Marine's declare IOC

[arrow-nautics]

Insert hideous, atrocious, revolting, villainous, cruel, fiendish, hellish, vicious, vile, wicked, demoniac, evil, cruel and diabolical laugh here: "________________________________________"!

[spazsinbad]

Replicated in full however the URL will be dodgy in future & I'll post the video on Youtube... Oops 'SWP' has it there...

Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan – F-35 PEO Comments on USMC IOC:

"On 31 May 2013, the U.S. Marine Corps sent a letter to Congress saying they would reach F-35B initial operating capability between July and December 2015. For more than two years, the F-35 Joint Program Office, along with industry, has been working hand-in-hand with the Marines to achieve that goal. The fact the Marines reached IOC at the beginning of their six-month window is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of the entire F-35 enterprise.

The U.S. Marine Corps decision to make the F-35B ready for combat is a significant event for the F-35 program. The weapons system is now in the warfighters' hands and can be called upon to do its mission. The F-35 Joint Program Office, our industry partners, and the Marines have worked through a number of challenges as we focused on delivering a stealth fighter that could fly faster than the speed of sound, carry its weapons internally, conduct short take offs and vertical landings, and be deployed from amphibious ships and austere bases. It took an entire team effort to deliver the combat capability of the F-35B, and today we've done it.

Congratulations to the Marine Corps for leading the way. The F-35 government and industry team will continue to deliver on our commitments to field the world's finest combat aircraft for the United States and our allies."

The F-35 Lightning II Program (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter Program) is the Department of Defense's focal point for defining affordable next generation strike aircraft weapon systems for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and our allies. The F-35 will bring cutting-edge technologies to the battlespace of the future. The JSFs advanced airframe, autonomic logistics, avionics, propulsion systems, stealth, and firepower will ensure that the F-35 is the most affordable, lethal, supportable and survivable aircraft ever to be used by so many warfighters across the globe."

Road to Marine Corps Initial Operational Capability July 2015 VIDEO (very slow download)

http://www.jsf.mil/video/f35test/Road%2 ... IOC-HD.wmv (127Mb)

Source: http://www.jsf.mil/

[spazsinbad]

The USMC IOC Declaration reparsed in this article so only the newsy last part excerpted below - maybe it should go to the 'ruderrams' section? But but but... OK I'll put it there: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=25663&p=297285&hilit=Drew#p297285

[arrow-nautics]

I don`t want to start a new thread due to one simple question. Does F-35B IOC mean that it can fly in a lightning storm IF absolutely necessary?

[popcorn]

http://news.yahoo.com/u-marines-declare-initial-f-35-squadron-ready-140633831--finance.html

Your thoughts?

[SpudmanWP]

I don`t want to start a new thread due to one simple question. Does B IOC mean that it can fly in a lightning storm IF absolutely necessary?

No ongoing problems were reported in the latest IOT&E that would affect flying ops.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/dae/ar ... on_on_.pdf

All the flight related OBIGGS issues were resolved as of last year.

------------------UPDATE----------------------

All Good to Go

http://www.standard.net/Military/2015/0 ... -lightning

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan said the formerly unresolved safety risk, which was identified in a report released earlier this year by the Defense Department’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, is no longer impeding the now $1.4 trillion program’s progress.

As proof, Bogdan offered the committee an anecdote about an F-35 being tested two weeks ago at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base. The plane was hit by lightning, but apparently with no damaging effects.

“It was in clear air and it was struck by lightning and absolutely nothing bad happened to the airplane,” he said. “The pilot landed the airplane (with) no warnings and cautions, no problems. We could see where the lightning went into the right wingtip and came out.”

[steakanddoritos]

Where is your god now, David Axe?

[XanderCrews]

Where is your god now, David Axe?

Loled

[mk82]

Congratulations to the USMC and VMFA 121 "Green Knights". Bring it!!!!!!

[yeswepromise]

way to go team.

200th center fuselage was also completed this week.

[Dragon029]

I don`t want to start a new thread due to one simple question. Does F-35B IOC mean that it can fly in a lightning storm IF absolutely necessary?

These USMC operational jets are all built to a "Group 1" standard, which is 2B, with the reinforced bulkheads and lightning protection (current / improved OBIGGS).

Reference Spaz's post here.

[weasel1962]

The F-35B's IOC deserves a bump.

[blindpilot]

I don`t want to start a new thread due to one simple question. Does F-35B IOC mean that it can fly in a lightning storm IF absolutely necessary?

These USMC operational jets are all built to a "Group 1" standard, which is 2B, with the reinforced bulkheads and lightning protection (current / improved OBIGGS).

Reference Spaz's post here.

This issue is settled. I went through pilot training at Moody in Valdosta Ga. and I flew more weekly weather time "VFR" near Eglin, than the guys in Arizona ever saw in a year as they tried to get 0.1 hrs real world IFR time by punching a tiny cloud. I landed T-38s in formation, when it was marginally really below minimums, and even did Immelman like takeoffs to avoid the thunderstorm at the end of the runway. That was "VFR student pilot" flying.

News flash! Eglin has weather! In the best of days, it's "partly" cloudy, and you try and get through the hole and above it quickly. Bogdan's comment on the lightning strike doesn't surprise me a bit. The whole issue was never more than hot air from folks who still don't know how to release the airline seat belt after being told by flight attendants for decades.

Prudent caution, as systems develop is not the same as a deficiency. Risk management is simply good procedure. This is yet another example of creating problems that don't exist out of ... well let's say thin air, but that wasn't what I was thinking.

BP

[delvo]

Can we at least have that horrible stupid apostrophe edited out of the title? It's stabbing my eyes.

[bring_it_on]

Any idea about when VMFA-211 gets its F-35B's (schedule) and whether they'll get 3I or not? As I understand all aircraft coming out of production are now standardized around block 3I. Is that correct?