Latest news with #F-35JointProgramOffice
India.com
18-07-2025
- India.com
Bad news for Russia, China, Iran as US' F-35 fighter jet becomes more lethal due to..., nuclear weapon...
New Delhi: America's F-35 fighter plane has got a new lethal capability. With this, F-35 will now be able to attack its enemies even more lethally. This fighter plane was already a big threat to America's rivals and big military powers like China and Russia. In such a situation, now this fighter plane has become more powerful as it got new lethal capability. What is the new weapon F-35 is equipped with? American F-35 has been equipped with a new weapon. This has increased the lethal capability of F-35 manifold and now in case of a conflict, the F-35 would prove to be more dangerous for China and Russia. The F-35A Lightning II has now received certification to carry the B61-12 nuclear bomb. According to the F-35 Joint Program Office, it is the first stealth fighter capable of carrying nuclear weapons, giving the US and NATO a new dual-role fighter jet. What is B61-12 nuclear bomb? The B61-12 is a modern nuclear gravity bomb. It will replace the older B61 variants. This bomb can be fired anywhere from the F-35A fighter aircraft. This bomb is designed for both tactical and strategic missions. This bomb has four different capacity settings, including a low-capacity option for use in the battlefield. What are features of F-35 jet? The F-35 is equipped with stealth technology and state-of-the-art sensors that help it to avoid radar. Due to this, enemy's radars are unable to detect the F-35 fighter aircraft. Its advanced sensor fusion system combines data obtained from multiple sensors, giving pilots a complete view of the battlefield. This technology helps the F-35 to strike targets without seeing them. The F-35 can fire both nuclear and conventional weapons with high accuracy. Its targeting systems, including electro-optical targeting systems and advanced radars help to accurately strike high-value enemy targets. This jet can also share targeting data with other aircraft and units. Why is F-35 called a multirole fighter jet? The F-35 is called a multirole fighter jet as it can switch between conventional and nuclear missions. This power is important for NATO and allied air forces, as it allows an aircraft to perform a wide range of tasks, from air defense to strategic deterrence. Countries such as Germany, Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom are buying the F-35A to join NATO's nuclear mission. The F-35's new role is being considered an important part of NATO's defense plans, as it replaces older jets in the nuclear sharing programme. The F-35's ability to carry nuclear bombs, combined with its stealth and advanced sensors, sets a new standard for combat aircraft and its dual-role capability could shape the future of aerial warfare and nuclear deterrence.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Air Force F-35A ‘Frankenjet' returns to the skies
An F-35A Lightning II fighter jet comprised of parts from two separate F-35A jets is returning to full service after a years-long repair, according to the F-35 Joint Program Office. The office concocted the 'Frankenjet' — which features the nose of the AF-27 grafted onto the AF-211 — to maximize taxpayer dollars and resurrect an extra operational aircraft, a release from the office said. 'The scope and complexity of this project was an exemplary demonstration of overcoming barriers and achieving a greater tier of major aircraft repair capability for an advanced tactical fighter,' said Tomas Barber, an F-35 Joint Program Office major mishap repair team engineer, in the release. The tinkering began in 2022 when the F-35 Joint Program Office collaborated with Lockheed Martin and the 388th Fighter Wing Maintenance Group to salvage two damaged jets. The AF-27 experienced an engine fire in 2014 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, while the AF-211 had a nose landing gear malfunction in 2020. F-35s to get new capabilities with summer software update Altogether, restoration took over two years and cost $11.7 million, nearly $3 million less than the expected amount. The rejiggering of parts saved the Defense Department $63 million, according to the release. The 'Frankenjet' flew out of Hill Air Force Base, Utah, for the first time on Jan. 24 on a trip to Lockheed Martin's facility in Fort Worth, Texas, where it underwent final maintenance. It officially returned to full service on March 26 and is currently assigned to the 4th Fighter Generation Squadron, 388th Fighter Wing. 'A testament to the process developed here is that the rebuilt aircraft's first flight was flown to the edges of the performance envelope, and it performed like it was fresh from the initial production line,' said Jeffrey Jensen, the F-35A variant lead. Hill Air Force Base, where the jet's rejuvenation process took place, has become a body shop for mangled jets, using the parts to train airmen and, when possible, giving the jets a second life through repairs. In 2020, mechanics at Hill reattached the wings of a damaged F-35A Lightning II — a feat completed with little precedent to rely on — and used its fuselage to train F-35 crew chiefs and maintainers in repairing combat damage, Military Times previously reported.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Air Force ‘Frankensteins' Two Wrecked Aircraft Into Working F-35
More than a year ago, the U.S. Air Force took on the unique task of taking two wrecked aircraft and Frankensteining them together into one operational F-35A Lightning II. Now, after a whole lot of weird science, it's alive! In late 2023, the F-35 Joint Program Office assembled a 'dream team' consisting of the 388th Fighter Wing, the Ogden Air Logistics Complex and Lockheed Martin. The mission: rebuild an AF-211 that lost its nose cone in 2021 using the front end of an F-35 that suffered a severe engine fire in 2014. The endeavor was affectionately called the 'Franken-bird' project. Most Read on IEN: South Carolina Law Would Prevent Purchases from In-State Auto Plant Small 3D-Printed Piece Could Save Air Force Millions in Fuel Costs Honeywell, One of the Few Remaining U.S. Industrial Conglomerates, Will Split into Three Companies PODCAST: Master Lock Leaves; GM's Quick Caddy; Bridgestone Plant Closes Scott Taylor, a lead mechanical engineer at Lockheed Martin, said his team was already looking into feasibility since it has already pulled off a restoration project on an F-22 with significant damage. But this was the first time trying something like this with an F-35. 'All of the aircraft sections can be de-mated and re-mated theoretically, but it's just never been done before,' Taylor told the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 'This is the first F-35 'Franken-bird' to date. This is history.' The work involved re-installing landing gear, rewiring the aircraft, rebuilding the cockpit, and installing several components that don't often pop up in flight line maintenance shops. It involved completing several tasks that had never occurred at the field level, resulting in valuable updates to the technical data used by all F-35 maintainers. On top of all that new proficiency, the project is estimated to have cost under $6 million dollars, way less than the typical $80 million shelled out for a new F-35A. After completing a successful functional flight, the 'Franken-bird' is off to Texas for final certifications before returning to service. Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news.
