F-35 completes comprehensive flight tests without a single loss or fatality

New Atlas ^ | April 14th, 2018 | David Szondy

[PreciousLiberty]

Lockheed Martin's three F-35 Lightning II strike fighter variants have completed what the company called the most comprehensive flight test program in aviation history. On April 11 at US Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, Navy test aircraft CF-2 carrying external 2,000-lb (907-kg) GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and AIM-9X Sidewinder heat-seeking missiles completed the final developmental test flight of the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the program.

According to Lockheed, a team of over a thousand SDD flight test engineers, maintainers, pilots, and support personnel completed full flight-envelope tests on all three variants of the F-35, including six at-sea detachments with over 1,500 vertical landing tests for the F-35B, 183 Weapon Separation Tests, 46 Weapons Delivery Accuracy tests, and 33 Mission Effectiveness tests that included multi-ship missions with eight F-35s taking on advanced threats. One remarkable aspect of this testing program was that it didn't involve a loss of either a single pilot or airframe.

"Completing F-35 SDD flight test is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication from the joint government and industry team," says Vice Adm. Mat Winter, F-35 Program Executive Officer. "Since the first flight of AA-1 in 2006, the developmental flight test program has operated for more than 11 years mishap-free, conducting more than 9,200 sorties, accumulating over 17,000 flight hours, and executing more than 65,000 test points to verify the design, durability, software, sensors, weapons capability and performance for all three F-35 variants. Congratulations to our F-35 Test Team and the broader F-35 Enterprise for delivering this new powerful and decisive capability to the warfighter."

[PapaBear3625]

However, with that many hardpoints on the wings there’s probably not much stealth left in the radar signature.

The hardpoints are removable when stealth is a priority.

[maddog55]

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/03/05/fewer-planes-are-ready-to-fly-air-force-mission-capable-rates-decline-amid-pilot-crisis/

Out of 119 aircraft in 2017 FMC was 54%

http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2018/March%202018/Air-Force-F-35-Fleet-Facing-Low-Availability-Logistics-Limitations.aspx

March 2018: Out of the Air Force’s 130 total F-35As, 100 are on the older Block 2B software suite and have a mission capable rate in the “low 40” percent, Lt. Gen. Jerry Harris, the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans, programs, and requirements said at a House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land subcommittee hearing. The rest are in the upgraded Block 3I and 3F software suites, with these running a mission capable rate in the “60 to 70” percentage range, Harris said.

[PreciousLiberty]

Did you even read the articles you linked? Do you understand what all factors in to MCR?

There is a lot to it beyond the airframe, in particular there must be qualified maintenance people. Further, 100 F-35s will require some form of upgrade to get to the latest software, so clearly having them "mission capable" isn't much of a priority right now.

Of those which are up to date, the MCR is, as you quote, in the "60 to 70 percentage range", which is in the neighborhood of many other aircraft in the list. What you failed to mention is that the squadron deployed to Kadena, Japan (an actual front-line unit) is running at a MCR of "above 70 percent" which is right in line with the best MCRs of the F-15s and F-16s. The F-16D (the most advanced) is running at a MCR of just 66%.

In short, what you posted completely supports the position that the F-35 is doing very well for such a new aircraft!

[maddog55]

Fully aware of MCR/FMC requirements and have been for many years.

You can have several aircraft fwd deployed running at a high MCR/FMC which is great but your home base aircraft are gathering dust cannibalizing parts so you can keep the fwd deployed folks flying and pencil whipping your rates fwd is not uncommon by any means.

Readiness rates encompass all aircraft not just those deployed.

You like the F-35 I don’t so we disagree.