Defense Technology International - June 2008 - (Page 34)

UPDATE MAJOR PROGRAMS BILL SWEETMAN DELAY AFFECTS JSF TESTING SCHEDULE Two weeks after Lockheed Martin issued a press release assuring the world that all was well with Joint Strike Fighter cost projections, the JSF Executive Steering Board announced at a meeting in Amsterdam that the systems development and demonstration (SDD) and A delay will also affect production. Under current plans, full-rate production of the JSF, under a multiyear contract, is due to start with the Fiscal 2013 contract year, leading to deliveries in 2015. (Long-lead items for the ﬁrst multiyear contract would be ordered in 2012.) LOCKHEED MARTIN Normal practice is to keep the program in low-rate initial production until SDD and testing are complete, so low-rate initial production will likely be stretched out through Fiscal 2013 orders. With the contemplated SDD delay, current production plans would call for 576 aircraft to be on ﬁrm order before operational testing is complete, and it is unlikely that such a risky, concurrent plan would be accepted by Congress. Early in 2009, after the o cial decision is taken on the SDD delay, Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government expect to o er international partners a deal under which they will pay a predictable, constant price for all their aircraft as long as they place early, ﬁrm orders. According to a report in the Star-Telegram of Fort Worth, the proposed package includes a total of 368 F-35s, about half the total partner requirement, with orders starting in Fiscal 2012-13. I To read posts about JSF, go to DTI’s home page, AviationWeek.com/dti , and click on “Extras for this issue” under “DTI Interactive.” testing phases will probably be extended by another year. The decision won’t be made formal before this fall. The delay was revealed by the Netherlands defense ministry in early May, in the run-up to a parliamentary debate on the country’s plans to take part in the initial operational test and evaluation phase. This year, the Netherlands intends to order long-lead items for two F-35As and take an option on two more. The contract provides for some funds to be returned to the Netherlands if the air force does not buy the JSF. The Netherlands also intends to test the F135 and F136 engines. The delay is not surprising because at least two critical segments of the program are behind schedule. Shorttakeo -vertical-landing tests have been delayed by engine problems, and the CATBird avionics testbed is not expected to ﬂy with mission systems until the end of the year, six months later than predicted two years ago. As it stands, the schedule calls for initial operational capability only 42 months after mission systems get airborne—the F-22 took twice as long. The Netherlands gives no direct indication of the impact of the decision on program costs. A previous one-year extension to the program was blamed for a $7.5-billion direct cost increase, according to the Pentagon’s 2004 Selected Acquisition Report. 34 Radar-absorbent material around access doors and other openings is visible on F-35 BF-1. GRIPEN DEMO DRAWS BUYERS Rollout of the Gripen Demo prototype took place on Apr. 23, a few days before the Gripen team submitted proposals to Norway, which is in the market for 48 aircraft and is considering the Joint Strike Fighter, and India, which wants 126 warplanes and is looking at Typhoon, Rafale, MiG-35, F-16 and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The team is also optimistic about Switzerland, where Boeing was convinced to withdraw the Super Hornet in May, leaving Gripen, Rafale and Typhoon in the game. An important announcement at the rollout was a commitment from Sweden to upgrade its fleet to the Gripen NG if Norway buys the ﬁghter. This assures Norway that, whatever happens, it will not end up with a unique aircraft, and that it can partner with Sweden for training and support. More details of the aircraft and program have been revealed. (For a report GRIPE N INT E R NA TION AL Saab will have twin launchers on the Gripen NG for MBDA’s Meteor missile and test Boeing’s GBU39/B Small Diameter Bomb. AviationWeek.com/dti DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL JUNE 2008 http://AviationWeek.com/dti http://AviationWeek.com/dti

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Defense Technology International - June 2008

Defense Technology International - June 2008 Contents Around the World Science Watch Tech Watch Basic Black Self-Defense Fire-Resistant Perfezione Hyperspeed Trial Big Sky Cashing In Digital Links Hang Ten Sea Change Programs Update Two Steps Back Direct Hit Staying Power Potent Stinger Do No Harm Guard Duty The Net Cutting Edge First Person In Review Insight

Defense Technology International - June 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.