F-35 Finally Can Use All Its Weapons In Combat

F-35 Armament, fuel tanks, internal and external hardpoints, loadouts, and other stores.
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by spazsinbad » 06 Mar 2018, 12:05

F-35 Finally [do a footstamp as well why doncha] Can Use All Its Weapons In Combat
05 Mar 2018 Lara Seligman

"The newest U.S. Air Force F-35s, both stateside at Hill AFB, Utah, and overseas in the Pacific, finally can employ the stealth fighter’s full suite of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons in combat. The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) has delivered the flight clearances, simulators, threat information, and logistics system required for the Air Force’s F-35As equipped with the latest software load to employ all of its weapons throughout the full flight envelope, according to the JPO, Lockheed Martin and Air Force officials.

This milestone gives the Block 3F-configured F-35As assigned to the 34th Fighter Squadron stationed at Hill and those forward-deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan—on North Korea’s doorstep—some lethal capabilities. The aircraft now can fire Raytheon’s short-range AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, the GAU-22 25mm gun, and Boeing’s precision-guided Small Diameter Bomb, all while flying up to 9Gs at 1.6 Mach.

The F-35A touched down in Kadena for its first operational deployment to the Pacific in November, a highly anticipated milestone that underlines the U.S. military’s commitment to allies in the region amid tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

The “Rude Rams” F-35As join the “Green Knights” F-35Bs of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, which is permanently stationed at Iwakuni, Japan, significantly increasing the number of stealth F-35s in the region. The 12 F-35As from Hill will be deployed to Kadena until May, a six-month rotation, as part of U.S. Pacific Command’s theater security package.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Marine Corps short takeoff, vertical-landing F-35B and U.S. Navy F-35C carrier variant configured with the 3F software will be able to deploy with their full operational capability in May and June, respectively, F-35 Program Executive Officer (PEO) Vice Adm. Mat Winter said during a Feb. 28 media roundtable. For the F-35Cs, this means the aircraft will be able to deploy Raytheon’s AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) in combat and fly to 1.3 [?] Mach.

There is one caveat—the final 3F simulator capability has been broken into two releases, Lockheed’s Executive Vice President for Aeronautics Orlando Carvalho said in a March 5 interview. The first release has been delivered for the 3F F-35As, he said. Even though the F-35’s long development phase finally is drawing to a close, the JPO and Lockheed will continue working to modernize the aircraft with an updated threat library, logistics system and simulators, Winter said...."

Source: http://aviationweek.com/defense/f-35-fi ... ons-combat


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by popcorn » 06 Mar 2018, 13:05

FINALLY!
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"When a fifth-generation fighter meets a fourth-generation fighter—the [latter] dies,”
CSAF Gen. Mark Welsh


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by Dragon029 » 06 Mar 2018, 13:16

This should probably go into the Program Updates thread as well; I do have a question now however as to what exactly is meant by the last part of this:

Meanwhile, the U.S. Marine Corps short takeoff, vertical-landing F-35B and U.S. Navy F-35C carrier variant configured with the 3F software will be able to deploy with their full operational capability in May and June, respectively, F-35 Program Executive Officer (PEO) Vice Adm. Mat Winter said during a Feb. 28 media roundtable. For the F-35Cs, this means the aircraft will be able to deploy Raytheon’s AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) in combat and fly to 1.3 Mach.


Is that a typo (I thought they were already cleared to Mach 1.3, pending expansion to Mach 1.6)? Or is the flight envelope not being opened until later, or are we looking at a new permanent envelope restriction (due to the afterburner tail heating issue being unresolved)? If there is a restriction, is it for both the F-35B and F-35C, or just the C as seems implied?


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by white_lightning35 » 06 Mar 2018, 13:34

Hooray
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by mixelflick » 06 Mar 2018, 15:22

Welcome news..

Now ready for N. Korea, I'd expect they'd make full use of it there in hunting down road mobile ICBM's/MRBM's. For the airshow circuit, what year are they planning on giving us full F-35 flight demos? OMG, can't wait... :)


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by doge » 06 Mar 2018, 23:43

Mach 1.3 is a little worried...
but,
Anyway...I rejoice, hilarity, excitement!!!! :D :applause: :cheers:
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by sunstersun » 06 Mar 2018, 23:45

onto 4F!


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by steve2267 » 07 Mar 2018, 00:34

Dragon029 wrote:This should probably go into the Program Updates thread as well; I do have a question now however as to what exactly is meant by the last part of this:

Meanwhile, the U.S. Marine Corps short takeoff, vertical-landing F-35B and U.S. Navy F-35C carrier variant configured with the 3F software will be able to deploy with their full operational capability in May and June, respectively, F-35 Program Executive Officer (PEO) Vice Adm. Mat Winter said during a Feb. 28 media roundtable. For the F-35Cs, this means the aircraft will be able to deploy Raytheon’s AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) in combat and fly to 1.3 Mach.


Is that a typo (I thought they were already cleared to Mach 1.3, pending expansion to Mach 1.6)? Or is the flight envelope not being opened until later, or are we looking at a new permanent envelope restriction (due to the afterburner tail heating issue being unresolved)? If there is a restriction, is it for both the F-35B and F-35C, or just the C as seems implied?


Myself and another fellow questioned Seligman via Twitter about the "Mach 1.3" statement. To her credit she acknowledged the error. She followed up by stating that that is what Winters had said. (So she was just quoting without applying any critical thinking?)
Take an F-16, stir in A-7, dollop of F-117, gob of F-22, dash of F/A-18, sprinkle with AV-8B, stir well + bake. Whaddya get? F-35.


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by SpudmanWP » 07 Mar 2018, 00:45

sunstersun wrote:onto 4F!
??

There is no "4F"
"The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese."


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by nutshell » 07 Mar 2018, 01:24

Game, set, match.

Road to alpha, destination almost reached.


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by white_lightning35 » 07 Mar 2018, 02:14

SpudmanWP wrote:
sunstersun wrote:onto 4F!
??

There is no "4F"


Yeah there is, it has just recently been declassified. Consider yourself privileged for being one of the first non-illuminati members to hear about it.


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by steve2267 » 07 Mar 2018, 02:19

I hearda Block 4, broken into 4.1 and 4.2. But I've not hearda Block 4F. I guess I don't get out enuff.
Take an F-16, stir in A-7, dollop of F-117, gob of F-22, dash of F/A-18, sprinkle with AV-8B, stir well + bake. Whaddya get? F-35.


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by wrightwing » 07 Mar 2018, 05:27

steve2267 wrote:I hearda Block 4, broken into 4.1 and 4.2. But I've not hearda Block 4F. I guess I don't get out enuff.

Once it gets to 4G, it should have much higher speeds. 8)


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by steve2267 » 07 Mar 2018, 05:29

:crazypilot: :lmao:
Take an F-16, stir in A-7, dollop of F-117, gob of F-22, dash of F/A-18, sprinkle with AV-8B, stir well + bake. Whaddya get? F-35.


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by white_lightning35 » 07 Mar 2018, 05:35

wrightwing wrote:
steve2267 wrote:I hearda Block 4, broken into 4.1 and 4.2. But I've not hearda Block 4F. I guess I don't get out enuff.

Once it gets to 4G, it should have much higher speeds. 8)


5TH GEN, 5TH GEN, NONE OF THIS 4G CRAP WE'RE BEYOND THOSE TIMES.


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