X-35 in Hover

MILNET: Joint Strike Fighter

Joint Strike Fighter Homepage   ||  Lockheed X-35 JST Homepage

The Joint Strike Fighter was defined as a multi-role aircraft and as a first in many decades, a jointly used combat aircraft used by multiple U.S. military services. While the technology necessary is in hand, it is never-the-less, an ambitious project.

The idea is to build a supersonic aircraft that can fight in the air as well as deliver munitions to ground targets, either by bombing, slung rocket powered munitions (Maverick, canister munitions, etc.) or by gun.

The aircraft will also be have two other common variants (70% is the figure of common parts between these variants); one for ST/VSTOL like the AV-8B Harrier ; and one used for carrier takeoff and landing like standard carrier based Navy aircraft in operation today.

Obviously the common parts allows the services to order parts together and get reduction in overall per unit costs due to the combined volume purchased together.

Moreover, there is supposition that common parts also allow the services to provide critical parts among the services during combat situations. It is not clear however if the actual supply organizations between the services have fully implented joint supply channels. However, delivery and operational capability of this aircraft may inspire full implementation of cross service supply chains.

There are currently two versions of the aircraft under development, the Pentagon choosing to allow design concept aircraft prior to actual flyoff prototypes -- a stage which will follow testing of concept aircraft.

The aircraft concepts have been delivered and are in testing today. The manufacturers are Boeing (X-32) and Lockheed (X-35). Later flyoff prototypes will be designated with YF similar to the YF-22 and YF-23 flyoff prototypes of the Advanced Tactical Fighter known today as the F-22 Rapier.

After the two competing designs pass the concept demonstration tests, testing for basic requirements for the aifcraft type (basic airmanship, supersonic flight specific service demonstration such as carrier landing, Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL), bombing, release of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles), the aircraft will enter the EMD (Engineering and Manufacturing Development) phase.

During that phase the joint team will assess the performance envelope in all areas of aircraft design to deterime which of the designs is better equipped for the missions required in seven areas; avionics, flight systems, manufacturing and producibility, propulsion, structures and materials, supportability, and weapons.

X-32 in Hover