April 3, 2013 PATUXENT RIVER, Md. - An F-35B Lightning II completed the first short takeoff and vertical landing during a test mission at night to expand the flight envelope and deliver capability to the warfighter. Marine Corps test pilot Maj. C.R. Clift conducted the flight April 2 to gather…
2013-04-02 We continued our discussion with Mark Lewis, former Chief Scientist of the USAF and currently head of the Institute for Defense Analysis's Science and Technology Policy Institute. Dr. Lewis is a leading expert on hypersonics. Earlier, we discussed hypersonics with Dr. Lewis, but in this interview we focused on…
2013-04-02 The third UK F-35B has begun its final check out process from Fort Worth on its way to later delivery at Eglin AFB. According to a Lockheed Martin press release: [caption id="attachment_51920" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lockheed Martin Fort Worth Texas Photo by Randy A Crites of BK-3 first flight takeoff…
2013-04-02 In a recent report looking at the evolution of Chinese robotic air systems, otherwise known as unmanned aerial vehicles, two analysts associated with the 2049 project provide an overview on developments and projected impacts. According to the assessment of Ian Easton and L.C. Russell Hsiao, the PRC is weaving…
By Kiyoshi Takenaka Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighters are the best choice for Japan's future operational needs, the nation's highest-ranking uniformed officer said on Wednesday, in a vote of confidence for the state-of-the-art U.S. warplane. His comments follow reports that some nations that have placed orders for the F-35s may reconsider…
2013-03-27 Singapore is poised to be the first user of F-35Bs buying them to operate largely from land bases. The significance of the deployment flexibility has not been lost on Singapore. The forthcoming decision will add Singapore to three other members of the B working group, namely, the USN-USMC, the…
2013-03-24 Similar to Italy, Japan is going to build a FAL similar to what Italy has built, according to Jane’s. According to Jon Grevatt in an article posted on 3/22/13: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is preparing to invest billions of yen to construct an assembly line to support its licensed…
2013-03-21 The photo below shows two F-35Bs involved in squadron training at Yuma USMC Air Station. [caption id="attachment_51744" align="alignnone" width="300"] VMFA-121 in hover mode. March 21, 2013. Credit: Yuma Air Station[/caption] The photo of VMFA-121's aircraft 15 (BF-19) shows it in hover mode at pad 4 in Yuma. In the…
