F-35: Centerpiece of 21st century global security

F-16.net ^ | 7/19/2010 | John R. Kent

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The 5th generation F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter will serve as the centrepiece for 21st century global security while strengthening international political and industrial partnerships, a senior Lockheed Martin F-35 executive said Monday at the Farnborough Air Show. "As we continue to define what a next generation multirole fighter is and bring to the world a profound increase in capability over the best existing fighters, I’m most proud that we’re able to do it affordably—at about the price of fourth generation aircraft," said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager of F-35 Program Integration. "The program continues to make good progress both in flight test and production, with all test aircraft now out of the factory and the first international jets beginning to take shape."

Throughout its life cycle, the F-35 will create enduring industrial relationships, from manufacturing and production to worldwide operation and support via Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment (ALGS), Burbage said. F-35 ALGS, developed in parallel with the aircraft and its systems, defines the F-35’s total life-cycle sustainment system.

Thousands of people are employed in the F-35 partner countries, which have invested more than U.S. $4 billion in the project. Those countries – the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Turkey, Canada, Norway and Denmark– also stand to become more strategically aligned as each employs the same front-line fighter that brings unprecedented levels of interoperability.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Ping

[Thunder90]

The F-35 WILL get cut.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I do not think so. Too much money has been invested and Lockheed will lobby for it.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Lockheed Martin has many friends in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill.

[Red Steel]

You will see the F-22 Raptors in next years Congressional budget.

[Nowhere Man]

You will see the F-22 Raptors in next years Congressional budget.

I hope so. I'd like to see a mix of F-22 and F-15SE's being built. The F-35 screams junk to me. it just looks that way. If we needed a low cost fighter, I would have chosen the F-20.

[WackySam]

You will see the F-22 Raptors in next years Congressional budget.

It's probably BS, but I heard somewhere that Obambi had some of the F22 dies destroyed.

[J Edgar]

Translation from Corporate Unicorn speak to common folks speak:

We will be transfer jobs and technology to our foreign customers, with no regard to retaining a technologically based aerospace work force within the USA.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I do not think so. The orders are starting to flow in. Israel ordered 75-100 planes.F-35 orders remain a matter of debate, but current plans call for the US and UK to purchase approximately 2,600 aircraft

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/f35/

[Red Steel]

Right, BS. I saw that rumor/story too.

The latest production run goes through 2011 for 60 new F-22s.

"Lockheed Martin Awarded Additional $5 Billion in Multiyear Contract to Build 60 F-22 Raptors

MARIETTA, Ga., July 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today received an additional $5 billion from the U.S. Air Force for three lots of F-22 Raptor air dominance fighters. This brings the total multi-year contract value to $7.3 billion and extends the production of the aircraft through the year 2011.

The U.S. government previously awarded $2.3 billion of the contract to buy long lead- time parts and maintain continuous manufacturing flow. The aircraft will be built at a rate of 20 per year, with deliveries starting in late 2008...."

-end snip-

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lockheed-martin-awarded-additional-5-billion-in-multiyear-contract-to-build-60-f-22-raptors-52790072.html

The F-22 production run will outlast Obama.

[Tolsti2]

That’s good news. It’s always a dumb move to scale back production so much that unit cost is sky high with so little to show for it. The B2’s the most notorious example.

[Red Steel]

Usually that’s correct. With Obama in the White House, F-22 production should be slooooooowed to less than a turtle crawl.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/f22/

“Despite its advanced systems and exceptional performance, F-22 production has been limited due to the aircraft’s high pricetag that has been estimated as high as $250 million apiece. “

[Red Steel]

It is better than spending it on the other nonsense that Obama wants.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The whole project is a dead stick. Congress killed the program. The people you should blame is Congress for killing the program.

[cranked]

lulz, at the ongoing costs of that bird, she had better be the frakin centerpiece of something, hello? =.=

[Red Steel]

We will see about that.

[DesertRhino]

I thought bubble canopies were kind of a settled thing,, the whole pilot being able to see behind you thing.

[Red Steel]

Oh BTW, that price estimate you cited for the F-22 seems more than a tad too high:

"USAF considers options to preserve F-22 production tooling "

"the average unit cost per F-22 is $227 million. If production continued without stopping, the average is $173 million, according to the Rand study."