Posted 5-5-2008 at 03:23 PM

Lockheed Martin F-35A/B/C JSF



What is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter?

This jet is being developed by Lockheed Martin as a new stealthy affordable all-weather aircraft for the armed forces of USA and the UK. The F-35 is a multirole aircraft that serves for many different functions. As a tactical fighter it also incorporates first-look first-shot stealth technology complementing the F-22 Raptor that will give it an advantage in the skies. There are three major variants for the Air Force, Marine Corps and the Navy. F-35A is designed like the F-16 for the US Air Force. The B version has a short takeoff vertical landing system that is used for the US Marine Corps, UK Royal Air Force and their Royal navy. The STOVL (short take off vertical landing) capability is designed to replace the more expensive AV-8B Harrier with more technology and capabilities. The F-35C is created for the US Navy carrier-based operations with large wingspans and features to allow slower carrier landings.

When the program began?

The Joint Strike Fighter's Concept Demonstration Phases began in 1996. Over the years the fighter had been planned, tested and developed to have the F-35's three variant first flights by 2012.

Courtesy of http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/jsf/:


WEAPONS
Weapons are carried in two parallel bays located in front of the landing gear. Each weapons bay is fitted with two hardpoints for carrying a range of bombs and missiles. Weapons to be cleared for internal carriage include: JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition), CBU-105 WCMD (Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispenser) for the Sensor-Fuzed Weapon, JSOW (Joint StandOff Weapon), Paveway II guided bombs, AIM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missile; for external carriage: JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile), AIM-9X Sidewinder and Storm Shadow cruise missile. The air force variant has an internally mounted gun. The Carrier and Marine variants can have an external gun pod fitted.

TARGETING
Lockheed Martin Missile & Fire Control and Northrop Grumman Electronic Sensors and Systems are responsible for the JSF electro-optical system. A Lockheed Martin electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) will provide long-range detection and precision targeting, along with the Northrop Grumman DAS (Distributed Aperture System) thermal imaging system. EOTS will be based on the Sniper XL pod developed for the F-16, which incorporates a mid-wave third generation FLIR, dual mode laser, CCD TV, laser tracker and laser marker. BAE Systems Avionics in Edinburgh, Scotland will provide the laser systems. DAS consists of multiple infrared cameras (supplied by Indigo Systems of Goleta, California) providing 360? coverage using advanced signal conditioning algorithms. As well as situational awareness, DAS provides navigation, missile warning and infrared search and track (IRST). EOTS is embedded under the aircraft?s nose, and DAS sensors are fitted at multiple locations on the aircraft.

RADAR
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems is developing the advanced electronically scanned array (AESA) AN/APG-81 multi-function radar. The AN/APG-81AESA will combine an integrated radio frequency subsystem with a multifunction array. The radar system will also incorporate the agile beam steering capabilities developed for the APG-77.


COUNTERMEASURES
BAE Systems Information & Electronic Warfare Systems (IEWS) will be responsible for the JSF integrated electronic warfare suite, which will be installed internally and have some subsystems from Northrop Grumman. BAE is developing a new digital radar warning receiver for the F-35.

AVIONICS SYSTEMS
The following will supply the F-35 avionics systems: BAE Systems Avionics - side stick and throttle controls; Vision Systems International (a partnership between Kaiser Electronics and Elbit of Israel) - advanced helmet-mounted display; BAE Systems Platform Solutions - alternate design helmet-mounted display, based on the binocular helmet being developed for the Eurofighter Typhoon; Ball Aerospace - Communications, Navigation and Information (CNI) integrated body antenna suite (one S-band, two UHF, two radar altimeter, three L-band antennas per aircraft); Harris Corporation - advanced avionics systems, infrastructure, image processing, digital map software, fibre optics, high-speed communications links and part of the Communications, Navigation and Information (CNI) system; Honeywell - radar altimeter, inertial navigation / global positioning system (INS/GPS) and air data transducers; Raytheon - 24-channel GPS (Global Positioning System) with digital anti-jam receiver (DAR).

SYSTEMS
Other suppliers will include: ATK Composites - upper wing skins; Vought Aircraft Industries - lower wing skins; Smiths Aerospace - electronic control systems and electrical power system (with Hamilton Sundstrand), integrated canopy frame; Honeywell - landing system's wheels and brakes, onboard oxygen-generating system (OBOGS), engine components, power and thermal management system driven by integrated auxiliary power unit (APU); Parker Aerospace - fuel system, hydraulics for lift fan, primary flight control electrohydrostatic actuators (with Moog Inc), engine controls and accessories; EDO Corporation - pneumatic weapon delivery system; Goodrich - lift-fan anti-icing system; Stork Aerospace - electrical wiring.


PROPULSION
Early production lots of all three variants will be powered by the Pratt and Whitney afterburning turbofan F-135 engine, a derivative of the F119 fitted on the F-22. Following production aircraft will be powered by either the F135 or the F-136 turbofan being developed by General Electric and Rolls-Royce. The F136 engine began ground testing in July 2004. Delivery of the first production engine is scheduled for 2011. Hamilton Sundstrand is providing the engine control system and gearbox.

On the F-35B, the engine is coupled with a shaft-driven lift fan system for STOVL propulsion. The lift fan has been developed by Rolls-Royce Defence. Doors installed above and below the vertical fan open as the fin spins up to provide vertical lift. The main engine has a three bearing swivelling exhaust nozzle. The nozzle, which is supplemented by two roll control ducts on the inboard section of the wing, together with the vertical lift fan provide the required STOVL capability.


References:
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/jsf/

Yep, and hopefully this will be Canada's next plane. :D Those F-18s are getting old, and after all we contributed a couple hundred million bucks to this project.

yea i kno eh? canadian f-18s are like 20 yrs old, holy crap they need new planes... but wut r they gonna use it for? :D

Bomb people of course! And self-defence, but of course we can just get the US to do it for us. :D

exactly wut i mean, and plus arent we supposed to be "peacekeepers" :P

But then again, how can we keep peace, if we don't have any weapons? Talking does crap in international politics, you always need to bring out the guns and bombs.

but sadly Canada duznt have ne, wel... they do but theyre all out of date. y dun they buy some new equipment, weapons and tech?

You need $$$, all the money are going to healthcare right now, but it still sucks. :(

Just a random thought, Canada should take over the US.

yea exactly. we should, but w/ wut? ur mom?

No, you can just look at the US and it'll blow up.

Misters, I ask you to estimate my new site devoted hoodia. I shall be very grateful for any wishes and comments. Yours faithfully, Alexander.