F-35 Airframe making begins!
-
http://www.lmtas.com/news/programnews/combat_air/x35/jsf_03/jsfpr031110.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2003
Manufacturing Begins On Lockheed Martin F-35 Airframe
Fort Worth, Texas — Workers in Texas and California have begun fabricating the first major airframe components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
On Monday, Nov. 10, milling machines at Progressive Inc., in Arlington, Texas, and at H.M. Dunn Co. Inc., in Euless, Texas, began cutting “big-bone” structural components for the supersonic stealth fighter. Simultaneously, Northrop Grumman Corp., a principal teammate on the F-35 program, started the milling process for other major parts of the F-35 JSF’s airframe with its subcontractor Brek Manufacturing in Gardena, Calif.
“Up to now, the F-35 has existed in a world of mathematical formulas and three-dimensional electronic engineering diagrams. Today it starts emerging as a real airplane,” said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager of the F-35 program. “We’re proud that these first big parts are being produced by small- and veteran-owned businesses. They’ve proven their ability to produce world-class components for the most advanced multirole fighter in history.”
ProgressiveÂ’s first part was a major bulkhead for the F-35Â’s wing section. H.M. Dunn kicked off F-35 manufacturing with a forward fuselage radar bulkhead, while Brek milled a center fuselage canopy shelf.
The partnering relationships that led to the initiation of F-35 manufacturing activities exemplify Lockheed MartinÂ’s commitment to help its customers meet their defining moments.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. will assemble the F-35 at its mile-long factory in Fort Worth. Major subassemblies will be completed by Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems in El Segundo and Palmdale, Calif., and by BAE SYSTEMS in Salmesbury, England. The finished subassembly modules will then be shipped to Fort Worth for final assembly.
The first F-35 is scheduled for completion in mid-2005, with first flight planned for late that year.
Veteran-owned Progressive Inc., specializes in profile milling of complex aluminum and titanium parts used in the manufacture of military and commercial aircraft. The company was founded in 1971 with the purchase of equipment from a small two-man shop in Arlington. In 1983, Progressive purchased the assets of a competing company and created a single corporation with 100 employees.
H.M. Dunn Co. Inc., is a privately held engineering and manufacturing company with an advanced machine shop featuring a diverse assortment of three-, four- and five-axis computer numerically control machines specializing in serving the commercial and military aerospace industry. Over the past 29 years, the company has grown from a 4,800-square-foot building to the current 62,000-square-foot facility.
The F-35 is a stealthy, supersonic multirole fighter designed to replace a wide range of aging fighter and strike aircraft. Three variants derived from a common design will ensure F-35 meets the performance needs of the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and allied defense forces worldwide, while staying within strict affordability targets.
The F-35 will offer capability that is superior to all current-generation fighter aircraft. It will enable unprecedented levels of interoperability and international cooperation. Among the aircraft that the F-35 will replace are the AV-8B Harrier, A-10, F-16, F/A-18 and the United KingdomÂ’s Harrier GR.7 and Sea Harrier.
Nine nations are partnering in the F-35Â’s System Development and Demonstration phase: The United States, United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Australia. Additionally, Israel has agreed to join the program as a Security Cooperation Participant.
Background Information
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business area of Lockheed Martin, is a leader in the design, development, systems integration, production and support of advanced military aircraft and related technologies. Its customers include the military services of the United States and allied countries throughout the world. Products include the F-16, F/A-22, F-35 JSF, F-117, T-50, C-5, C-27J, C-130, C-130J, P-3, S-3 and U-2.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin Corp. employs about 125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2002 sales of $26.6 billion. -
Interesting since there is only like 2 sqns of F/A-22's in operation and some 32 of them only!!!ANd yet the F-35 is being rushed to come into production so soon?!
-
It is a surprise that Singapore is not mentioned as a secondary partner in this project.
In mid-2002, it was announced that Singapore will 'buy a seat' in the project to be in a position to provide some inputs and draw some experience in the development of this aircraft.
This aircraft will be a possible candidate to replace the F-16 by the end of this decade.
Singapore's involvement in this project was brought up in the Parliamentary Debate, and the Official Report recorded the debates in the sitting procedures of 14 March 2003, Volume 76.
See page 32 to 33, in which Dr Ong Chit Chung (Head of Parliamentary Defense Committee) raised the question of Singapore's participation in the JSF F-35 Project.
In Page 40 to 41, a reply was given by Cedric Foo confirming the participation of Singapore in this project.
http://www.parliament.gov.sg/Publication/Htdocs/20030314.pdf -
SP expects major US contract
SP aerospace and vehicle systems (Geldrop, the Netherlands) expects US$50-60 million in F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) arresting gear business now that it has been selected to develop and produce the arresting gear for the F-35A conventional take-off and landing version (CTOL) of the Lockheed Martin multirole fighter.
[Jane's International Defense Review - first posted to http://idr.janes.com - 18 November 2003] -
You definitely won't believe this news......
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joint Strike Fighter Brendon Sobie/Singapore
Singapore Eyes 2012 for JSF
Latest recruit to development and demonstration phase moes to recieve fighters early
21-27 October 2003 Flight International
Singapore is to seek 2012 delivery of Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) when it joins the programme as a security co-operation participant (SCP) later this year.
A letter of agreement (LoA) will be signed this year bringing Singpaore into the JSF system development and demonstration phase. The LoA represents the conversion of a letter of Intent (LoI) signed in Feburary, and gives Singapore a seat at critical design review next year.
Singapore is hoping to determine which JSF delivery slots it can expect before it selects a new interim fighter. It has shortlisted the Boeing F-15T, Dassualt Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon for a requirement for up to 24 aircraft, with a decision due in late 2004 or 2005.
Industry sources say Singapore has gained US support for JSF delivery slots from 2012, but this would mean that five or six of the eight JSF partner countries would have to allow Singapore to move ahead of them in the queue for aircraft.
Rivals predct Singapore will not be in a position to recieve its JSFs for several years after the planned 2008-9 delivery of the first interim fighter. They are hoping it will be unwilling to take the gamble of planning on the basis of JSF deliveries in 2012. "The promise has been 2012 to everyone," says a Boeing executive. "We know that's not going to happen. The chances of it saying on track are slim, History tends to repeat itself, and we stand ready if it does."
Lockheed Martin sees 2012 JSF deliveries for Singapore as realistic because several of the Level 1 and Level 2 partners, which are above SCPs in the peckin gorder, do not require early deliveries. "We have been studying our capacity and we see no issu in achieving 2012 deliveries for Singapore or others outside the US government or Level 1 or Level 2 countries," it says.
Lockheed Martin believes securing early delivery slots could even prompt Singapore to reconsider plans for an interim fighter, given the cost of supporting a new type, and the possiblilty there may be only three years separating JSF and the figher purchase.
Singapore will not secure firm JSF delivery slots until it signs a production LoA in 2007 or 2008, however, and obsevers believe early JSF deliveries would threaten the size of interim buy rather then the buy itself -
How likely will it be that our JSFs will be equipped with the proposed solidstate laser that researchers think may be in place by teh mid 2010s to the early 2020s?Will it be realistic to hope that our airforce is forward looking enough to secure this phenomenal weapon system as it may upset the balance of power in this region, but it could also be a guarantee of peace..
-
Forget about that. DEWs are weapons that would seriously destabilise the regional military balance and would not be exported easily. If we can get the same F-35 model as the USAF, can count ourselves super lucky liao... even the UK is concerned that they will not receive the full-capability version of the F-35...
-
"As international partners in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme criticise the industrial returns from the development phase, Lockheed Martin and the US government are facing another potentially disruptive issue - how international partners in a high-technology stealth programme can be supported outside the USA without violating national disclosure policy.
In early November, the JSF programme office contracted Lockheed Martin to look at three highly sensitive areas: simulation and modelling for interactive warfighting tests of US and international versions; logistics infrastructure planning; and flight testing of the secretive design changes for the international partner versions required by US disclosure rules.
Logistics planning, for example, is a major concern for an aircraft designed with US-protected stealth technology, but owned and operated by a foreign government. "We're selling them an aircraft that's very stealthy. We know they need to maintain that aircraft and we're working to make that happen," says Jon Schreiber, director of international programmes in the US/UK-led JSF Joint Program Office. "We're looking at how we can accommodate that need and still protect US technology."
The US government has already tweaked international partner version's designs to protect sensitive technologies. Schreiber says the changes are insignificant in terms of warfighting capability, and claims that US officials have granted security exemptions to maintain commonality. "There are differences between what the USA is going to be flying and what [the international partners are] going to be flying in certain areas," says Schreiber, but he declines to specify the changes. "We don't divulge that information. The National Disclosure Policy prevents us from doing that."
Meanwhile, some international partners are critical of the returns on the system development and demonstration part of the JSF programme. Italy is in "tough negotiations" with Lockheed Martin over workshare, while Norway, unhappy about the scale of work filtering down, is rethinking its participation. Even the UK, a Level 1 partner, is concerned about the lack of technology transfer."
As expected.... we'd probably not get the full up version, but the international F-35 version will probably still be way ahead of the competition...