are at Luke AFB where the first Turk pilots were training and are not actually in Turkish possession. Is that the case? Because otherwise it seems certain that any copies in actual Turkish possession get sold off to highest bidder as part of the current political fight.
                        I believe you are correct, yes.

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by Josh View Post
                          Yes. Not only would this lead to a disruption of the parts stream sourced from Turkey, since new parts would have to be certified, it also means that a new European site for engine support would have to be made available. However it is worth the cost of not letting the technology potentially fall into Russian hands IMO.

                          The Daily Sabah states that Alp Aviation, AYESAS, Kale Aviation, Kale Pratt & Whitney, and Turkish Aerospace Industries are all producing components for the F-35 program. By some accounts, it could take up to two years to re-source these components to manufacturers in the U.S. or in other F-35 customer counties. In addition, one of three planned engine maintenance facilities in Europe to provide depot-level service for the F135 engine that powers the F-35 is located in Turkey. The other two will be stood up in Norway and The Netherlands.

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by bfng3569 View Post
                            the saga continues....

                            http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...-35s-to-turkey

                            No Stealth For You!: Trump Signs Defense Bill That Blocks Transfer Of F-35s To Turkey

                            just a snipit...

                            The language in the law requires a written review within 90 days on Turkish-U.S. relations, including the use of Incirlik Air Base by American forces, as well as a risk assessment associated with delivering F-35s to Turkey as well as other platforms and weapons systems. It reads in part:

                            Assessment of impacts on other United States weapon systems and platforms operated jointly with the Republic of Turkey" for the following

                            (ii) the Patriot surface-to-air missile system;

                            (iii) the CH–47 Chinook heavy lift helicopter;

                            (iv) the AH–64 Attack helicopter;

                            (v) the H–60 Black Hawk utility helicopter; and

                            (vi) the F–16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.

                            Only once these documents are delivered can a reevaluation of the restrictions be made.

                            The first Turkish F-35 has already been delivered, but it will be some time before the jets actually migrate to Turkey as Turkish F-35 pilot training is just being spun up at Luke AFB in Arizona.

                            Secretary of Defense James Mattis was opposed to blocking the transfer on the grounds that Turkey is still a regional strategic ally of the United States and that it would add to the F-35 program's cost and potentially disrupt its supply chain among other factors. But rhetoric emanating from Ankara doesn't point to the possibility of a repeal of the embargo anytime soon, as both Trump and Erdogan squabble over the return of religious leaders in each other's countries.
                            Tyler Rogoway once shows that he's the stupidest smart person in defense journalism (note how the 2019 NDAA says delivery is blocked until those make work reports are suspended to Congress).

                            Comment


                            • 'blocked'

                              Originally posted by Skywatcher View Post
                              Tyler Rogoway once shows that he's the stupidest smart person in defense journalism (note how the 2019 NDAA says delivery is blocked until those make work reports are suspended to Congress).
                              I believe the word used in the actual legislation was suspended or something more temporary than blocked. That said, the non delivery of the first two F-35s seems to be a precursor to Turkey's membership in the program coming under review. In fact the reports to be submitted in 90 days from what I understand are to address the damage to the program by removing Turkey, among other things. There was already bipartisan support for withholding the F-35 from Turkey before Trump drew a line in the sand over the good pastor. Now that Trump is onboard, and also given that Recep has invested too much in the situation to back down, it seems exceedingly likely that there will be further Congressional action on the issue and sans pastor, it seems all but assured any retaliation will be signed off on by Trump.

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by Josh View Post
                                I believe the word used in the actual legislation was suspended or something more temporary than blocked. That said, the non delivery of the first two F-35s seems to be a precursor to Turkey's membership in the program coming under review. In fact the reports to be submitted in 90 days from what I understand are to address the damage to the program by removing Turkey, among other things. There was already bipartisan support for withholding the F-35 from Turkey before Trump drew a line in the sand over the good pastor. Now that Trump is onboard, and also given that Recep has invested too much in the situation to back down, it seems exceedingly likely that there will be further Congressional action on the issue and sans pastor, it seems all but assured any retaliation will be signed off on by Trump.
                                Until 45 gets bored and compromises/drops the whole pastor farce (with the increasing Special Counsel storm, he's probably going to try to get a Singapore summit equivalent with Erdogan that the media mouthpieces will spin and spin come October).

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