Forum: Program and politics

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2013/05/31/penta ... t-in-2015/

Pentagon: F-35 Operational Flights to Start in 2015

By Brendan McGarry Friday, May 31st, 2013 10:44 am

The Marine Corps will begin operational flights of the F-35 fighter jet in 2015, followed by the Air Force in 2016 and the Navy in 2019, according to newly released information from the Defense Department.

The services were required to notify Congress by June 1 of the dates they expect to have enough aircraft in the fleet to support missions, a milestone known in military parlance as initial operating capability, or IOC......

The schedule has been delayed by about three years due in part to problems developing the Lockheed Martin Corp.-made aircraft and its software.

The Marine Corps initially expected its version of the F-35 to be ready for operations in December 2012, according to program documents. The Navy and Air Force previously put the date at April 2016. ..

The notification was required by Congress and delivered to lawmakers on May 31, according to Ulsh.

It comes a week after the Defense Department released a report showing that the estimated cost to develop and build 2,457 F-35 Lighting IIs — the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons system — declined 1 percent in the past year to $391 billion due in part to decreased labor rates.......

While lawmakers are drafting legislation that would fully fund the Pentagon’s request, they’re also concerned that the slow pace of software development may delay the most lethal version of the aircraft.

The House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee this month drafted legislation that would order the Pentagon to establish an independent team of subject matter experts to review software development for the program and submit a report to lawmakers by March 3, 2014.

The Air Force plans to start flying its version of the aircraft, of F-35A, ..by using software similar to the Marine Corps’ jump-jet variant. That installment, known as Block 2B, isn’t as lethal as the full software package.

The full package, known as Block 3F, is designed to support a suite of internal and external weapons, including the GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition, laser-guided Paveway II bomb, Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile and infrared Sidewinder missile.

Little more at the jump.. Smile

F-16.net Sponsor

Combat-Ready Dates Set on Lockheed F-35 Jet by U.S. Military 31 May 2013 Tony Capaccio--Editors: Bob Drummond, Ann Hughey

Quote:

"...The Marines will declare a combat-ready squadron when it’s equipped with between 10 and 16 jets and has trained pilots for missions such as close air support of troops.

The Air Force will declare its first squadron ready when it’s equipped with at least 12 aircraft and combat-ready crews while the Navy needs at least 10 aircraft and equivalent crews."

http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?doc ... CMDA6FNGKS

More detail at DewLine with a PDF '144894824-F-35-IOC-Joint-Report-FINAL-1-pdf.pdf' (125Kb):

F-35 IOC dates revealed 31 May 2013 Dave Majumdar

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-d ... ealed.html
_____________________________________

F-35 Initial Operational Capability June 2013 Report to Congressional Defense Committees

Quote:

"Executive Summary
Air Force F-35A initial operational capability (IOC) shall be declared when the first operational squadron is equipped with 12-24 aircraft, and Airmen are trained, manned, and equipped to conduct basic Close Air Support (CAS), Interdiction, and limited Suppression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD/DEAD) operations in a contested environment. Based on the current F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) schedule, the F-35A will reach the IOC milestone between August 2016 (Objective) and December 2016 (Threshold). Should capability delivery experience changes or delays, this estimate will be revised appropriately."

Marine Corps F-35B IOC shall be declared when the first operational squadron is equipped with 10-16 aircraft, and US Marines are trained, manned, and equipped to conduct CAS, Offensive and Defensive Counter Air, Air Interdiction, Assault Support Escort, and Armed Reconnaissance in concert with Marine Air Ground Task Force resources and capabilities. Based on the current F-35 JPO schedule, the F-35B will reach the IOC milestone between July 2015 (Objective) and December 2015 (Threshold). Should capability delivery experience changes or delays, this estimate will be revised appropriately.

Navy F-35C IOC shall be declared when the first operational squadron is equipped with 10 aircraft, and Navy personnel are trained, manned and equipped to conduct assigned missions. Based on the current F-35 JPO schedule, the F-35C will reach the IOC milestone between August 2018 (Objective) and February 2019 (Threshold). Should capability delivery experience changes or delays, this estimate will be revised appropriately."

http://www.scribd.com/doc/144894824/F-3 ... INAL-1-pdf
OR
http://www.scribd.com/document_download ... urce=embed (PDF 125Kb)

Now wait and watch the naysayers come out and declare that this IOC is not a real IOC (which of course they never bother to define).

Funny, they did not say that about Rafale M Smile

Yes, but the Rafale is not the F-35 which we all know is the devil's spawn... Devil

gtx wrote:

Now wait and watch the naysayers come out and declare that this IOC is not a real IOC (which of course they never bother to define).

The only serious IOC is 2019, when the full up software and the capabilities it introduces becomes operational.

Are you serious?!

maus92 wrote:

gtx wrote:

Now wait and watch the naysayers come out and declare that this IOC is not a real IOC (which of course they never bother to define).

The only serious IOC is 2019, when the full up software and the capabilities it introduces becomes operational.

So given it will be subject to continual software upgrades throughout its life are we to assume a satisfactory IOC will never be achieved? Rolling Eyes

Quote:

The only serious IOC is 2019, when the full up software and the capabilities it introduces becomes operational.

That's as good a definition of "Full Operational Capability" as any.

[quote="gtx...So given it will be subject to continual software upgrades throughout its life are we to assume a satisfactory IOC will never be achieved? Rolling Eyes

[/quote]

No, the Initial OC will occur on those dates as announced but two basic aspects of aviation must be accepted;

1- upgrades (technologies) for systems will continue thru out the life of the airframe; therefore a definition (block) for testing and acceptance must be determined; (scope definition, schedules and budgets)

2- software is never finished, only polished to a new (block) level and accepted until a new facet is uncovered; therefore (scope definition, schedules and budgets)

axiom; when the money runs out the work stops, ie the end of the project. Laughing

I wonder when FOC will be?

Though that wouldn't matter to the "devil's spawn" folks.

U.S. military reveals timing of future F-35 fighter's use to Congress 31 May 2013
Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa. Writing by Phil Stewart; editing by Christopher Wilson

Quote:

"...Actual deployments usually lag initial operational capability (IOC) dates by about a year...."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/ ... 9220130531

maus92 wrote:

gtx wrote:

Now wait and watch the naysayers come out and declare that this IOC is not a real IOC (which of course they never bother to define).

The only serious IOC is 2019, when the full up software and the capabilities it introduces becomes operational.

Nice troll. Want to compare how IOC for the Typhoon / Gripen / Rafale compares to the capabilities present in the F-35?

Want to discuss how "capable" the "operational capability" on the Typhoon was, when RAF declared IOC in 2005? Cause I read an article back in April 2013 (8 years AFTER "IOC" was declared on that type) lauding how "amazing" it is, the Typhoon could finally self-designate a target and drop a laser guided bomb...

Want to compare how many extra years of development that capability took beyond "IOC" with the capability the F-35 will have in 2 years?

No?

Thought so...

Conan wrote:

maus92 wrote:

gtx wrote:

Now wait and watch the naysayers come out and declare that this IOC is not a real IOC (which of course they never bother to define).

The only serious IOC is 2019, when the full up software and the capabilities it introduces becomes operational.

Nice troll. Want to compare how IOC for the Typhoon / Gripen / Rafale compares to the capabilities present in the F-35?

Want to discuss how "capable" the "operational capability" on the Typhoon was, when RAF declared IOC in 2005? Cause I read an article back in April 2013 (8 years AFTER "IOC" was declared on that type) lauding how "amazing" it is, the Typhoon could finally self-designate a target and drop a laser guided bomb...

Want to compare how many extra years of development that capability took beyond "IOC" with the capability the F-35 will have in 2 years?

No?

Thought so...

? The fact remains that the initial capabilities and weapon carriage of a baseline F-35 (that were sold to Congress to fund the program) will not be available until 3F is released. What happened with the Typhoon is immaterial.

Forum: Program and politics

F-35 IOC 2015, 2016, 2019