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The Marine Corps F-35B Short-Take-Off-and-Vertical-Landing Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter took off from a Navy amphibious assault ship for the first time with a full load of weapons — in preparation for its planned deployment in 2018.
The aircraft flew from the Navy’s first America-Class Amphibious Assault Ship, the USS America, to Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., where it dropped live precision guided weapons on mock targets in the desert.
The F-35B dropped laser-guided GBU 12s and satellite-guided GBU 32s as part of the exercise; the ordance team aboard the USS America assembled 72-GBU 12s and 40-GBU 32s aboar the ship, Marine Corps officials said.
“Laser-guided bomb (LGB) kits consist of a computer control group and air foil group normally attached to a general-purpose bomb to form an LGB. The dual mode, laser-guided kit enhances existing LGB kits by adding GPS/inertial navigation system capabilities,” a Navy statement from Chief Petty Officer John Scorza said.
Bomb assembly aboard the ship includes integrating the bomb body and warhead with the stabilzing fins and computer controls. Reports from the ship say the ordnance team quickly improved the speed of their bomb assembly operation.
With the bombs built by America, the test pilots from Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron1 from Edwards Air Force Base, California, conducted successful live-weapons tests for two consecutive days by dropping six GBU-12s on a live-weapons range in Yuma, Arizona, Scorza writes.
The bomb-dropping exercises with the F-35B is seen as a critical part of the aircraft’s development, as the F-35 multi-role fighter is designed for land attack missions as well as amphibious assault support, ISR and air-to-air engagements.
All of this took place as part of Developmental Testing III wherein the F-35B underwent envelope expansion via a series of launches and recoveries in various operating conditions such as high sea states and winds, Capt. Sarah Burns, Marine Corps spokeswoman, told Scout Warrior.
Twelve F-35Bs from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 and Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VMX-1), two MV-22B Ospreys, one UH-1Y Venom and one AH-1Z Viper are participating. Prior to this, the most F-35Bs aboard a ship was six.
DT-III was also the first time an operational F-35B took off with the latest Block 3F software at sea, and involved the first qualification of a British Royal Navy F-35B.
Eiköhän nuo oteta jos Norja ja jopa Hollanti kokeneet tarpeelliseksi.Tarvitaanko muuten suomalaisiin F-35:iin jarruvarjoja, jos/kun niitä meille hankitaan?
(timelapse, ei ole tohtoroitu kuva vaan sama pommi jäänyt kuvaan monta kertaa)
https://insidedefense.com/daily-new...ight-test-f-35c-design-fix-couple-months-late
"The Pentagon will be a couple of months late flight testing a design fix for the Navy's version of the Joint Strike Fighter, a fix that strengthens the wing to support the weight of the AIM-9X air-to-air missile. The F-35C carrier variant test aircraft is undergoing modifications involving the proposed design change and the Defense Department expects to begin testing in January 2017..."
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/ar...eed-50-maintenance-hours-per-flight-hour.html
"The number of aircraft in service -- 597 by late FY18 and (597 + 163 = 760) by late FY19) imply that the total requested 17 million man-hours of support equates to 12,527 per aircraft per year, or about 1,043 hours per aircraft per month.
Given that the average F-35 combat aircraft is expected to fly 250 hours per year, simple arithmetic shows that Navair expects the F-35 to require, on average, 50.1 maintenance man-hours per flight hour – it would have required 41.75 MMH if it flew 300 flight hours, as originally planned.
The US Air Force originally planned to fly its F-35s 300 FH per Primary Aircraft Inventory per year. Subsequently, it reduced the F-35A flying hours from 300 to 250 FH per PAI."
Eli ainakin tuohon versioon siis integroidaan Sidewinder.
(timelapse, ei ole tohtoroitu kuva vaan sama pommi jäänyt kuvaan monta kertaa)
F-35 Weekly Update:
“When you put six, eight or 12 F-35s on this ship, it instantly becomes the most powerful concentration of combat power ever put to sea in the history of the World,” said Marine Corps F-35 Test Pilot Maj. John Dirk.
Voi vaan kuvitella kuinka riemuisaan US Navyn kaverit ovat siitä kun Marine Corps (god forbid) rehentelee "most powerful concentration of combat power ever put to sea". Jos Maverickilta ja Gooselta kysyisi, niin tuossa olisi ihan riittävästi syytä pieneen sisällissotaan.
Onhan tuo tietenkin ihan perusteltu väittämä, varsinkin jos ajattelee, että siellä on sekä hävittäjiä, koptereita, tankkeja ja merijalkaväen pataljoona samassa paketissa.