Ahh Thanks. Here it is for anyone is interested.
The first F-35 customer slated for actual operations, the U.S. Marine Corps, is giddy about the B version’s progress after a first-ever series of trials this month leading up to the operational debut of the jet—in development for 14 years—in July.
But, in accordance with the tattered history of the F-35 program, any step forward is tempered by questions about the path ahead. Just as the Marines are wrapping up the first operational test (OT-1) session on the USS Wasp amphibious ship, partners are jockeying to craft a plan for what weapons and capabilities will be included in the Block 4 version of the F-35, the most widely sought version for international customers. And, also in accordance with the F-35’s legacy, it could all come down to cost.
“Quite frankly, we are working through some of the challenges of understanding the cost associated with some of the capabilities we would like to get into the airplane,” says Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, director of the U.S. Air Force’s F-35 Integration Office. “Ultimately, the goal will be to modernize some of our baseline systems to stay ahead of the threat. But what I foresee right now is that . . . over the course of the next couple of months [we will] really refine what we want Block 4 to look like.” This is a complex negotiation inside the Pentagon made even more complicated because the final product will include inputs from each of the eight other developmental partners.These were among the issues discussed last week at the global F-35 CEO conference in Norway, which included participation from senior officials from each country in the partnership.
Meanwhile, the Marines and F-35 program officials are reviewing results from the OT-1 event May 18-29. Six F-35Bs—four Block 2B and two Block 3i—from VMFA-121 and VMFAT-501 were used for the trials, which were designed to assess needs for procedures for the F-35B operating on the small-deck amphibious ship leading up to the initial operational capability (IOC) declaration slated for July.
The six jets embarked without trouble, the Marines say. The pilots were uniformed Marines, some newly trained to operate the F-35. Most of them conducted their first ship landing when embarking for the trials.
The Marines put on a dazzling display after a select group of media embarked May 26 on the Wasp to witness the day’s work. Multiple F-35Bs conducted short takeoffs, executed the pattern (one partial loop around to the back of the ship) and lined up for a vertical landing. The media saw this in earlier developmental test events. The difference this time was that multiple jets were doing this in succession, a demonstration of a cadence never before seen for the F-35B on the small-deck ship. It was notable that the crew was able to consistently command taxi, takeoff, flyaround, landing and maneuvers on the deck. Also included in this series was landing and takeoff of the Seahawk search-and-rescue support helicopter and a hot refuel of an F-35B. This hardly mirrors the diversity and demands of an entire air wing on deck, but it was a substantial step forward for the young fighter’s ability to operate at sea.
Two previous trials—Developmental Test-1 and DT-2—on the Wasp were run by developmental overseers. For the first time, USMC operators were overseeing ops in OT-1; this includes pilots as well as maintainers and deck handlers.
The Corps is assessing how many F-35s will comprise future Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU). In question is what will be the aviation mix for the future, including the V-22, new CH-53Ks, unmanned aircraft and the AH-1Z. For now, six were used as a representative sample for OT-1, says Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, Marine Corps deputy commandant for aviation, who attended the trials with the media during tests off North Carolina. As the first customer to declare F-35 IOC, the Marines have repeatedly said this event is a start, not an end state. Additional DTs will follow as more capability is introduced into service, officials say. The first squadron to declare IOC will be VMFA-121 with 10-16 F-35Bs and enough trained pilots and support to deploy for war if needed. The first scheduled deployment is in 2017; Marines will operate the F-35B from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.
While not intended to simulate actual air wing operations, the trials were intended to run through specific test cases. As an example, maintainers conducted a full engine removal and replacement and also attempted to demonstrate a lift-fan removal. Both were prioritized to ensure that it was shown the work can be done in the confined space of the hangar in the belly of the ship, says Lt. Cdr. Beth Kitchen of the Royal Navy, who was overseeing maintenance issues during the trials. The U.K. and possibly Italy are foreign partners buying the F-35B, which is designed for short takeoff and vertical landing.
In the case of the lift-fan removal, operators discovered that an extra shackle would be needed for the onboard task; this was one of many lessons from the trials, Kitchen says. Each, however, is manageable and there are “not going to be requirements maintenance procedures changes to the joint technical document” as a result of findings thus far in the trials, she says. They are “easily rectified.”
During the trials, 91 maintainers were aboard the Wasp contributing to the F-35 mission, the number now used for Harrier deployments.
During OT-1, an MV-22—the Marine Corps tiltrotor key to resupplying MEUs afloat—demonstrated for the first time the ability to transport the largest of five F135 engine modules from shore to ship. The size of the engine and its lift fan have been a concern, as an entire unit cannot fit in any Marine aircraft suitable for resupply. However, the 4,500-lb. power supply module was transported May 21 from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The trip validated the design of a special “buck,” a piece of equipment designed to safely transport engine components from shore to ship. The concept of operations will call for MV-22s to transport the engine by modules when replacements are needed; rarely will an entire engine replacement be required. The Pratt & Whitney F135 design allows for swapping out specific modules in the event of a repair.
Officials did not provide a mission-capable rate for the jets during OT. However, Maj. Michael Rountree, F-35 pilot and senior landing signal officer for OT-1, says the rates are comparable to those seen during operations on shore. Turnaround time is challenged by the limits of the ship, not the aircraft, he adds. Thus, the OT findings will be used to refine procedures for operations on the ship.
The Wasp used the same Thermion nonskid deck coating—designed to protect from the extreme heat from the F135 during vertical landing and short takeoff—as used during the DT trials. Officials will assess coating performance during OT events to ensure ships slated to carry the F-35B are properly outfitted. In addition to Thermion, which is made in America, a U.K. company makes a similar product, says Lt. Cdr. Neil Mathieson, the Royal Navy’s F-35B ship air integration lead during the trials. Though scorching was visible on the deck where the landings took place and early in the vertical takeoff where exhaust was most concentrated at the slowest speeds, officials say there was no indication of a problem.
As of May 26, no tires required changing as a result of a failure on the ship. Officials say they would likely perform a tire change even if one is not required to demonstrate procedures in the confines of the ship’s footprint. Poor tire performance on the ship earlier plagued the program, so the OT performance was welcomed by overseers.
Pilots performed 98 sorties and 73.1 total flight hours when operations closed for the day May 26, according to Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Paul Greenberg, for an average of 17 sorties and 11.1 hr. of total flight time each day.
Davis says he plans to conduct a final operational readiness inspection in July prior to the operational debut; this indicates the actual IOC declaration could come weeks after the July 1 target date.
29 May 2015, 00:01
