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2017-01-08 Our latest Special Report provides an update on the introduction and integration of the F-35B into evolving USMC operations. With the significant change introduced into the amphibious fleet and for USMC land based operations by the Osprey, the F-35 B is accelerating the transformation of the CORPS into a wide-ranging insertion force able to operate across the range of military operations.
The report begins with an update on the recent testing onboard the USS America with regard to the F-35B with the Osprey onboard as well. We then turn to insights provided from Yuma Marine Corps Air Station by MAWTS-1, and the two operational F-35 squadrons, which have been based there. The Green Knights or VMFA-121 is on the move to Japan and will go back to the origins, namely Pacific operations.
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We will then conclude with a series of articles, which look at the impact of the integration of the Osprey and the F-35B on the sea base and the evolving strategic options, which are emerging along with the tactical innovations of the new force. The ampbhious ready group is being transformed into an amphibious task force, which is highly “Integratable” with air, and maritime based combat forces which together will shape what the US Navy leadership refers to as a kill web.
In short, although the F-35 is an innovative piece of combat technology it is its interaction with other key elements of innovation, which are opening up new capabilities and options for an integrated air and maritime force. And closely associated with the Marines in all of this is the UK, which is a core participant from the ground up in terms of integrating the F-35B with their new sea basing capabilities as well.
If there is a political will to build up the US Navy ship numbers, no better investment can be made than in the ampbhious fleet where the sea base is experiencing a revolution. Investment in new amphibious ships coupled with the investments in Ospreys, F-35s and CH-53Ks will provide US leaders with significantly expanded strategic flexibility and tactical operations.
As noted in one of the pieces included in the Special Report:
As Lt. General Davis, the Deputy Commandant of Aviation, put it onboard the USS America:
“We’d always say ‘if its really a bad air to air (A2A) threat, get some additional jets up there, get some more capability.’
I have no pause or hesitation that this jet will dominate in an A2A environment, would dominate in a strike environment, dominate in a CAS environment, and would also do a very nice job in an electronic warfare realm as well.”
Marines. At their mention I suspect most think, “storming the beaches.” Amphibious vehicles first in, troops storm ashore. That capability still exists, but today there is a far greater capability, one that will provide a vexing challenge for any adversary.
Already transformed by the mobility of the Osprey, the F-35B offers a critical upgrade to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) and amphibious assault. The first wave is no longer limited to the beach or uncontested space, it can effectively reach locations 450 miles from the shipborne base – even in contested airspace.
What once came ashore like a wave, now comes as lightning strikes in a violent storm.
Marines on the beach, Marines from behind, and Marines within the adversary’s territory. Marines striking swiftly with maximum effect to deal with high value targets, including terror cells – all with the stand alone capability to do so.
This is the “Aerial Amphibious Assault” Force, and these are the Marines of the 21st century battlespace.
It is a capability the US Marine Corps (USMC) has patiently and steadfastly build towards, and the pieces are coming together;
Integration with the US Navy LHA Class Amphibious Assault Carrier – The USS America & USS Tripoli (under construction). The LHA class offers enhanced dedicated support for Marine aviation assets.
MV-22B Osprey. The Osprey offers extended range and speed for troop insertion, as well as air to air refueling support.
F-35B Lightning II. The F-35B replaces the AV-8B, F/A-18 Hornet & EA-6B Prowler. The aircraft offers exceptional performance Air to Air (A2A), Air to Ground (A2G), Close Air Support (CAS), Electronic Warfare (EW), Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) all with the capability to operate stealthily within contested areas.
CH-53K “King Stallion” When introduced (2019) the CH-53K will provide nearly 3x the heavy lift capability of the CH-53E.
The USS America (LHA-6) is a maritime base which provides unrivaled flexibility.
Park it where you want in international waters. Forward deploy it to a region for any contingency, and a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is at the ready. The LHA platform is ideal for military operations involving troop insertion, (anti-terrorism activities) where the objective is to infiltrate, accomplish the mission and leave no boots behind on the ground.
The LHA offers the flexibility to adjust mix from heavy jet (F-35B) to heavy tiltrotor (MV-22B) or rotor wing. Utilizing the MV-22B and the F-35B, the USMC can effectively insert troops 450 miles from the ship in under 2 hours.
The platform offers the flexibility to work together with additional amphibious assault carriers (LHD) when amphibious vehicles are desired, as well as with the support of the USN Supercarrier.
Not a replacement for either, the LHA provides flexibility for the military to tailor a force most suitable for the mission at hand.
The photos in the slideshow are from the DTIII testing onboard the USS America in November 2016.
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North European and North Atlantic Defense: The Challenges Return
2016-12-17 In a piece written by Staff Sgt. Grace Lee, 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, a new milestone for F-35 training was identified and discussed.
The first class of undergraduate pilots began training through the newly written F-35 Lightning II curriculum Dec. 5 in the F-35 Academic Training Center at Luke Air Force Base.
The day was long awaited as Luke personnel worked to create the syllabus for several years.
“The start of the F-35 B-course class today is the culmination of years of work by thousands of U.S. and partner active-duty, civilian, industry and government personnel,” said Maj. Matthew Mayer, the 56th Fighter Wing F-35 Program integration chief.
“Specifically over the past several years, the Luke F-35 team has taken delivery of the world’s newest leading edge combat aircraft. They put it through the wringer to fully understand its capabilities then based on lessons learned, designed a training program to produce world-class F-35 pilots and support personnel for decades to come.
“This was no easy task. Many traditional ‘fourth-generation’ support, maintenance and operations methods and procedures needed updating, modifying, or all together recreation. Many open minds have engaged that challenge and succeeded in laying a solid foundation to carry the U.S. and its allies into the future of combat aviation.”
The course is more than seven months long. The first few weeks will be focused on academics and simulators. The remainder of the course will be a combination of flying, academics and simulators.
Traditionally, only pilots with prior fighter jet experience were chosen to fly the F-35. Under the new F-35 curriculum, pilots with no prior experience flying fighter aircraft will be able to learn to fly the F-35 as their first fighter jet.
“The six pilots selected have flown the T-38 Talon,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Hayden, the 56th Training Squadron commander. “
The pipeline for undergraduate pilot training is first training on the T-6 Texan II and then they will be selected into either a fighter track or a cargo/tanker track. Our pilots have been track selected into the fighter track so they went on to fly the T-38 to earn their wings.
Afterward they went through a course called Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals during which they also flew the T-38. The IFF is essentially a shorter course that is a snapshot of mission sets we typically do in a fighter. From there, pilots are branched off into either the F-16 (Fighting Falcon), F-22 (Raptor), A-10 Thunderbolt II or in this case, the F-35.”
The need to create the curriculum arose to ensure the future and growth of the F-35 community.
“Pilots that are fresh out of pilot training have an advantage because since they have no fighter jet experience, they are able to better absorb what we teach them and don’t come with habits that more experienced fighter pilots may bring when learning a new platform,” Hayden said.
“The new syllabus also benefits the Air Force in the long run by building experience in the F-35 and shaping the F-35 platform and the community.”
As students go through the course, adjustments will be made to the syllabus as needed.
“Throughout the course we will be gathering the lessons learned by phase,” Gette said. “Then the lessons learned will be vetted and pushed up to influence syllabus changes.”
One F-35 student pilot shares his feelings about the course.
“We’re all very grateful and excited to be here,” said Capt. Anthony Nejman, a 61st Fighter Squadron F-35 student pilot. “I’m really looking forward to flying again and can’t wait to get in the seat of an F-35.”
The creation of the new F-35 syllabus and start of the first class marks a monumental moment for not only Luke AFB but the Air Force overall.
“We’ve entered a new phase of training F-35 pilots,” said Col. Benjamin Bishop, the 56th Operations Group commander.
“The student pilots starting today are the future of the F-35 program because five, 10, 15 years from now when these pilots assume leadership roles, they are going to lead the community with a different perspective.
It is a phenomenal opportunity today to innovate and to take this airplane into the next step.”
12/16/2016:From left to right, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Richard Fuerst, commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, Kosei Nomura, director of Status of U.S. Forces Agreement Division Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Lt. Col. J. T. Bardo, commanding officer of Marine Fighter Attack Sqaudron (VMFA) 121, Yoshihiko Fukuda, mayor of Iwakuni City, Japan, Col. Marcus Annibale, commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 13, and Takahiro Sugawara, director general of Chugoku-Shikoku Defense Bureau Japan Ministry of Defense, pose for a group photo at MCAS Yuma, Oct. 24, 2016.
This event gave Mayor Fukuda an idea of what to expect of the aircraft following the scheduled basing of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 at MCAS Iwakuni.
After its transition, VMFA-121 will be the first F-35B squadron stationed in Japan.
We have recently interviewed the CO of VMFA-121 in Yuma in early December 2016 and will shortly publish his interview.
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION Yuma, Arizona:10/25/2016
In the second photo, Yoshihiko Fukuda, mayor of Iwakuni City, Japan, and U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col J. T. Bardo, commanding officer of VMFA-121, observe an F-35B Lightning II at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona, Oct. 24, 2016.
In the third photo, Yoshihiko Fukuda, mayor of Iwakuni City, Japan, observes an F-35B Lightning II at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona, Oct. 24, 2016.
In the final photo, Yoshihiko Fukuda, mayor of Iwakuni City, Japan, and U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. J. T. Bordo, commanding officer of Marine Fighter attack Squadron (VMFA) 12 observes an F-35B Lightning II at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona, Oct. 24, 2016.
Yoshihiko Fukuda, mayor of Iwakuni City, Japan, and U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. J. T. Bordo, commanding officer of Marine Fighter attack Squadron (VMFA) 12 observes an F-35B Lightning II at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona, Oct. 24, 2016. The demonstration of the F-35B gave Fukuda a better understanding of the aircraft and its capabilities. This event helped Fukuda better understand the capabilities of VMFA-121.(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Nathan Wicks)
12/16/2016: We have recently interviewed the CO of VMFA-121 in Yuma in early December 2016 and will shortly publish his interview.
This story published last December highlights a milestone along the way for the squadron as it prepares for its deployment to Japan in 2017.
An F-35B Lightning II from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 conducts a vertical landing on at a Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) aboard Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif., Dec. 10, 2015.
VMFA-121 marked another important milestone in the evolution of the aircraft conducting their first Close Air Support (CAS) missions in support of ground combat elements during exercise Steel Knight 16.
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES:12/10/2015:3D Marine Aircraft Wing Combat Camera
An F-35B Lightning II from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 conducts a vertical landing on at a Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) aboard Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif., Dec. 10, 2015. VMFA-121 marked another important milestone in the evolution of the aircraft conducting their first Close Air Support (CAS) missions in support of ground combat elements during exercise Steel Knight 16. (U.S. Marine Corps Combat Camera Photo by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Wade E. Spradlin/Released)
12/06/2016: PACIFIC OCEAN (NOV. 17, 2016) The F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force (ITF) wrapped up its third and final developmental test phase (DT-III) of the F-35B Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) on November 17.
The Pax River ITF’s highly diverse cadre of technicians, maintainers, engineers, logisticians, support staff and test pilots embarked aboard USS America with two F-35B aircraft from Air Test & Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland on Oct. 28 to conduct testing.
During the three week detachment, the Pax River ITF completed the F-35B Launch and Recovery Bulletin for the fleet, attained the F-35B’s final flight clearances for operating from L-Class ships, and achieved 128 Vertical Landings (VL)s, 126 Short Take Offs (STO)s, and two Vertical Take Offs (VTO)s across 60 flights that logged 53.5 flight hours.
The F-35B STOVL DT-III lays the groundwork for upcoming U.S. Marine Corps F-35B deployments aboard U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships beginning in 2018.
Also aboard USS America with the Salty Dogs of VX-23 were Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) 1 from Edwards AFB, California and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 from MCAS Yuma, Arizona.
2016-12-02 The F-35 global enterprise provides an opportunity for leveraging collaborative efforts to shape more effective capabilities at a more effective cost point.
According to a post by Endre Lundeon December 1, 2016 from the Norwegian Ministry of Defence: How international cooperation saved us NOK 96 million in 2016.
The F-35 is a good example of how international cooperation can help us make things cheaper compared to doing it on our own.
In a bill that was presented to the Norwegian Parliament last Friday, we are for the first time confirming that the Netherlands is now part of the development effort for the F-35 brake chute, and that they in 2016 have paid us NOK 96 million to cover their share of the development costs.
This allows us to redirect the same amount of funding to other parts of the Norwegian combat aircraft program.
The brake chute is the only «Norwegian» alteration we have made in the F-35.
Where the cockpit in every other F-35 is the same, Norwegian (and soon Dutch) aircraft have a separate switch in the upper left corner of the instrument panel that deploys the chute.
Though relying on the aircraft’s hydraulics for power, it is a separate add-on system with its own wiring and hard points.
The benefit of the system is that it makes it both easier and safer to operate the F-35 on slippery runways, as we often will be doing in Norway during the winter months.
Secretary Wynne recently visited, the Final Assembly and Check Out Facility, which has been built at Cameri Air Base near Milan.
When he last dealt with the FACO it was the germ of an idea in working through how best to involve Italy in the F-35 project.
Because the F-35 is not built around traditional offsets, given the plane is built differently from legacy aircraft, the question was how best for Italy to participate in the program.
In discussions with Italy, the idea emerged that Italy would stand up their own FACO for the assembly of the aircraft, and learn the skill sets which would naturally migrate into being a core maintenance center for future operations of the new aircraft.
With his visit in October 2016, Secretary Wynne was able to see first hand the results of the effort.
In a four-year period, the base saw a transformation from a dirt soccer field to one of the three final assembly plants in the world for the F-35, and the first built outside of the United States.
Question: Take us back to the period where this project was first born.
What was the thinking 10 years ago?
Secretary Wynne: When the F-35 program was being shaped the Italians were doing a first rate analysis of how this would affect them and whether they should be part of the program or not.
They were concerned, of course, that they would have an appropriate “offset,” given the money they would be putting into the program. They clearly wanted to generate work in their country relative to the amount of money they were going to pay out.
How best to get a return on their investment?
This led down a path of suggesting a final assembly and check-out facility.
The F-35 FACO at Cameri Air Base.
I had talked to them about becoming a long-term maintenance facility in the Southern European area.
If they wanted to be able to do this, they needed to understand the airplane in detail.
That understanding would come about best if they were a producer of some key part of the aircraft and had the final assembly and check facility in their country.
They would have core first hands on experience.
We discussed the possibility of having the first Italian F-35 actually to come from that facility if they wished that to happen.
An airplane is not an airplane prior to final assembly, and they decided to do that in Italy.
Most European publics are familiar with the Airbus approach of building key sub assemblies in different parts of Europe and then having a final assembly line.
This is what the F-35 production model is clearly doing.
The Italians also are the producer of wings for the aircraft.
In fact, every F-35 has Italian produced components in it.
Question: When you went to Cameri last month, what did you find?
Secretary Wynne: The ideas have been implemented.
They went from concept to reality in a very short period of time.
They have gone from dirt to a first rate 21st century aircraft facility in a very short period of time.
I have significant experience with international co-production programs, such as the F-16. I was the lead negotiator on the F-16. And frankly I never have been to a final assembly facility like the one in Italy abroad for a new build US combat aircraft.
This is unique and they have clearly delivered in terms of commitment and capability. It is a first rate facility.
I want to compliment here both the Italian side and the American side from a standpoint of they have constructed a first-rate quality facility.
The team has done a great job of energizing the Italian workforce of some 800 workers who have taken full possession of the responsibility to deliver on quality and meeting critical engineering standards.
Supervisory and configuration control rests with Lockheed, but the Italians do the rest.
There is real talent on the Italian side at the plant and clearly there is a two way tech transfer process.
The Italians have contributed significant innovations in the smart ways they construct, conceive and execute on wing production and those innovations are then available to the global enterprise for the F-35.
I met with the Italian managers who very impressive. They were enthusiastic and upbeat and they really know their stuff.
For me, this interaction was a real treat.
To see something go from negotiation to reality is very rewarding and you can see that at the Italian FACO. They are well aware that they are not just doing this for themselves but for the entire NATO and Allied coalition.
They are very proud of their broader contribution.
I think this is a program that is bringing about a bigger picture, and it’s not just in manufacturing.
The wellspring of cooperation is seeping into operations without a doubt.
Whereas we had a very good integrated fighting force with the F-16, and the F-15, the truth is that in the information age the F-35 enterprise is about sharing across the board.
Literally, everybody’s F-35 is going to be a node on the network, and I think they get that. They get where the operational construct is going and they’re proud to be a part.
Editor’s Note: The background to mission success in the shaping, construction and building of the FACO is one of many less technical challenges than political challenges.
Many politicians on both sides of the Atlantic have seemed to make their mark by joint the Greek chorus of critics of the F-35.
Yet despite this, the F-35B which is a unique asset for Italian and other sea bases is not only flying today but the Marines and Navy are working the con-ops of Bs and Ospreys on the new USS America off of the coast of California as we speak.
When Wynne left the Department of Defense, the anti-modernization airpower critics were clearly embolden. Secretary Gates put the F-35B on probation looking a little bit like the dean in Animal house putting Delta Tau Ch on “double secret probation”. It took the coming of Secretary Panetta to end this holding pattern.
There were clear differences between Gates and Panetta. A major reflection of the difference was Gates putting the F-35B on “probation.” Whereas Panetta when it was evident that probation made no sense, gradually lifted “probation.”
Here Panetta recognized the key role of allies (never a high priority for Gates except to fill in the gap) and of the USMC as the leading edge of expeditionary forces in the United States and a leader in shaping 21st century “agile forces.”
And that ever present critic who has never seen a new plane for the forces which he did not hate, Senator McCain has kept up his incessant criticism although his own state is a key one shaping the global coalition and with the Marines at Yuma and the USAF and the allies at Luke leading the way.
Yet in spite of all this the producers of the plane and the warriors have brought the F-35 into reality and are leveraging the aircraft to renorm airpower.
As the first F-35 to fly across the Atlantic approached Pax River, two members of SLD and two other journalists witnessed its landing. Four people that is it!
Yet Ninja had accomplished a milestone flying an F-35 built in Italy, accompanied by the Italian Air Force’s new tanker and Eurofighters, in effect, the future of the Italian Air Force.
On Feb. 5, the Italian Air Force’s first F-35, AL-1 with code “32-01” and markings of the 32 Stormo Wing landed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, at the end of the JSF’s first ever transatlantic flight.
The aircraft was piloted by “Ninja,”an Italian Air Force test pilot, belonging to the Reparto Sperimentale Volo (Test Wing) from Pratica di Mare, and who had successfully completed his initial F-35 flight training at Luke AFB in November 2015.
To put this in perspective, the pilot had only 50 flight hours of F-35 flying experience.
And the Lightning II which Ninja flew across the North Atlantic in winter had only 15 flight hours on before he took off on his historic flight. 32-01was the first plane to came off of the Italian assembly line at Cameri Italy.
For our 2014 Special Report on Italy, Cameri and the F-35, see the following:
CAMERI, ITALY AND THE F-35: SPECIAL REPORT (ENGLISH AND ITALIAN VERSIONS)
In this special report, we look at the Italian engagement with the F-35 and the thinking of Italian airpower leaders about the impact of the F-35 on the future.
As of January 2014, we have a version in Italian for our Italian readers which can be downloaded below:
At Cameri, Italians are standing up a Final Assembly and Check Out Facility or FACO, a Final Wing Assembly for building for the global fleet, and Fleet Sustainment Facility for the region, including Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
The Cameri facility includes both an ATF or Aircraft Test Facility (for testing stealth performance) and a final paint facility. This means that in the heart of Europe, the F-35 fleet will have a battle damage facility.
Cameri, Fort Worth, Japan and Israel will all see key elements of the F-35 global production system. This means that for the first time, the United States in building its front line fighter is looking to work differently with allies. In turn, allies are building out a global sustainment capability available to those nations, which buy, into the F-35 fleet.
Significant cross learning has already occurred, but is just beginning. The advantages of building a global system where best practices can be developed are obvious.
Building a global sustainment approach is less so. But the impact on the cost of operations of an airfleet is significant.
Rather than bringing the logistical support equipment and material to the operational forward base, the forward deployment of warehoused parts and regionally based sustainment competencies will not only allow and air fleet to move rapidly to a problem but to reduce the need for surge airlift and tanking to get those supplies to the point of attack.
This is part of what the head of the Italian Air Force refers to the F-35 as part of building new coalition capabilities and shaping an F-35 fleet which can operate through coalitions against distributed challenges with distributed operational capabilities.
We start the Special Report by providing the interviews with RADM Covella, the head of the F-35 program in Italy, Lt. General Preziosa, the head of the Italian Air Force, BG Espisoto and Lt General Lupoli who focused on their perspectives on the F-35 and the evolution of Italian airpower.
We next add a look at the impact of the new aircraft on the latest Italian aircraft carrier, the Cavour. What is the impact of shifting from Harriers to F-35Bs on the role of this type of ship?
We next examine the perspectives of four key industrial executives working in Italy with Alenia Aermacchi (AAeM) to make Cameri a reality. Their experience and perspectives are unique and are part of a new approach to Euro-American defense industrial cooperation.
We then close with two more general pieces providing overviews.
The first looks at the nature of change posed by the Italian experience for the Asians as the Japanese add their own FACO facility.
The second looks at the general approach of the F-35 program to allies and the role of global investments.
It is the case of a 21st century combat aircraft built in global 21st century facilities with a global sustainment approach built in.
This is a unique moment in military aviation history.
And Cameri is now a key support center for the F-35 global enterprise.
Recently, the Joint Program Office announced a number of key global centers to support the F-35 and Cameri is an important one.
F-35 MRO&U Initial Component Global Assignments Made by DoD
The Department of Defense has assigned F-35 Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) capability for the first component repair assignments Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS), for the first 65 of 774 repairables. The assignments were based on data compiled and analyzed by the F-35 Joint Program Office that was collected from Partners Nations, Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers and their industries. These initial Regional MRO&U assignments will support near-term component repair requirements in support of F-35 overseas operations and maintenance and will be reviewed and updated as program needs dictate but no later than the next five years.
As part of the F-35 global sustainment strategy, participating nations were provided with requirements outlining global repair needs for the F-35 component workload. Each country was afforded the opportunity to work with their industrial base to provide the F-35 enterprise work over and above their own F-35 needs. Regional considerations such as forward basing, aircraft phasing, and transportation also contributed to initial assignment decisions.
There are a total of 774 components (broken into 18 categories such as avionics, life support, egress, canopy system, pumps etc…) that will be repaired on the F-35. This current assignment is for 65 of these 774 parts with assignment of the remaining parts to occur over the next 2 to 3 years. Eventually, the Program intends to have regional repair capability in Europe and the Pacific for all 774 components.
The current assignments are time-phased such that the first repair capabilities will be stood up by 2021 and will serve all F-35s globally until 2025. This is because the demand for repairs from 2021 to 2025 can be satisfied with a single repair source globally. Eventually, the demand for repairs will increase to a point where a single global repair capability will not be enough and as a result the program will stand up regional repair capabilities in Europe and the Pacific to handle the increased demand. Thus, there are two component repair assignments being made today: one for global repairs form 2021 to 2025 and a second for regional repairs from 2025 and beyond.
2021 to 2025 Global Repair Assignments:
The Department of Defense has assigned 48 of the first 65 components to the United Kingdom and 14 of the first 65 components to the Netherlands, and 3 components to Australia for global repairs from 2021 to 2025. From 2021 to 2025 these repair capabilities in the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands will serve all F-35s around the world.
2025 and Beyond: Regional Repair Assignments:
For the European Region, the Department has assigned 51 of the first 65 components to the UK, and 14 of the first 65 components to the Netherlands, with this repair capability to be activated in 2025.
For the Pacific Region, the Department has assigned 64 of the first 65 components to Australia and 1 component assigned to Korea with this repair capability to be activated by 2025.
These initial repair technology category assignments do not preclude the opportunity for other F-35 Partners and FMS customers, including those assigned initial airframe and engine capabilities, to participate and be assigned additional future sustainment workload, to include other components, Support Equipment, Full Mission Simulators, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), and Maintenance Training devices as the fleet grows and the F-35 global presence expands.
“This is the first of many opportunities we will have to assign F-35 global sustainment solutions for component repair work ,” said F 35 Program Executive Officer, Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan. “As international F-35 deliveries increase and global operations expand, support provided by our international F-35 users becomes increasingly more important. We are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside these nations on a daily basis; this close teamwork enables the US Defense Department to make well-informed, best-value decisions to shape the F-35 global sustainment posture for decades to come.”
Today’s assignment of initial F-35 component repair capability represents about 8 percent of total amount of repairable work. Requests for Information (RFI) for F-35 Warehousing and Non Air Vehicle repairs were released to the F-35 Enterprise in October 2016 and will be assessed during 2017.
In 2014 the Department of Defense has assigned F-35 MRO&U capability for airframes and engines for the European and Pacific Regions. These assignments support near-term engine and airframe F-35 overseas operations and maintenance and will be reviewed and updated in approximately five years.
In the European region, F-35 initial airframe MRO&U capability will be provided by Italy at their Final Assembly and Checkout facility in Cameri by 2018.
Should additional airframe MRO&U capability be required, BAE Systems in the UK would be assigned to supplement the existing capability. In the European region, engine heavy maintenance will initially be provided by Turkey in 2018, with Norway and the Netherlands providing additional capability approximately 2-3 years after Turkey’s initial capability.
In the Asia Pacific Region, the Department of Defense assigned, F-35 airframe MRO&U capability to Japan and their industry partner, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Limited for the Northern Pacific and Australia and their industry partner, BAE Systems for the Southern Pacific, with both capabilities required no later than early 2018. For Heavy F-35 Engine Maintenance, the initial capability will be provided by Australia and their industry partner TAE, with Japan and their industry partner, IHI Corporation, providing additional capability approximately 3-5 years later.
