Officials say Joint Strike Fighter program is on track

News > Officials say Joint Strike Fighter program is on track

Photos


Maintainers from the 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron bring out chocks to secure the newly arrived second F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 20, 2011. The F-35 is the next generation strike aircraft weapon systems for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and many allied nations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Download HiRes

Related Biographies
• LIEUTENANT GENERAL MICHAEL M. DUNN • LIEUTENANT GENERAL C.D. MOORE II

Officials say Joint Strike Fighter program is on track

Posted 7/29/2011

Email story Print story

by Master Sgt. Amaani Lyle
Air Force Public Affairs Agency

7/29/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Joint Strike Fighter Program Office deputy director expressed confidence in the progress of the JSF program at an Air Force Association breakfast program here July 27.
The upgrades and acquisitions, particularly the completion of the new Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., training facility, helps to advance the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II program, said Maj. Gen. C.D. Moore.

"The F-35 is at the nexus of concurrency where we are building production aircraft, conducting developmental tests, and starting to build a cadre of future Joint Strike Fighter maintainers and pilots," Moore said. "We're approaching the point where we (are) flight testing and delivering aircraft simultaneously ... with two at Eglin and four more in the works ... three of which at Ft. Worth, (Texas) are finished and ready to go."

He also discussed the sizeable training center located at Eglin AFB.

"The 33rd Fighter Wing ... has amazing capability that's been put in place and a 250,000-square-foot pilot and maintenance training facility," Moore said, adding that its size equates to about six football fields.

Moore described plans for Pilot Training Center-1, a future facility where the services and their international partners will be able to train and interact. The location of the center has not been determined.

The general reported that F-35 flight science testing is making good progress at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The program is building mission avionics confidence with Block 1 software. Also, AF-6 and AF-7 conventional takeoff and landing aircraft are completing maturity flights to strengthen and verify the training syllabus that will be used at Eglin AFB.

Building momentum and maintaining affordability will ensure the JSF program's longevity into 2035 and beyond, he said.

"Flight test production roll outs are helping us build confidence in this plan and the weapons system," Moore said. "Now it's just a matter of getting into a good battle rhythm in terms of production rate."

The Joint Strike Fighter Program Office is the Department of Defense's agency responsible for developing and acquiring the F-35A/B/C, the next generation strike aircraft weapon systems for the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and many allied nations.

The AFA Air Force breakfast program is a monthly series that provides a venue for senior Air Force and Department of Defense leaders to communicate directly with the public and press.

Moderating Moore's question and answer session was retired Lt. Gen. Michael Dunn, AFA's current president and chief executive officer.

Comments

8/4/2011 7:19:37 AM ET
It is time for the so called Leaders of our Country to act on what they preach. Scrap the F35 program and order replacement F15 and F16 aircraft which are cheaper even with upgrades. Look to our Nato partners like German who still fly F4 Phantoms years after we decided they were too old to fly. Germany is also reducing the level of military across the boad because in their words we have the American Forces carring the major load of protection in Europe so we can save money and allow them to be on point. It is time people to leave Europe the Cold war is over bring our troops and equipment home and save the money people and equipment for a future time when we may need the support.

Phantom Phixer, USA

8/3/2011 2:50:40 PM ET
F22 was built for what is was suppose to do Air Superiority it was not built for air to ground. DOD did good and bad at the same time on that one. Now the F35 the only thing it could be good for is that it was cheap and could be a decent Interceptor. DOD planned on that aircraft to replace most of the F16's F15's and A10. really it's quite unbelieveable that they could ever think that small aircraft could ever compete with the A10 which granted it does need to be replaced but F35 cannot carry let alone probably can't sit in zone of firing for as long as the A10 can. All F15's were recently all grounded for rewiring to make sure all electronice will function properly believe Air force should have upgraded F15's with some of the funding for the JSF project would have been spent much wiser.

Tjwoj, DMAFB

8/3/2011 9:10:19 AM ET
D. heffernan what are you comparing the range and payload to exactly I would compare it to its legacy aircraft the F-16. The F-35 can carry 1.4x the payload and has a range 2.5x that of the F-16 minus conformalext tanks. I'm no lockheed fan boy i actually like the boeing X-32 and kind of wish it won the JSF program. i just have to ask myself where are you getting this info from

P-low, Dyess

8/3/2011 5:13:01 AM ET
Emerging powers across the globe are investing in the modernization and technological advancement of their air forces mainly China and Russia who may decide to export their planes to other potentially hostile nations. Our planes are aging and growing more expensive to maintain. To say that something is never used in combat doesn't mean that it won't be in the future. If you want to save money cut MAJCOMs and bureaucracy cut wasteful end-of-fiscal-year-fallout spending like new office furniture every year. We need replacement aircraft to maintain our edge.

D. Hawk, Osan AB ROK

8/3/2011 2:25:16 AM ET
Does anyone stop to think WHY the F-22 wasn't used in Libya Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that it's incompatible with pre-existing comm platforms... It's a plane that can fly but can't talk... Drop the F-35. Cut our losses.

JW, Japan

8/2/2011 2:31:22 PM ET
And let's not forget the F-35's limited range and limited payload. Yep...money well spent. When will the DoD ever learn?

D. Heffernan, Queens NY

8/2/2011 9:24:53 AM ET
Also the F-35 is exactly what the AF needs. A new multi-roll fighter to replace the aging F-16. The F-16 is a superb aircraft and does its job extremely well. Heck, it won the William Tell comp for air to ground way back in the day when it originally wasn't meant for that type of thing. I mean, it took on dedicated air to ground aircraft like the Tornado and won. It's an awesome multi-roll fighter. That's why it's one of the most highly sought after fighters in the world, but it is aging. Even with the life extension programs currently in place, which we're spending tons of money on, it's only a matter of time before they too start to fall out of the sky. Heck, wasn't it just a year ago that an F-15 had lost its entire nose section due to an overly stressed airframe? These aircraft are old and worn out down to the frame. The F-35 will be able to tread new ground/airspace where the F-16 couldn't, believe it or not.

P-low, Dyess

8/2/2011 9:14:00 AM ET
The F-22 was built specifically to be an air superiority fighter to replace the F-15C not the F-15E initially. currently the F-22 cannot do what the F-15E can, which is being able to carry a wide variety of air to ground munitions and put them on target with great accuracy. The F-22's avionics suite is not meant to do air to ground yet...

P-low, Dyess

8/2/2011 7:56:57 AM ET
If they consider YEARS behind schedule and BILLIONS in cost over runs then yes everything is on track. Huge waste of tax money. They could sink a quarter of this money into upgrading our F-15's 16's etc and we would still have the best AF in the world. This F-35 is purely politics now and has nothing to do with our actual military needs or requirements.

Vapor, OKC

8/2/2011 5:15:26 AM ET
TSgt. Johnson you make a lot of very valid points and I agree with most of your statement. When it comes to your comment that we have not had a need to utilize the F-22 I would have to disagree. I think that the US' initial involvment in the Libyan air offensive would have been a great chance to showcase the combat capabilities of the F-22 in a real world situation. No one could even venture to argue that the Libyan offensive does not match the F-22's role as a Air Superiority Fighter as the airframe the USAF relied heavily on over Libya was the F-15E...the jet the F-22 is intended to eventually phase out.

Firedawg, RAFL

8/1/2011 1:32:10 PM ET
Hey Otis we DO need a manned fighter to compliment the F-22. We had F-15s for quite a while before we ever used them in combat. Israel and Saudi Arabia used them in combat before we did What needs to go is the absurd F-35B that the USMC wants. Too much money and a couple tons of dead weight and for what a seldom used capability.

DMPI, Al JBAB DC

8/1/2011 10:58:52 AM ET
The F-22 not being used in combat has nothing to do with the F-35. We haven't used the F-22 in combat because we havent had a need to do so. We have it for deterence. What country is going to field an Air Force of 1980's model aircraft against the latest models we own.

TSgt Johnson, JBER

7/29/2011 7:19:47 PM ET
The F-35 needs to be cut. Just don't see the need. Look at the F-22. Never used in combat. Why not? Let's save a BUNCH of money and drop the F-35 while modernizing what we already have.

Otis R. Needleman, USA

Add a comment

Inside AF.mil

GeneralImagesVideo

View All RSS

Subscribe AF.MIL

More Headlines

734th AMS supports Valiant Shield 12

Airmen build, repair houses at North Pole

AF officials to migrate civilian personnel records to OPM

Basing of first U.S. Space Fence facility announced

Airmen certified for F-35 engine runs

High retention leads to promotion board delay   15

Through Airmen's Eyes: Airman, coalition team ensure health, hygiene of contractors

Emergency management: Prepared for the fight

GARNET breaks mold on guard, reserve careers

OWLS inspires women to ignite power within

Lancers, Falcons share South Dakota skies

U.S. participates in South African Exposition  2

'Multidimensional' approach to energy initiative

US, Nepal build relationships, improve lives   2

Commentary

Cultural battlegrounds: Why culture matters in Global War on Terror 2

Toeing the line on standards 11