Aircraft and Ground Operations for the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force Gain New Intelligence and Surveillance Capability With Lockheed Martin's F-22

MARIETTA, Ga. (Map) - MARIETTA, Ga., May 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Two Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) F-22 Raptors successfully sent classified sensor data to ground stations in the U.S. Air Force's Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2008 (- JEFX 08 -) conducted April 15-25 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

JEFX is an Air Force Chief of Staff-sponsored experiment that combines real-world air and ground forces, simulation, and technology insertions into a warfighting environment. The experiment is an annual venue for innovative command and control (C2) and targeting technologies. Numerous Army, Navy, and Air Force aircraft as well as ground forces participated in JEFX 08.

During this two-week experiment, two specially configured F-22s transmitted real-time sensor information to ground stations at Nellis AFB, Nev. and Langley AFB, Va. using an experimental version of the Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) waveform developed by Rockwell Collins. An F-22 data link test configuration flew in realistic scenarios that highlighted the Raptor's significant non-traditional intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (NTISR) capabilities.

"Lockheed Martin was excited about the Air Force's decision to demonstrate the value of sharing F-22 ISR data with other fighters and back to the Combined Air Operations Center," said Larry Lawson, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company executive vice president and F-22 general program manager. "This is the first time in history that F-22 sensor data was down-linked to the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) using a tactical network."

The combined partnership of Lockheed Martin and the Air Force tackled the enormous security challenges to bring highly-desired F-22 sensor data to ground-based users.

"This was a team effort all the way around, from Headquarters Air Combat Command to the F-22 Program Office to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis AFB," Lawson said.

Not only did the F-22s share sensor data with ground-based users, the aircraft were also tactical network members among other air and ground platforms.

"Our F-22s took a huge first step toward becoming net-enabled in JEFX08. The pilots were sending and receiving information such as command and control messaging, imagery, airspace updates, and free text messages using a cockpit touch-screen color display," said Mark Jefferson, director of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Horizontal Integration. "They stayed pretty busy conducting offensive counter air and destruction of enemy air defenses air dominance missions as well as dynamic targeting attacks with F-16s and non-traditional ISR collection events during the exercise, while also simultaneously piping classified sensor data to the CAOC."

A modified Lockheed Martin F-16 also conducted numerous close air support and interdiction missions, sharing tactical information with other JEFX08 Initiatives, including the US Navy's Maritime Ops Center, the Army's Future Combat System.

"This was a cost-effective opportunity to explore numerous areas of future interest while leveraging Lockheed Martin's extensive independent research and development efforts," said Lawson. These areas include F-22 networking requirements, assessment of Internet Protocol (IP) based waveforms on 5th generation aircraft, IP-based network application development and multi-level security issues.

The F-22 Raptor, the world's most advanced fighter, is built by Lockheed Martin teamed with Boeing and Pratt & Whitney. Parts and subsystems are provided by approximately 1,000 suppliers in 44 U.S. states. F-22 production takes place at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facilities in Marietta, Ga.; Fort Worth, Texas; Palmdale, Calif.; and Meridian, Miss., as well as at Boeing's plant in Seattle, Wash. Final assembly, initial flight testing and delivery of the Raptor occurs at Marietta.

Raptors are currently assigned to five U.S. bases. Flight testing takes place at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif. Operational tactics development and Weapons School training is ongoing at Nellis AFB, Nev. Pilot and crew chief training takes place at Tyndall AFB, Fla. Operational Raptors are assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Va., (27th and 94th Fighter Squadrons) and now the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Raptors will also be based at Holloman AFB, N.M., and Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/p-158450~Aircra ... _F_22.html

I maintain that the fate of future F-22 is not yet buried by current admin and DoD. It still appears to be up in the air, left to the next admin? Anyway, it would seem to only logical to at least wait and see what potential Pak-FA holds next year and its potential proliferation (along with proliferation of say SU-35BM), etc, before definitively shutting down Raptor line.

AIRCRAFT AND GROUND OPERATIONS FOR THE U.S. ARMY, NAVY AND AIR FORCE GAIN NEW INTELLIGENCE AND SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITY WITH LOCKHEED MARTIN´S F-22

MARIETTA, Georgia, May 2nd, 2008 -- Two Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-22 Raptors successfully sent classified sensor data to ground stations in the U.S. Air Force´s Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2008 (JEFX08) conducted April 15-25 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

JEFX is an Air Force Chief of Staff-sponsored experiment that combines real-world air and ground forces, simulation, and technology insertions into a warfighting environment. The experiment is an annual venue for innovative command and control (C2) and targeting technologies. Numerous Army, Navy, and Air Force aircraft as well as ground forces participated in JEFX 08.

During this two-week experiment, two specially configured F-22s transmitted real-time sensor information to ground stations at Nellis AFB, Nev. and Langley AFB, Va. using an experimental version of the Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) waveform developed by Rockwell Collins. An F-22 data link test configuration flew in realistic scenarios that highlighted the Raptor´s significant non-traditional intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (NTISR) capabilities.

"Lockheed Martin was excited about the Air Force´s decision to demonstrate the value of sharing F-22 ISR data with other fighters and back to the Combined Air Operations Center," said Larry Lawson, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company executive vice president and F-22 general program manager. "This is the first time in history that F-22 sensor data was down-linked to the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) using a tactical network."

The combined partnership of Lockheed Martin and the Air Force tackled the enormous security challenges to bring highly-desired F-22 sensor data to ground-based users.

"This was a team effort all the way around, from Headquarters Air Combat Command to the F-22 Program Office to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis AFB," Lawson said.

Not only did the F-22s share sensor data with ground-based users, the aircraft were also tactical network members among other air and ground platforms.

"Our F-22s took a huge first step toward becoming net-enabled in JEFX08. The pilots were sending and receiving information such as command and control messaging, imagery, airspace updates, and free text messages using a cockpit touch-screen color display," said Mark Jefferson, director of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Horizontal Integration. "They stayed pretty busy conducting offensive counter air and destruction of enemy air defenses air dominance missions as well as dynamic targeting attacks with F-16s and non-traditional ISR collection events during the exercise, while also simultaneously piping classified sensor data to the CAOC."

A modified Lockheed Martin F-16 also conducted numerous close air support and interdiction missions, sharing tactical information with other JEFX08 Initiatives, including the US Navy´s Maritime Ops Center, the Army´s Future Combat System.

"This was a cost-effective opportunity to explore numerous areas of future interest while leveraging Lockheed Martin´s extensive independent research and development efforts," said Lawson. These areas include F-22 networking requirements, assessment of Internet Protocol (IP) based waveforms on 5th generation aircraft, IP-based network application development and multi-level security issues.

The F-22 Raptor, the world´s most advanced fighter, is built by Lockheed Martin teamed with Boeing and Pratt & Whitney. Parts and subsystems are provided by approximately 1,000 suppliers in 44 U.S. states. F-22 production takes place at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facilities in Marietta, Ga.; Fort Worth, Texas; Palmdale, Calif.; and Meridian, Miss., as well as at Boeing´s plant in Seattle, Wash. Final assembly, initial flight testing and delivery of the Raptor occurs at Marietta.

Raptors are currently assigned to five U.S. bases. Flight testing takes place at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif. Operational tactics development and Weapons School training is ongoing at Nellis AFB, Nev. Pilot and crew chief training takes place at Tyndall AFB, Fla. Operational Raptors are assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Va., (27th and 94th Fighter Squadrons) and now the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Raptors will also be based at Holloman AFB, N.M., and Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.

Media Contacts:

Rob Fuller
770-494-2578 (Office)
770-330-1921 (Mobile)
E-mail: rob.fuller@lmco.com

Sam Grizzle
703-413-5775 (Office)
678-662-9162 (Mobile)
E-mail: sam.c.grizzle@lmco.com

Source: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/pres ... lance.html

I maintain that the fate of future F-22 is not yet buried by current admin and DoD. It still appears to be up in the air, left to the next admin? Anyway, it would seem to be only logical to at least wait and see what potential Pak-FA holds next year and its potential proliferation (along with proliferation of say SU-35BM), etc, before definitively shutting down Raptor line.

Senate Bill Drops C-17s, Funds F-22s

May 1, 2008
By John M. Doyle

The $542.5 billion defense authorization bill adopted by the Senate Armed Services Committee includes money to buy 20 more F-22 Raptors, but doesn't recommend funding any additional C-17 cargo lifters.

The baseline defense authorization legislation was adopted unanimously by the committee, Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said May 1, adding: "We adopted the numbers that were sent over by the administration."

Those numbers included funding for an additional 20 F-22 stealth jet fighters. The authorizing committee also approved $497 million either for advanced procurement of F-22s or for shutting the manufacturing line down. "That either/or decision will be made by the next president," Levin said.
The Bush administration did not seek any C-17s in its fiscal 2009 budget request "and none were authorized," Levin said. However, the need for additional C-17s tops the U.S. Air Force's Unfunded requirements List. The services placed 15 aircraft worth about $3.9 billion on its FY '09 list (Aerospace DAILY, Feb. 13).

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) who joined Levin at a Capitol Hill news conference said he "personally would support that program continuing" but the committee left it "to the next president to determine whether or not that program should continue."

And Levin said the decision does not mean the committee thinks the Pentagon has enough airlift capability. "There's a number of options for that. The C-17's not the only option," he said, but did not go into detail.

The Armed Services Committee also authorized continued funding, $430 million, for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) alternate engine program. But lawmakers also authorized $35 million to Pratt & Whitney, manufacturer of the JSF's original F135 engine, to improve technologies.

The bill also fully funds the administration request for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems and adds $87 million to increase the access of Defense Department unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the National Air Space;

Lawmakers agreed to fully fund the Pentagon's plan to base interceptor missiles and X-Band radar in Eastern Europe - provided the system is successfully tested and the Polish and Czech parliaments approve deployment.

The bill adds more than $270 million for near-term missile defense capabilities, including $100 million for Aegis BMD and SM-3 missiles, and $115 million for the Theater High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. The committee also cut $50 million from the Space Tracking and Surveillance System, another $50 million from the Multiple Kill Vehicle program and $45 million more from the troubled Airborne Laser (ABL) program. The cut to ABL does not remove funds allocated for ABL's long-awaited 2009 shootdown test.