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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)
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.
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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.
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)
I noticed this beauty in dry dock, this photo shows her ready to return to service.
IEVOLI BLACK – NED 8167L
THE VESSEL IS EQUIPPED AND FITTED FOR THE FOLLOWING CONTINGENCY
SERVICES:
• FIRE FIGHTING
• MOB OPERATIONS
• STAND BY DUTIES
• SUPPLY DUTIES
• ANCHOR HANDLING
• TOWING/PUSHING
• RESEARCH SHIP
• UNDERWATER ACTIVITIES
MAIN DESCRIPTION
Year Built : May 2010
Vessel built : Remontowa – Gdansk (Poland)
Type : Standby / Anchor Handling / Tug / Supply Vessel /
FiFi 1 / DP2
Classification : RINA - C✠Tug, Supply Vessel, Fire Fighting 1 –
Water Spraying, Unrestricted Navigation
Additional Notes : ✠AUT – UMS, ✠DYNAPOS AM/AT
Additional Class : ABS Class notation
✠A1, Towing Vessel, Fire Fighting Vessel Class 1,
Offshore Support Vessel AH,
✠AMS,✠ACCU,✠DPS-2
Port of registry : Naples nr. 546
Flag : Italian
Call Sign : ICMP
IMO Nr. : 9439242
Certificates : RINA C✠, ABS, Load Line and Tonnage Certificates
(Suez), SOLAS Certificates, ISPP, IOPP, IAPP,SMC,
Marpol Annex I,II,IV,V, Safety Radio Certificate,
ISPS Certificate
MAIN DIMENSIONS
Design : NED 8167L
Length o.a. : 70,00 m
Length b.p.p. : 63,60 m
Breath : 15,50 m
Summer draught : 5,10 m
Gross tonnage : 2283 t
Net tonnage : 684 t
ACCOMODATION
1 man cabines, offers : 2 x 1 = 02
2 man cabines, crew : 6 x 2 = 12
Passengers, extra : 2 x 2 = 04
2 x 4 = 08
Hospital : 1 x 2 = 02
Dispensary : 1 x 1 = 01
Total number of bunks : 29
FIRE FIGHTING
FiFi, class I
The fire fighting system consists of the following main components:
- 2 off fire-fighting centrifugal pumps FFS SPF250x350HD
capacity: 1742 m
3/h head: 11,8 mlc 1800 rpm / 790 Kw
- 2 single/dual flow monitors FFS 1200/300LB
joystick controlled from bridge
capacity: 1200 m
3/h - 10,0 bar
throw length – capacity full : 120 m
throw length – capacity reduced : 75 m
- 1 foam pump DPVSF 18-100
18 m
3/h - 18,5 Kw head: 185 mlc 3420 rpm
- 2 fog monitors for own protection type ABS
Water spray system with standard tug nozzles
1061 m
3/h at 7,8 bar
RESCUE AND LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT
1 x Fassmer Rescue Boat Type RR 4.2
Capacity: 06 persons
Equipped with an electric starting outboard engine (Yamaha 40BHp)
remote steering from a console in front of helmsman
Max. Speed: 25 Knts
4 x Liferafts, capacity 15 persons
2 x Search Light remotely controlled from bridge
6 x Lifebuoys provided with strobe lights and lifelines
1 x Hospital with treatment bench, racks for stretchers,
Desk, medicine, poison locker
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)
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)
PACIFIC OCEAN (May 18, 2016) The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) conducts flight operations off the coast of Southern California during the ship’s recertification of the flight deck after completing a 10-month Post Shakedown Availability (PSA). America is an aviation centric amphibious assault ship that supports small-scale contingency operations of an expeditionary strike group, to forcible entry missions in major theaters of war. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jonathan A. Colon)
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. 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)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Allen, assigned to the 146th Contingency Response Flight (146 CRF), observes a C130J aircraft assigned to the 115th Airlift Squadron landing on a dirt runway at Fort Hunter Liggett, California, February 8, 2022. The 146 CRF and the 621st Contingency Response Wing (621 CRW) partnered to accomplish skill-enhancing training for Allen's team while providing airlift support to the 621 CRW's evaluated exercise. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Michelle Ulber)
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.
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Will Harden, 821st Contingency Response Group ramp coordinator, prepares an airfield for approaching MH-47 Chinooks at Qayyarah West Airfield, Iraq, Nov. 17, 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
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)
INDIAN OCEAN (June 21, 2019) Sailors observe an MV-22B Osprey take off the flight deck of the Harpers Ferry-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49). Harpers Ferry is part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) team and is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to support regional stability, reassure partners and allies, and maintain a presence postured to respond to any crisis ranging from humanitarian assistance to contingency operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Danielle A. Baker)
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)
The Metrobus contingency at Aldridge Transport Museum; freshly-repainted Travel West Midlands 3070 (F30 XOF) steals the show, stood in the foreground.
Also pictured are 2496 (POG 496Y), 2636 (ROX 636Y), and 6832 (SDA 832S).
A C-17 Globemaster III aircraft sits on the parking ramp before a mission during Exercise Cerberus Strike 16-02 at the Fort Carson Air Terminal, Colo., Sept. 16, 2016. C-Strike is a joint exercise where contingency response forces rehearsed potential real-world situations by training with Army counterparts in cargo uploading and downloading on aircraft, aircraft engine running off-loads, communications, aerial port procedures, and air mobility liaison officer operations with airdrops from aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Joseph Swafford)
CORAL SEA (Aug. 9, 2017) A CH-53E Super Stallion, assigned to the “Dragons” of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265 (Reinforced), takes off from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) in support of Amphibious Integration Training (AIT). Bonhomme Richard, flagship of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, is participating in AIT with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to increase joint capability to respond to a number of potential contingencies. AIT, taking place off the coast of and within Australia's Shoalwater Bay Training Area, will test the MEU's ability to conduct all of its core missions such as stability operations, non-combatant evacuation and disaster relief. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Cosmo Walrath/Released)
Sunrises are perhaps the hardest and most unpredictable to photograph, and certainly the one decision where the tradeoffs are extremely hard to ascertain. Whenever I try to plan ahead for a sunrise shoot, I keep exploring different contingencies and evaluate how conditions can go wrong. But once I commit, I prefer not to turn back on that decision.
The only choice after that lays in the location and composition to shoot. And this represents another challenge if you have scouted the area before. Such was the case with trying to capture sunrise in the vicinity of the San Juan islands. Thankfully, this lighthouse formed the perfect foreground for the scene. Two of the innumerable bald eagles in the area settled atop the lighthouse, much to my delight, to be the icing on the cake that was this sunrise.
San Juan Islands
WA USA
STEP 1: Securely place paint can in machine.
STEP 2: Press start button, enjoy :)
Contingency step (if you didn't correctly follow the instructions of step 1 and the paint can is *not* secure): RUN!!!
Not quite as good as the out of hope during the remodel photo from last summer at the Senatobia store, but I thought it was at least nearly as interesting as the multitude of other similar scenes found (four different example links there) at other Walmart locations!
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Walmart, 1997-built, Hwy 64 at Kate Hyde Rd., Bartlett TN
Airmen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., work alongside Canadian Royal Air Force aerial port airmen to load a vehicle onto a running CRAF C-130J Hercules at Alexandria International Airport, in Alexandria, La., during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 21, 2013. The Canadian Royal Air Force provided C-130J and C-17 Globemaster II aircraft to support the large exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres/Released)
Scotland, near the Castle Stalker
when you plan something, but then you realize that nature wants to be the star .. I like here the fantastic colors of the sky, no retouched in PP! I just put my camera in Tripod, composed, put the filters and shot!
One shot, no HDR. I use only one filter for the correct exposure and polarizer.
I do not like to add my picture in many groups, please do not ask.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.
PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 26, 2019) Fire Controlman 3rd Class Juan Perez gives Fire Controlman 1st Class Scott Lam a thumbs up for the pre-check of a close in weapons system before it fires aboard the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42). Germantown, part of Commander, Amphibious Squadron 11, is deployed to the Indo-Pacific region to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Toni Burton)
APRA HARBOR, Guam (March 12, 2019) – Marines assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit return to Landing Craft, Utility (LCU) 1651, assigned to Naval Beach Unit (NBU) 7, during a simulated beach raid. The amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20), part of the Commander Amphibious Squadron 11, is operating in the 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 2nd Class Anaid Banuelos Rodriguez) 190312-N-DX072-1218
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www.instagram.com/indopacom | www.flickr.com/photos/us-pacific-command; | www.youtube.com/user/USPacificCommand | www.pacom.mil/ **
More than 15 members of the 621st Contingency Response Wing board a C-130 Hercules going to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in response to Hurricane Matthews at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Oct. 7, 2016. Since Hurricane Matthews made land fall on Oct. 4, more than 350,000 people are in need of assistance, approximately 264 deaths reported, 14,330 are occupying emergency shelters, 6,000 persons are displaced, and some areas have been destroyed up to 80%. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Gustavo Gonzalez/Released) www.dvidshub.net
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dustin Pavleski guides Senior Airman James Weimer as they back a next generation small loader onto an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft April 26, 2012, at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. Pavleski and Weimer are air transportation journeymen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade lead a formation of Ukrainian National Guard soldiers on a two-mile walk, as part of Fearless Guardian, during Global Security Contingency Fund, in Yavoriv, Ukraine, Aug. 17, 2015. The Global Security Contingency Fund is a pilot program that provides U.S. Soldiers to provide training to the Ukraine National Guard in an effort to help strengthen Ukraine’s internal defenses. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Alexander Skripnichuk/Released)
CAIRNS, Australia (Nov. 21, 2018) Chief Electronics Technician Thomas Dawson, from Hawk Point, Mo., mans the rails on the port bridge-wing of the amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) as the ship arrives in Cairns for a port visit. Green Bay, part of Commander Amphibious Squadron 11, is operating in the 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 2nd Class Anaid Banuelos Rodriguez)
Staff Sgt. Fernado De Jesus, 621st Contingency Response Support Squadron, works on top of a Hardside Expandable Light Air Mobile Shelter during a Joint Readiness Training exercise at Alexandria International Airport, LA. April 16, 2016. JRTC is a multinational exercise focused on pre-deployment and airdrop capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua King)
intersection traffic signal flashing yellow lights on and off modification controlled by Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Special Traffic Operations, Transportation and Traffic Management Plan Contingency Engineers during the operation of the Homeboy Industries 5 km Run Race Course Route, and College Street intersection traffic signal green lights, left turn protected permissive green arrow lights and pedestrian crosswalk crossing white walking lights, the following intersections are Alpine Street, Ord Street and Cesar E. Chavez Avenue intersections have traffic signal red yellow green lights on located at Chinatown Los Angeles, California 90012. Right hand side is the landmarks of Bamboo Plaza and Chinese Historical Society of Southern California.
The former G.D.P. route was on Northbound Broadway (ended here until 2000) from Cesar E. Chavez Avenue to Bernard Street and Southbound Hill Street at Ord Street took place here until 2006 then the new current G.D.P. route travelled Southbound Broadway and made a left turn at East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and ENDED at New High and Spring Streets for parade floats disbanding zone since February 2007 to February 2012 but now this Golden Dragon Parade route on Southbound Broadway turns right to Westbound Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and ENDS at North Hill Street overpass bridge for parade floats disbanding zone since February 2013 to present.
Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker 10k Run event race route will reach 0.1 mile = 160 meters ahead to the finish line festival
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This is where L.A. Chinatown Firecracker 10k run race route continues to Elysian Park uphill, Dodger Stadium, back to finish line.
這裡是洛杉磯中國城唐人街華埠火爆竹跑參加比賽路線將會剩下一百六十米公尺前往終點結束完畢在北百老滙街, 巴納街及和羅省洛市華埠中央廣場孟歐之風塔門
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This is the 5k Run Race Route of the Homeboy - Homeboyle Industries Chinatown, Solano Canyon, Naud Industrial Junction and Outer Los Angeles State Historic Park.
這裡是5公里小家子 (家仔) 工業跑步比賽路線跑往洛杉磯華埠, 蘇蘭諾山峽谷, 諾德工業樞紐及外洛杉磯州立歷史公園區.
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#chinatownla #lachinatown #chinatownlosangeles #losangeleschinatown #northbroadway #broadwaybernard #bernardbroadway #bernardstreet #royalpagodamotel #lachinesechamberofcommerce #chinesechamberofcommerce #chssc #chinesehistoricalsocietyofsoutherncalifornia #saigonbeautyandbarbershop #977northbroadway #chinatowncentralplaza #firecrackerla #firecracker10k #firecracker10krun
#homeboy #homeboy5k #homeboy5krun #homeboyindustries @LAChinatown @ChinatownLA @ChinatownLosAngeles @LosAngelesChinatown @DowntownLA @DowntownLosAngeles @firecracker10k @Firecracker10kRun @chinesechamberla @CHSSC @ChineseHistoricalSocietyofSouthernCalifornia @chssc_official @ChinatownCentralPlaza @ChinatownCentralPlazaLA @LAChinatownCentralPlaza
Aerial porters from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group off-load the unit’s gear from a Mississippi Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III Oct. 4, 2014, at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, in support of Operation United Assistance. More than 70 Kentucky ANG Airmen arrived with the gear to stand up an intermediate staging base at the airport that will funnel humanitarian supplies and equipment into West Africa as part of the international effort to fight Ebola. (U.S. Air National Guard photo/Maj. Dale Greer)
Soldiers from "Chaos" Company C, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, detonate C-4 explosives during engineer core demolition task training at a demolitions range outside of Contingency Operating Site Warrior, Iraq, Aug. 11, 2011. The unit used the explosives to remove obstacles, destroy fortifications, and breach doors.
United States Division-North
Date Taken:08.11.2011
Location:CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, IQ
Related Photos: dvidshub.net/r/kghrcb
The religious phenomenon is reducible in the final analysis to a manifestation at once intellective and volitive of the relationship between the divine Substance and cosmic accidentality or between Atma and Samsara; and as this relationship comprises diverse aspects, the religious phenomenon is diversified in function of these aspects or these possibilities.
Every religion in effect presents itself as a "myth" referring to a given "archetype", and thereby, but secondarily, to all archetypes; all these aspects are linked, but one alone determines the very form of the myth. If the Amidist perspective recalls the Christian perspective, that is because within the framework of Buddhism it refers more particularly to the archetype which determines Christianity; it is not because it was influenced by the latter, apart from the historical impossibility of the hypothesis.
The average man is incapable, not of conceiving of the archetypes no doubt, but of being interested in them; he has need of a myth which humanizes and dramatizes the archetype and which triggers the corresponding reactions of the will and sensibility; that is to say that the average man, or collective man, has need of a god who resembles him. [Personal and dramatic in the case of Christianity; impersonal and serene in the case of Buddhism; the one being reflected sporadically in the other. We cite these two examples because of their disparity. Let us add that Arianism is a kind of interference within Christianity of the possibility-archetype of lslam, whereas inversely, Shi'ism appears within Islam as an archetypal interference of Christian dramatism.]
The Taoist Yin-Yang is an adequate image of the fundamental relationship between the Absolute and the contingent, God and the world, or God and man: the white part of the figure represents God and the black part, man. The black dot in the white part is "man in God” - man principially prefigured in the divine Order - or the relative in the Absolute, if this paradox is permitted - or the divine Word which in effect prefigures the human phenomenon; if cosmic manifestation were not anticipated within the principial order, no world would be possible, nor any relationship between the world and God.
Inversely and complementarily, the white dot in the black part of the Yin-Yang is the "human God”, the "Man-God”, which refers to the mystery of Immanence and to that of Theophany, hence also to that of Intercession and Redemption, or of the as it were "respiratory" reciprocity between earth and Heaven; if Heaven were not present in earth, existence would vanish into nothingness, it would be impossible a priori.
Herein is the whole play of Maya with its modes, its degrees, its cycles, its diversity and its alternations.
On the one hand the Principle alone is, manifestation - the world - is not; on the other hand manifestation is real - or "not unreal"- by the fact precisely that it manifests, projects, or prolongs the Principle; the latter being absolute, hence infinite for that very reason, It requires in virtue of this infinitude, the projection of Itself in the "other than Itself."
On the one hand the Principle has a tendency to "punish" or to "destroy" manifestation because the latter as contingency is not the Principle, or because it tries to be the Principle illusorily and with a luciferian intention, in short because "It alone is"; on the other hand, the Principle "loves" manifestation and "remembers" that it is Its own, that manifestation is not "other than It”, and within this ontological perspective the mystery of Revelation, Intercession, Redemption, is to be found.
It is thus that the relationships between the Principle and manifestation give rise to diverse archetypes of which the religions are the mythical crystallizations and which are predisposed to set in motion the will and sensibility of particular men and of particular human collectivities.
But the archetypes of the objective, macrocosmic and transcendent order are also those of the subjective, microcosmic and immanent order, the human Intellect coinciding, beyond the individuality, with the universal Intellect; so much so that the revealed myth, even while coming in fact from the exterior and from the ”Lord” comes in principle also from "our selves," from the interior and from the "Self”, That is to say that the acceptance of the religious Message coincides, in principle and in depth, with the acceptance of what we are, in ourselves yet at the same time beyond ourselves; for there where immanence is, there is also the transcendence of the Immanent.
To believe in God is to become again what we are; to become it again to the very extent that we believe, and the believing becomes being.
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Frithjof Schuon
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To Refuse or to Accept Revelation - From the Divine to the Human - Chapter 10
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Quoted in: The Essential Frithjof Schuon (Edited by Seyyed Hossein Nasr)