In an effort to be in compliance with GDPR we are providing you with the latest documentation about how we collect, use, share and secure your information, we want to make you aware of our updated privacy policy here
Enter your name and email address below to receive our newsletter.
F-35 pilot fitting facility is the first stop before pilots hit the flight line. These two stories, one from 2015 highlighting pilot fitting at Luke AFB and one from 2017 highlighting pilot fitting at MCAS Beaufort highlights the process.
By Staff Sgt. Staci Miller, 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published October 20, 2015
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. — Anyone who has been fitted for a suit, a tux or even a set of golf clubs knows the difference a fitting can make.
It’s no different for warfighters. As technology gets more sophisticated it’s essential that F-35 Lightning ll pilots be properly fitted for their gear.
The pilot-fit facility opened on Luke Air Force Base June 10 and has since outfitted 20 pilots with advanced perfectly fitting gear. The PFF is run by Lockhead Martin and houses two highly technical engineering companies.
“On one side, we have Survitec Group, and they do everything below the neck,” said Joe Garcia, Lockhead Martin PFF lead. “On the other side of the building there’s Rockwell Collins who assembles and custom fits the F-35 helmets.”
Fitting and issuing the gear is a two-day process that includes testing the gear in a cockpit to ensure pilots can function safely and comfortably.
“The pilot comes in on day one, and we do a series of 13 measurements,” said Keith Geltz, Survitec Group senior field engineer. “We take those sizes and determine a predicted fit.”
Survitec Group has a room full of various-sized garments. Once a pilot is given a predicted fit, he or she tries on the item to make sure it’s an actual fit.
“The first thing they will put on is a cooling garment which works like antifreeze to keep the pilot cool,” Geltz said. “If they’re going to fly over water then they also need to wear a thermal protection layer.”
Every time they add a piece of gear the pilots are put through a series of movements to ensure they can maneuver.
“The first one is a 26-inch step to simulate getting into an F-35,” Geltz said. Then they have to reach for the risers. After that, they sit down and check six, both right and left and then they attempt to put something in the g-suit pocket. They’re all basic movements they would do in the cockpit, and we need to make sure they can do it.” On the other side of the house, Rockwell Collins is crafting F-35 Generation ll and lll helmet-mounted display systems.
This part of the process takes about four hours per helmet and involves spending two days with each pilot. On the first day, measurements are taken of the pilot’s head, including a 3-D head scan and the use of a pupilometer to measure the distance between the pupils.
Once the measurements are made they begin assembling the helmet. This process includes custom-milling each helmet liner so the helmet sits comfortably on the pilot’s head while maintaining stability under high-gravity maneuvers so the optics continue to match up to the individual’s field of view.
“They custom fit the pads in the helmet based on head size,” said Donald Guess, Rockwell Collins customer support specialist.
Once the helmet is assembled, the pilot comes in for a final fitting on the second day. During this time the optics are aligned to the pilot’s pupils and the display visor is custom contoured. This process must be done precisely so the pilot has a single focused image at infinity.
“We take the pilot outside and have him focus on a point in the distance,” Guess said. “This allows us to check everything and make sure the optics are aligned correctly.” Once the pilot receives all his perfectly fitting gear from the PFF, it’s his forever regardless of service or nationality.
“As long as they’re flying an F-35, this equipment belongs to them,” Geltz said. “Every service and every country wears the same exact gear. If a pilot flies an F-35, he has this equipment.”
The gear the pilot receives isn’t just a perfect fit for him or her; it’s a perfect fit for the F-35.
“This is the first time in history equipment like this has been designed for a particular aircraft,” Geltz said. “Every aircraft we have now started with the aircraft being developed and then existing flight equipment is modified to make it work. This equipment is perfect for the F-35.”
The F-35 doesn’t take a small step in advancing fighter capabilities, it completely revolutionizes everything about how fighters fly, fight and win. This includes the equipment pilots wear as they climb into the 5th Generation cockpit. The days of strapping on a parachute harness and choosing between medium or large helmets are now replaced with the next generation pilot flight equipment.
At Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, the Pilot Fit Facility (PFF) ensures every F-35B pilot has tailored flight equipment specially fit just for them. This includes everything from the G suit and flight jacket, to the 3D molded F-35 helmet.
Mike Casazza, a retired Marine, works in the PFF and brings more than 20 years of flight gear experience to the job. But the gear he works with now is like nothing he has ever seen before.
There is no other gear as custom fit for each pilot as this is,” said Mike. “I think aircrew comfort was overlooked in the past, but the F-35 gear is a lot better for the crew member and gives the warfighter what he needs to do his job.”
New pilots who haven’t flown legacy aircraft don’t have anything to compare it to, but transition pilots with hundreds or even thousands of flight hours rave about the new gear. That’s not only a testament to the design and engineering of the equipment, but also the great work done by the PFF team. There are a lot more options for sizing with the F-35 gear, so the pilots rely on the experience of Mike and his team to get the best fit possible.
“The biggest difference I’ve seen from legacy gear to F-35 is the difference in sizing,” said manager of the PFF, Lee Tincher. “With legacy gear, you have three to four sizes, whereas the F-35 has 20 sizes and a custom fit helmet.”
The custom fit helmet is developed using a head scanner that precisely measures the pilots head, molding the helmet down to the exact millimeters of the individual pilot’s head. The scanner has six low intensity lasers and 12 cameras that create a 3D model of the pilot’s head that they use with a 3D model of the helmet to get the exact fit on the pilot’s head.
Once a pilot receives the fitted helmet, he goes through the helmet mounted display (HMD) alignment. This aligns the camera built into the helmet with the pilot’s eyes and enables the helmet to display everything necessary in a crisp, easy to read image.
All of these fittings ensure the pilots of the future can utilize the amazing 5th Generation capabilities built into every F-35 and be able to focus on the mission instead of their comfort on long missions that last for many hours.
“We all have a common goal and a common purpose,” said Mike. “We are prior military and still serving the armed forces on this side through our jobs.”
Paris – There will be much national pride and honor when French industry hands over July 12 to the Navy the first nuclear-powered Barracuda attack submarine, a new-generation boat three years late and generating an initial loss in the contract worth €9.1 billion ($10.2 billion) for six units.
President Emmanuel Macron and armed forces minister Florence Parly are due to go to Cherbourg, northern France, for the formal hand over, pointing up the political significance of the Barracuda program.
The first Barracuda boat will be christened Suffren, named after Pierre André de Suffren, an admiral who fought the British on the high seas in the 18th century and highly regarded by the French Navy.
A delay of delivery was to be expected in view of program complexity and the time needed to train a labor force to build a nuclear submarine, an executive said.
“This is one of most complex programs in the world,” Vincent Martinot Lagarde, Naval Group program director, told a July 9 press conference. There was a concurrent development and building of the first boat of the Barracuda series, which meant this was a “difficult” project, which took time to master.
“What’s important is delivering a high quality system which meets the requirements of operational capability,” he said. Time was also needed as the nuclear ballistic missile submarine Terrible was built 11 years ago and the personnel needed time to learn how to build an atomic boat.
Naval Group is prime contractor, with CEA overseeing work on the nuclear reactor, a revised version of the K15 engine which powers the nuclear ballistic missile boat and Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. TechnicAtome built the nuclear propulsion reactor.
France launched the Barracuda program in 2006 with a contract worth €9.1 billion for six boats, said Emmanuelle TR, program director at Direction Générale de l’Armement, the procurement office. That budget included development, manufacture and spares, while excluding modification of the ports, mainly at Brest and Toulon.
This is an “ambitious and challenging” program, she said. An order for the sixth and last attack submarine is due later this year, as set out in the military budget law.
Sea trials are due to begin in the first quarter next year.
The armed forces ministry last year ordered a fifth Barracuda and set aside €2.3 billion for the boat, the financial annex of the 2018 defense budget shows. The ministry spent some €612 million on the submarine program last year, the budget annex shows.
The late delivery leads to penalty payments under the contract, so industry will make a loss on the first boat, a senior executive said. Lessons learnt on building the first of series, which is also a prototype, helps industry speed up production on the following submarines, allowing a recovery of profit. Industry can also ask for refund on penalty payments and there is money to be made on the service contract.
Delivery in 1997 of the first Triomphant ballistic missile boat was some two to 2-1/2 years late, the executive said.
The Barracuda carries new capabilities including long range strike with a cruise missile, wire-guided F21 heavy torpedo, Exocet SM39 anti-ship missile, and a mini submarine for special forces. The latter is housed in a dry deck shelter fitted on the hull. The submarine can also lay mines.
The boat is equipped with an electro-optical periscope which projects pictures on a digital screen, replacing conventional technology. France considered a periscope from Pilkington, based in Glasgow, Scotland, before selecting Safran as supplier, the senior executive said.
Pilkington is a British unit of the French Thales group.
The 2018 military budget shows 50 naval cruise missiles are to be ordered.
There is a quieter and faster submarine, drawing on a mix of electric and turbine engines, with greater automation, said Naval Group.
Increased automation allows a Barracuda to be crewed by 65 compared to 75 on the present Rubis class. The new boat can sail for 70 days at sea compared to 45 days on Rubis.
A Barracuda can carry a 10-15 strong special forces unit.
There is a national sovereignty issue on the new submarine, a defense analyst said. There are only three Nato nations with a nuclear attack submarine, namely Britain, France and the US.
Ownership of that capability keeps France in the “club of decision makers,” the analyst said. France deployed its Amethyst nuclear attack submarine in the Adriatic in 1999, under the Nato mission in Kosovo.
The attack boat operates as escort for the Charles de Gaulle carrier naval task force, offers a capability for special forces, intelligence gathering, and works with the ballistic missile boats. Work on the stealth qualities of Barracuda hull plates can help development of the next-generation ballistic missile submarines.
The Barracuda can also be seen as part of broad acquisition policy, including an accelerated order of A330 MRTT inflight refueling jets, Rafale F4 upgrade and the Army’s Scorpion modernization. These orders signal a pursuit of French independence of capability.
Work on the Barracuda helped France win the A$50 billion Australian contract for 12 ocean-going, diesel-electric boats, which strengthens bilateral ties, the analyst said.
The late delivery reflects the complexity of the program, said parliamentarian François Cornut-Gentille, who sits on the finance committee of the National Assembly.
“It is the program itself,” he said. The French Navy, DGA and industry were caught up in complexity which arises from the concept of the program.
France launched the program with an order in December 2006 for the first Barracuda boat, followed by an orders in June 2009 for the second, June 2011 for the third, and July 2014 for the fourth. A sixth order remains to be placed.
The first Barracuda boat would enter service in 2020 instead of 2017, the Navy chief of staff told July 26 2017 the defense committee of the lower house National Assembly.
“This is not a scooter but a system hard to build, and mistakes were made, which have to be identified, fixed and caught up on,” Adm. Christophe Prazuck said. The Navy has been training its first crew on simulators, awaiting delivery of the first boat.
That delay in delivery has forced the Navy to stretch out the operational life of the Rubis class of submarines, to ensure a six-strong fleet of submarines, he said.
That fleet size met the Navy’s operational requirement, he said, as one will be undergoing a major overhaul over 1-1/2 to two years, a second will be in dock for routine service, a third will used for training, a fourth deployed in the Atlantic, a fifth in the Mediterranean, and the sixth will sailing in the Atlantic, or Mediterranean, or Indian Ocean, he said. The British Royal Navy sails seven attack submarines, he added.
In the UK, the Astute hunter-killer submarine was £2 billion over budget and four years late.
There will be a heavy budgetary impact after 2020, with the delivery of the Barracuda, a 2018 report of the parliamentary finance committee said. There has already been an operational hit due to delayed delivery of the Barracuda, the report said. The Navy retired the first of the Rubis class boats in January 2017, leaving only five submarines in service.
Due to the greater length and weight of the Barracuda compared to Rubis, the submarine docks in the Toulon naval base, southern France, as well those at Brest and Cherbourg, will need to be adapted, the parliamentary committee report said. Some €524.3 million was earmarked last year for adapting the docks, with €170.5 million disbursed.
Funds will be needed for dismantling the retired Rubis, with €2.8 million cleared last year, the report said. NG and Areva TA are breaking up the Rubis at Cherbourg.
The featured photo shows President Macron and the French Defense Minister on July 12, 2019 visiting Cherbourg,
Cherbourg. Emmanuel Macron, et la ministre des Armées Florence Parly présent à la cérémonie de lancement du sous-marin Sufren. Premier sous-marin nucléaire d’attaque de type Barracuda
The RAF is in the throes of a modernization process, which involves becoming fifth generation enabled, with legacy upgrades to its Typhoons, and the return to ASW operations with regard to introducing its new P-8 as well.
And recently, it was announced that the RAF would add the unique battle management asset, the Wedgetail as well.
This month we are seeing glimpses of the modernization process.
First, the second lightning fighter jet squadron has arrived at RAF Marham.
In a story published on the UK MoD website on July 18, 2019, the event was underscored.
The arrival of 207 Squadron will see all training on the next-generation jet conducted in the UK for the first time.
Minister for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster said:
“The arrival of 207 Squadron represents another milestone in the progress of this world-beating aircraft.
As we welcome 207 Squadron home from our US allies, the transatlantic military relationship continues to be the strongest and deepest of any two nations in the world.”
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, Chief of the Air Staff, said:
“I was delighted to see the second squadron of the most advanced and dynamic fighter jet in our history arrive today at RAF Marham.
Being able to train our pilots in the UK is another great leap in our sovereign capability and will ensure the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy can train our pilots to fight and win with these extraordinary jets, which will sit at the heart of our country’s globally deployable forces.”
Since 2013 Royal Air Force and Royal Navy personnel have trained alongside US Marine Corps counterparts at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort.
Six of the cutting-edge aircraft took the 10-hour flight from MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina. The formation included the UK’s 18th Lightning fighter jet, demonstrating the UK’s progress towards meeting the projected order of 138 aircraft over the life of the programme.
207 Squadron will formally stand up on 1 August 2019 and the first F-35 pilot course at RAF Marham is due to commence in early-September.
Engineers are already trained at RAF Marham’s Integrated Training Centre, part of a £550m investment in the Station which has also seen the resurfacing of runways and the addition of new landing pads to allow the jets to land vertically.
Wing Commander Scott Williams, Officer Commanding 207 Squadron said:
“After experiencing the excellent training offered by our US allies and achieving a good level of experience and knowledge across our instructors, the time is now right to move 207 Squadron from the USA to the UK.
We are thoroughly looking forward to being based at RAF Marham and training our F-35 pilots here in the UK.”
This is the third tranche of F-35s to arrive in the UK; 617 Dambusters Squadron arrived at their new permanent home last year and completed their first operational mission in the fight against Daesh in June. The F-35 is the world’s largest defence programme and has already generated $12.9Bn worth of orders and at peak production will support thousands of British manufacturing and engineering jobs.
The UK is providing 15% by value of every one of over 3,000 F-35s set for the global order book. In addition, Sealand Support Services Ltd – a MOD and industry joint venture based at MOD Sealand in North Wales – recently won £500m worth of assignments to repair the aircraft’s components and avionics systems.
126143fade1.05.0
The UK is preparing for operations from Cyprus this Fall and is part of shaping its air expeditionary capabilities for its F-35s going forward.
In an interview last May, Group Captain Ian Townsend, the RAF Marham base commander noted that the deployment to Cyprus puts them into an environment where the F-35 global collaboration comes into play with USAF, and USMC or USN, Italian or Israeli F-35s operating in the region as well.
“This comes back to the significant opportunity of operating a common fifth generation platform provides for the UK.
“We will have a significant opportunity to cross-learn and cross operate as the F-35 ramps up in deployed numbers in the region as well.
“Somehting which s being repeated as well in Northern Europe.”
The cross learning was highlighted as well by the arrival of USAF F-35s at RAF Marham as well.
According to a story posted on the RAF website on July 18, 2019, the arrival was noted as follows:
A pair of US Air Force F-35A Lightning fighter jets have visited RAF Marham to allow RAF, Royal Navy and USAF ground crew to conduct joint training. Usually based at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, the 421st Fighter Squadron, Black Widows, are currently deployed to Germany.
This was the first time the A model of the F-35 had landed at Marham, the permanent home of the UK fleet of B model Lightnings.
Ahead of the arrival of the American aircraft a team of maintainers from the 421st Aircraft Maintenance Unit had arrived at the Norfolk station to work with Marham’s Visiting Aircraft Servicing Section, led by Master Sergeant Tyler Berry who said: “We’re training the RAF Team on how to hot refuel our F-35As to improve interoperability with our NATO allies.”
Hot refuelling sees aircraft refuelled with engines running, a process aimed at keeping aircraft on the ground for the shortest time possible. USAF maintainers refuelled one aircraft shadowed by RAF personnel before swapping places for the second Lightning.
Wing Commander Colin Feeney, OC Engineering Wing, RAF Marham said: “This breaks the ice for interoperability ahead of RAF Lakenheath receiving its first F-35As in the coming years. Keeping the links between neighbours strong is highly important for when we’ll both operate 5th Gen air systems.”
Colonel Mark Ciero of USAF Europe was also on hand to observe the training. He said: “This is the first great step toward full maintenance interoperability. It’s a good day for the USAF and RAF as we experience our first integrated hot pit refuelling with our newest and most capable fighter aircraft.
“The proximity of RAF Marham and RAF Lakenheath and the future of our mutual 5th Generation capability demonstrates our two nations shared approach to the defence of Europe.”
126134fade1.05.0
When Brigadier General Novotny, currently at Nellis AFB as the 57thWing Commander, was the base Commander at RAF Lakenheath he highlighted how the F-35 was a foundational capability as an air system for enhanced US and coalition combat capabilities in the region:
“I did two OT assignments and we worked to get into Red Flag when we could to do joint training. Here we can do that virtually every day. We reach the Dutch training airspace, and can work with the Dutch, with the Brits, with the Germans, with Typhoons, with F3s, with the NATO AWACS
“We take off and we fly 30 minutes to the east and we make it happen.
“It is Red Flag as regular menu; rather than scheduling a gourmet meal from time to time.
“Most of that learning is done after the sortie. Face-to-face interaction, the conversations that are happening in the squadron vaults that happens at Red Flag three weeks out of every two years.
“We will have the opportunity to do that regularly here.
“There is such a unique opportunity here compared to any other place.
“Because every other place which is s going to get into the F-35 program in whatever capacity is going to eventually attempt to develop a little bit of a stovepipe. It happens.
“This is the only place where it’s not the case.
“There’s no other place where we have a maintenance officer who’s run into an issue on Monday at Lakenheath and decides to get in the car and drive 35 minutes to Marham and talk to them and see what they’ve figured out face-to-face.
“Learn to listen.
“Have a bite to eat.
“Be back here by 2:00 in the afternoon with the solution that came from another country.”
And the final vignette from this month highlighting RAF modernization involved the P-8.
126127fade1.05.0
According to a July 13, 2019 story published on the RAF website, the UK’s first Poseidon aircraft has taken flight.
The first of Britain’s new fleet of nine maritime patrol aircraft has taken to the skies. The flight of the Poseidon MRA Mk1 (P-8A) was completed successfully at the hands of Boeing test pilots.
Following this first test flight, the aircraft will transfer from Boeing Commercial Airplanes to Boeing Defense, Space and Security to be fitted out with the Poseidon-specific military systems. The aircraft is scheduled to be delivered to the Royal Air Force, initially at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, in October 2019 and is due to arrive in the UK in early-Spring 2020.
“It has been fantastic to meet with the Boeing team who build the Poseidon aircraft and to see our first Poseidon aircraft, ZP801, take to the skies on its inaugural flight. We look forward to the aircraft being delivered to Royal Air Force ownership in October.”
Air Commodore Richard Barrow, Senior Responsible Owner for the Poseidon Programme, said:
“The first cadre of RAF engineers and aircrew have been trained on the P-8A Poseidon which marks the resurgence of the RAF’s long-range maritime patrol capability. The Poseidon MRA Mk 1 will enhance the UK’s maritime patrol capability with advanced, state-of-the-art, Anti-Submarine Warfare and Anti-Surface Warfare sensors. This is an exciting time for the Royal Air Force especially for those based at RAF Lossiemouth”
Poseidon ZP801 will also carry the name Pride of Moray. This name celebrates the Maritime Patrol Aircraft heritage of Moray as well as looking forward to the Poseidon’s future home in RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland.
The RAF will procure a total of nine Poseidon aircraft which will be based at RAF Lossiemouth from Autumn 2020. The Poseidon will provide a globally deployable fifth-generation maritime patrol capability; specifically, the Poseidon will work side-by-side with the Royal Navy in securing the seas around the UK and abroad.
For an overview of UK air modernization see the following:
The challenge of visiting a large exhibition like the Paris Air Show is a bit like the challenge of visiting the Louvre. It is so big, and so diverse that unless you focus on some core aspects, the panorama overwhelms you.
You come away with a blur more than enhanced understanding of what is significance to the evolution of the industry and of defense capabilities.
For me, this means making a determination of those areas, which you think might yield the most significant insights in the defense domain.
I ended up focusing on four key aspects of the show, which highlighted what I believe are important ways ahead.
The first was clearly the most dominant at the air show, which was the French response to what they perceive as the threat to their military aerospace business, namely, the growing numbers of F-35s already in Europe, or coming to Europe. Already, the UK, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark have bought or are operating F-35s, with Finland and Switzerland as prospective customers as well.
Poland has recently announced its decision to join the F-35 global enterprise as well.
This F-35 onslaught as the French see it poses two challenges.
The first is that the French Air Force clearly will fly with and need to integrate with the F-35.
And the modernization of the Rafale along with effort to make the aircraft a software upgradeable aircraft through the F-4 software modernization program is designed to do that in part.
And as an operating force, the main focus of the FAF is clearly upon reshaping the force to operate in a more connected manner akin to what USAF leaders have called the “combat cloud”, and the near term candidates for such integration is clearly the A330MRTT which is known as the Phénix in FAF parlance.
At the Air Show, the French government held a signing ceremony with Spain and Germany to underscore the launch of what they refer to as the Future Combat Air System.
At the show, several European aerospace companies were highlighting their potential contributions, notably SNECMA for engines, MBDA for weapons for the “combat cloud,” with other companies not formally identified as FCAS partners such as Thales indicating their inevitable engagement.
This highlights the second challenge, namely, the need to protect European “sovereignty” and “industry.”
MBDA focus on building weapons for the “combat cloud” highlight the dynamics of change in the missile business. In blunt terms, this means building weapons for fifth generation aircraft, notably, the F-35, as well as legacy aircraft and for any fighter aircraft that will replace Eurofighter or Rafale.
Eric Beranger, PDG de MBDA, Edouard Philippe, Premier Ministre, Guillaume Faury, PDG de Airbus Group , stand MBDA, visite du Premier Ministre 53eme Salon International de l’Aeronautique et de l’Espace
The core companies are identified as Dassault as the lead platform builder with Airbus to play the “systems of systems” role, although how that will play out is not all that clear. The challenge facing the FCAS program is significant as the defense environment is fluid and dynamic and the target date for having a new fighter in the 2040s long after the innovation which fifth generation aircraft are already introducing into Western fleets.
But FCAS is a breakthrough of sorts in any case, as it is clear recognition of the need for a very different level of integration for air systems within a multi-domain operating environment. This is a very positive step forward, and one, which a leading French defense analyst, Murielle Delaporte, has underscored as a key part of the FAF’s renaissance. And it is the operational evolutions of the FAF, which are the key indicators of transformation, not simply signatures on an FCAS launch document.
A second aspect which I followed at the show was the Sikorsky/Lockheed CH-53K which was the key air platform being highlighted at the air show by the company. The CH-53K is being offered to Germany and Israel and is the new heavy lift helicopter for the USMC.
On June 18, 2019, the President of Sikorsky, Dan Schultz, himself a former CH-53-E pilot, provided an overview brief on the CH-53K and their offering for both Germany and Israel. With regard to international partners, the aircraft was very adjustable to the needs of new partners. It is a digital aircraft with software upgradeability built in, and when I visited the Sikorsky facility in Connecticut last year, I talked with software engineers about the flexibility of adapting software to partner needs.
The offering to Germany provides an F-35 like partnership in which German partners would be providing parts not just to the German CH-53K but to the overall global program. For Germany, the K clearly would be part of how they might adjust flexibility to the strategic shift facing the liberal democracies in dealing with the Russians. For example, Germany needs to rapidly reinforce their Baltic brigade or move forces forward to reinforce Poland in a crisis. Compared to Chinook, the K goes further, faster and brings a significantly greater combat load to the fight rapidly.
And flying with the A400 M or the C-130J, the ability to carry standard pallets means a rapid movement of cargo from an airlifter to the K to move support within an area of interest. And the K is changing as well the meaning of what a support helo really is. It is in an information or C2 asset through the nature of the cockpit and how information can be managed within the cockpit or delivered to the combat soldiers onboard the aircraft.
This means that for Germany, the K is already FCAS enabled, or able to operate in a combat cloud in a way certainly neither the E nor the Chinook can do. In Germany, Sikorsky is partnered with Rheinmetall, a company with demonstrated capability to support ground combat forces, and which is investing in transferring that capability to the helo support domain.
I had a chance to interview Mike Schmidt, head of Aviation Services, Integrated Electronic Systems of Rheinmetall. He highlighted that Rheinmetall was supporting the project on three levels.
The first level is with regard to simulation and training for pilots and maintainers in Germany. Rheinmetall has a deep history and experience in this area and has supported the German Army for many years in this area. More than a decade ago I flew a Tiger simulator at a Rheinmetall facility, and certainly the simulator worked but I proved not an adept Tiger pilot for sure. My ability to crash the Tiger was probably unprecedented in the program’s history.
The second level is to provide the digital documentation necessary to operate and support a digital aircraft. Here Rheinmetall Technical Publications has a long history of providing for support to the Bundeswehr with regard to technical documentation.
The third level is MRO or maintenance and sustainment. The company has many years of experience in support to the German Army and has provided innovative performance-based logistics solutions for the Army, notably in the area of military trucks.
Because MoD is looking for innovative solutions, a merging of what the USN-USMC-Sikorsky team is doing at New River with the innovative solutions which Rheinmetall has provided in other areas for the Bundeswehr, provides a significant opportunity for innovation both on the level of the company and for the German forces.
“We are not looking at legacy solutions, nor is the MoD. We are working to provide solutions to support the operational force rather than having the operational force to be forced through the sieve of legacy defined maintenance base or facility.”
It is clear that in both the cases of the FCAS program and the CH-53K, that the Germans are looking to reshape their operating forces in way to become more effectively integrated and able to operate within a “combat cloud.”
The third aspect which I found interesting is the continuing evolution within the global defense landscape of the effort by states which have been largely importers of equipment from producing states to become much more capable of both supporting those assets within their own forces as well as building an enhanced capability within country to build and service new combat platforms. “Made in India” has its own dynamics and challenges, but there are a variety of representations of “Made in India” occurring worldwide in the importing states.
Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) has come to its first major air show by having a chalet at the 2019 Paris Air Show. The vision for SAMI is as follows: To be among the top 25 military industry companies in the world by 2030, combining the latest technologies and the best national talent to develop military products and services at par with international standards, and achieve the Kingdom’s self-sufficiency in military industries.
And the mission is described as follows: To develop cutting-edge technologies, manufacture world-class products, and provide high-quality services to scale up the military industries sector and secure necessary supplies for our clients
I attended a major event involving SAMI in which they signed a keystone agreement on June 18, 2019 with L3 to work together on developing joint capabilities with Saudi Arabia. The SAMI officials at the ceremony highlighted the importance of the agreement and also the incremental approach to working on building out local capabilities in conjunction with L3.
In a press release, SAMI highlighted the event as follows:
“We are pleased to partner with L3 as we move towards our goal of creating a Center of Excellence in the Kingdom,” said H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Chairman of SAMI.
“As we continue to support objectives tied to Saudi Vision 2030, this long-term partnership with L3 will help grow the sensor and mission systems industry while creating a comprehensive through-life support structure for our military customers.”
The fourth aspect of the show was totally unexpected and highlighted a key aspect of defense, which is often overlooked when watching airplanes flying overhead, namely, what is happening on the ground. Modern societies are becoming highly concentrated on urban centers rather than being capable of operating in a more dispersed landscape within which rust belts and rural society can become much more effective parts of a national system.
Dispersion and disaggregation not only can make for more pleasant lives for more people, but also provide for much greater redundancy and resilience for societies when dealing with the stress which security or military shocks can provide to the system.
The development of new approaches to rapid ground transportation which could use existing public right of ways to more effectively link diverse geographical regions.
Such a technology was on display at the Paris Air Show 2019. When passing various Chalets and Static exhibits, and parked in a corner of the Air Show, there was an odd-looking platform known as the Spacetrain. After visiting the exhibit on my first day at the PAS 2019, I went back later in the week to discuss with Charlotte Jurus, the Public Affairs Officer, for the company and learned that the platform on display actually is the prototype.
According to the company, “Spacetrain is a shuttle running on air cushions on an inverted T track and propelled by linear induction motors. All its electrical systems are powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The objective of the Spacetrain project is to commercialize its first shuttles by 2025.”
This is a French start-up company based in Paris and in the Orleans region, where the first prototype is being belt and tested. They are looking to use part of an abandoned monorail project, former test track of the engineer Jean Bertain, for the initial tests of their full-scale model and those tests are planned for 2021.
Jurus underscored that the company is leveraging the infrastructure left behind in the Orleans region for a competitor in the TGV project of the 1960s, which in a way, highlights one of the advantages of the project, namely, an ability to leverage what has already been built but abandoned. That project was abandoned in 1974.
The train would operate at a much lower rate of sound generation than the current TGV as well. he project would allow for the creation of a train able to move 250 passengers on a hydrogen fueled vehicle with the train operating on an air cushion.
The “track” would be a concrete bed with the sensors necessary to operate the train at speed and is designed to operate autonomously.
Of course, the system could be used to move freight as well providing for an energy efficient system to reshape the supply grid for a region or a nation. An operational system of Spacetrains clearly could operate using already established public right of ways and lay down a relatively inexpensive infrastructure on which to operate.
Obviously, it could be of great significance for urban transportation, but even more importantly, could connect the regions which have no TGV in France or in countries like Britain or the United States where rail systems have simply disappeared leaving behind forgotten cities and regions, the possibility could be opened to reinvigorate a much wider variety and range of regions in the national economic space.
According to Spacetrain their technology is based on “a unique energy management strategy, consisting of a smart subsystem. This multi-source energy system (composed of hydrogen fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries and super capacitors) is totally autonomous thanks to its own algorithm to management hybrid resources in real time.”
In short, almost everything interesting from the defense side of the business on display at the 2019 Paris Air Show was on the ground, and not in the air, but that may be increasingly important as innovation in defense drives new concepts of operations as well.
The challenge now being posed by the coming to airshows of the first fifth generation airplanes such as the F-35 is a significant one. The F-35 is a harbinger of fundamental change in terms of the concepts of operations for airpower, in which a multi-domain aircraft pilot is able to make decisions with the help of his onboard computers and with shared data far out at the tactical edge. A great deal of what makes the plane effective is radio waves, radar and software, not hardware. While the F-35 is hardly the end of history with regard to air combat, it is a page turner.
What is required now is that when visiting the chalets, pavilions or corrals of manufacturers building missiles, UAVs, or C2 systems you need to look not just at the cool capabilities the piece of equipment provides, but focus on how that capability can be used in combat as part of a larger force. This is a much more significant challenge for the visitor, but it is crucial to understanding the way ahead of the world’s air combat forces.
The NATO-Russia Council, which brings together all 29 NATO Allies and Russia, met in Brussels on Friday (5 July 2019) to discuss Ukraine, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and transparency and risk reduction.
This was the second meeting of the NATO-Russia Council this year. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who chaired the meeting, said: “Our discussion was frank but necessary.
“Allies and Russia hold fundamentally different views but we are committed to continuing our dialogue.”
This video provides a look at the Q and A after the press point presentation by the Sec Gen of NATO.
It was reported in the media in Apr 2019 that the Indian Air force (IAF) was in talks with Russia to purchase 21 MiG-29 combat jets which were actually built in late 1980s for the then Soviet Air Force but were never assembled and flown and hence are lying unused.
This article analyses the above deal and brings out the compulsions of the IAF to in go in for an aircraft built 40 years ago, and lying mothballed till now. It also flags some critical imperatives which need to be addressed as a matter of operational expediency sooner than later.
REVISITING THE COMBAT CAPABILITIES OF MIG-29
MiG-29 Fulcrum designed by the Mikoyan Design Bureau, Russia is a twin-engine air superiority fighter which was initially optimised for air-to-air combat role. It was inducted in the Soviet Air Force in 1982 and in the Indian Air Force (IAF) during the period 1986-1991. MiG-29 is still a formidable and a lethal war machine which acts as a second line of defence for the IAF after its Su-30 MKI.
The aircraft has twin RD33 turbofan engines capable of delivering enough thrust to make it a Mach 2+ aircraft at altitude. Its ferry range extends to 2,100 km with a service ceiling of 18,000 meters. The aircraft is optimised both for short range air-to-air-combat, as well as, for Beyond Visual Range (BVR) engagements. For the first role, it has R-60 infrared (IR) homing missile with a range of 8 km, for the latter, it has two Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs); R-27 Vympl in two range versions of 40 and 80 km and a shorter range R-73 AAM effective up to 30 km.
125925fade1.05.0
The aircraft is equipped with IR Search and Track (IRST) Sensors to detect track and engage targets emitting IR radiations. It has a three axes autopilot and enjoys high manoeuvrability even though it does not have ‘Fly-by-Wire’ controls like all contemporary fighters of today.
MiG-29 can execute 9g manoeuvres similar to F-16s and all modern fighters. The aircraft is being operated by 30 nations across the world.
In 2007, the MiG-29 fleet of the IAF was put through a comprehensive upgrade by Russia at a cost of $865 Million. Besides new avionics kits, the upgrade involves the replacement of its outdated N019 Topaz air-intercept radar with a new Zhuk -AME Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar with a range of 160km.
Besides this, the upgraded version (called MiG-29 UPG) has enhanced BVR capabilities, an air-to–air refuelling capability for higher endurance, higher fuel capacity extending the ferry range of the aircraft by 40 per cent from 2,100 to 3,000 km, a new generation weapon control system with a capability to launch Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs), capability to launch subsonic anti-ship missiles, a higher capability RD 33 turbofan engine, improved cockpit ergonomics featuring an enhanced Hands on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) design. HOTAS refers to a capability in which a pilot can fly the aircraft without having to remove their hands from the controls.
This combined with the Head up Displays (HUDs) enables the pilot to focus on flying the aircraft, manipulating its sensors and engaging the targets rather than looking for controls in the cockpit. HUD is a transparent display that presents data to a pilot which he can see right in front of him without having to look down at flying instruments.
THE PROPOSED DEAL
In February 2019, a team of senior IAF officers under an Air Marshal which went to Russia to examine the aircraft reported that the airframes were ready and could be delivered in a period of 18 months. The team also reported that they found the aircraft in excellent condition.
Russia has promised to upgrade the above aircraft to UPG standard. Also the price-tag of each upgraded aircraft is reported to be between 285-300 Crore ($40-42 million).
COMPULSIONS OF THE IAF
Currently, the IAF is facing serious challenges as to its depleting combat squadrons’ strength. The decision (read rationale) to go in for the MIG-29 at this point in time needs to be seen in the light of the above challenges. The authorised strength of the IAF is 42 squadrons, a figure it has never touched. The highest it has gone is up to 39.5 squadrons in early 1990s. There was a time when the fighter aircraft ratio between India and Pakistan was almost 3:1. This edge is currently down to 1.4:1. Assuming that the IAF reaches its authorised strength, the said ratio should settle down to about 2:1.
Even the current strength of 31 Squadrons of the IAF needs to be analysed on several fronts in order to correctly assess the challenges hidden behind this number.
The basic issue is that out of the 31 it is only about half the squadrons which are very potent, while the others half are riddled with multiple problems. The potent front-line combat strength is represented by 11 squadrons of Su-30 MK1 (242 aircraft), three squadrons (69 aircrafts) of MiG-29 and three squadrons (49 aircrafts) of Mirage 2000.
Su-30 MKI is indeed a front line air superiority fighter. 40 of these aircraft are getting upgraded by Russia. Such an upgrade will include new AESA radars, onboard computers, electronic warfare (EW) systems and the ability to carry the BrahMos -A supersonic cruise missile.
Mirage 2000 is also a front-line multirole fighter. India signed a $2.1 billion contract with Thales and Dassault Aviation in July 2011 for the upgrade of 51 Mirage 2000 to Mirage 2000 -5 Mk 2 standards. This includes incorporation of night vision capable glass cockpit, upgraded navigation and IFF systems, advanced multi-mode multi-layered radar, fully integrated EW suit besides several other features.
Apart from the above 17 squadrons, the balance 14 comprising of Jaguars (six squadrons, 139 aircraft), MiG-27s (reduced to 2 squadrons, 40 aircraft) and MiG-21s mostly Bison version (six squadrons, 121 aircraft) have issues related to vintage and challenges being faced in the upgrade.
Talking of MiG-21s, the retirement date for the upgraded MiG-21 Bison was earlier projected as 2014-17. This got changed to 2019 and now stands at 2021-22.
The Jaguar fleet which started induction in 1979-80 is also approaching its retirement. It was reported that the ongoing upgrade incorporating the new nav-attack system called Display Attack Ranging Intertial Navigation or DARIN III is also facing severe delays. The serviceability of the 118 jaguar fleet is a concern due to obsolescence, non-availability of spares and the assembly line of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) having been shut down.
As regards MiG-27s, though the aircraft started induction in the eighties (last HAL license-produced inducted in 1997), it had fundamental flaws with its R-29 B 300 turbojet engines besides 70’s era avionics With a history of multiple crashes, the last of MiG-27 ML was retired on December 29, 2017, leaving only two upgraded MiG-27 UPG in active inventory which are also due for retirement in a few years from now.
This explains the desperate need for the IAF to make up for the platform losses through fresh inductions.
Unfortunately, on the fresh procurement front, the situation is far from desired. 36 years after the approval of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project in 1983, the induction of Tejas is badly delayed. A huge order for 324 aircraft (Tejas Mk 1 -40, Tejas Mk 1A – 83 and Tejas Mk 2 – 201) is many years into the future. As per HAL’s assertion 123 Tejas will be provided by 2024-25.
The requirement of Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) in the much debated MMRCA deal was projected as 126.
However, on firm order are only 36 Rafael Jets which are planned to be inducted in a two year span staring 2019. The Defence Minister has stated that the first jet will arrive in September 2019.
Be that as it may, it leaves a huge void of 90 aircraft in this class.
Talking of voids, it was reported in July 2018 that Ministry of Defence has issued a Request For information (RFI) for 110 fighter aircraft of which 15 per cent aircraft were to be in a flyaway state while the balance 85 per cent were to be made in India by a Strategic Partner/Indian Production Agency with indigenous content of not less than 45 per cent.
While six vendors have responded to the RFI, the selection process is likely to get traction only after the new Govt is in place though multiple rounds of meetings have taken plane with foreign vendors. That this induction is at least 4-5 years into the future is a fair estimate.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Out of the twin-track approach of upgrade of existing platforms and procurement of new, only the former has progressed. There is an urgent need to revive the latter, if the IAF is not to sink any further than the already projected 26-27 squadrons in 8-10 years from now.
Tejas is badly delayed. HAL claim of 123 by 2024 is unlikely. A huge order of 324 aircraft is in the pipeline. Mk 2 must be realised by HAL, Mk 1A expedited.
Selection process for 110 fighter jets must pick up speed now as the new Govt settles down.
Recurring delays in DARIN III upgrade for Jaguar must get addressed.
Taking everything into account, it makes ample sense to acquire additional MiG-29s from Russia, even if they are more than three decades old and IAF needs to pursue the case expeditiously.
This was published by our partner India Strategic in July 2019.
Last year, the Dambusters squadron flew from Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station to RAF Marham and began its operational life in the UK.
I have had the chance over the past few years to visit both Beaufort MCAS and RAF Marham as well as RAF Lakenheath and seen both the preparation for and the standup of USMC and RAF/RN squadrons as well as the coming of the USAF F-35s as well.
Already there are more F-35s operational worldwide than the current USAF F-22 fleet.
This means that finally the fifth-generation transformation can be accelerated and pilots and maintainers part of what I have referred to as the “renorming of airpower.”
One of my key guides to the process of change in the UK has been Group Captain Townsend, now the base commander at RAF Marham but also given the transfer of Air Commodore Bradshaw to MoD London, the operating F-35 commander as well.
In earlier discussions with Group Captain Townsend he highlighted the preparation of the UK for the coming of the F-35.
In a visit to the UK in 2015, Group Captain Townsend explained the approach to bringing the F-35 into the UK’s defense force.
Question: You are working the task of bringing the F-35B to the UK in 2018 and preparing for its integration with the Queen Elizabeth.
What role does your engagement with the Marines at Beaufort play in this process?
Group Captain Townsend: We have a pooling implementation agreement or PIA with the Marines.
The PIA formalizes how we’re going to work alongside them. We currently have 14 maintainers at MCAS Beaufort but, by the end of 2018, we’ll have about 242 maintainers.
They are all operating under the U.S. Marine Corps regulations and will be ready to come back to the U.K. and operate F-35 independently in late 2018.
Question: And concurrently, you are building your own infrastructure in the UK to then support your F-35s in the UK?
Group Captain Townsend: That is correct.
It is a massive effort to put in place the UK infrastructure but we are learning significant lessons from other F35 partner nations.
We are conducting developmental test flying, operational test flying and frontline flying all at the same time, something we call concurrency.
We’ve never done that before.
If we hadn’t taken that approach, none of the F-35 operators would be where we are right now.
The Marine Corps wouldn’t be IOC, if they haven’t taken that approach.
And we certainly wouldn’t be thinking about IOC in 2018 if we hadn’t taken that concurrency approach.
Then during a visit to RAF Marham in 2018, we continued our discussion of his perspective on the standup of the force at RAF Marham,
The base at RAF Marham is being rebuilt to operate the F-35 and to shape the transition from Tornado to F-35 as well.
But the challenge is not simply to put in place a 21stcentury infrastructure and to introduce a new aircraft, it is about shaping an integrated base operational system which enables the F-35 to become a multi-domain combat system driving innovation throughout the force.
Group Captain Townsend noted that he was travelling to France shortly and to view the Maginot Line alongside a group of RAF senior leaders.
The point of this was to focus on getting the right warfighting strategy to go with the right technology to deal with 21stcentury adversaries.
“The French built the Maginot Line and the Germans built a force which simply operated around that capability.
“The French had a concept of warfare in 1940 that did not meet the reality of the war they had to fight.
“In the past two decades our airpower has been dominant.
“But we do not want to introduce the F-35 as a replacement aircraft operating within the constraints of the legacy system.
“We need a multi-domain capability to ensure that our adversaries do not simply work around a classic airpower template.
“The challenge is to exploit the F-35 as a lever for broader multi-domain combat innovations.
“What we need to make sure is that people don’t use multi-domain to go around our combat air advantage but rather to evolve our combat air advantage and make it a core part of our own cutting edge multi-domain capability.
“What we need to be thinking about is F-35 being able to work with any system within a multi-layered combat operation, whether it’s airborne, maritime or land-based.”
Few of the British military have ever seen an F-35.
The pilots and crew for the RAF and the Royal Navy are well regarded in the United States are at the head of their game.
But coming to the United Kingdom will start a process, not simply of operating the aircraft, but generating change across the combat force.
“While 617 Squadron will come to this Station as a formed unit, the rest of the Station is still not yet F-35 savvy.
“In addition to the physical set up of the base to support F-35, there is a broader conceptual development requirement as well.
“The whole station needs to understand why F-35 is different, so they can become part of that supporting team.
“They are key to F-35 2.0 becoming a reality.”
This is especially true when one adds the question of the new carrier and the way the Brits are approaching the pairing with the carrier, a subject which I discussed at length with the Royal Navy when in Portsmouth, which I visited later in the same week in early May 2018.
As the RAF stands up the F-35 at its base at RAF Marham, Group Captain Townsend is clearly focused on F-35 2.0 – how best to leverage the coming of the new system to drive change across the RAF and the UK forces over all.
“We should not overly focus on 4th-5thair systems integration.
“That is too focused on airplanes.
“We need to focus on driving innovation across the combat force as we introduce the new air system.”
And standing up the base at RAF Marham for the F-35 is part of a broader transformation of the RAF.
For example, with regard to building the systems to ensure security for the F-35 as an air system is a trigger to a broader set of considerations concerning 21stcentury security in a cyber conflict age.
“We need to just take a step back and understand what security means in the next generation of capabilities.”
During a visit to the UK in May 2019, we discussed the next phase of integrating the F-35 into the force, namely, preparing for the deployment of F-35 as a an expeditionary force.
Here his focus in earlier interviews on both security and sustainability were highlighted as key elements for its coming deployment to Cyprus and for operating onboard the Queen Elizabeth carrier as part of the preparation for its 2021 initial operating tests.
Recently, senior officers announced this coming deployment to Cyprus in the Fall.
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier said:
“It is great to see 617 Squadron, the modern day Dambusters, flying the most advanced and dynamic fighter jet in the UK’s history and about to start their first overseas deployment.
“I have no doubt that this short deployment will offer many tests, but likewise I am confident that our highly trained and skilled personnel will rise to the challenge and confirm our ability to deliver truly formidable capability.”
Admiral Sir Philip Jones KCB ADC DL Royal Navy, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff said:
“This first overseas deployment of these world-beating British F-35B aircraft to RAF Akrotiri, together with their embarkation in HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time in the Autumn of this year, are important milestones to prove their readiness for deployed operations anywhere in the world in defence of our national interests.”
Group Captain Townsend highlighted that the focus on deployment on Cyprus was not just about getting the air system ready for deployment, but in place an expeditionary eco system capable of supporting the operations of the aircraft.
“While we have moved our planes from Beaufort to Marham we have not moved the MCAS to Marham.
“This means we are undergoing significant learning as we integrate the air system into the UK operational environment. We are learning from the ground up how to support the aircraft,
“In a way the deployment is a bit of a pipe cleaner.
“The deployment is deliberately designed to ensure we can learn the lessons associated with deployability before we’re called upon to go and do it for real.
“And the genesis of this deployment was 3 1/2 to 4 years ago, when r Air Commodore Smyth and I were in the office worked the approach that shortly after initial operating capability we would like to try and get this airplane on an exercise overseas to try and test the sustainability.
“And that’s exactly what we are doing.”
He highlighted two main areas where they are focusing significant attention.
The first picks up on the theme which we discussed last year, namely, the security piece.
“My cyber support squadron are an integral part of a deployable air system.
“We have deployed classified systems abroad before, but the F-35 is a bit different and we are focused on the cyber security required to support the data systems integrated into the F-35.”
The second is the sustainment approach which is built around the ALIS (Autonomic Logistics Information System) or the IT system which supports F-35 sustainment.
The squadron has been focused on integrating ALIS within the UK’s sovereign operational systems as well as working on ways to ensure that it can operate effectively in supporting sustainment. And the cyber support squadron has been a key part of this effort as well.
He noted that they are taking their deployable tactical trailers to Cyprus to provide for the IT support for the ALIS system.
He argued that “I think ALIS is an incredibly malleable system if you understand the system.
“That’s again the work we’ve been doing over the last 12 months.
“We’ve got some deployable infrastructure that we’re going to take with us and use for the first time.”
Townsend argued: “We need to make sure we can protect F-35 in the right sort of way and as you’ll be aware this is a challenge that we haven’t done before in the same sort of way.”
The Brits are treating RAF Marham as the supply hub to resupply F-35s during the Cyprus operation, but in future they could tap into other F-35 supply hubs in the region as well.
The deployment to Cyprus puts them into an environment where the F-35 global collaboration comes into play with USAF, and USMC or USN, Italian or Israeli F-35s operating in the region as well.
“This comes back to the significant opportunity of operating a common fifth generation platform provides for the UK.
“We will have a significant opportunity to cross-learn and cross operate as the F-35 ramps up in deployed numbers in the region as well.
“Somehting which s being repeated as well in Northern Europe.”
And this expeditionary deployment precedes the 2021 deployment onto the Queen Elizabeth.
“The Dambusters will deploy onboard the Queen Elizabeth as a squadron for the first time this Fall, during operational test period 1.
“How can we best exercise our sovereign operational capabilities with the aircraft onboard our carrier?”
“Last year’s operational tests onboard the carrier were heavily supported by the US Navy and USMC.
“This deployment will be British.
“We will need to operate ALIS onboard our carrier and to ensure an effective ops tempo.
“The ship needs to understand how it’s going to integrate with the air system.
“We need to make sure we get the networks right.
“We need to make sure we get the information flow around the ship working properly.
“And we need to understand the security aspect of the operational eco system.”
Group Captain Townsend sees the flow from the Cyprus deployment to that of Queen Elizabeth as parts of the same learning process.
“There are going to be some similarities and some differences operating in the embarked environment.
“This is true particularly on the maintenance.
“And it won’t surprise you to know that because there are not a large number of people in the UK with F-35 expertise, quite a lot of my people from Marham are going to go onto the ship and try and de risk that first operational test period this Fall.”
He emphasized that the cyber support squadron was a key part of the air system deployability not just in terms of ALIS but in the mission systems area as well.
The aircraft is a unique aircraft in terms of how it handles data, and the squadron needs to be structured in a way that is symmetrical with the operational envelopment of the aircraft.
This is not about taking past practices and applying them to a replacement aircraft; this is about crafting a very different eco system for a very different combat air system.
The working relationship with the Marines will continue to be central as the Marines fly onboard the Queen Elizabeth in 2021 but comet to RAF Marham in 2020 as well.
Here working commonality in the logistics area is a key focal point, especially when operating onboard the new carrier.
“The Marines will come on board with discrete information systems.
“We need to understand how we are going to work side by side.
“Security will always be an interesting challenge between operating nations.
“I think we know all those areas to focus on and we’ve got another 18 months or so to make sure we get them right.”
“I really do think that what the Marine Corp does and the way in which they operate is very similar to what the UK does as well.
“There is a natural working relationship here which needs to be encouraged and leveraged going forward.”
And on June 25, 2019, the UK MoD announced the initial UK F-35/Typhoon combat operation.
F-35s have flown alongside Typhoon aircraft on operational flights over the skies of Syria and Iraq, as part of the ongoing fight against Daesh, the Defence Secretary has confirmed.
It follows a successful training period in Cyprus, known as Exercise Lightning Dawn, aimed at building capability for the aircraft and supporting elements.
Due to the exceptional performance of the aircraft, pilots, and support staff during this time, it was decided that they were ready to make their operational debut from RAF Akrotiri, alongside the Typhoons.
Speaking at RAF Akrotiri, Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:
“The F-35s are the most advanced jets our country has ever possessed and will form the backbone of British air defence for decades to come.
“They have passed every test their training has thrown at them with flying colours and their first real operational mission is a significant step into the future for the UK.”
The first RAF F-35B operational sorties were flown on Sunday 16 June in support of Operation Shader, the UK contribution to the Global Coalition’s counter Daesh mission in Iraq and Syria. The two aircraft conducted a patrol over Syria, and UK F-35s have flown a further 12 sorties since then.
The F-35 is the first aircraft to combine radar-evading stealth technology with supersonic speeds and the ability to conduct short take-offs and vertical landings.
The Lightning force is jointly operated by the RAF and Royal Navy. With the ability to operate from land and sea, the F-35 forms a vital part of delivering a ‘carrier strike’ capability to the UK when combined with Britain’s new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, said:
“This first operational mission for the UK’s F-35 Lightning confirms the impressive progress which we have made in introducing this formidable new capability into service.
“It is testament to the outstanding abilities of our dedicated and highly trained air and ground crew that 617 Squadron has achieved this important milestone so quickly and so effectively.”
Admiral Tony Radakin CB ADC, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, said:
“It’s great to see our F35B Lightning jets already proving themselves on operations so early in their life cycle, ably demonstrating the fantastic capability these world-leading aircraft offer.
“This Autumn, our aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will return to the East Coast of the United States to conduct Operational Trials with our Lightning Force, taking this 5th generation capability to the next level as they prove their ability to operate from the sea.
“For decades to come, this exciting new combination of aircraft carriers and F35B Lightnings will provide a potent, globally deployable carrier strike capability, a powerful conventional deterrent and the centrepiece of our country’s expeditionary forces.”
Later in the year, 617 Squadron will embark in HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time. The UK jets will conduct Operational Tests, alongside 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron, onboard the carrier in the USA during the WESTLANT 19 deployment, proving their capability at sea. This is vital step on the path to the first Carrier Strike Deployment planned for 2021.
The UK currently owns 17 F-35B aircraft with the reformed 617 Sqn arriving back in the UK last year. More jets are due in Britain over the coming years, including the imminent arrival of 207 Sqn at RAF Marham, and there is an overall plan to procure 138 aircraft over the life of the programme.
Image of a Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning, being towed into position ready to be loaded for its first operational sortie. In the late evening of 15 June 2019, 617 ‘The Dambusters’ Squadron were preparing two F-35B Lightnings for their first operational sortie from RAF Akrotiri. This was as a result of the aircraft exceeding expectations on its training exercise Ex LIGHTNING DAWN. The UKs 5th generation aircraft was fitted with the live weapons for the first time in a non-training capacity. Credit: UK MoD
The programme has already generated $12.9 billion worth of orders and at peak production will support thousands of British manufacturing and engineering jobs.
UK Air Component Commander for the Middle East, Air Commodore Justin Reuter, said:
“The pilots, crew and aircraft have exceeded all training objectives since deploying to Cyprus so it was only right that they made the next step on their journey.
“The UK has played a vital role in liberating swathes of territory once subjected to Daesh’s cruel regime, and the deployment of our newest and most advanced jets signals our commitment to the enduring defeat Daesh in Iraq and Syria.”
The Defence Secretary also used the visit to hold a meeting with her Cypriot counterpart, Savvas Angelides, to further bolster bilateral ties.
Editor’s Note: In this article by Australian Aviation the transportable trailers mentioned by Group Captain Townsend are discussed.
Defence has signed a $37.5 million contract with Lockheed Martin Australia to provide the Royal Australian Air Force with deployable mission system equipment, primarily for the F-35A Lightning II.
Lockheed Martin is working with Newcastle-based Varley Group to deliver “transportable, secure and environmentally-controlled” Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) workspaces to enable connection to ALIS elsewhere in the world. ALIS serves as the information infrastructure for the F-35.
The workspace cabins will also host off-board mission planning systems used by the RAAF’s F/A-18F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler and P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
“Acquiring these new portable, Australian-made cabins is an important part of our Joint Strike Fighter program, and will mean that our top secret systems and personnel who support our jets on the ground will be securely housed and protected,” said Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne.
The two months long Exercise Baltic Protector culminated recently in Estonia.
Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft based at Ämari Air Base, Estonia as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, conducted a series of flights over participating maritime assets, HMS Albion and HMS Kent.
The exercise tests the Joint Expeditionary Force’s ability to conduct complex multi-faceted operations, and allows allies to train together to increase interoperability.
Exercise Baltic Protector started in Denmark in May, and has taken place all across the Baltic Sea. The exercise concluded with an amphibious landing exercise in the Valkla-Salmistu region on the northern coast of Estonia. The exercise, led by the British Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), will include some 3,000 Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Finnish troops and 20 warships.
The goal of the exercise is to test international cooperation of the defence forces and rehearse naval tactics, amphibious landing operations and air power integration.
This truly highlights the significance of training in multi-domain operations.
The Royal Air Force Typhoons are currently based at Ämari Air Base, Estonia to secure the skies over NATO Allies Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
The detachment took over the augmenting role of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission in May 2019, along with the leading detachment of the Hungarian Air Force and a second augmenting detachment of the Spanish Air Force, both based in Siauliai, Lithuania.
To enhance joint training effects, available jets can support exercising land and maritime units if the mission permits.
