Forum: Program and politics

Turkey to buy two planes in second F-35 shipment ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News 04 Sept 2012

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey ... sCatID=345

"Turkey is expected to use funds from its Defense Industry Support Fund to purchase a second pair of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightening jets to be delivered in 2016, says a Turkish procurement official. The first pair is set for delivery in 2015

Turkey will likely order a second pair of the jointly-made, next-generation, stealth fighter F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II aircraft, as it did earlier this year following the production of the first two, a senior procurement official said over the weekend....

...To be able to start the delivery of the JSF fighters in the year 2015, Turkey had to specify a figure it would buy as a first batch, in its first Defense Industry Executive Committee on Jan. 5, 2012. Despite an expected figure of six, Turkey initially ordered only two aircraft.

“We are expected to decide on the figure as two, as was the case before the Jan. 5 meeting. But the committee needs to confirm this figure at its next meeting,” said the senior procurement official....

...“We are planning to use funds from our Defense Industry Support Fund for the first four aircraft. Two are set for delivery in 2015, and another two for 2016,” the procurement official said. “Later, we will be expecting the creation of a special fund to finance the rest of the program.

Turkey is expected to eventually buy around 100 F-35s, although the figure may rise up to 120.”...

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F-35 Lightning II Program Status and Fast Fact; July 17, 2012

? The Turkish Defense Industry Executive Committee authorized the procurement of two F-35 Lightning II aircraft that will be built in Low Rate Initial Production Lot 7. (January 2012)

15-Jun-12; Contract N00019-12-C-0004 for $489,528,000.00 Quantities; 35-LRIP7, JSF; 19-CTOL (US Air Force), 3-CTOL (Italian Air Force), 2-CTOL (Turkish Air Force), 6-STOVL (US Marine Corp), 1-STOVL (UK Royal Navy), 4-CV (US Navy); To provide long lead-time parts, material and components required for the delivery. In addition, this contract provides long lead-time efforts required for the incorporation of a drag chute in CTOL air systems for the government of Norway.

LRIP7 delivers in 2015 and the "Last" LRIP8 delivers in 2016. No published contracts for LRIP8 (at this time). So far...no conflicts with news releases, contracts and speculations. Smile

neptune wrote:

F-35 Lightning II Program Status and Fast Fact; July 17, 2012

? The Turkish Defense Industry Executive Committee authorized the procurement of two F-35 Lightning II aircraft that will be built in Low Rate Initial Production Lot 7. (January 2012)

15-Jun-12; Contract N00019-12-C-0004 for $489,528,000.00 Quantities; 35-LRIP7, JSF; 19-CTOL (US Air Force), 3-CTOL (Italian Air Force), 2-CTOL (Turkish Air Force), 6-STOVL (US Marine Corp), 1-STOVL (UK Royal Navy), 4-CV (US Navy); To provide long lead-time parts, material and components required for the delivery. In addition, this contract provides long lead-time efforts required for the incorporation of a drag chute in CTOL air systems for the government of Norway.

LRIP7 delivers in 2015 and the "Last" LRIP8 delivers in 2016. No published contracts for LRIP8 (at this time). So far...no conflicts with news releases, contracts and speculations. Smile

As far as I understand the contract, longlead items LRIP 7, the UK dropped their planned number STOVL F35’s from 7 to 1 F35B (LRIP7).
As well as the Turkish number LRIP7 will be 2 F35A’s

Concerning this contract, suppose the Norwegian F35’s indeed will get a drag chute:
Quote: In addition, this contract provides long lead-time efforts required for the incorporation of a drag chute in CTOL air systems for the government of Norway.

More or less same story as above with this tidbit at the end:

Turkey looks to Lockheed's F-35 models September 07, 2012

http://www.istockanalyst.com/business/n ... -35-models

"...While currently purchasing F-35s, Turkey's defense industry has big plans for the future as, after 2020, it plans to design, develop and produce another fighter to close the JSF's deficiencies either with indigenous production or via a joint venture, possibly with South Korea."

I wonder what will happen to the Partner's plans when they start using the F-35 and they get a better understanding on what "deficiencies" it really has.

SpudmanWP wrote:

?....... get a better understanding on what "deficiencies" it really has.

I can imagine what the "reverse engineering experts" are promising when they finally get their own a/c to "see what makes it tick"!!! Smile

It's those damned source codes.. well, if you can't get them, write your own and you may as well build an aircraft while your at it. Wish them luck. Smile

Turkey firming up its F-35 plans 12 November 2012

http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/turkey ... plans.html

"On September 4 this year it was reported that Turkey would use funds from its Defence Industry Support Fund to purchase a second pair of F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighters. Jon Lake looks at the small beginnings to what should be a much larger programme.

The new F-35s, due for delivery in 2016, follow the first pair of aircraft ordered in January and expected in 2015....

...On January 5 this year Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, chairing the Defence Industry Executive Committee, authorised the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries to open negotiations with Lockheed Martin for the purchase of just two F-35 multi-role combat fighters.

Lockheed Martin had expected Turkey to order an initial six aircraft.

Then, in February, Turkish Defence Minister ?smet Yilmaz confirmed that Turkey still intended to purchase 100 F-35s, stating in writing to the Turkish parliament that: “We are not currently considering abandoning the purchase of the planes.” He outlined the expected cost of $16 billion.

The Turks had previously put the planned purchase on hold because of concerns over technology transfer and access to source codes, which the US Congress has so far refused to share with any of the JSF customer nations.

Turkey is understood to be especially interested in being able to control and programme the aircraft’s identification friend or foe (IFF) after it found that the F-16s’ IFF system always identified Israeli air force aircraft as friendly, necessitating the design of a new IFF system by ASELSAN.

Assuming that this difficulty can be resolved, one way or another, Turkey may even eventually buy more than the 100 F-35s now planned, with some analysts predicting an eventual total of more than 120 aircraft...."

More at the JUMP.

popcorn wrote:

It's those damned source codes.. well, if you can't get them, write your own and you may as well build an aircraft while your at it. Wish them luck. Smile

The FCS source code is not easy to "write your own" and expect it to fly properly on the first attempt. Flutter suppression and stabilization over the entire envelope isn't so easy. The X-35 FCS needed quite a bit of tweaking before it was cleared to go supersonic.