Forum: Program and politics

Lockheed readies aggressive F-35 test schedule By MARCUS WEISGERBER Feb 23, 2012

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2012/ ... _AFA_F-35/

"ORLANDO, Fla. — Lockheed Martin is preparing to ramp up flight testing of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter over the next year, including the first release of live weapons.

The multinational, tri-service program has put together a robust flight test schedule for 2012, according to Alan Norman, Lockheed’s F-35 chief test pilot. The program is expected to conduct more than 10,000 test points per year in 2013, 2014 and 2015, Norman said at a Feb. 23 briefing at an Air Force Association-sponsored conference here...."

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This is good news.

The faster the JSF tries to hit the points, the sooner problems will be revealed which means the sooner they can be resolved.

And nothing silences critics like success / pictures of weapons being fired.

Quote:

And nothing silences critics like success / pictures of weapons being fired.

You said it. Even completing test range weapons fire examples often isn't enough to silence critics. Rafale had to actually had to fire those weapons at fleeing enemies in the field to silence critics.

Forum: Program and politics

LM readies aggressive F-35 test schedule 2012 & beyond