Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Aircraft - F35 - Lightning II - Joint Combat Aircraft

The JSF or F35 Lightning II is the aircraft that most western oriented air forces are expected to buy. It is a small-medium sized, stealth shaped aircraft in 2 main versions; a conventional take-off and a short/vertical take off. Following the Strategic Defence Review in 2010 the UK will only purchase the conventional take-off carrier version, F35C, and that will also be used on the new aircraft carrier(s). The aircraft is known as the Joint Combat Aircraft in the UK.

The UK originally participated in the development programme based on a commitment to buy and its Harrier vertical take-off experience. It then took on development of some systems, parts of the airframe and a version of the engine through Rolls Royce. The UK is the major partner to the US in the project, the only Level 1 partner.

Lockheed Martin are the prime contractor while BAE SYSTEMS and Northrop-Grumman are principle partners.

For the UK the aircraft will replace the Harrier. As it is primarily an American aircraft and countries all over the world are participating it has never seemed to be the sort of project that gives the UK much industrial credibility. Although 3 aircraft are being bought to enable participation in the test programme.

The following information came from; http://www.jsf.org.uk/

The JSF UK Industry Team is an informal alliance between BAE SYSTEMS, MBDA, Martin-Baker, Rolls-Royce and Smiths Aerospace.

In 1996, the UK began to formally examine options for a Future Carrier Borne Aircraft (FCBA) to succeed the Royal Navy’s (RN) FA-2 Sea Harrier from 2012. In 1998 the Strategic Defence Review White Paper recommended that the RN and RAF Harrier forces be combined into a new Joint Force 2000.

The FCBA requirement was subsequently broadened to include replacement of the RAF’s GR9/GR9A and T10 ground attack Harrier aircraft from around 2015. Reflecting this change the programme was renamed Future Joint Combat Aircraft (FJCA) in 2001, encompassing all the UK’s joint land and sea-borne expeditionary air-power capability requirements. Latterly and colloquially, this has become known simply as the JCA.

JCA thus defines the capability being sought, whilst the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has been identified as having the best potential to provide this capability.

The link to Preston is that the BAE SYSTEMS workshare is based at Warton with Samlesbury being the manufacturing plant. Other sites in the UK are also involved including Woodford and Brough.

Samlesbury will manufacture rear fuselage and vertical and horizontal tails for all variants of the aircraft.

March 2011 the Daily Telegraph reports that the UK is still re-negotiating the contract for 3 test aircraft which will be the F35B variant, the type the UK is no longer buying. The MoD say the test work will benefit the F35C.

October 2010 the UK Strategic Defence Review announces that the UK will purchase only the conventional take-off version, the F35C carrier version. The cost of converting the aircraft carriers for this is very large.

18th March 2010 - The date of the first Vertical Landing of the F35B at Patuxent River in Maryland. BAE SYSTEMS test pilot Graham Tomlinson successfully sat on 41,000lbs of thrust to land the aircraft in a 95ft square. The engine is a Pratt & Whitney F135 driving a Rolls-Royce LiftFan®. This completed the first ever vertical landing of the short take off vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Watch the landing on YouTube.

 

November 2009 - First STOVL version arrives at Patuxent River Naval Base for ground and flight testing.

March 2009 - The UK announced the purchase of three F-35B Lightning II operational test aircraft. This is said to signal the U.K.’s commitment to the Operational Test and Evaluation phase.

April 2008 - BAE SYSTEMS cut metal for first production aircraft rear fuselage. This was actually at a sub-contractor, Hyde in Manchester, prior to the items being shipped to Samlesbury.

January 2008 - Low Rate Initial Production contact for rear fuselages and empennage awarded to BAE SYSTEMS.

April 2007 - First aft fuselage for STOVL version handed over by BAE SYSTEMS.

December 2006 - First Flight of CTOL version.

December 12th 2006 UK MoD signs MoU - this covers agreements on purchase and support, without commitment. It was subject to some debate as the UK stance was that their must be 'UK Operational Sovereignty' i.e. the UK must be able to operate the aircraft fully independantly. The US had declared some areas of technology too secret to share.

July 7th 2006 JSF named 'Lightning II' - both the UK and the USAF had a Lightning so this name suits them both. The name having particular affection in the UK.

October 2001 Lockheed Martin selected JSF prime contractor with BAE SYSTEMS and Northrop Grummen.

January 2001 UK sign MOU the System Development and Demonstration Phase

2000 First Flights of demonstrators.

November 1996 Concept Demonstration Phase - Lockheed X35 and Boeing X32 to fly-off.

Further information is available from the JSF website: http://www.jsf.mil/