Tag Archives: F-35

The Noisy F-35 Joint Strike Fighters

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If you live near an air base and you run a business, no doubt you are pleased to have all the flyboys in your shop. That flight pay can buy some nice dive gear:

Dive shop manager Bryan Kennington chatted with customers about masks and fins on a recent afternoon over the roar of an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet as it streaked above the downtown Valpariso business.

“That’s the sound of freedom; I love it,” Kennington said. A group of young military men shopping for dive equipment agreed with nods and thumbs-ups.

But not everyone in this town likes the noise created by the jets belonging to Eglin Air Force Base’s new Joint Strike Fighter training squadron. The town sued the Air Force to force those in charge of the sprawling base to mitigate noise from the supersonic and stealth F-35, which is supposed to be adopted by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines, many NATO countries and other allies.

I always enjoyed my time on the flight line. Of course, I had to wear ear plugs when I slept.

Saab Gripen and Dassault Rafale Vs. F-35 JSF

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Canada is considering other options to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The Saab Gripen is one of their options. And this economic fact caught my attention: At well under $100 million apiece and the lowest operating cost of any fighter in the world at $4,700 an hour the Gripen is cost-effective and competent. 

Saab Gripen

Be sure to check out the French Dassault Rafale jet taking off from CVN-69 and CVN-74

The F-35 Drops the F-Bomb

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In highly volatile bomb circles, an F-bomb is considered a “bomb weighing 2000 pounds or more.” Good news for the F-35, it just released an F-bomb:

The F-35 Drops the F-Bomb

High above the Mojave Desert, the military’s next-generation fighter jet dropped a 2,000-pound bomb for the first time in its latest test flight.

It’s a key milestone for the stealthy, supersonic F-35, built by Lockheed Martin Corp., which has been undergoing tests since its first flight in late 2006.

I gotta come clean. An F-bomb isn’t a 2000 pound bomb. But go into any public place and yell an F-bomb at the top of your lungs, the effect’ll be nearly the same.

Best Friends

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Ahead of Schedule, Below Target Cost

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Nuclear-powered attack submarine Mississippi (SSN-782)

With all the frustrating stories coming out of the Navy R&D pipeline concerning the F-35, the LCS, and the DDG among others, it is refreshing to see this:

General Dynamics Electric Boat today delivered the nuclear-powered attack submarine Mississippi (SSN-782) to the U.S. Navy 363 days ahead of contract schedule and more than $60 million below target cost. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (GD).

John Holmander, vice president and Virginia program manager for General Dynamics Electric Boat, noted that Mississippi was at the most combat-ready state of any Virginia-class submarine at delivery.

A year ahead of sched and 60 mill below cost. GD, you win military contractor of the year!

2,443 Cans of Whoop

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The new F-35 just went airborne with some firecrackers:

Lockheed Martin, F-35, JSF, 461st FLTS, F-35 ITF, Edwards AFB, First Flight of External Stores mounted to wings, 4 empty Pylons, 2 AIM-9X, Pilot: Lt Col Vitt, AF-1

The F-35, the military’s next-generation fighter jet, has begun its first flight tests carrying external missiles at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert.

The F-35 is the Pentagon’s costliest program going; the Defense Department has plans to buy 2,443 of the aircraft at a cost of $382 billion.

I’ve had friends who have won Sailor-of-the-Year and they received a fam flight on a jet, like an F-18 or an F-16. Guess I should shoot for Junior-Officer-of-the-Year (JOY) now. Of course, those jet jocks like to make their back-seaters puke. Nevermind, I guess I should not win the award. No joy for me.

Is there even a backseat variant? I suppose they could bungee me down topside, like some 4-point winter buck. Or maybe stuff me in the bomb bay? No thanks. I’ve done enough bombing in here, on corny posts. Not this one though. It’s been hilarious at this end. ¿Si?