Joint Strike Fighter factsheet

Transcription

1 FS 69 Joint Strike Fighter factsheet The origins of JSF The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme is a $219-billion dollar project to produce a fifth-generation multi-role combat aircraft to replace a number of different legacy attack and tactical fighters currently in service. The aircraft is intended to have certain specific capabilities relative to existing ( legacy ) aircraft but its key features include: Improved stealth capabilities Improved communication with command-and-control nodes Lower life-cycle costs achieved through component commonality, providing scope to integrate new or alternative technologies and to make in-the-field maintenance much easier. Lockheed Martin was selected as prime contractor on the JSF programme in 2001 after a five-year competition with Boeing. More than 3,100 JSF aircraft are expected to be produced through to While the JSF is often seen as competing against the Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is the only one of the three with true multirole functionality. Moreover, while the procurement cost of the JSF is approximately similar to these alternatives, the cost of through-life support is advertised as being much lower, largely due to the use of components and software common to all three variants of the aircraft. Recent developments As Flight International has put it, the JSF programme had a decidedly mixed Problems with the F135 Pratt and Whitney engine meant that the F-35A AA-1 test aircraft didn t fly at all for much of the year and only returned to the air in December Concerns about the F135 mean that a large chunk of the JSF development budget has been shifted, under congressional pressure, to fund the development of the alternative General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136. Pressure on UK defence budgets in 2007 meant that the planned procurement of F- 35s has been downsized from 150 to 138. Nevertheless, the UK s commitment to procure a sizable number of the aircraft has been unwavering, reflecting a considerable investment in the Service Development and Demonstration (SDD) Page 1 of 7

2 phase, the major role of BAE Systems in the project and the extent it has been tied to other major high-tech procurements such as the CVF carrier project. The government has dismissed alternative procurements of Super Hornets, marinised Eurofighters or Rafales in connexion with the carriers. Yet while the (slightly reduced) UK procurement remains a virtual certainty, Australia s purchase of 100 F-35s has been thrown into serious doubt as a result of election of Kevin Rudd s Labour government. The F-35 is the preferred choice of the Royal Australian Air Force to replace its fleet of F-111s and F/A-18s, and up until December 2007 this was also the preference of the Australian government. However Rudd, who publicly criticised the government when in opposition, has launched a review of the deal and has asked the US to reconsider its refusal to license for export the alternative F-22. A decision on future participation in JSF is due in late 2008 and Australia, like the United Kingdom, has treated the availability of the JSF source code as a deal-breaking issue. If the review does report in favour of the JSF, Australia is expected to order 100 F-35s. Joint Strike Fighter variants The Joint Strike Fighter has three variants. The F-35A is the cheapest of the three and is designed for conventional take-off and landing (CTOL). The F-35B is a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant is designed for use on carriers with skiramps. The first test and evaluation of the F-35B was expected sometime in December The F-35C carrier variant (CV) is specially-configured for catapult launches and arrested landings, is scheduled for its first in-flight tests in May 2009 and expected to be available from Contractors participating in JSF Lockheed Martin: prime contractor, responsible for final assembly, system integration, mission systems, the forward fuselage, wings and flight control. Northrop Grumman: Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, centre fuselage, weapons bay, arrestor gear. BAE: aft fuselage, tails, crew life support, escape systems, electronic warfare, fuel and flight control software. Alenia: final assembly for all non-uk European procurements. Page 2 of 7

3 Participating nations International participants in the Joint Strike Fighter programme are tiered according to their participation in and contribution to the System Design and Development (SDD) phase. The United States has assumed the vast majority of the liability for the cost of the Joint Strike Fighter programme. Uncertainty about the scale and exact composition of the US procurement of the Joint Strike Fighter has persisted for a number of years; while the USAF has confirmed that it intends to order 1,763 F-35As to replace its existing F-16s and A-10s, neither the US Navy nor the Marines have made firm commitments, although the US Navy recently suggested that it might order just 680 STOVL variants. Expected procurement: An (estimated) total of 2,400 aircraft, including 1,763 F-35As. Level 1 partner The United Kingdom is the only level 1 partner, contributing 10% ($2.5bn) towards the development costs of the project (which is known as the Joint Combat Aircraft in the UK). The UK MoD recently reportedly revised its expected procurement down from 150 F-35s to 138. A critical issue for the UK s procurement of the JSF for the JCA programme has been the availability of JSF source code. The British government has progressively hardened its stance on the issue, making it a make-orbreak issue in the face of reluctance in the US Congress to authorise the export of the code the UK. This has been particularly important for the UK, as the government has emphasised, if it is to maintain operational independence. The UK procurement of the Joint Strike Fighter is expected to take place in two tranches of orders. Tranche 1, of around 80 F-35Bs, will replace the carrier-capable Harrier GR9s (which have an out-of-service date of Tranche 2 consists of 51 JCAs to replace existing RAF Tornado GR4s as they go out of service up t0 2025, and will form part of the UK s Deep and Persistent Offensive Capability. The new UK CVF Royal Navy aircraft carriers will be the principal platform for the RN/RAF JCA (STOVL variant). HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are expected to enter service in 2014 and Page 3 of 7

4 Britain s tier-1 status means that UK-based BAE Systems have benefited substantially in that they are responsible for the design, manufacture and assembly of the aft fuselage, tails, crew escape systems, fuel and diagnostics systems. The SDD phase ( ) alone is worth $1.3 billion to BAE, and some 1200 BAE Systems employees are involved in the programme worldwide. Expected procurement: 138 F-35s for RAF and Royal Navy, comprising Total investment: $2.5 billion Level 2 partners Italy is set to profit from the JSF programme by hosting a regional support centre and the only final assembly and check-out (FACO) facility outside the UK and USA. The facility will be operated by Alenia (under contract to Lockheed Martin) and will assemble more than 200 aircraft, including those for the Netherlands and Italy. Italy is expected sign a contract in 2010 for 131 aircraft to replace its existing AMX/Panavia Tornado and Harrier II Plus aircraft, and production is anticipated to begin in The order is expected to include 109 F-35As and 22 new F-35Bs to go onboard the new Italian aircraft carrier Cavour, which comes into service in Total investment: $1.03 billion Expected procurement: 131 aircraft between 2014 and 2025, consisting 109 F-35As and 22 F-35Bs. The Netherlands are expected to order 85 F-35As to replace their aging fleet of ground-based F-16AMs. Total investment: $0.8 billion Expected procurement: 85 F-35As Level 3 partners Canada Canada currently has until 2012 before it decides on its order size. Expected procurement: 80 F-35s. Turkey Expected procurement: 100 F-35As. Norway Page 4 of 7

5 Expected procurement: 48 F-35As Denmark Expected procurement: 48 F-35As Australia The recently-elected Labor government has launched a review of Australia s planned purchase of 100 F-35As. If the review does report in favour of the JSF, Australia is expected to order 100 F-35s, and it is by no means certain that the US will license the alternative F-22 for export. Expected procurement: 100 F-35A (but under review). Security co-operative participants Israel has an anticipated total requirement for 100 JSFs and deliveries are expected to commence from Total investment: Negligible. Expected procurement: 100 F-35As for Israeli Air Force. Singapore Total investment: Negligible. Expected procurement: Not yet known. Other potential customers India is seen as a key market for the JSF, as it looks to replace its fleet of Harriers and some land-based fighters by Co-operation with India also has a political dimension as the US increasingly seeks to cement its ties with the Asian superpower. Engine variants Since Lockheed Martin was selected as prime contractor for the JSF programme in 2001, its aircraft have been tested with the Pratt and Whitney F135 engine. The F135 should be ready to go into production alongside the first batch of F-35s in 2009, and the F-35B variant of the engine (with a Rolls-Royce vertical lift system) will go into testing in May The alternative General Electric/Rolls-Royce-manufactured F136 engine has, however, received congressional support and Rolls-Royce have Page 5 of 7

6 been particularly strong in promoting the F136 to Asia-Pacific nations considering buying the JSF. The engine is able to produce the same thrust as the F135 but at lower temperatures, reducing overall life-cycle costs. As a procurement option the F136 has become even more attractive in the light of the failure of the F135 during ground tests in August 2007 and, in November 2007, Congress diverted more than $200 million from the JSF budget to specifically fund the development of the F136 in spite of Pentagon opposition. Joint Strike Fighter programme: key statistics Anticipated programme lifetime: Up to 2034 Aircraft cost: Each aircraft is expected to cost between $50 million and $60 million over the 20-year production cycle, although the initial cost of production is expected to be somewhat more than this. Joint Strike Fighter timeline 1996 Concept Development Programme (CDC) phase Contracts to develop prototypes over five years awarded to Boeing and Lockheed-Martin 2000 Oct First flight of the X-35A (F-35A prototype) 2000 Dec First flight of the X-35C (F-35A prototype) 2001 June First flight of the X-35B (F-35A prototype) 2001 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase October Beginning of SDS phase following award of prime contract to Lockheed Martin 2001 UK selects JSF to replace its carrier-borne Harrier GR7s 2006 Dec First flight of the F-35A Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the UK all sign memoranda of understanding (MoUs) for participation in the Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development (PSFD) phase 2007 Jan Norway and Turkey sign MoUs for participation in the PSFD phase 2007 Feb Denmark and Italy sign MoUs for participation in the PSFD pase 2007 Aug F135 engine fails during ground tests. US offers JSF to Indian Air Force 2007 Nov Congress divert over $200m from JSF budget to fund the development of the F136 engine. UK reportedly downgrades JSF order from 150 to 138 aircraft. Page 6 of 7

7 2009 May Carrier variant (CF-1) scheduled for first tests Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development (PSFD) phase Full-rate production and delivery 2013 Entry of F-35A into service Deliveries to international partners expected to begin; entry of F-35B and F-35C into service Completion of JSF programme deliveries. Disclaimer The views of authors are their own. The UK Defence Forum holds no corporate view on the opinions expressed in papers or at meetings. The Forum exists to enable politicians, industrialists, members of the armed forces, academics and others with an interest in defence and security issues to exchange information and views on the future needs of Britain s defence. It is operated by a non-partisan, not for profit company. UK Defence Forum papers are archived at - the last three years being accessible only to members and subscribers. Prior to that they are in the public domain subject to usual conventions. Members wishing to comment on papers can access a noticeboard via the members area of the website January 2008 Page 7 of 7