2016-07-01 According to an interview with Col. David Chace, the F-35 systems management office chief and lead for F-35 operational requirements at Air Combat Command, the plane will be IOCd with the USAF later this year.

The interview is dated June 21, 2016.

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –

The F-35A is on track to be declared initially operationally capable between August and December 2016.

IOC is the first step Air Combat Command will take in bringing the F-35 online as the latest fifth generation multirole fighter. In IOC configuration, the aircraft will be able to penetrate areas with developed air defenses, provide close air support to ground troops and be readily deployable to conflict theaters.

Col. David Chace is the F-35 systems management office chief and lead for F-35 operational requirements at Air Combat Command. He leads a multi-discipline team of maintenance professionals, program managers, operators and engineers not only with the responsibility for F-35 requirements, but also weapons systems fielding.

Below is a recent Q&A with Chace that outlines where ACC is in the IOC process.

Q1: What is the process for becoming IOC?

A1: There are a number of criteria that must be met in terms of capabilities and performance to become IOC.

The requirements, established in 2013, include 12-24 aircraft with trained and equipped Airman for basic close air support, interdiction and limited SEAD/DEAD in a contested environment and operating from a deployed location.

To support those operations we need the proper logistics and operational elements in place, including having the proper personnel, equipment and appropriate technical manuals.

Q2: Do you think you will reach IOC with just 12 F-35 aircraft?

A2: The forecast is that we will have more than 12 aircraft. There are currently 12 aircraft available at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Some of those are going through the last few modifications required to support IOC. We will have additional aircraft in the modification process beginning in August.

Depending on the actual IOC date, modifications may be complete on the additional F-35s.     

Q3: Who decides when the F-35 is IOC?

A3: The commander of Air Combat Command will make the IOC decision in direct consultation with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

It is a capabilities-based decision, with input received from units assigned to operational testing and evaluation at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Q4: Where is the F-35 in the IOC timeline?

A4: Since beginning this process over five years ago with the first F-35s on the ground, we are in the final stages of IOC. These steps focus on training and equipping our personnel. There are no known technical issues today that would prevent us from reaching IOC in our August-December timeframe.

The F-35 recently deployed from Hill to Mountain Home where crews, maintenance and support personnel conducted a number of missions. During that deployment, crews attained a 100 percent sortie generation rate with 88 of 88 planned sorties and a 94 percent hit rate with 15 of 16 bombs on target.

These numbers provide a positive indication of where we are when it comes to stability and component performance.

Feedback from the events at Mountain Home will feed into the overall evaluation of F-35 capabilities.

The second evaluation will take place in the operational test environment with F-35 mission sets the Air Force intends to execute after IOC. All reports will be delivered in July and feed into the overall F-35 capabilities report. The ultimate goal is to provide a needed capability to the warfighter to execute the mission. It is not calendar-based or event-based.

Q5: What has the feedback been from the field so far?

A5: The feedback from unit operators in place today has been very positive for the F-35, not just concerning performance but the ability the aircraft has with other platforms. In particular at Hill, integration with the F-15E has gone very well. We’ve also been demonstrating the ability to put bombs on target. All of that information will be provided to us in the formal IOC readiness assessments.

Q6: What are some of the key metrics you’re hoping to see out of the deployment to Mountain Home?

A6: We’re looking for the ability to deliver combat power and the instruments that go into supporting that, such as aircraft stability and the capability to generate sorties. We’re also looking for feedback on the functionality of ALIS to support that sortie generation.

Q7: What weapons capability will the F-35 have achieved at IOC?

Q7: The F-35, a 5th generation aircraft, is a survival platform that can detect, track and engage targets in a contested environment. At the time we declare IOC we will focus on three mission sets that will concentration on the number and type of weapons the aircraft can carry.

Those weapons include two GBU-31s and two GBU-12s, or two AMRAAMs.

Q8: Is this aircraft capable of deploying to Iraq or Syria to battle ISIS like the F-22 did?

A8: After IOC, it will be available to support the needs of the combatant commanders.

Q9: How soon the F-35 will be deployed to overseas locations?

A9: There are a number of events being considered for the F-35, to include training exercises and deployments. These events are being assessed and planned for through the needs of the combatant commanders.

Q10: After IOC is declared, what are the next steps for the F-35?

A10: It’s a constantly evolving responsibility working hand-in-hand with our sister services and partners in development. We are actively engaged in the other activities taking place to field the F-35, such as system upgrades, such as Block 3F for full warfighter capability and future basing locations.

Additional squadrons are planned for Hill as well as at Luke Air Force Base with seven of the partner nations, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska and locations in Europe and the Pacific.

The entry of the F-35 into Air National Guard units will take place in Burlington, Vermont and the first F-35 weapons school class at Nellis Air Force Base is also being projected on the timeline.

We also continue to evaluate the future threat environment and how the F-35 must adapt to remain survivable against those threats. Right now we’re looking at delivering the first increment of modernization to the F-35 in late 2020 or early 2021.

The USAF has released a graphic which highlights that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter scored an 8:0 kill ratio against the F-15E during mock air combat.

Using combat-coded F-35As from Hill Air Force Base, the simulations were part of the evaluation process to declare the jet to be initially operationally capable.

The seven fighters used also demonstrated their ability to carry out basic close air support and limited SEAD/DEAD missions with crews attaining a 100% sortie generation rate with 88 of 88 planned sorties and a 94% hit rate with 15 of 16 GBU-12 bombs on target.

This is in contrast to the hyperbole in some quarters about the F-35 as a “dog fighter.”

07/02/2016: The first F-35A trans-Atlantic aerial refuel on the way to the United Kingdom.

As Lt. Col. Raj Cheri commented in an interview which we did with him earlier this year at Edwards AFB:

Question: We discussed the so-called F-16 and F-35 dogfight with colleagues earlier today, what is your take on this amazingly blown out of context story?

Answer: My first week here that story came out. I found the whole thing amazing because it did not even involve a simulated combat sortie. We were going after some particular test points.

The F-16 was simply a test aid, not in a dogfight with the F-35.

The story was simply spun and used by those who like to spin stories.

Because this happened just after I got here, I reached back to the leadership to determine whether this would have a chilling effect on our pilot reporting and discussions and was given clear guidance that we were not testing in response to the press, we were testing to evolve the aircraft.

That was made very clear from the top down. We are looking for accurate test and evolution of the aircraft, not a managed press campaign. Somebody else’s distortions are not going to deter our discussions.

And really, discussing the F-16 with the F-35 would be like a horse cavalry officer discussing the tank during the First World War.

You know the tank can not jump across the trench like a horse does!

That is correct and absolutely irrelevant.

The USAF Chief of Staff has us focused on the target of dominance in 2035 and not just carrying the legacy approach and fleet forward. The F-35 is a big part of that forward thinking.

Lt. Col. Raja Chari Talks About the Way Ahead with the F-35: The Renorming of Airpower Seen from Edwards

 

2016-06-02 In this video from the Dutch Ministry of Defence, two Dutch F-35s, which had been operating as part of the test group at Edwards AFB, are seen crossing the Atlantic.

Accompanying them is the Dutch Minister of Defence in her Gulfstream along with two Dutch tankers.

A number of F-16s supported the crossing as well.

The video ends with their arrival in the Netherlands.

Credit: Dutch Ministry of Defence (5/23/16).

The Dutch are the first to fly the F-35 East across the Atlantic.

When the Italians flew the first F-35 West across the Atlantic and landed at Pax River on February 5, 2016, there were considerably less press than greeted the arrival of the Dutch F-35s in the Netherlands.

And the Dutch MoD provided a live feed of the arrival of the aircraft which can be seen below.

To be clear: there were four press present when the F-35 arrived at Pax and greeted the Italian pilot and two of them were from Second Line of Defense.

According to the Dutch Ministry of Defence:

The Royal Netherlands Air Force’s 2 new F-35 fighter jets flew from the United States to the Netherlands for the first time on 23 May 2016. Among other things, the 2 F-35s will be carrying out a number of noise-level test flights above the ‪Leeuwarden and ‪Volkel air bases. The aircraft will stay in the Netherlands for approximately 3 weeks.

Air Force Open Days

The Royal Netherlands Air Force Open Days coincide with the 3-week visit of the F-35s. The aircraft will be on show to the public during this event, which takes place at ‪Leeuwarden Air Base on 10 and 11 June. This makes the Royal Netherlands Air Force the first in Europe to display the aircraft.

Experiencing noise in your own surroundings

Residents living in the surrounding area of the ‪Leeuwarden and ‪Volkel air bases wish to compare the noise level of the F-35 with that of the F-16 currently in use. During the noise-level test flights, both aircraft will fly the arrival and departure flight-paths in quick succession.

This will allow local residents to familiarise themselves with the aircraft and experience the noise the jet produces in their own living environment. In order to support the noise-level discussion, the National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) has set up five noise assessment points around each air base. These will measure peak values at places such as residential centres and bicycle paths.

https://www.defensie.nl/english/topics/f-35-visits-the-netherlands

In a press release posted by Lockheed Martin on May 23, 2016:

LEEUWARDEN AIR BASE, The Netherlands — As people across the Netherlands viewed in person and on TV, the nation’s first two F-35As touchdown for the first time at Leeuwarden Air Base May 23 – a date that will live forever in Netherlands military history.

Pilot’s Colonel Bert “Vidal” de Smit and Major Pascal “Smiley” Smaal conducted a fly by for nearly 2,000 base members, dignitaries and media before touching down. Netherlands Minister of Defence Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert was the first person to greet the two crew members. Their arrival was broadcast live to the entire country – see the footage.

Known as AN-1 and AN-2, the jets are spending three weeks in the Netherlands for a variety of purposes. They will conduct both aerial and ground environmental noise tests, perform flights over the North Sea range and then appear and fly at the Netherlands’ Open Days, the largest air show held annually in the Netherlands.

Video Above: Dutch F35 Backtrack & Takeoff F-002 Leeuwarden

And an article on Aviation News European Union noted that the noise level tests have been completed successfully.

The local residents only noted small differences with regard to the sound levels generated by the F-16 and the F-35 on their residential areas.

http://aviationnews.eu/news/2016/05/netherlands-f-35-noise-tests-complete/

As David Cenciotti of The Aviationist noted in an article published on May 24, 2016:

On the ground, waiting for the arrival of the two brand new F-35s along (were) nearly 2,000 base members, dignitaries and media….

Noteworthy, the arrival of the first RNlAF F-35s was very well advertised by the Dutch MoD that provided constant updates, details of the crossing and also streamed the event live on Youtube (as opposed to the Italian MoD that almost took the type’s very first and second transatlantic crossings, conducted by F-35s assembled in Italy, confidential….).

 

2016-05-26 Earlier, we were at Pax River on February 5, 2016, when the first F-35 arrived from Italy and performed the first trans-Atlantic crossing of an F-35.

We wrote at the time:

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.

And this was done in the middle of winter, flying in and out of cloud layers over the turbulent North Atlantic against 120-knot headwinds. It was remarkable flying.

https://www.sldinfo.com/ninja-discusses-his-f-35-flight-across-the-atlantic-the-right-stuff-italian-style/

Now Ninja and Mangio have add to their flight hours by flying from Cameri to Pax River and then to Luke AFB.

As an article published on May 18, 2016 on the Italian Ministry of Defence website put it:

Two Italian Air Force F35A Lightning II have taken off today from Cameri Air Base. After a stop-over in Lajes (Azores) they will land at Luke AFB, Arizona.

The Italian aircraft – entirely assembled at Cameri  FACO (Final Assembly & Check-Out) facility– are flying in formation with two tankers (to ensure air-to-air refuelling during the flight). They will land at Luke AFB, Arizona, where the international pilot school dedicated to the new assets is already operational.

Last February an Italian F35 – code name AL-1- was the first F35 to cross the Atlantic. All three aircraft will be part of the international air fleet deployed at Luke’s multinational F-35 pilot training centre. 

Luke AFB is the only pilot training centre for all the countries that have joined the JSF programme.

The two Italian pilots will join their colleagues who are already stationed at the US Air Force base

http://www.difesa.it/EN/Primo_Piano/Pagine/Luk.aspx

And from our earlier discussion with Ninja on the occasion of his first arrival at Pax River:

NINJA DISCUSSES HIS F-35 FLIGHT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC: THE RIGHT STUFF ITALIAN STYLE

After his 7-hour flight he sat down with reporters to discuss the flight and what he sees as the way ahead for the F-35 program.

“We started from Cameri.

We had bad weather.

For the first day, we went from Cameri to Lajes AFB in the Azores via Palma de Mallorca.

This was the first time the F-35 had landed in Portugal.

We had to wait out the weather for a day and then flew the 2000 plus miles past St Johns to Halifax to the Boston area and then we arrived in Maryland.

For safety and security reasons, we had four air refueling during this second leg, and given how bad the weather was the fourth refueling was done close to Pax River again for safety and security reasons.

The flight lasted 7 hours.

We had to go through a Cold Front and heavy headwinds (120 knots).”

Question: You flew in formation and through heavy clouds, we understand?

Answer: We had four aircraft total; and kept tight formation; and refueled in the clouds as well.

We had two C-130s just in the case; the tanker, a Typhoon headed to Red Flag and the F-35.

Question: So you were in a new aircraft, single engine, flying in the middle of winter across the North Atlantic in heavy headwinds?

Answer: That characterizes it.

Question: Did you hand fly the plane to stay in formation?

Answer: The plane is very reliable, and I hand flew some times, but auto pilot handled a great deal of the flight.

Question: What about the air refueling events?

Answer: We had 100% success even in the clouds; the big thing here is that the plane is very stable and reliable with no problems.

We had no disconnections; the F-35 is a very stable airplane.

Question: This is the first F-35 built on a new assembly line.

Did that come into play in your calculations in flying the aircraft?

Answer: We did 15 flight hours with AL-1 prior to crossing the Atlantic and we had no issues, and I mean NO issues.

It is the first F-35 built outside the United States.

Our workers at the FACO worked as a team as a team to get this result.

We are building for our own air force and wings for other air forces.

We flew the jet 5 times back to back to back to back prior to coming. I don’t think that has ever been done before as well.

Question: How many flight hours do you have on the F-35?

Answer: About 50 real flight hours.

I was formerly a Tornado pilot in the reconnaissance role.

And then became a test pilot.

Question: After the testing here, what is next for the jet?

Answer: We will take the first two aircraft to Luke AFB.

Then in a few months will bring additional aircraft to Luke.

This summer we will ferry number 4 and 5 to give us a full complement of five at Luke.

All the student pilots at Luke fly the aircraft in the fleet whether US, Australian, Norwegian or Italian.

And the training allows us to learn common TTPs from the ground up.

We are building a fifth generation approach from the ground up.

Question: When you sit in the F-35 cockpit and flew across the Atlantic how did the various systems assist you in the flight?

Answer: The great thing about the F-35 is that the human-machine interface (HMI) is so good and so built around the pilot that you don’t have to learn how it works.

You just use it.

You can configure the screens to configure for the mission.

The aircraft is built to understand; you are building a strategy, not focusing on managing the sensors or really focused on the flying function.

I was able to see the aircraft surrounding me through the clouds, such as keeping distance with my tankers, by using my helmet and the Distributed Aperture System and see the C-130s below me below the clouds.

Question: Did you have any problems with your helmet?

Answer: No. I used the Gen II helmet and the Gen III has improved the helmet, but my helmet worked flawlessly during the flight. I was able to fulfill the mission and I am here.

Question: How different is flying the Tornado compared to the F-35?

Answer: How can answer and be polite? There is no comparison. Recently, I flew the Tornado after learning to fly the F-35. It was a real shock to go back in time.

I had to move my head and focus on the switches and sensors – you have to manage the aircraft to fly.

The F-35 is totally different.

Question: What is it like to cross the Atlantic with DAS?

Answer: It is IR so much of its functionality is used during the night not the day, although you do look through your legs and could see buildings, intersections, and various landmarks while flying.

Question: Many more people saw Lindbourgh land at Le Bourget in 1927 than are here today.

There are four reporters here to witness your arrival, and let make no mistake about it, this is an historic day in which an Italian flew the first F-35A with an Italian assembled aircraft, rather than the USAF having done so.

How does that feel from an Italian point of view?

Answer: It feels great. It is a different mindset. We are working at a different level than we have done in the past.

It must be weird from your point of view to have an Italian fly the first F-35 across the Atlantic. We are making history. We are building it; we are flying it; we are maintaining it.

We talk about facts. I am a pilot.

We have flown all these flight hours with no problems; we are living a new reality.

The aircraft is extremely reliable.

We are close to 50,000 flight hours with aircraft.

That is a fact.

We had a no gripe, no maintenance discrepancies during flight as well.

Question: When the Marines we barred from flying from Pax River to the Farnbourgh air show in 2014, how did this affect your preparation and thinking?

Answer: I certainly realized that I was going to be first and felt that pressure.

But with regard to the flight I talked with the Marines about their flight – they went from Yuma to Pax – and their flight plan to come over.

They were very helpful.

Semper Fidelis is what I have to say about that.

Question: How was the airplane ergonomically?

Answer: I did not think about it until you asked the question.

The seat is very comfortable.

You can stretch your legs in front of you.

The helmet was confortable, and the seat was very supportable and comfortable.

With this helmet I do not have to turn my head, which makes it easier as well for the pilot.

Question: When did you learn that you would do this flight?

Answer: We started working this about six months ago and worked various scenarios for the flight including divert requirements if needed.

But the aircraft holds so much fuel that there is an additional safety factor built in. After 30 minutes after take off from the Azores I could reach the coast of Canada flying high. If I needed to fly lower, I would need a refueling.

We also brought our tankers to Edwards last year to do refueling of the F-35 and worked through various procedures and operating conditions.

Question: This plane is designed to drop bombs and fire missiles.

What you can see going forward with regard to training with regard to weapons?

Answer: It is a lot easier than you think.

This is one of the first aircraft that you can take off and after about two flights dropping bombs, and firing weapons.

Your mission systems are so good that you can start operating weapons very early in your training and operations.

We have to air-to-air pilots working with air-to-ground pilots and merging the cultures.

You are not focusing on your sensors; you are focusing on the end objective of your mission.

The big difference with this aircraft is situational awareness.

You see everything, and I mean on the surface and on the ground and you command attack, defense and electronic warfare functions within the aircraft.

The HMI is processing this and allowing you to be more strategic in your role.

You have different screens and different set ups that we are using as we fly the aircraft, and over time we can help the pilots standardize ways to usual the two screens optimally.

During my flight, I mostly used the two screens in the following way:

Half a screen provided a long-range view to look further; the second half showed the formation.

And the second screen contained my targeting Pod in one half and DAS in the other.

I hand flew because I wanted to play with the screens and figure out how to make best use of the systems during flight.

Question: How is the F-35 a game changer for the Italian Air Force?

Answer: The F-35 gives us much greater global reach.

We have so much gas in the aircraft and it is so fuel efficient, it gives us options in the various scenarios we are likely to face in our area of operations.

Editor’s Note: Photo credits for both slideshows go to the Italian Ministry of Defence.