View allAll Photos Tagged Contingency
GUAM (Jan. 7, 2018) The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) approaches Naval Base Guam for a scheduled port visit. America, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group, with embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to strengthen partnerships and serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel Pastor/Released)
Airmen from the 821st Contingency Response Group walk out to the flightline to support an airfield operations at Qayyarah West Airfield, Iraq, Nov. 19, 2016. The 821st CRG is highly-specialized in training and rapidly deploying personnel to quickly open airfields and establish, expand, sustain and coordinate air mobility operations in austere, bare-base conditions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jordan Castelan) www.dvidshub.net
"We are outraged how both the NSREE and the CUA have invaded Khazdania without reason. The NPE have decided to invade the NSREE. Early this morning, ground forces made large pushes into Bulgaria, and a airborne assault and amphibious forces. The CUA, now fighting on 4 fronts, decided to open a fifth with us. Very unwise decision, Prime minister Tom Roberts."
- Emperor Fadil Al Asad
Beneath the light of a full moon, Airmen from the 19th Airlift Wing prepare a C-130J Hercules for a flight March 27, 2013, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. The 19th Wing's responsibilities range from supplying humanitarian airlift relief to victims of disasters, to airdropping supplies and troops into the heart of contingency operations in hostile areas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Russ Scalf)
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Outlining a Theory of General Creativity . .
. . on a 'Pataphysical projectory
Entropy ≥ Memory ● Creativity ²
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Study of the day:
L’organisation d’un système c’est sa fonction. Sa fonction se trouve là dans le système, et elle ne peut changer que sous l’effet de modifications externes, mais ce qui vient de l’extérieur n’est pas toujours un programme. Ça peut être simplement du bruit intégré à un certain état d’organisation du système de telle manière que le système n'est pas détruit mais évolue vers un autre état d’organisation.
The organization of a system is its function. Its function is there in the system, and it can only change as a result of external changes, but what comes from outside is not always a program. It can be simply some noise integrated into a state of the system organization such as the system is not destroyed but evolves into a different state of organization.
( Henri Atlan )
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rectO-persO | E ≥ m.C² | co~errAnce | TiLt
Nat Geo Photo of Mercury astronaut contingency exit training in the Gulf of Mexico. If the spacecraft touched down far from the recovery forces, the plan was to allow the astronaut to exit the spacecraft through the neck area which had previously held the parachutes, rather than the main side hatch. Egress through the side hatch could only be accomplished safely if the divers had already attached the flotation collar or with the spacecraft hatch sill lifted above the waterline by the recovery helicopter. Scott Carpenter, who's Aurora 7 landed far off target, was the only astronaut to use this procedure on an actual flight.
MANILA BAY, Philippines (April 27, 2015) U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Coastal Riverine Squadron 3 train with Philippine Marines assigned to the 67th Company Marine Special Operations Group aboard a riverine patrol boat during exercise Balikatan 2015. Balikatan is an annual bilateral training exercise aimed at improving the ability of Philippine and U.S. military forces to work together during planning, contingency, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Scott/Released)
A MEDEVAC crew chief makes checks on his UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter after landing at Contingency Operating Site Cobra, Iraq, April 16. Aviation personnel relocated two MEDEVAC helicopters to COS Cobra to ensure timely care for service members serving at remote bases across U.S. Division-North.
109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Date Taken:04.16.2011
Location:CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE COBRA, IQ
Related Photos: dvidshub.net/r/wo5bok
PHILIPPINE SEA (Jan. 29, 2019) Sailors assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) simulate manning a fire hose in the hangar bay during a damage control training team (DCTT) drill. Wasp, flagship of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the Indo-Pacific region to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Benjamin F. Davella III)
U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 36th Contingency Response Group and the 36th Airlift Squadron load containers onto a C-130 Hercules during a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training event at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 15, 2015. Exercise Cope North 15 enhances humanitarian assistance and disaster relief crisis response capabilities between six nations, and lays the foundation for regional cooperation expansion during real-world contingencies in the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson/Released)
A U.S. Air Force Airman from the 36th Contingency Response Group marshals a Royal Australian Air Force C-130 Hercules into position to offload cargo during a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training event at Rota, Northern Mariana Islands, Feb. 15, 2015. Exercise Cope North 15 enhances humanitarian assistance and disaster relief crisis response capabilities between six nations, and lays the foundation for regional cooperation expansion during real-world contingencies in the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson/Released)
PHILIPPINE SEA (March 23, 2018) Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) perform a fast rope exercise from an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter onto the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) while Navy Airman Michael Mazon conducts flight signals. Wasp, part of the Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group, with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the Indo-Pacific region to enhance interoperability with partners, serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency and advance the Up-Gunned ESG concept. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel Barker/Released)
U.S. Army Sgt. Nicholas Rosales with Bravo Company, Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division starts a new welding project in Contingency Operating Site Marez, Iraq, Nov. 24. U.S. soldiers with Bravo Company, Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, and 1st Cavalry Division are deployed in support of Operation New Dawn.
Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq
Photo by Staff Sgt. Edward Reagan
Date Taken:10.24.2010
Location:CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq
Related Photos: dvidshub.net/r/saiq8o
A U.S. Air Force Loadmaster sits on the ramp of a C-130 Hercules during airborne operations at International Jump Week (IJW), Ramstein Air Base, Germany, July 8, 2015. The 435th Contingency Response Group hosts IJW annually, to build global partnerships, foster camaraderie between U.S. and International paratroopers, and to exchange current tactics, techniques and procedures pertaining to Airborne Operations (Static Line and Military Free Fall). (U.S. Army Photo By Staff Sgt. Justin P. Morelli / Released)
A U.S. Army Paratrooper, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, prepares to engage targets during a combined arms live fire exercise at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Feb. 6, 2017. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapid forces to the United States European, Africa and Central Commands areas of responsibilities. . (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Matthias Fruth)
San Felipe, Baja - Mexico
SCORE San Felipe 250
Contingency Row - Downtown on the Malecon
FRIDAY, February 26, 2016
A member of the 736th Security Forces Squadron jumps from a C-130 Hercules Aug. 21, 2013, during static line jump training over Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. As the integrated force protection element of the 36th Contingency Response Group, members of the 736th SFS provide a quick-response airborne capability that serves as an advance echelon team for contingency and humanitarian missions all over the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Marianique Santos)
The ego is at the same time a system of images and a cycle; it is something like a museum, and a unique and irreversible journey through that museum. The ego is a moving fabric made of images and tendencies; the tendencies come from our own substance and the images are provided by the environment. We put ourselves into things, and we place things in ourselves, whereas our true being is independent of them.
Alongside this system of images and tendencies that constitutes our ego there are myriads of other systems of images and tendencies. Some of them are worse or less beautiful than our own, and others are better or more beautiful.
We are like foam ceaselessly renewed on the ocean of existence. But since God has put Himself into this foam, it is destined to become a sea of stars at the time of the final crystallization of spirits.
The tiny system of images must become, when its terrestrial contingency is left behind, a star immortalized in the halo of Divinity. This star can be conceived on various levels; the divine Names are its archetypes; beyond the stars burns the Sun of the Self in its blazing transcendence and in its infinite peace.
Man does not choose; he follows his nature and his vocation, and it is God who chooses.
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Frithjof Schuon: Light on The Ancient Worlds
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. - Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 'Wake Island Avengers,' 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, tow a Lockheed Martin F-35B "Lightning II" into a hangar for maintenance at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., July 10. A total of 10 aircraft and more than 250 Marines with VMFA 211 will participate in Red Flag 17-3, a realistic combat training exercise hosted by the U.S. Air Force to assess the squadron’s ability to deploy and support contingency operations using the F-35B.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lockheed Martin F-35 "Lightning II" is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather, stealth, fifth-generation, multirole combat aircraft, designed for ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It is built by Lockheed Martin and many subcontractors, including Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and BAE Systems.
The F-35 has three main models: the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A (CTOL), the short take-off and vertical-landing F-35B (STOVL), and the catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery, carrier-based F-35C (CATOBAR). The F-35 descends from the Lockheed Martin X-35, the design that was awarded the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program over the competing Boeing X-32. The official "Lightning II" name has proven deeply unpopular and USAF pilots have nicknamed it "Panther", instead.
The United States principally funds F-35 development, with additional funding from other NATO members and close U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and formerly Turkey. These funders generally receive subcontracts to manufacture components for the aircraft; for example, Turkey was the sole supplier of several F-35 parts until its removal from the program in July 2019. Several other countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft.
As the largest and most expensive military program ever, the F-35 became the subject of much scrutiny and criticism in the U.S. and in other countries. In 2013 and 2014, critics argued that the plane was "plagued with design flaws", with many blaming the procurement process in which Lockheed was allowed "to design, test, and produce the F-35 all at the same time," instead of identifying and fixing "defects before firing up its production line". By 2014, the program was "$163 billion over budget [and] seven years behind schedule". Critics also contend that the program's high sunk costs and political momentum make it "too big to kill".
The F-35 first flew on 15 December 2006. In July 2015, the United States Marines declared its first squadron of F-35B fighters ready for deployment. However, the DOD-based durability testing indicated the service life of early-production F-35B aircraft is well under the expected 8,000 flight hours, and may be as low as 2,100 flight hours. Lot 9 and later aircraft include design changes but service life testing has yet to occur. The U.S. Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35As ready for deployment in August 2016. The U.S. Navy declared its first F-35Cs ready in February 2019. In 2018, the F-35 made its combat debut with the Israeli Air Force.
The U.S. stated plan is to buy 2,663 F-35s, which will provide the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps in coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U.S. military are scheduled until 2037 with a projected service life up to 2070.
Development
F-35 development started in 1992 with the origins of the "Joint Strike Fighter" (JSF) program and was to culminate in full production by 2018. The X-35 first flew on 24 October 2000 and the F-35A on 15 December 2006.
The F-35 was developed to replace most US fighter jets with the variants of a single design that would be common to all branches of the military. It was developed in co-operation with a number of foreign partners, and, unlike the F-22 "Raptor", intended to be available for export. Three variants were designed: the F-35A (CTOL), the F-35B (STOVL), and the F-35C (CATOBAR). Despite being intended to share most of their parts to reduce costs and improve maintenance logistics, by 2017, the effective commonality was only 20%. The program received considerable criticism for cost overruns during development and for the total projected cost of the program over the lifetime of the jets.
By 2017, the program was expected to cost $406.5 billion over its lifetime (i.e. until 2070) for acquisition of the jets, and an additional $1.1 trillion for operations and maintenance. A number of design deficiencies were alleged, such as: carrying a small internal payload; performance inferior to the aircraft being replaced, particularly the F-16; lack of safety in relying on a single engine; and flaws such as the vulnerability of the fuel tank to fire and the propensity for transonic roll-off (wing drop). The possible obsolescence of stealth technology was also criticized.
Design
Overview
Although several experimental designs have been developed since the 1960s, such as the unsuccessful Rockwell XFV-12, the F-35B is to be the first operational supersonic STOVL stealth fighter. The single-engine F-35 resembles the larger twin-engined Lockheed Martin F-22 "Raptor", drawing design elements from it. The exhaust duct design was inspired by the General Dynamics Model 200, proposed for a 1972 supersonic VTOL fighter requirement for the Sea Control Ship.
Lockheed Martin has suggested that the F-35 could replace the USAF's F-15C/D fighters in the air-superiority role and the F-15E "Strike Eagle" in the ground-attack role. It has also stated the F-35 is intended to have close- and long-range air-to-air capability second only to that of the F-22 "Raptor", and that the F-35 has an advantage over the F-22 in basing flexibility and possesses "advanced sensors and information fusion".
Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on 25 March 2009, acquisition deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford, stated that the F-35 is designed to be America's "premier surface-to-air missile killer, and is uniquely equipped for this mission with cutting-edge processing power, synthetic aperture radar integration techniques, and advanced target recognition".
Improvements
Ostensible improvements over past-generation fighter aircraft include:
Durable, low-maintenance stealth technology, using structural fiber mat instead of the high-maintenance coatings of legacy stealth platforms.
Integrated avionics and sensor fusion that combine information from off- and on-board sensors to increase the pilot's situational awareness and improve target identification and weapon delivery, and to relay information quickly to other command and control (C2) nodes.
High-speed data networking including IEEE 1394b and Fibre Channel (Fibre Channel is also used on Boeing's "Super Hornet".
The Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), and Computerized maintenance management system to help ensure the aircraft can remain operational with minimal maintenance manpower The Pentagon has moved to open up the competitive bidding by other companies. This was after Lockheed Martin stated that instead of costing 20% less than the F-16 per flight hour, the F-35 would actually cost 12% more. Though the ALGS is intended to reduce maintenance costs, the company disagrees with including the cost of this system in the aircraft ownership calculations. The USMC has implemented a workaround for a cyber vulnerability in the system. The ALIS system currently requires a shipping-container load of servers to run, but Lockheed is working on a more portable version to support the Marines' expeditionary operations.
Electro-hydrostatic actuators run by a power-by-wire flight-control system.
A modern and updated flight simulator, which may be used for a greater fraction of pilot training to reduce the costly flight hours of the actual aircraft.
Lightweight, powerful lithium-ion batteries to provide power to run the control surfaces in an emergency.
Structural composites in the F-35 are 35% of the airframe weight (up from 25% in the F-22). The majority of these are bismaleimide and composite epoxy materials. The F-35 will be the first mass-produced aircraft to include structural nanocomposites, namely carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy. Experience of the F-22's problems with corrosion led to the F-35 using a gap filler that causes less galvanic corrosion to the airframe's skin, designed with fewer gaps requiring filler and implementing better drainage. The relatively short 35-foot wingspan of the A and B variants is set by the F-35B's requirement to fit inside the Navy's current amphibious assault ship parking area and elevators; the F-35C's longer wing is considered to be more fuel efficient.
Costs
A U.S. Navy study found that the F-35 will cost 30 to 40% more to maintain than current jet fighters, not accounting for inflation over the F-35's operational lifetime. A Pentagon study concluded a $1 trillion maintenance cost for the entire fleet over its lifespan, not accounting for inflation. The F-35 program office found that as of January 2014, costs for the F-35 fleet over a 53-year lifecycle was $857 billion. Costs for the fighter have been dropping and accounted for the 22 percent life cycle drop since 2010. Lockheed stated that by 2019, pricing for the fifth-generation aircraft will be less than fourth-generation fighters. An F-35A in 2019 is expected to cost $85 million per unit complete with engines and full mission systems, inflation adjusted from $75 million in December 2013.
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. - Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 'Wake Island Avengers,' 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, tow a Lockheed Martin F-35B "Lightning II" into a hangar for maintenance at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., July 10. A total of 10 aircraft and more than 250 Marines with VMFA 211 will participate in Red Flag 17-3, a realistic combat training exercise hosted by the U.S. Air Force to assess the squadron’s ability to deploy and support contingency operations using the F-35B.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lockheed Martin F-35 "Lightning II" is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather, stealth, fifth-generation, multirole combat aircraft, designed for ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It is built by Lockheed Martin and many subcontractors, including Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and BAE Systems.
The F-35 has three main models: the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A (CTOL), the short take-off and vertical-landing F-35B (STOVL), and the catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery, carrier-based F-35C (CATOBAR). The F-35 descends from the Lockheed Martin X-35, the design that was awarded the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program over the competing Boeing X-32. The official "Lightning II" name has proven deeply unpopular and USAF pilots have nicknamed it "Panther", instead.
The United States principally funds F-35 development, with additional funding from other NATO members and close U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and formerly Turkey. These funders generally receive subcontracts to manufacture components for the aircraft; for example, Turkey was the sole supplier of several F-35 parts until its removal from the program in July 2019. Several other countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft.
As the largest and most expensive military program ever, the F-35 became the subject of much scrutiny and criticism in the U.S. and in other countries. In 2013 and 2014, critics argued that the plane was "plagued with design flaws", with many blaming the procurement process in which Lockheed was allowed "to design, test, and produce the F-35 all at the same time," instead of identifying and fixing "defects before firing up its production line". By 2014, the program was "$163 billion over budget [and] seven years behind schedule". Critics also contend that the program's high sunk costs and political momentum make it "too big to kill".
The F-35 first flew on 15 December 2006. In July 2015, the United States Marines declared its first squadron of F-35B fighters ready for deployment. However, the DOD-based durability testing indicated the service life of early-production F-35B aircraft is well under the expected 8,000 flight hours, and may be as low as 2,100 flight hours. Lot 9 and later aircraft include design changes but service life testing has yet to occur. The U.S. Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35As ready for deployment in August 2016. The U.S. Navy declared its first F-35Cs ready in February 2019. In 2018, the F-35 made its combat debut with the Israeli Air Force.
The U.S. stated plan is to buy 2,663 F-35s, which will provide the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps in coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U.S. military are scheduled until 2037 with a projected service life up to 2070.
Development
F-35 development started in 1992 with the origins of the "Joint Strike Fighter" (JSF) program and was to culminate in full production by 2018. The X-35 first flew on 24 October 2000 and the F-35A on 15 December 2006.
The F-35 was developed to replace most US fighter jets with the variants of a single design that would be common to all branches of the military. It was developed in co-operation with a number of foreign partners, and, unlike the F-22 "Raptor", intended to be available for export. Three variants were designed: the F-35A (CTOL), the F-35B (STOVL), and the F-35C (CATOBAR). Despite being intended to share most of their parts to reduce costs and improve maintenance logistics, by 2017, the effective commonality was only 20%. The program received considerable criticism for cost overruns during development and for the total projected cost of the program over the lifetime of the jets.
By 2017, the program was expected to cost $406.5 billion over its lifetime (i.e. until 2070) for acquisition of the jets, and an additional $1.1 trillion for operations and maintenance. A number of design deficiencies were alleged, such as: carrying a small internal payload; performance inferior to the aircraft being replaced, particularly the F-16; lack of safety in relying on a single engine; and flaws such as the vulnerability of the fuel tank to fire and the propensity for transonic roll-off (wing drop). The possible obsolescence of stealth technology was also criticized.
Design
Overview
Although several experimental designs have been developed since the 1960s, such as the unsuccessful Rockwell XFV-12, the F-35B is to be the first operational supersonic STOVL stealth fighter. The single-engine F-35 resembles the larger twin-engined Lockheed Martin F-22 "Raptor", drawing design elements from it. The exhaust duct design was inspired by the General Dynamics Model 200, proposed for a 1972 supersonic VTOL fighter requirement for the Sea Control Ship.
Lockheed Martin has suggested that the F-35 could replace the USAF's F-15C/D fighters in the air-superiority role and the F-15E "Strike Eagle" in the ground-attack role. It has also stated the F-35 is intended to have close- and long-range air-to-air capability second only to that of the F-22 "Raptor", and that the F-35 has an advantage over the F-22 in basing flexibility and possesses "advanced sensors and information fusion".
Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on 25 March 2009, acquisition deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford, stated that the F-35 is designed to be America's "premier surface-to-air missile killer, and is uniquely equipped for this mission with cutting-edge processing power, synthetic aperture radar integration techniques, and advanced target recognition".
Improvements
Ostensible improvements over past-generation fighter aircraft include:
Durable, low-maintenance stealth technology, using structural fiber mat instead of the high-maintenance coatings of legacy stealth platforms.
Integrated avionics and sensor fusion that combine information from off- and on-board sensors to increase the pilot's situational awareness and improve target identification and weapon delivery, and to relay information quickly to other command and control (C2) nodes.
High-speed data networking including IEEE 1394b and Fibre Channel (Fibre Channel is also used on Boeing's "Super Hornet".
The Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), and Computerized maintenance management system to help ensure the aircraft can remain operational with minimal maintenance manpower The Pentagon has moved to open up the competitive bidding by other companies. This was after Lockheed Martin stated that instead of costing 20% less than the F-16 per flight hour, the F-35 would actually cost 12% more. Though the ALGS is intended to reduce maintenance costs, the company disagrees with including the cost of this system in the aircraft ownership calculations. The USMC has implemented a workaround for a cyber vulnerability in the system. The ALIS system currently requires a shipping-container load of servers to run, but Lockheed is working on a more portable version to support the Marines' expeditionary operations.
Electro-hydrostatic actuators run by a power-by-wire flight-control system.
A modern and updated flight simulator, which may be used for a greater fraction of pilot training to reduce the costly flight hours of the actual aircraft.
Lightweight, powerful lithium-ion batteries to provide power to run the control surfaces in an emergency.
Structural composites in the F-35 are 35% of the airframe weight (up from 25% in the F-22). The majority of these are bismaleimide and composite epoxy materials. The F-35 will be the first mass-produced aircraft to include structural nanocomposites, namely carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy. Experience of the F-22's problems with corrosion led to the F-35 using a gap filler that causes less galvanic corrosion to the airframe's skin, designed with fewer gaps requiring filler and implementing better drainage. The relatively short 35-foot wingspan of the A and B variants is set by the F-35B's requirement to fit inside the Navy's current amphibious assault ship parking area and elevators; the F-35C's longer wing is considered to be more fuel efficient.
Costs
A U.S. Navy study found that the F-35 will cost 30 to 40% more to maintain than current jet fighters, not accounting for inflation over the F-35's operational lifetime. A Pentagon study concluded a $1 trillion maintenance cost for the entire fleet over its lifespan, not accounting for inflation. The F-35 program office found that as of January 2014, costs for the F-35 fleet over a 53-year lifecycle was $857 billion. Costs for the fighter have been dropping and accounted for the 22 percent life cycle drop since 2010. Lockheed stated that by 2019, pricing for the fifth-generation aircraft will be less than fourth-generation fighters. An F-35A in 2019 is expected to cost $85 million per unit complete with engines and full mission systems, inflation adjusted from $75 million in December 2013.
PHILIPPINE SEA (June 15, 2017) Marines assigned to the Amphibious Recon Platoon (ARP), attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and embarked on the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), board the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) from an MH-60S Seahawk, assigned to the “Island Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25, during a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise. Ashland, part of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to enhance partnerships and be a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Alexandra Seeley/Released)
U.S. Marines and Sailors with Golf Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit perform an amphibious landing during Talisman Saber 2013 in Rockhampton, Australia, July 20, 2013. Talisman Saber is a combined biennial exercise between the U.S. and Australian militaries designed to enhance both nations? ability to respond to regional contingencies. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Sheila deVera/Released)
U.S. Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 252nd Armored Regiment move through fire while a Portuguese soldier throws a Molotov cocktail while conducting fire phobia training during a Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission rehearsal exercise (MRE) at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, June 16, 2015. The KFOR MRE is based on the current operational environment and is designed to prepare the unit for peace support, stability, and contingency operations in Kosovo in support of civil authorities to maintain a safe and secure environment. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Tyler Kingsbury/Released)
Soldiers with the 1452nd Combat Heavy Equipment Transportation Company, North Carolina Army National Guard, load an M1 Abrams tank onto the bed of a super heavy equipment transporter tractor-trailer on Contingency Operating Base Adder, Nov. 4. The 1452nd loaded two of the 60-ton tanks to transport to Kuwait in support of the U.S. Forces drawdown in Iraq.
UFC fighters host clinic.
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Capt. Angel Vega, Company B, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, attempts to break free from Ultimate Fighting Championship star Mike Swick's choke hold during a Morale, Welfare and Recreation-sponsored UFC Tour at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Feb. 24, 2011. Swick and fellow fighter Kyle Kingsbury headlined the UFC Tour, offering advise on nutrition and training to Soldiers before inviting them to test their skills on the mat. “Being able to have the courage and the Warrior Ethos to meet against professional fighters on a mat proves to me that I’m able to meet any challenge that I want to meet in the future,” Vega said. “If I can meet a professional fighter, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be able to meet an enemy on the battlefield.”
(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Shawn Miller, 109th MPAD, USD-N PAO)
Tech. Sgt. Jarrod Blanford, an aerial porter from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, reviews a cargo manifest with Airman 1st Class Evan Kuehl, 86th Airlift Wing loadmaster, prior to the departure of a C-130 Hercules from Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 22, 2014. The flight is bound for Liberia, carrying whole blood and U.S. Army Soldiers supporting Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer/Released)
PHILIPPINE SEA (March 10, 2018) The Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE-8) launches it's drone for a missile exercise during MultiSail. MultiSail is a bilateral training exercise improving interoperability between the U.S. and Japanese forces. This exercise benefits from realistic, shared training enhancing our ability to work together to confront any contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sarah Myers/Released)
PHILIPPINE SEA (March 28, 2018) Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) fast-rope aboard the Military Sealift Command large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ship USNS Pililaau (T-AK 304) during a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) drill. Pililaau, part of the Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group, with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the Indo-Pacific region to enhance interoperability with partners, serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency and advance the Up-Gunned ESG concept. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt. Tory Cusimano/Released)
Senior Airman Christopher Good replaces a headlight on a vehicle as Senior Airman James Griffin helps hold it in place during the Devil Raid Mobility Exercise competition at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., March 31, 2015. The 570th and 571st Contingency Response Groups stationed at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., are both scheduled to conduct their mobility exercise competition April 27. The Airmen are assigned to the 818 Contingency Response Group. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Gustavo Gonzalez/Released)
U.S. Army Soldiers from the 7th Special Forces Group ride in a CH-47 Chinook during fast rope insertion and extraction training as part of Emerald Warrior at Hurlburt Field, Fla., April 22, 2015. Emerald Warrior is the Department of Defense's only irregular warfare exercise, allowing joint and combined partners to train together and prepare for real world contingency operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kenneth W. Norman/Released)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. David Ruehling, with the 621st Contingency Response Wing, waits to marshal a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Geronimo Landing Zone during the Joint Readiness Training Center 14-03 field training exercise at Fort Polk, La., Jan. 16, 2014. The training was designed to educate Service members in patient care and aeromedical evacuations in combat environments. (DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Matthew Smith, U.S. Air Force/Released)
CORAL SEA (July 1, 2019) Cpl. Ty Perkins, from Oakdale, Louisiana, assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), prepares to depart the well deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) in an assault amphibious vehicle (AAV). Green Bay, part of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, with embarked 31st MEU, is operating in the Indo-Pacific region to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as ready-response force for any type of contingency, while simultaneously providing a flexible and lethal crisis response force ready to perform a wide range of military operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anaid Banuelos Rodriguez)
U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 321st Contingency Response Squadron from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lake Hurst, N.J., waits for a Mississippi Army National Guard Medical Evacuation UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to approach at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Miss., during Exercise Turbo Distribution, Oct. 29, 2015. The U.S. Transportation Command exercise tests the Joint Task Force Port-Opening's ability to deliver and distribute cargo during humanitarian relief operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Marianique Santos/Released)
U.S. Airmen with the 570th Contingency Response Group (CRG) stand outside the CRG command post at Geronimo Landing Zone at Fort Polk, La. Oct 15, 2012, during joint readiness training exercise Decisive Action. The exercise included emphasis on joint forcible entry, phased deployment with an airborne parachute operation, a combined noncombatant evacuation, combine arms maneuver, wide area security, unconventional warfare and unified land operations in a joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational environment. (DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres, U.S. Air Force /Released)
Airman 1st Class Jacob Moore, left, a structures specialist with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Civil Engineer Squadron, assists Airman 1st Class Ian Spaulding of the 647th Civil Engineer Squadron to erect an Joint Operations Center on a contingency training site at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on July 29, 2025. Moore is among more than 70 personnel from the Louisville-based 123rd Airlift Wing to conduct annual training here over 14 days, sharpening skills that enhance their employment as Multi-Capable Airmen. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)
A soldier from The 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (1PWRR) on a woodland patrol during Exercise Bavarian Charger.
Exercise BAVARIAN CHARGER is the first of three large contingency operation exercises being undertaken by 20th Armoured Brigade between May – October 2013. Contingency Operations training is known as Hybrid Foundation Training or HFT.
The aim of this exercise is to train the 5 Rifles, The Queens Dragoon Guards (QDG) Battle Groups and 1 Logistic Support Regiment in combined arms manoeuvre.
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Prior to a training session on emergency bailout, three STS-103 mission specialists discuss contingencies. From the left, they are astronauts Jean-Francois Clervoy, C. Michael Foale, and John M. Grunsfeld. Clervoy was one of two STS-103 crew members who represented the European Space Agency (ESA). This training took place in the Johnson Space Center's Systems Integration Facility.
Credit: NASA
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. - Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 'Wake Island Avengers,' 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, tow a Lockheed Martin F-35B "Lightning II" into a hangar for maintenance at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., July 10. A total of 10 aircraft and more than 250 Marines with VMFA 211 will participate in Red Flag 17-3, a realistic combat training exercise hosted by the U.S. Air Force to assess the squadron’s ability to deploy and support contingency operations using the F-35B.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lockheed Martin F-35 "Lightning II" is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather, stealth, fifth-generation, multirole combat aircraft, designed for ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It is built by Lockheed Martin and many subcontractors, including Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and BAE Systems.
The F-35 has three main models: the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A (CTOL), the short take-off and vertical-landing F-35B (STOVL), and the catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery, carrier-based F-35C (CATOBAR). The F-35 descends from the Lockheed Martin X-35, the design that was awarded the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program over the competing Boeing X-32. The official "Lightning II" name has proven deeply unpopular and USAF pilots have nicknamed it "Panther", instead.
The United States principally funds F-35 development, with additional funding from other NATO members and close U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and formerly Turkey. These funders generally receive subcontracts to manufacture components for the aircraft; for example, Turkey was the sole supplier of several F-35 parts until its removal from the program in July 2019. Several other countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft.
As the largest and most expensive military program ever, the F-35 became the subject of much scrutiny and criticism in the U.S. and in other countries. In 2013 and 2014, critics argued that the plane was "plagued with design flaws", with many blaming the procurement process in which Lockheed was allowed "to design, test, and produce the F-35 all at the same time," instead of identifying and fixing "defects before firing up its production line". By 2014, the program was "$163 billion over budget [and] seven years behind schedule". Critics also contend that the program's high sunk costs and political momentum make it "too big to kill".
The F-35 first flew on 15 December 2006. In July 2015, the United States Marines declared its first squadron of F-35B fighters ready for deployment. However, the DOD-based durability testing indicated the service life of early-production F-35B aircraft is well under the expected 8,000 flight hours, and may be as low as 2,100 flight hours. Lot 9 and later aircraft include design changes but service life testing has yet to occur. The U.S. Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35As ready for deployment in August 2016. The U.S. Navy declared its first F-35Cs ready in February 2019. In 2018, the F-35 made its combat debut with the Israeli Air Force.
The U.S. stated plan is to buy 2,663 F-35s, which will provide the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps in coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U.S. military are scheduled until 2037 with a projected service life up to 2070.
Development
F-35 development started in 1992 with the origins of the "Joint Strike Fighter" (JSF) program and was to culminate in full production by 2018. The X-35 first flew on 24 October 2000 and the F-35A on 15 December 2006.
The F-35 was developed to replace most US fighter jets with the variants of a single design that would be common to all branches of the military. It was developed in co-operation with a number of foreign partners, and, unlike the F-22 "Raptor", intended to be available for export. Three variants were designed: the F-35A (CTOL), the F-35B (STOVL), and the F-35C (CATOBAR). Despite being intended to share most of their parts to reduce costs and improve maintenance logistics, by 2017, the effective commonality was only 20%. The program received considerable criticism for cost overruns during development and for the total projected cost of the program over the lifetime of the jets.
By 2017, the program was expected to cost $406.5 billion over its lifetime (i.e. until 2070) for acquisition of the jets, and an additional $1.1 trillion for operations and maintenance. A number of design deficiencies were alleged, such as: carrying a small internal payload; performance inferior to the aircraft being replaced, particularly the F-16; lack of safety in relying on a single engine; and flaws such as the vulnerability of the fuel tank to fire and the propensity for transonic roll-off (wing drop). The possible obsolescence of stealth technology was also criticized.
Design
Overview
Although several experimental designs have been developed since the 1960s, such as the unsuccessful Rockwell XFV-12, the F-35B is to be the first operational supersonic STOVL stealth fighter. The single-engine F-35 resembles the larger twin-engined Lockheed Martin F-22 "Raptor", drawing design elements from it. The exhaust duct design was inspired by the General Dynamics Model 200, proposed for a 1972 supersonic VTOL fighter requirement for the Sea Control Ship.
Lockheed Martin has suggested that the F-35 could replace the USAF's F-15C/D fighters in the air-superiority role and the F-15E "Strike Eagle" in the ground-attack role. It has also stated the F-35 is intended to have close- and long-range air-to-air capability second only to that of the F-22 "Raptor", and that the F-35 has an advantage over the F-22 in basing flexibility and possesses "advanced sensors and information fusion".
Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on 25 March 2009, acquisition deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford, stated that the F-35 is designed to be America's "premier surface-to-air missile killer, and is uniquely equipped for this mission with cutting-edge processing power, synthetic aperture radar integration techniques, and advanced target recognition".
Improvements
Ostensible improvements over past-generation fighter aircraft include:
Durable, low-maintenance stealth technology, using structural fiber mat instead of the high-maintenance coatings of legacy stealth platforms.
Integrated avionics and sensor fusion that combine information from off- and on-board sensors to increase the pilot's situational awareness and improve target identification and weapon delivery, and to relay information quickly to other command and control (C2) nodes.
High-speed data networking including IEEE 1394b and Fibre Channel (Fibre Channel is also used on Boeing's "Super Hornet".
The Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), and Computerized maintenance management system to help ensure the aircraft can remain operational with minimal maintenance manpower The Pentagon has moved to open up the competitive bidding by other companies. This was after Lockheed Martin stated that instead of costing 20% less than the F-16 per flight hour, the F-35 would actually cost 12% more. Though the ALGS is intended to reduce maintenance costs, the company disagrees with including the cost of this system in the aircraft ownership calculations. The USMC has implemented a workaround for a cyber vulnerability in the system. The ALIS system currently requires a shipping-container load of servers to run, but Lockheed is working on a more portable version to support the Marines' expeditionary operations.
Electro-hydrostatic actuators run by a power-by-wire flight-control system.
A modern and updated flight simulator, which may be used for a greater fraction of pilot training to reduce the costly flight hours of the actual aircraft.
Lightweight, powerful lithium-ion batteries to provide power to run the control surfaces in an emergency.
Structural composites in the F-35 are 35% of the airframe weight (up from 25% in the F-22). The majority of these are bismaleimide and composite epoxy materials. The F-35 will be the first mass-produced aircraft to include structural nanocomposites, namely carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy. Experience of the F-22's problems with corrosion led to the F-35 using a gap filler that causes less galvanic corrosion to the airframe's skin, designed with fewer gaps requiring filler and implementing better drainage. The relatively short 35-foot wingspan of the A and B variants is set by the F-35B's requirement to fit inside the Navy's current amphibious assault ship parking area and elevators; the F-35C's longer wing is considered to be more fuel efficient.
Costs
A U.S. Navy study found that the F-35 will cost 30 to 40% more to maintain than current jet fighters, not accounting for inflation over the F-35's operational lifetime. A Pentagon study concluded a $1 trillion maintenance cost for the entire fleet over its lifespan, not accounting for inflation. The F-35 program office found that as of January 2014, costs for the F-35 fleet over a 53-year lifecycle was $857 billion. Costs for the fighter have been dropping and accounted for the 22 percent life cycle drop since 2010. Lockheed stated that by 2019, pricing for the fifth-generation aircraft will be less than fourth-generation fighters. An F-35A in 2019 is expected to cost $85 million per unit complete with engines and full mission systems, inflation adjusted from $75 million in December 2013.
Senior Airman Korrin Nortega, 921st Contingency Response Squadron, inprocesses inbound cargo at COB Panther on North Vernon Municipal Airport in North Vernon, Ind., July 22, 2019, as part of Turbo Distribution 19-03. Nortega and her aerial port counterparts have unloaded more than 450 pallets of humanitarian supplies in less than four days since the exercise began. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. David W. Carbajal)
The New York National Guard's 174th Attack Wing Forward Operating Location (FOL) provides arming, refueling, and aircraft generation services for multiple types of aircraft that come to Fort Drum, New York for training missions and contingency combat missions. This past month the 122nd Fighter Wing from the Indiana Air National Guard flew A-10 Thunderbolt II's for close air support and combat search and rescue training. An MQ-9 Reaper flown by the 174th Attack Wing can be seen flying overhead as the A-10 Thunderbolts prepare to take off. The 174th Launch and Recovery Element (LRE) handles all takeoff and landing functions of the MQ-9 training flights from Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield. The 122nd accomplished all their critical aircrew training with 40 combat training sorties by using Adirondack Range 48 and FOL resources. The FOL allows aircrews to complete their training without the need of deploying their home station maintainers cutting down training costs. (US. Air National Guard video by MSgt Eric Miller)
Spacecraft operations team manager for the Cassini mission at Saturn, Julie Webster, rips up the final contingency plan for the Cassini mission, Friday, Sept. 15, 2017 in mission control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Since its arrival in 2004, the Cassini-Huygens mission has been a discovery machine, revolutionizing our knowledge of the Saturn system and captivating us with data and images never before obtained with such detail and clarity. On Sept. 15, 2017, operators deliberately plunged the spacecraft into Saturn, as Cassini gathered science until the end. Loss of contact with the Cassini spacecraft occurred at 7:55 a.m. EDT (4:55 a.m. PDT). The “plunge” ensures Saturn’s moons will remain pristine for future exploration. During Cassini’s final days, mission team members from all around the world gathered at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, to celebrate the achievements of this historic mission. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)