F-35 Lightning II

The F-35 is a major transatlantic project involving the US and its European allies. The project started life in the mid-1990s as the Anglo-American Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) -- also called the Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) by the UK -- developed by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems to replace the USAF’s F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II, the US Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet, the USMC’s F/A-18 Hornet and AV-8 Harrier II, and Britain’s Harrier GR9 fleet jointly operated by the RAF and the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. The project has since been joined by Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Turkey who signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to join the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the project in 2001. Israel and Singapore signed-up for Security Co-operative Participation (SCP) in 2003. The F-35 Lightning II will replace the F/A-18 Hornet and/or F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters operated by these countries. Singapore recently acquired 24 F-15SG Strike Eagles as an interim fighter to replace the F-5 Tiger II and A-4 Skyhawk until the F-35 becomes available with deliveries due in 2008-2010. It is, however, likely that this aircraft will continue to operate alongside the F-35 once it enters service.

Photo: Lockheed Martin

The F-35 Lightning II is a single-seat fighter with stealth capabilities in conventional take-off and landing (CTOL), carrier-based variant (CV) and short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) configurations. The aircraft will be powered by a single turbofan providing a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 and will be capable of carrying up to 15,000 lb of ordnance. Two different versions of the aircraft’s power plant are being developed by GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce. The CTOL (F-35A) version and slightly larger CV (F-35C) variant will be powered by a single Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan or the F136 being developed by the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team (FET). The STOVL variant (F-35B) will be powered either by a F135 or F136 featuring a Rolls-Royce-designed two-stage lift fan and three-bearing swivelling nozzles to provide vertical and forward thrust. Pratt & Whitney's F135 will be used to power F-35B test models until 2010. The company was awarded its first F135 production contract worth US$69.3 million (EUR47.3 million) in September 2007 to cover the delivery of engines for two F-35A models in 2009.

The US is the main financial contributor to the programme with US$5.3 billion (EUR3.6 billion) allocated in 2007. Some US$6.2 billion (EUR4.2 billion) has been allocated in 2008, which will include the procurement of 12 aircraft for testing purposes. The other nations involved in the project are designated partners at three levels (I, II, III). Each level provides different industrial participation and how many staff are assigned to the F-35's programme office in the US. Level I and II partners have some influence in the F-35's design and development to meet their own specific national requirements. The UK is a Level I partner and is contributing some US$2.0 billion (EUR1.4 billion), about ten per cent of the cost of the SDD phase. As Level I partner, the UK has the biggest industrial participation after the US and should also financially gain more from sales. Italy and the Netherlands are Level II partners and are contributing US$1.8 billion (EUR1.2 billion), while Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Turkey are Level III partners and are together contributing some US$725 million (EUR494 million) to the overall programme. Israel and Singapore are reportedly each paying less than US$50 million (EUR34 million) through their SCP agreements with their aircraft likely to be purchased through the US's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) scheme.

Most of the project partners will acquire the F-35A with the UK and the USMC due to purchase the
F-35B and the US Navy the F-35C. The USAF was looking at purchasing a small number of F-35B variants, but the recent US$300 million (EUR206 million) upgrade to some of its A-10 Thunderbolt II should keep that aircraft in service until 2020. Italy's planned procurement of about 131 F-35s should include 22 F-35Bs to replace the Italian Navy's AV-8B Harrier II+. Denmark and Norway are still considering modified versions of Sweden's JAS-39 Gripen as an alternative to the F-35A with a decision due in 2009.

Project partners

The first flight of the F-35 Lightning II (AA-1) took place at Lockheed Martin’s site in Fort Worth, Texas in the US on 15 December 2006. The F-35B prototype (BF-1) is scheduled to make its maiden flight in May 2008. The F-35B will initially be powered by the F135 engine, but will feature the F136 in later test flights after 2010. Initial deliveries for the US Marine Corps for training purposes are expected in 2011. The F-35C is expected to make its first flight in 2009. The SDD phase will see the construction of 19 aircraft, comprising 13 for flight testing and six for ground testing. Other than the US, some partners will make initial purchases of production F-35s fitted with test instrumentation for the Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E) during the programme's overall Verification and Test (V&T) stage in the run-up to full deliveries. Orders for these models are expected to begin in 2008. The Netherlands confirmed in October 2007 that it plans to order its first IOT&E F-35A at a cost of US$124 million (EUR86 million) by 2009, with a second to be ordered in 2010. The UK plans to purchase up two F-35s for the OT&E stage. Unit cost of the production F-35 is expected to be lower than the OT&E cost. The current unit cost as detailed in the US DoD’s FY2009 budget request is US$225 million (EUR155 million). A 2006 estimate put the unit cost by 2014 when the aircraft is at its full production rate at US$48 million (EUR33 million) for the F-35A, US$62 million (EUR42 million) for the F-35B and US$63 million (EUR43 million) for the F-35C.

All countries have recently joined the next phase of the project, the Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development (PSFD). Production of most of the aircraft will take place in the US with Lockheed Martin the prime contractor building the forward fuselage and wings at Fort Worth, and Northrop Grumman at Palmdale and El Segundo in California the centre fuselage, weapons bay and the aircraft’s AN/APG-81 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. Northrop Grumman is additionally working with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control on the F-35’s AN/AAQ-37
electro-optical distributed aperture system (DAS). BAE Systems will build the rear fuselage, tails and the F-35C’s wing-folding mechanism at its Samlesbury facility in the UK. It is additionally responsible for providing the F-35's nose-mounted Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), some of the avionics and Electronic Warfare (EW) systems. Other project partners will supply components. Italy’s Alenia may undertake the final assembly of all F-35s to be delivered to European operators with the exception of the UK, which will assemble its own aircraft. Vision Systems International (VSI), owned by the US’s Rockwell Collins and EFW Inc (a subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems), is developing the pilot’s Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS).

Photo: Lockheed Martin

Deliveries are expected to begin after 2012/13 with Initial Operational Capability (IOC) shortly afterwards. The project partners plan to make an initial total purchase of 2,400 F-35s at a cost of US$200 billion (EUR136 billion) with the US planning to purchase up to 1,763 F-35A variants for the USAF and 680 F-35B/C variants for the US Navy and USMC. Other possible European customers include Greece, which requires up to 40 aircraft to supplement its F-16 Fighting Falcon and Mirage 2000 fleet and to ensure some degree of military parity with Turkey. The F-35 would be the ideal platform to replace the EF-18A Hornet operated by the Spanish Air Force. The F-35B would also be a suitable replacement for the AV-8B Harrier II+ operated by the Spanish Navy, while Belgium and Portugal could order the F-35A in the future to replace their F-16 Fighting Falcon fleets.

Data

Specifications (F-35A)
Overall length: 15.37 m
Wing span: 10.65 m
Wing area: 42.7 m²
Overall height: 5.28 m

Weights
Max take-off weight: 60,000 lb (27,200 kg)
Max payload: 15,000 lb (6,800 kg)

Performance
Powerplant: F-35A/C: 1 x Pratt & Whitney F135 or 1 x GE Rolls-Royce FET F136 turbofan rated at 25,000 lbf (111 kN) dry and 40,000 lb (178 kN) with reheat.
F-35B: 1 x Pratt & Whitney F135 or 1 × GE Rolls-Royce FET F136 turbofan rated at 40,000 lbf (178 kN) with reheat when combined with 1 x Rolls-Royce 18,000 lbf (80 kN) lift fan.
Max speed: Mach 1.6+
Range: 2,200 km (F-35A)
Climb rate: classified
Max operating altitude: 19,812 m (65,000 ft)

General data
Crew: 1
G-limits: +9g to -3g (F-35A)
Armament: 1 x internal GAU-12/U 25 mm cannon (F-35A) or 1 x external GAU-12/U 25 mm cannon pod (F-35B/C), six external and four internal hardpoints located in two weapons bays to carry a variety of weapons and/or drop tanks, including air-to-air missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-132 ASRAAM) and air-to-ground ordnance (GBU-10/12/16/24 Paveway II, III, Brimstone, Storm Shadow, JDAM).
Radar: Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 AESA
First flight: December 2006 (F-35A)
Status: undergoing development.

F-35 Lightning II main workshare

It is estimated that more than 120 companies are involved in the F-35 programme. Other than the companies listed below, Danish defence companies have established the Danish JSF Team (JSFDK) to bid and co-operate for industrial contracts. JSFDK comprises Falck Schmidt Defence Systems AS (armoured vehicle composites, masts, support), IFAD AS (simulators), Systematic AS (software) and Terma AS (aerostructures and components). The Australian government and about 21 major Australian firms have formed the "JSF Industry Team" for industrial opportunities, while Norwegian firms have formed the JSF International Information Interchange Initiative (JSF4I) to investigate common maintenance and support of the aircraft once in Norwegian service. JSF4I includes Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, the consultancy DNV (Det Norske Veritas), Corena (maintenance software) and Jotne EPM Technology (data management).

Photo:US DoD