Video: F-35 at 2017 Paris Air Show

The F-35A made its aerial demonstration debut on Monday at the Paris Air Show in front of thousands of spectators. Watch this impressive display of 5th Generation innovation in aviation.

Video: Second F-35C developmental test phase complete

The F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force completed its second F-35C developmental test (DT-II) phase Saturday. DT-II was conducted aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). During the tests, the team completed 66 catapults and 66 arrestments across 17 flights, logged 26.5 flight hours and achieved a total of 280 flight test points and 17 logistics test and evaluation test points. The testing was completed six days ahead of schedule.

Avcorp awarded Lockheed Martin F-35 contract

Avcorp Industries Inc. announced Thursday it has been awarded its first purchase contract from Lockheed Martin. The scope of this agreement will complement Avcorp's existing manufacturing of the F-35 Carrier Variant (CV) Outboard Wing (OBW) integrated assembly.  Avcorp has been manufacturing OBW assemblies under a long-term contract with BAE Systems since 2011. The additional Lockheed Martin purchase contract will begin with production in the second quarter 2016 and first deliveries in the third quarter.

Avcorp is currently a single-source supplier to BAE Systems for the manufacture and assembly of the CV OBW main structure, The OBW structure is comprised of titanium, aluminum and composite structure sub-assemblies as well as numerous components for a variety of hydraulic and avionic sub-systems. The Lockheed Martin new scope includes paint preparation work as well as the installation of control surfaces and systems such as the outboard leading edge flaps, ailerons, fairings and sub-systems. The OBW will continue to be delivered directly to Lockheed Martin's Final Assembly and Check Out facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The Joint Strike Fighter Program is forecasting the additional production of over 300 F-35 CV aircraft over the next 20-25 years.

F-35 mid-range cruise missile contract signed

Lockheed Martin and Turkish company Roketsan signed a contract to cooperatively develop the SOM-J missile for integration into the F-35 internal weapons bay. SOM-J is a new generation air-to-surface standoff cruise missile.

The contract enables the companies to move forward with their Technical Assistance Agreement, making the SOM-J missile available to international customers. SOM-J integration into the F-35 is scheduled for Block 4. Early live flight testing will be conducted on Turkish F-16s.

"SOM-J integration on the F-35 will enable pilots to engage targets from long ranges while maintaining the aircraft's critical stealth capabilities," said Frank St. John, vice president at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

SOM missile development began in 2006 and entered service with the Turkish Air Force in 2011. SOM-J is a smaller version of the subsonic SOM missile, which employs a 500-pound warhead and has a required range of more than 100 nautical miles. The SOM-J missile uses Global Positioning System as its primary guidance and is aided by inertial, terrain-referenced and image-based navigation systems, as well as an imaging infrared seeker.

In August, the F-35 Joint Program Office announced plans to issue a contract to Lockheed Martin to deliver a report which determines the design impacts of a proposed change on the overall F-35 weapon system, to include Mission Planning, Training and Reprogramming capabilities.

Video: First flight of internationally produced F-35A

Test pilot Bill "Gigs" Gigliotti piloted the first flight of the F-35 outside the U.S. on Monday near the Cameri, Italy, Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility. Aircraft AL-1 was also produced at the FACO facility, making it the first-ever internationally produced F-35A.

Pratt & Whitney gets F-35 spare parts contract

United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney, Military Engines in East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded $249 million to a previously awarded contract to procure low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 9 propulsion system initial spares for the global spares pool to include initial spare engines, initial spare modules, and initial spare parts required in support of the LRIP Lot 9 F-135 propulsion systems for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

The work will be performed in East Hartford (93 percent); Indianapolis, Ind. (6 percent); and Bristol, United Kingdom (1 percent). The contract is expected to be completed in July 2018.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., arranged the contract award.

Proposed changes to F-35 weapon system

The F-35 Joint Program Office intends to issue a contract to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth, Texas, to deliver a report which determines the design impacts of a proposed change on the overall F-35 weapon system, to include Mission Planning, Training and Reprogramming capabilities.

The proposed contract is anticipated to be awarded no later than Sept.30, the Navy's Naval Air Systems Command said in contract documents released Thursday.

Video: F-35B launched into the skies from ski-jump

The F-35B Lightning II successfully launched into the skies from a ski-jump for the first time on Friday. The land-based test — conducted by the F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force — took place at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

F-35 hangar coming to Nellis AFB

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District is soliciting a contract to design and construct an aircraft hangar and maintenance unit in support of the F-35 aircraft at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. In addition, the contract requires the design and construction of a maintenance unit to support F-15 Strike Squadron aircraft being relocated under this project. All three functions shall be housed in one facility, the Army said in contract documents released Friday.

The estimated construction price range for this project is over $25 million. Estimated duration of the project is 720 calendar days. The solicitation will be available to interested parties on or about March 6.

“All offerors are advised that this project may be delayed, cancelled or revised at any time during the solicitation, selection, evaluation, negotiation and/or final award process,” the Army said in contract documents.

The second F-35 Lightning II assigned to the U.S. Air Force Weapons School arrived at Nellis on Wednesday.

Military aircraft market worth $61.2 billion in 2015

The global military aircraft market is expected to be worth $61.2 billion in 2015 and increase to $87.5 billion by 2025, representing a compound annual growth rate of 3.64 percent during the forecast period, according to the newly released "Global Military Fixed Wing Aircraft Market 2015-2025 report."

The 216-page report, now available with ReportsnReports.com, provides readers with a detailed analysis of both historic and forecast global industry values, factors influencing demand, the challenges faced by industry participants, analysis of industry leading companies, and key news.

 “The market is anticipated to be dominated by the North America followed by Asia Pacific and Europe,” the reports says. “The U.S. is the largest spender with a cumulative expenditure of $260.9 billion over the next decade. In terms of segments, multi-role and transport aircraft are expected to account for 56.4 percent and 22.4 percent of the military aircraft market respectively, followed by reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft and bombers.”

Major military aircraft programs discussed in this research include multi-role aircraft [F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Rafale, Fifth-generation fighter aircraft], transport aircraft [KC-46A aerial refueling tankers, V-22 Osprey, C-17 Globemaster III, KC-390], reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft [P-8A Poseidon, E-3 Sentry (AWACS), E-2D Hawkeye, Kawasaki P-1], bombers [Long-Range Strike-B bombers, Su-34 fighter-bombers, H-18 Bomber] and training aircraft [T-X, Yak-130 and Hawk].

Video: F-35C conducts night flights aboard aircraft carrier USS Nimitz

The F-35C Lightning II carrier variant Joint Strike Fighters performed night flight deck operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the coast of San Diego this week. These milestones are part of initial at-sea Developmental Testing I for the F-35C, which commenced Nov. 3 and is expected to last two weeks. The F-35C is the carrier variant of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter designed for the U.S. Navy as a first-day-of-war, survivable strike fighter complement to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

F-35 fleet grounding

The technical air worthiness authorities of the Department of the Air Force and Department of the Navy have issued a directive to ground the F-35 fleet based on initial findings from the runway fire incident that occurred at Eglin Air Force Base on June 23, Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby announced on Thursday.

“The root cause of the incident remains under investigation,” Kirby said. “Additional inspections of F-35 engines have been ordered, and return to flight will be determined based on inspection results and analysis of engineering data. Defense Department leadership supports this prudent approach. Preparations continue for F-35 participation in international air shows in the United Kingdom, however a final decision will come early next week.”

New program management and engine order for F-35

Brian Chappel has been appointed vice president and program manager for the Northrop Grumman Corp. F-35 Lightning II program. Northrop Grumman is principal partner to Lockheed Martin on the F-35.

Chappel will be responsible for directing and overseeing cost, schedule, technical matters, quality and customer satisfaction for the production of the aircraft's center fuselage.

Most recently, Chappel was vice president of Business Management and chief financial officer for the company's Advanced Development Programs business unit. Since joining the company from the U.S. Air Force in 1993, Chappel has served in leadership positions for such functions as business development, proposals, contracts, pricing and program business operations. He also has held several leadership positions on the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System program.

Chappel earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from PennsylvaniaState University and a master's degree in business administration from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Engine order

In related news, the Department of Defense and Pratt & Whitney have reached an agreement in principle for a production contract for the sixth lot of F135 propulsion systems to power the F-35 Lightning II. The low rate initial production (LRIP) contract covers 38 total engines.

“Cost details will be released when the LRIP 6 contract is finalized; however, in general, the unit prices for the 32 common configuration engines, which are used to power both the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft and the aircraft-carrier variant, reduced in LRIP 6 by roughly 2.5 percent compared to the previous LRIP 5 contract for 35 engines,” Pratt & Whitney said in a press release. “The unit prices for the six short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft engines reduced in LRIP 6 by roughly 9.6 percent compared to the previous LRIP 5 contract for three STOVL engines.”

"Driving down cost is critical to the success of this program,” said Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, F-35 Program Executive Officer.

The 38 total engines in the sixth lot contract include 36 install engines and two CTOL whole spare engines. The new contract will also include the first propulsion systems for Italy and Australia.

To date, Pratt & Whitney has delivered 107 production engines. Deliveries of LRIP 6 engines will begin in the fourth quarter of this year. The F135 engine has powered 3,548 flights and 5,432 flight test hours, with 27,243 development and flight test hours completed. The F-35B STOVL aircraft have accomplished more than 600 vertical landings.

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Third UK F-35 arrives at Eglin Air Force Base

The third Lockheed Martin F-35B Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL) Lightning II for the United Kingdom arrived at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Tuesday where it will be used for pilot and maintainer training. U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Roger Hardy piloted the aircraft known as BK-3 (ZM137) on its 90-minute ferry flight from the Lockheed Martin F-35 production facility at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.

“In less than a year, we have taken ownership of our first three aircraft and begun both pilot and engineer training,” said Group Captain Harv Smyth, the U.K.'s Joint Strike Fighter National Deputy.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems, headquartered in the U.K. The U.S. Marine Corps plans to declare Initial Operational Capability with the STOVL in 2015.

The program's more than 500 British suppliers will build 15 percent of each F-35 produced. U.K. industry is responsible for numerous F-35 components including the aft fuselage, fuel system and crew escape system. Key F-35 suppliers in the U.K. include BAE Systems, GE Aviation, Martin-Baker, SELEX, Cobham, Ultra Electronics, UTC Actuation Systems and Rolls-Royce.

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