Forum: F-35 Armament, Stores and Tactics

Last edited by maus92 on Feb 17, 2012 - 01:18 AM; edited 1 time in total

"Significant weapons testing for the F-35B and F-35C variants is scheduled for 2012, including fit checks, captive carriage, pit drop and aerial drop tests."

http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fu ... mp;id=4909

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/news_ite ... tem_id=608

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Naval Aviation Vision 2012

http://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/nae/V ... Vision.pdf (9.7Mb)

For more information about the Naval Aviation Enterprise, visit http://www.cnaf.navy.mil/nae/.
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http://www.navair.navy.mil/img/uploads/ ... 9_24_1.jpg

"NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – Marine Corps Maj. C. R. “Jimi” Clift flies F-35B Joint Strike Fighter test aircraft BF-3 Dec. 19, 2011 with a 1,000-lb inert test GBU-32 in an open internal weapons bay for loads testing. Significant weapons testing for the F-35B and F-35C variants is scheduled for 2012, including fit checks, captive carriage, pit drop and aerial drop tests.

The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings for use on amphibious ships or expeditionary airfields to provide air power to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The F-35B is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)" Feb 16, 2012

Missed one Wink

Both the B & C are looking to get EA pods.

Screen Shot 2012-02-16 at 7.27.32 PM.png

And the NGJ starts transitioning from EA-18G to an unknown replacement platform - probably unmanned - in ~2032.

Um, the EA-35 is the likely EA-18 replacement (notice that they both show a 2032 date).

Umm, then why not show the F-35 in the Navy NGJ graphic? And why not say "NGJ" in the Marine Corps graphic? Because the latest plan is not to integrate NGJ into the F-35 series - but could change again. The Marines have a history of developing their own EW / EA payloads, like Intrepid Tiger II (ALQ-231.) Perhaps specialized electronic attack payloads are what is envisioned for Marine F-35B/Cs.

Because what makes it onto the EA-35 will likely be a LO pod which is not a feature of NGJ.

I don't see an EA-35 version in the document, only F-35B/C with Electronic Attack Payloads (EAP) - like when the Harrier carries an Intrepid Tiger pod.

That's what I was referring to. Notice that the Marine EA-6Bs are planned to be F-35Bs (not EA-18s).

maus92 wrote:

I don't see an EA-35 version in the document, only F-35B/C with Electronic Attack Payloads (EAP) - like when the Harrier carries an Intrepid Tiger pod.

You didn't see a Sparkvark on the original F-111 variant list, nor a Beagle for the F-15. The truth of the matter is that nobody- including the services- really knows what 2032 will bring. 20 years is a lot of time in tactical aviation.

I dont see a single seat jet ever being a sole EA platform. Reason being the aircrews in the EA-18G and a hard time handleing the work load that was easier to accomplish with the 4 seat Prowler. A single pilot can't effectively conduct EA opperations unless the majority of the systems are controlled off board or they are highly automated.

Not likely that there will ever be an EA-35. However, F-35 (all flavors) will always have a substantial EA capability - beginning with the baseline.

Another Photo: http://www.codeonemagazine.com/images/m ... 7_7742.jpg

"More Bay Watch
Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Levin conducts open bay testing with AIM-120s installed on F-35B BF-3 during Flight 174 on 10 February 2012."

SpudmanWP wrote:

That's what I was referring to. Notice that the Marine EA-6Bs are planned to be F-35Bs (not EA-18s).

An EAP on the F-35B/C is part of the Marine EA-6B replacement - the graphic also notes a "systems of systems", indicating a distributed EA/EW solution mounted on different platforms.

Forum: F-35 Armament, Stores and Tactics

F-35B begins weapons testing