Defence: unable to tell the truth about the F-35

Australian industry making global impact in Joint Strike Fighter Program
JSFIndustryImpact

21 Aug 2015
Australian industry is providing a fundamental input to producing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) capability and need to meet the demand of increased volumes in aircraft production.

This was a message from Lockheed Martin’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of the F-35 Lightning II Program, Ms Lorraine Martin, when she acknowledged the contribution of Australian industry in the Joint Strike Fighter Program during a visit to Australia this week.

In her three day visit Ms Martin took the opportunity to acknowledge Australian industry successes to the F-35 Program.

“Australian industry has been a significant contributor to the F-35 capability so far. There are now over 100 F-35s flying in either an operational or training capacity and that is a direct result of great effort and innovation from the contributing industry base,” said Ms Martin.

During her short visit, Ms Martin visited Marand, Cablex and AW Bell, three of some 30 Australian companies which have participated in the global program so far.

“It was a pleasure to personally acknowledge the staff of these companies who are part of the global production program where competition is fierce and continuous,” she said.

“F-35 industry participation is based on continuous performance and competition which is fundamental as we continue to deliver the most capable and affordable aircraft for our customers – it’s what they expect of us.,”

Australia has so far secured more than half a billion Australian dollars of production work with more opportunities about to be realised as production ramps up and the sustainment model for JSF starts maturing.

Program Manager of the Australian JSF Program, Air Vice Marshal Chris Deeble, welcomed Ms Martin’s visit.

“This year 45 aircraft were produced as part of the global F-35 Program; that is going to increase to 100 by 2017 and will continue to ramp significantly until 2025 based on the current production schedule,” he said.

“With this production ramp, we are expecting the flow on effects for Australian industry to be very positive in line with production plan forecasts.

“Companies will need to be prepared to manage this increase in volume and continue to be reliable, innovative and cost competitive to hold their places in the global supply chains.

“I have no doubt that with continued collaboration between Defence and industry, the benefits for both capability and industry will be realised.”

- See more at: http://www.defence.gov.au/dmo/NewsMedia/News/AustralianindustrymakingglobalimpactinJointStrikeFighterProgram#sthash.eVIjgsF4.dpuf

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-DOT&E Report: The F-35 Is Not Ready for IOC and Won't Be Any Time Soon
-Time's Battleland - 5 Part series on F-35 procurement - 2013 
-Summary of Air Power Australia F-35 points
-Bill Sweetman, Aviation Week and the F-35
-U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) F-35 reports
-F-35 JSF: Cold War Anachronism Without a Mission
-History of F-35 Production Cuts
-Looking at the three Japan contenders (maneuverability)
-How the Canadian DND misleads the public about the F-35
-Value of STOVL F-35B over-hyped
-Cuckoo in the nest--U.S. DOD DOT&E F-35 report is out
-6 Feb 2012 Letter from SASC to DOD boss Panetta questioning the decision to lift probation on the F-35B STOVL.
-USAFs F-35 procurement plan is not believable
-December 2011 Australia/Canada Brief
-F-35 Key Performance Perimeters (KPP) and Feb 2012 CRS report
-F-35 DOD Select Acquisition Report (SAR) FY2012
-Release of F-35 2012 test report card shows continued waste on a dud program
-Australian Defence answers serious F-35 project concerns with "so what?"
-Land of the Lost (production cut history update March 2013)
-Outgoing LM F-35 program boss admits to flawed weight assumptions (March 2013)
-A look at the F-35 program's astro-turfing
-F-35 and F-16 cost per flying hour
-Is this aircraft worth over $51B of USMC tac-air funding?
-Combat radius and altitude, A model
-F-35A, noise abatement and airfields and the USAF
-Deceptive marketing practice: F-35 blocks
-The concurrency fraud
-The dung beetle's "it's known" lie
-F-35's air-to-air ability limited
-F-35 Blocks--2006 and today
-The F-35B design is leaking fuel
-F-35 deliveries
-ADF's wacky F-35 assumptions
-Gauging performance, the 2008 F-35, Davis dream brief
-Aboriginal brought out as a prop
-Super Kendall's F-35 problem
-LM sales force in pre-Internet era
-History of F-35 engine problems
-Compare
-JSF hopes and dreams...early days of the Ponzi Scheme
-The Prognostics
-2002--Australia joins the F-35 program
-Congressional Research Service--Through to FY2013, F-35 has received $83.3B in funding
-F-35 choice gives Dutch a shocking high cost per flight hour
-More indications that the F-35 is a failed program
-From the year 2000. Very insightful. The JSF: One More Card In The House (PDF) 


“It will affordable because already there are 3,000 aircraft on the order books.”
—27 June 2002, Air Marshal Houston, Defence press announcement, Australia joins the F-35 program—


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