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Advanced negotiations are underway between IAI and Lockheed Martin, as the IDF is considering procurement of a second F-35 squadron
Against the backdrop of the Israeli intent to procure a second squadron of F-35 fighters from Lockheed Martin, negotiations are advancing over the production of several hundred pairs of the aircraft’s wings by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The agreement is intended to be part of the US reciprocal procurement from Israel.
According to the IDF’s decisions, it will receive an initial squadron of F-35 fighters during the coming five-year plan, in 2016 or 2017, after which another squadron (whose procurement has yet to be concluded) will be received.
The reciprocal procurement deals of the US aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin with the Israeli defense industries are primarily beneficial for IAI, at least on the declarative level. The deal is for the local production of 811 pairs of wings for the stealth fighter, to be carried out over a ten-year period.
The wings will be produced by IAI’s Lahav factory, which has been manufacturing aircraft wings for Boeing’s F-15 and Lockheed Martin’s F-16 for many years
The best engineering solutions for specific parts of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft have inadvertently created a very British supply chain. Will Stirling reports.
When plans for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) were first drawn up about 20-years ago, the prime contractor Lockheed Martin had a multitude of engineering riddles to solve.
To suck weight out of certain components designed to operate in extreme temperatures and pressures, Lockheed turned to BAE Systems. BAE’s Samlesbury facility in turn sourced a manufacturing solution from a British metal forming specialist.
Both the structures for the F-35 JSF made at Samlesbury, the nozzle bay doors and heat shield, need to be very light, strong and heat resistant. On the short take-off and vertical landing, or STOVL, variant of the F-35, the nozzle both directs exhaust gases from the jet engine to provide vertical propulsion, and helps the aircraft perform tight manoeuvres by changing the direction of exhaust in flight.
The operational environment is harsh, as exhaust gases are several hundred degrees Celsius.
About 12-years ago BAE Systems did an exhaustive investigation to select the most appropriate technology for making these parts. The winner was super-plastic forming and diffusion bonding, a technique used in the aerospace and luxury automotive industry to create very light, very strong monolithic structures. It is not a brand new technique – SPFDB was developed through the 1990s and 2000s. But engineers at BAE Systems Samlesbury worked with the supplier, Wakefield-based Group Rhodes, to design and manufacture optimised presses that could perform a three-stage process perfect for this application.
Perfection in the process
Stage one is to diffusion bond two inner sheets of titanium to each other to form what is called a core pack. The sheets are heated in an inert argon atmosphere to in excess of 900°C and then pressed together at high pressure. “By a process of solid state atomic diffusion the sheets join and achieve a homogeneous bond of parent metal strength’” says Metallic Materials Technologist at BAE Systems Samlesbury, Howard Price.
Prior to bonding, an yttria stop‑off – a chemical buffer – is placed at the interface between the two sheets by a silk screen printing technique. “This stop-off layer enables a hollow structure to be subsequently formed by inflation and superplastic forming of the core – think of inflating a lilo – within a gas‑tight sandwich of external skins,” adds Mr Price. The ‘superplastic’ in the name is the forming of the structure by inflation using gas. The process requires precise control of the pressure, flow rates and gas purity in three separate argon gas delivery lines. “For the process to be successful the argon gas used must be extremely pure (very low levels of oxygen and nitrogen). There is also the need to integrate a vacuum system and to achieve very exacting temperature control within SPF tools of up to 20 tonnes in weight,” adds Mr Price.
10/17/2012: Two F/A-18Es from the Royal Maces of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27 fly in formation with two Sukhoi Su-30s from the Royal Malaysian air force above the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).
[slidepress gallery=’uss-geore-washington’]
Credit: Navy Media Content Services:10/13/12
In photo 2, the USS George Washington (CVN 73) is underway in the South China Sea.
In photo 3, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) is underway with the Royal Malaysian Navy frigates RMN Jebat (FF 29) and RMN Lekiu (FF 30) during a transit of the Andaman Sea.
Norm Dicks known in Washington state and national politics as Mr. Boeing spared nothing in attacking Northrop Grumman or EADS in derailing the preferred position of the USAF.
Even though Boeing hardly had a stable of veterans in building tankers, Dicks frequently asserted the historic experience of Boeing as if it were an operational reality.
A USAF Osprey hovering over the Airbus “empty field” in Mobile, Alabama. Credit Image: SLD.
“We’ve got experienced people who can do this job. Down in Alabama, they’ve got an empty field with no workers.”
Recently while visiting the Gulf Coast, I was looking at the “empty field” on which Airbus will build a final assembly facility for the A-320, and a Boeing product showed up looking at the field and taking off and landing from the field.
A Bell-Boeing Osprey was spotted in Air Force markings checking things out.
Presumably, Airbus is not building the facility underground, so it appears still to be an empty field.
The new Integrated Assembly Line (IAL) at the company’s Samlesbury site in Lancashire will help the company ramp up production from the current level of one per week up to one per day by 2016
Installed in the latest phase of the new F-35 fighter jet manufacturing facility, the IAL will use an automated overhead monorail system to ‘pulse’ sections of the rear fuselage of all three types of F-35 (conventional, STOVL and carrier variants) around an assembly line, building them as they go and allowing more units to be produced more efficiently.
Chris Allam, vice-president for F-35 at BAE Systems, and Eric Branyon, F-35 programmes director at Lockheed Martin, discuss the new F-35 production line in Samlesbury, Lancashire.
The video showing the facility and the discussion of the facility can be seen on The Engineer webiste.
Weapons certification is the next step to moving the F-35 along to initial operational capability.
The standing up of the first F-35 B squadron at Yuma Air Station in November will see the process of building a capable F-35 force begin.
Weapons certification is an important step as well.
In this video shot at Edwards Air Force Base, Caliifornia on October 17, 2012 a F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft completed the first in-flight weapons release of a 2,000 pound GBU-31 BLU-109 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) from a 5th Generation fighter, Oct. 16.
The flight was conducted by U.S. Air Force Maj. Eric “Doc” Schultz. The aircraft, known as AF-1, jettisoned an instrumented GBU-31 over the China Lake test range from the left internal weapons bay.
The F-35A 5th Generation fighter is designed to carry a payload of up to 18,000 pounds using 10 weapon stations. The F-35A features four internal weapon stations located in two weapon bays to maximize stealth capability. The CTOL aircraft can also utilize an additional three external weapon stations per wing if required.
Credit Video: Lockheed Martin
For other discussions of the F-35 and weapons see the following:
2012-10-17 by Michael Wynne, the 21st Secretary of the Air Force
In a speech at the Virginia Military Institute, Governor Mitt Romney began a great conversation about the United States role in the world going forward. How this conversation is framed will influence many emerging international realities.
In fact in the book The World America Made, Robert Kagan underscores how central the United States has been to shaping what is often called the positive good of the global commons. But this comes at a price.
If America were indeed to commit “preemptive superpower suicide,” the world would see the return of war among rising nations as they jostle for power; the retreat of democracy around the world as Vladimir Putin’s Russia and authoritarian China acquire more clout; and the weakening of the global free-market economy, which the United States created and has supported for more than sixty years. We’ve seen this before—in the breakdown of the Roman Empire and the collapse of the European order in World War I.
And this is not just occurring in books, but in the thinking of US allies. For example, the Australian Defense White Paper made a strong charge that America was essentially abandoning the field of the pacific to the Chinese; and that sparked an announced pivot towards Asia, that placed a Marine unit in Australia; and shifted future force structure away from Europe.
This reaction to a complaint by an ally in public underscores a real need to re-evaluate the strategic defense posture going forward.
The latest salvo came from the North Koreans, who in response to an apparent public request from the United States that South Korea upgrade its missiles to extend to all of North Korea, announced in turn that its missiles could target the US Mainland.
In previous times the South Koreans would have made such a decision by themselves; knowing that the US was fundamentally underwriting their defense structure. But the US has steadily been withdrawing forces and turning the defense of the peninsula over to the South Koreans.
With that in mind, why not wait for the US to make the request?
Again with that in mind; the North Koreans want to assert that they can hold US policy hostage to their threat.
The Japanese are in successive confrontations with each of their neighbors over isolated rock formations that China, South Korea; and Japan want to extend their territorial control and perhaps the mineral wealth that lies beneath.
At a Turning Point
When the U.S. was seen as the strongest, this was not an issue; but with the description by the then sitting Chairman of The Joint Chiefs that our deficit was the number one enemy, it put our major creditor and regional competitor in a global pole position.
Under the previous Defense Secretary and continuing under this administration, we see the fixation with defeating the terrorists groups and a interesting disregard for peer competitors. This unfortunate strategy has dramatically reduced the perceived strength margins, as the time lengthens for upgrading our fifth generation Air Force.
The US could move ahead to produce F-35s at 10 a month. The sunk cost in the plant is already there; idling plant not only cost jobs, but deployed capability and global influence. It is not JUST about a plane; it is about global leadership. Credit Photo: Lockheed Martin
This has left all of the services and our Allies and partners to scramble for upgrades for the increasingly obsolete fourth generation fighter complement. They see our program managers excoriating the sole builder of 5th generation aircraft for perceived faults; and the Congress mandating a slower and slower recapitalization rate.
It is as if the US has all the time in the world to get around to modernization of capability and re-working our allied capabilities. But we do not.
The current policies push needed capabilities ever further in the future as keeping the old alive mortgages the innovation needed now. It is not just a generation change being delayed; it is putting our capacity to lead at serious risk.
Meanwhile the competition continues to prowl our technologies; and make quick moves to bring them to support their strategies. So they fly a prototype over the head of the Defense Secretary who challenged them by saying they were two decades behind.
Secretary Rumsfeld told all of us after Sept 11, 2001 that we needed to thank the prior administrations for laying in the tools and technologies such that we could fight and win anywhere on the globe.
Who can we thank now as each year; the Service Chiefs find their forces aging and getting smaller.
They also feel on a merry go-round, as the fixation with the wars of choice has not allowed for rebuilding an exhausted force structure for deterring future wars not of our choice.
This is not just about the people, and warriors we have in our military; but the technologies that when their courage is synergized with, make them the greatest fighting force on earth.
This is now lacking; and in a worrisome way celebrated by some, made a cornerstone in sequestration by others; and lately become a politicized social program by directing non-compliance with the laws regarding lay-off notices.
When the term ‘strengthen our military’ is used; it begins to beg definition.
This needs analysis to determine just what the priorities are for accomplishing such a slogan?
Did we notice that when Russia’s Rulers were rebooting their armed forces; they effectively reduced their Army strength dramatically, and pushed resources towards the strategic arms of the Navy and the Air Force, not to mention their rocket forces?
This reach for technology is quite instructive; as they were faced with a shortfall in resources and had a loss of face in diplomatic circles; but had a unified zeal to restore their preeminence.
America Talks of being expeditionary; and talks as well of maintaining the freedom of the sea lanes and the air lanes; and reaching back to Mr. Kagan; no doubt this has fostered growth in all parts of the world; even allowing for Tom Friedman’s The World Is Flat; which presumed that these freedoms would be maintained without assigning maintenance responsibility.
This is a decision that is beginning to bind our armed forces.
What is the responsibility for the United States to continue this task; and what part of our tax structure should in fact be dedicated to world commerce freedom?
This is a policy decision, which when coupled with the proper resource allocation has been a by product; an ‘other duty as assigned’ to our historic but steadily eroding strength resident in our strategic military.
With this policy in mind; early advocates for Air Power said that ‘you either dominate the skies or suffer the ones that do’ for the past half century; the United States has worn that mantle; and watched the ‘Dunkirk’s’ when we didn’t.
We have pushed our Navy out to the limits of the oceans; and now into the expanding Northern Passage; and need to ensure that ‘Remember the Maine’ does not get subsumed by ‘Remember the (Air Craft Carrier)’ as the rationale and battle cry for restoring America to its once held lofty position of freedom’s guardian.
Our residual strength is surely being distracted and tested as we hunt for the killers of our diplomatic corps. ‘Muddling Through’; a time tested British Strategy; requires some strength of purpose; and maybe some lethal push back;
The reality is that ‘Laissez Faire’ is more where we are now; awaiting the outcome of a power game in which we are increasingly seen as weak, or perhaps as best ‘observers’.
This weakness can be viral if flare-ups occur elsewhere.
Advocates of ‘Peace through Strength’ like to recall Ronald Reagan’s admonition during his debate as never hearing that too much strength was the cause of war.
Is there a magic tonic to restore our position with out effort and expense?
I would say there is not; but like the old auto mechanic advertisement, you can pay now; or pay much more later.
A Rebuilding Strategy
Let’s examine a pay now strategy.
President Reagan did this on his assumption of Command; and as either Presidential candidate can do on theirs.
President Reagan, faced with a high inflation and reduced jobs restarted the B-1 line; and here is an opportunity to do likewise; restart the F-22 line. The B-2 likely meant 100,000 jobs instantly restored; and likewise for the F-22; and these are American jobs, using high technologists to build a high technology defense. Are there improvements; absolutely; and let’s include those improvements such as an improved engine; and adapted avionics that are currently being tested in the Joint Strike Fighter.
Rather than drag out production of the Joint Strike Fighter; let’s immediately surge them and move to replace the fourth generation aircraft with the fifth.
This show of resolve will also add on the order of 50,000 jobs across America. Though the concept of concurrency has been looked down upon; and the difficulty of producing in that environment found to require active management in all aspects of the program; we need to lean into the wind; and act like there is a war on; as there is a true need to demonstrate America’s resilience across the world.
Getting this frontline fighter into the hands of operators and out of the sole hands of testers will change the game; and bring weapons development into the internet age where users dominate the product cycle; and tester are relegated to pushing the edges of the product, in reliability, in maintenance, and in performance.
Never better emphasized by the introduction of the Global Hawk; and the Predator; which was first sent to combat while the test community made contributions throughout its life cycle; but so did the operators who drove for better controllers; and better weapons; and truly socialized the concept of GPS enabled Remotely Piloted Vehicles.
We still have much to learn; and their use can and will transform future battles, but operators and concepts of interactivity are needed to truly maximize our current advantage.
Similarly in the area of Joint Tactical Controllers, where the Rover Program was a real example of users pushing the engineers, and getting product cycles well before the notion of a program was drawn. The MRAP is yet another example of a operator induced down select as we maximized the number of vehicles sent forward; and essentially let the testers and operators, like logisticians downselect to preferred manufacturers.
Not to forget America needs a new Bomber to replace the venerable and vulnerable B-52; we need to restore the idea that we can hold hostage any GPS location on the globe to not only a missile shot; but to the monotonous drumbeat of bombing that truly imposes one’s will over the enemy.
One is on the drawing board; but accelerating the design and build would again put many to work in high technology jobs that highlight Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics as requirements for our future citizens.
What of the Navy, that diminishing force that used to be distributed across the ocean blue; but over the past two decades has gotten very confused with Littoral Pursuits; and substituting small ships for large; and even with those not achieving even close to the once demanded 600 ship Navy. Briefly calling for the unified 1000 ship Navy with all allies being interoperable; now opting for a some here and some there strategy; while leaving the Carriers pretty vulnerable.
The amphibious assault ship USS America under construction in Pascagoula, Mississippi, June 12012 It will be commissioned on October 20, 2012. These two photos are closely linked, for the F-35s will fly on this deck.(Huntington Ingalls Industries)
We need a solid and growing ship construction program, that again restores needed capability; and harkens back to the aftermath of the Civil War when they knew that keeping the ship yards open was a strategic decision; and the nation went in debt to do it.
Now we go into debt for myriad other purposes; but providing jobs that directly impact the constitutional mandate to provide for the common defense is slowly slipping from its central importance.
In all of this we can take a page from one of our tiniest allies, the Singaporeans; who mandate that 4% of their GDP be dedicated to preserving their freedoms and go to defense. We have much work to do; but years of warfare; and patching must stop if we are to have the Navy that was reflected in Kagan’s premise.
Jobs would jump across the American land as in each case these items are dominantly made in the USA for US purposes. As for Airpower; the Navy has been questing after a fifth generation airplane for two decades or more; they are now very close; but again are worried and submitting upgrades to their fourth generation aircraft. They admit it is an industrial policy more than a defense policy.
In this case let’s admit that and get the policies to mesh; putting fifth generation aircraft into our forward forces is a matter of National importance. This should be our goal; and the operators need to be in the drivers seat for use and operational realities.
Our partners and allies are actually asking to take our positions on the line if we choose to give them up as the congressional budget ebbs and flows. This is further indication of what signals we are sending to our allies.
When are allies are more serious about orders for the F-35 than the United States there is something seriously wrong.
Clearly we will support delivery to our partners and allies, but we can accelerate the entire F-35 line to ensure that we along with our allies jump into the future, rather than being mortgaged by past systems and capabilities.
10/3/12 Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. and Lockheed Martin today showcased the F-35 Lightning II mobile cockpit demonstrator to state and local elected officials, community leaders, other stakeholders, news media and employees at the Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Westminster facility.
“We are proud to provide critical technologies for the impressive F-35 Lightning II,” said David L. Taylor, Ball Aerospace president and CEO.
“Ball’s advanced low-observable antenna suite for this 5th Generation multirole fighter supports the nation’s defense efforts by providing the best combination of stealth, high radio frequency performance, efficiency and affordability…..”
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. provides communications, navigation and identification antenna suite for the F-35. In 2011, the company completed a $14.6 million expansion of its Westminster facility, known as the Antenna Manufacturing Center (AMC).
With 13 supplier locations in Colorado, the F-35 program currently supports over $60 million in economic impact across the state. The economic impact numbers are anticipated to increase as the program reaches full-rate production.
The F-35 program has suppliers in 45 states and provides more than 133,000 direct and indirect jobs across the country.
The program is also building and sustaining a highly skilled workforce critical to national security and economic prosperity.