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Subject: Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
Date: 8 Oct 2017 07:35:20 -0700
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine,
all-weather stealth multirole fighters. The fifth-generation combat aircraft is
designed to perform ground attack and air superiority missions. It has three
main models: the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, the
F-35B short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant, and the F-35C
carrier-based Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR)
variant. On 31 July 2015, the United States Marines declared ready for
deployment the first squadron of F-35B fighters after intensive testing. On 2
August 2016, the U.S. Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35A fighters
combat-ready.
The F-35 descends from the X-35, the winning design of the Joint Strike Fighter
(JSF) program. An aerospace industry team led by Lockheed Martin designed and
manufactures it. Other major F-35 industry partners include Northrop Grumman,
Pratt & Whitney and BAE Systems. The F-35 first flew on 15 December 2006. The
United States plans to buy 2,663 aircraft. Its variants are to provide the bulk
of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy and the Marine Corps
over the coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U.S. military are
scheduled until 2037 with a projected service life up to 2070.
The United States principally funds the F-35 JSF development, with additional
funding from partners. The partner nations are either NATO members or close U.S.
allies. The United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the
Netherlands, and Turkey are part of the active development program; several
additional countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the F-35.
The program is the most expensive military weapons system in history, and has
been much criticized inside and outside government, in the U.S. and in allied
countries. Critics argue that the plane is "plagued with design flaws", with
many blaming the procurement process in which Lockheed was allowed "to design,
fixing] defects before firing up its production line". By 2014, the program was
"$163 billion over budget [and] seven years behind schedule". Critics also
contend that the program's high sunk costs and political momentum make it "too
big to kill".
Role
Stealth multirole fighter
National origin
United States
Manufacturer
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
First flight
15 December 2006 (F-35A)
Introduction
F-35B: 31 July 2015 (USMC)
F-35A: 2 August 2016 (USAF)
F-35C: 2018 (USN)
Status
In service
Primary users
United States Air Force
United States Marine Corps
United States Navy
See Operators section for others
Produced
Number built
231 as of March 2017
Program cost
US$1.508 trillion (through 2070 in then-year dollars), US$55.1B for RDT&E,
$319.1B for procurement, $4.8B for MILCON, $1123.8B for operations & sustainment
(2015 estimate)
Unit cost
F-35A: $94.6M (low rate initial production lot 10 (LRIP 10) including F135
engine, full production in 2018 to be $85M)
F-35B: US$122.8M (LRIP 10 including engine)
F-35C: US$121.8M (LRIP 10 including engine)
Developed from
Lockheed Martin X-35
Structural composites in the F-35 are 35% of the airframe weight (up from 25% in
the F-22). The majority of these are bismaleimide (BMI) and composite epoxy
material. The F-35 will be the first mass-produced aircraft to include
structural nanocomposites, namely carbon nanotube reinforced epoxy. Experience
of the F-22's problems with corrosion led to the F-35 using a gap filler that
causes less galvanic corrosion to the airframe's skin, designed with fewer gaps
requiring filler and implementing better drainage. The relatively short 35-foot
wingspan of the A and B variants is set by the F-35B's requirement to fit inside
the Navy's current amphibious assault ship parking area and elevators; the
F-35C's longer wing is considered to be more fuel efficient.
A United States Navy study found that the F-35 will cost 30 to 40 percent more
to maintain than current jet fighters; not accounting for inflation over the
F-35's operational lifetime. A Pentagon study concluded a $1 trillion
maintenance cost for the entire fleet over its lifespan, not accounting for
inflation. The F-35 program office found that as of January 2014, costs for the
F-35 fleet over a 53-year life cycle was $857 billion. Costs for the fighter
have been dropping and accounted for the 22 percent life cycle drop since 2010.
Lockheed stated that by 2019, pricing for the fifth-generation aircraft will be
less than fourth-generation fighters. An F-35A in 2019 is expected to cost $85
million per unit complete with engines and full mission systems, inflation
adjusted from $75 million in December 2013.
The F-35 does not need to be physically pointing at its target for weapons to be
successful. Sensors can track and target a nearby aircraft from any orientation,
provide the information to the pilot through their helmet (and therefore visible
no matter which way the pilot is looking), and provide the seeker-head of a
missile with sufficient information. Recent missile types provide a much greater
ability to pursue a target regardless of the launch orientation, called "High
Off-Boresight" capability. Sensors use combined radio frequency and infra red
(SAIRST) to continually track nearby aircraft while the pilot's helmet-mounted
display system (HMDS) displays and selects targets; the helmet system replaces
the display-suite-mounted head-up display used in earlier fighters. Each helmet
costs $400,000.
Specifications (F-35A)
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 50.5 ft (15.67 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft (10.7 m)
Height: 14.2 ft (4.33 m)
Empty weight: 28,999 lb (13,154 kg)
Loaded weight: 49,441 lb (22,426 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 70,000 lb (31,800 kg)
Internal fuel capacity: 18,498 lb (8,382 kg)
lbf (125 kN)
Thrust with afterburner: 43,000 lbf (191 kN)
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 1.6+ (1,200 mph, 1,930 km/h) (tested to Mach 1.61)
Range: >1,200 nmi (2,220 km) on internal fuel
Combat radius: 669 nmi (1,239 km) interdiction mission on internal fuel, 760 nmi
(1,407 km) for internal air to air configuration
Thrust/weight:
With full fuel: 0.87
With 50% fuel: 1.07
Maximum g-load: 9 g
Armament
internally mounted with 180 rounds
and two internal bays with a capacity of up to 5,700 lb (2,590 kg); total
weapons payload is 18,000 lb (8,100 kg) and provisions to carry combinations of:
Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles: AIM-120 AMRAAM
AIM-9X Sidewinder
IRIS-T
AIM-132 ASRAAM
MBDA Meteor (pending further funding)
Air-to-surface missiles: AGM-88 AARGM
AGM-158 JASSM
Brimstone missile / MBDA SPEAR 2
SPEAR 3
Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM)
SOM
Anti-ship missiles: Joint Strike Missile (JSM)
Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM)
Bombs:
Mark 84 or Mark 83 or Mark 82 GP bombs
Mk.20 Rockeye II cluster bomb
Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) capable
Paveway series laser-guided bombs
Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) series
AGM-154 JSOW
B61 mod 12 nuclear bomb
*
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