F-35 test delays continue despite combat debut

[neptune]

...[quote]F-35 testing at Edwards Air Force Base paused, impact to full-rate production decision unknown
25 Mar 2020 Valerie Insinna....but organizations that can continue verification activities via telework are continuing to do so. Additionally, select lab and ground test activities are ongoing......

JSE is of the last lingering SDD testing requirements with frequent updating of the Mission Data Files. At the conclusion of the JSE testing this summer 2020, all F-35 testing organizations will have completed the Mile Stone C requirement for satisfying the Full Rate Production status after manufacturing 500+ aircraft (prototypes??) and achieving 250,000+ flight man-hours.

The JSE testing facility at Edwards has the size capacity to test "all" USAF aircraft from the B-52, C-5 down to T-38, F-16 aircraft types. Most interesting is the ability to test both the B-21 and B-2 with their most immediate necessity.

It will always be of interest to see how the current on-board a/c defense systems can contend with whichever S-2/3/4/5/600/.... in each aircraft type from the largest to the smallest airframes.
IMHO
Fly Navy

[doge]

Navy acquisition executive commented via Aviation Week.
https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/ ... yed-so-far

DOD Official: F-35 Full-Rate Production Not Delayed So Far
March 25, 2020
Although F-35 Joint Strike Fighter test operations had to cease March 25 because of the novel coronavirus, the U.S. military has not seen “anything major” that would delay full-rate production, the Navy acquisition executive says.

[spazsinbad]

AFTC Joint Simulation Environment becomes reality
05 Nov 2020 2nd Lt. Christine Saunders, Air Force Test Center Public Affairs

"NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Air Force Test Center broke ground on the 52,000 sq. ft. Joint Simulation Environment facility at Nellis AFB, Nevada, Nov. 5 during a ceremony hosted by the 412th Electronic Warfare Group.

The $27.5 million, state-of-the-art, energy efficient building is the first of two planned JSE modeling and simulation facilities set to house operations, engineering, maintenance and logistics personnel.

The JSE will enable rapid development for future platforms and improve testing of current weapon systems that will enhance multi-domain operations in ways physical testing cannot achieve....

...The first JSE systems will be focused on the F-35 and F-22, but the flexible open-architecture design will allow the incorporation of other aircraft and weapons systems in the future.

“AFOTEC proudly stands with the JSE team to acknowledge this historic event and we pledge to continue working to ensure JSE accurately reflects the reality of the fifth generation fight so that it can reveal performance capabilities, limitations, and vulnerabilities of F-35, F-22 and other platforms. Well done to the entire JSE team!” congratulated Sears....

...Recent advances in smart adaptive technology have challenged the test community’s ability to accurately test using open air ranges. “The JSE will enable high end threat replication that can be denser and more real than anything we can fly in the open air,” said Orson.

The JSE is an example of AFTC’s partnership with the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis AFB and AFOTEC to accelerate change within the United States Air Force at the start of the developmental testing cycle. Construction of the facility is scheduled to complete in June of 2022 and reach initial operational capability in 2023.

Construction for another $34.4 million JSE facility located on Edwards AFB is set to commence in February 2021. The Edwards facility will focus on developmental test and evaluation."

Graphic: "An artist rendering of the 52,000 sq. ft. Joint Simulation Environment facility at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. (Image courtesy of JSE Logistics Team)" https://media.defense.gov/2020/Aug/06/2 ... 9-2002.PNG (0.37Mb)

Source: https://www.acc.af.mil/News/Article-Dis ... s-reality/

[spazsinbad]

F-35 Full-Rate Still Months Away, But Won’t Signal Production Surge
17 Mar 2021 John A. Tirpak

"The Pentagon won’t declare the F-35 to have completed development for a few months more at least...

...The sticking point in declaring full-rate—known as Milestone C, which signifies the conclusion of development—continues to be integrating the F-35 with the Pentagon’s Joint Simulation Environment, she said. The JSE is a kind of wargaming system that determines the right mix of platforms and weapons for a war scenario, but it is dependent on dataponts such as maintenance turn rates and aircraft availability, which have been volatile over the six years the F-35 has been operating with the services.

“The amount of integration … of proprietary data … wasn’t clearly understood up-front,” Daley said. There’s now a team in the Office of the Secretary of Defense that is “evaluating all the necessary steps” to get that integration to occur, and “get it up and running to a satisfying place,” she said.

A new estimate for completion hasn’t been finalized. Once OSD gets it from the Naval Air Systems Command and the JPO it will have to certify it as “a new baseline,” she said. “It’s more complicated than originally anticipated,” she said. However, there is “more mature” data available on the F-35’s availability performance, so a solution is within sight.

Former Pentagon acquisition and sustainment czar Ellen Lord postponed the full-rate production for more than a year waiting on the F-35’s integration with the JSE. The inability to get the jet out of the engineering and manufacturing development phase has been seen by some as an opportunity to curtail the F-35 buy...." [then PRODUCTION LRIP INFO]

Source: https://www.airforcemag.com/f-35-full-r ... ion-surge/

[XanderCrews]

>integrating the F-35 with the Pentagon’s Joint Simulation Environment

> The inability to get the jet out of the engineering and manufacturing development phase has been seen by some as an opportunity to curtail the F-35 buy...."



The Air force can't get its JSE computers to work with its "cornerstone" fighter so it might curtail the cornerstone fighter.

I guess pilots will fly the JSE into combat?

No way to make our agile engineering software revolution for NGAD fix JSE? Its stunning how advanced and yet how primitive everything is. My goal is to see NGAD flying next to an A-10 and a B-52, and no its not a heritage flight-- this is the worlds most powerful military, people

[quicksilver]

“The amount of integration … of proprietary data … wasn’t clearly understood up-front...”. (My emphasis added)

Also referred to as ‘intellectual property’ by some. Always a very, very large mountain to climb...

[element1loop]

... continues to be integrating the F-35 with the Pentagon’s Joint Simulation Environment, she said. The JSE is a kind of wargaming system that determines the right mix of platforms and weapons for a war scenario ...

Personally I'm very happy they're doing this, the effect over time in adding effective, testable and experimental capabilities from simulation indications/results, then real-world replications to test, will be a massive tactical air power advantage. Plus a massive training advantage, plus the ongoing extension of MDF information in displays adding a whole new edge to fighting ... wow!

Plus it creates the perfect simulation environment that can be used with a learning system for unmanned teaming tactical options and utilization development, plus provides an optionally-manned learning system for F-35 in the process than can be kept up to date with the most current fight-logged data for real-world observations of systems-of-systems in the opposing force.

That will make the F-35 an absolutely crushing capability, and far easier to upgrade in the most meaningful also cost targeted (and cheapest) ways to deliver the desired effects over time.

If the advantages of Block 4's options can be proven, firstly via a full mission SIM, using the most current real-world data observations, then with a Bk4 prototype, that becomes a whole lot better than hoping you got the development balance about right. And he training advantages of having that on tap is staggering.

So I don't mind waiting to get to that, as long as the integration with real world data and Ai is ready to go at the imagined 'end' of the process. But that process is really just beginning, from there, once the system is established.

The effect on weapons and tactics to wring every last drop of performance out of that airframe over the next 30 years will be in place, and in place for everything else in development to take advantage of as well from there. For the F-35 in 2025 though, the resulting mission data files, simulation, and Bk4 balance will be everything to US and allied capabilities. God help any country that wants to test that system out.

And the ****ing F-15EX will be a completely non-competitive back-of-the-bus capability in direct comparison.

And by all means do this:

24 x IOC F-15EX verses 24 x IOC F-35A Bk3f, in a 10 day continuous intensive exercise, with a full spread of USAF support aircraft types, and have them fly A2A, A2G and recon missions against the same opposing realistic high-end air, ground and surface joint capabilities.

Then compare how many of each type got shot down (no regeneration permitted, once shot down the jet and crew are dead for the duration, and what's left is what fights on, and that includes their availability each day), and compare how many targets were destroyed, and what ISR data was gathered and relayed to the network. Plus what resources were required and used by each type to do this, including fuel and other consumables, weapons, and the people needed to generate the capability.

And then present relevant US political persons with the classified results. Thus put an end to this errant garbage that anything existing in the legacy fleet is in the same league, or can provide same capabilities, for same or lower cost, and include the aircraft acquisitions costs, and the Cost Per Fight Hour within the classified analysis and results.

Including the added costs of air frames and pilots lost, and their full cost of replacement, btw ............. that also will be a real cost for the designed and intended function and role.

Then make the most effective and rational acquisition choices with that.

Then do the same in 2026 with 24 x FOC F-15EX, verses 24 x FOC F-35 Bk4 + EFTs. But may need to do that one in Australia and SW Pacific region where there's actually enough open range to stretch out the F-35A's legs. And look at what the results are again.

Then make the most effective and rational acquisition choices with that as well.

I'd bet the F-35 goes into accelerated FRP ASAP, F-15EX gets cancelled, F-15E, F-16C/D and F/A-18E/F/G Bk3 all get replaced sooner than currently planned, using current and also newer F-35 variants past 2030.

The A-10C however will survive past 2050, as it is a flying hero with a GAU-30, plus there's a helluva lot of P O R K involved ... can't cut that out!

Oh, and you can add cost per flight hour to that analysis as well, if you think it's relevant, and helps for understanding the real costs of ownership of either type, in combat and in peace. Maybe include the estimated costs of losing control of the air in a near-peer high-end fight as well though ... to make it more realistic and meaningful ... can anyone put a number on that?

(Note the MDF = "Mission Data Files" in the sig-line below ... MDF has always been the critical final ingredient for F-35.)

[jetblast16]

But who will test the JSE...test the test of the JSE...of the test to test the test of the test of the JSE?

[spazsinbad]

But who will test the JSE...test the test of the JSE...of the test to test the test of the test of the JSE?

Shirley TRUMP will test it with a STEAM Catapult?

[steve2267]

I have no issues, per se, with the JSE. But tying the F-35 FRP to JSE seems idiotic. Or once JSE seemed to be the huge stumbling block that it is, somebody oughta step in and correct that idiocy. Will F-15EX FRP similarly be subjected to the JSE?

My guess is in the contract & negotiations phase, the gummint did not want to pay for some data or information. LM developed or collected the info anyway, but on their own nickel since the gummint declined to pay for it. When the JSE came along, the gummint is like "we need that data" --or-- "we need this data developed/massaged/translated" into this format. LM was like, sure, what charge number shall we use?

[quicksilver]

But who will test the JSE...test the test of the JSE...of the test to test the test of the test of the JSE?

This^

The JSE has become the mother of all engineering science projects.

[doge]

Other JSE articles.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... est-starts

Pentagon Uncertain When Often-Delayed F-35 Combat Test Starts
By Anthony Capaccio March 18, 2021

Program office says it expects new schedule ‘in coming months’
Delayed test may affect support for fighter jet in Congress

The Pentagon office managing the military’s costliest program says it may be several months before it can even say when the last and most critical stage of combat testing for Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 jet can begin.
The F-35 program office is evaluating results of an assessment by university software experts as to what’s needed for the final -- and repeatedly delayed -- combat simulation phase to get underway. The rigorous testing was supposed to have occurred in December, the latest missed starting date for the Joint Simulation Environment exercise once planned for 2017.
The review team assessed all the elements necessary to start the combat testing in a highly sophisticated simulator to evaluate how the F-35 -- and future aircraft and electronic warfare systems -- would perform against the most advanced Russian and Chinese aircraft and air defenses.
“The program office continues to work on a revised acquisition program” schedule and “will deliver it when complete,” spokeswoman Laura Seal said in a statement. “We expect this to be in the coming months. Our focus is on building an executable plan that addresses previous schedule overruns.”
Ellen Lord, who was undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment in the Trump administration, issued a memo on Dec. 15 directing the program office to complete a new schedule by Feb. 28.

Required Report
But Seal’s statement raises the likelihood that the testing process won’t be completed during debate on the fiscal 2022 defense budget.
Even after the one-month test occurs, it will take an additional two to three months to transfer and analyze the data and then draft a final report for delivery to Pentagon leaders and Congress. The report is mandated by law before a decision on whether to move into full-rate production -- the most lucrative phase of the contract for Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed -- can be made.
The Pentagon’s latest five-year plan from the Trump administration calls for requesting 85 F-35s in the year that begins Oct. 1, up from 79 this year. But the delay in the crucial combat testing may not sit well with lawmakers questioning reliance on the F-35, including Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed.
“We’ve been building it” for years “and it’s still in operational testing and evaluation, and once that’s finished -- and we hope it’s finished promptly -- then we can make a much more thorough assessment of the system,” the Rhode Island Democrat said in an interview last month. “We hope that the answer is delivered soon about the effectiveness of the F-35 and the justification for its billing as the ‘premier’ fighter aircraft of the world.”

It may not be relevant, but it's a another software article. (I was troublesome to look for the applicable thread. )
https://insidedefense.com/daily-news/f- ... ted-review

F-35 JPO, Lockheed implementing software improvements identified by new integrated review team
By Courtney Albon / March 17, 2021
The F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin have created a software-focused integrated review team aimed at helping the program identify and implement agile development and delivery processes that will improve the quality and cadence of future software releases. The IRT is composed of government and industry software experts and was established in the fall. JPO spokeswoman Laura Seal told Inside Defense this week the team has recommended a slate of "software ecosystem improvements" the program is working to...

[XanderCrews]

But who will test the JSE...test the test of the JSE...of the test to test the test of the test of the JSE?

You remind me of the guy who asked the government why they had "only one" anti-monopoly department

[charlielima223]

But who will test the JSE...test the test of the JSE...of the test to test the test of the test of the JSE?

[quicksilver]

“The program office continues to work on a revised acquisition program” schedule and “will deliver it when complete,” spokeswoman Laura Seal said in a statement. “We expect this to be in the coming months. Our focus is on building an executable plan that addresses previous schedule overruns.”

This is government communications talent at its finest — saying less with more.