By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake The F-35 and its ability to work with, to leverage and to enhance the capability of the power projection forces is at the heart of the next 20 years of rebuilding U.S. and allied forces. It is clear that a fundamental reconstruction is required…
According to a Reuters story (excerpts only): The Pentagon has reached an agreement with Lockheed Martin Corp on a $450 million program to enhance electronic warfare equipment on the F-35 fighter jet, and integrate Israeli-unique systems beginning in 2016, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The deal, to be…
2012-07-26 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake There were only four men in U.S. History awarded the five star rank of Fleet Admiral: Chester Nimitz, “Bull” Halsey, William Leahy and Earnie King. From their days at Annapolis to commanding the greatest Naval Fleet in history, each man spent significant time at…
Landing an F-35B vertically is more straightforward than it looks, and far easier than doing the same in an AV-8B Harrier, said Peter Wilson, a former U.K. military aviator who is now BAE Systems’ chief test pilot. “It’s just like magic,” Wilson told the reporters who assembled at the Farnborough…
2012-07-26 An overview of the F-35 program from the standpoint of the pilots in the program is provided in the videotape of the session at the Air Show on July 10, 2011 As readers of Second Line of Defense know, we have spent considerable time with F-35 test pilots and…
2012-07-23 ZM135, a British F-35B and the first international Lightning II, takes off from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base at 9:03 a.m. CDT en route for Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. United Kingdom Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Jim Schofield piloted the short takeoff and vertical landing…
2012-07-18 By Kym Bergmann / Canberra This article has been provided by our new partner, Asia Pacific Defence Reporter and is published with their permission. The announcement that Australia would participate in the Joint Strike Fighter project was made almost exactly a decade ago on June 22, 2002. In another…
2012-07-16 by Robbin Laird This week the UK government will officially accept its first F-35B. There are a total of 4 under contract, which includes the first operational aircraft to be received in LRIP 7. This is a re-affirmation of the importance of the F-35 and the B version for the…
