Flash: Lockheed Martin X-35 Wins JSF Competition!
Official Lockheed Martin JSF Program Website
Boeing Charman and CEO Phil Condit's response

Landen's Joint Strike Fighter Page

AVIATION TOP 100 - www.avitop.com

Boeing X-32 and Lockheed Martin X-35
L-R: Boeing X-32 and Lockheed Martin X-35
(click on photo for high-resolution view)


The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is the U.S. military's fifth-generation fighter aircraft, designed to replace the Air Force's A-10 and F-16 aircraft, the Marines' F/A-18A/D Hornet and AV-8B Harrier, The Navy's A-6 Intruder and F/A-18A/D Hornet, and the British Royal Navy's Sea Harriers and GR7s.

The JSF program emphasizes low cost and efficiency. The JSF will cost little more than the present-day F-16, even though it represents at least a 30% improvement in areas such as range, payload, maintenance, and stealth.

Three versions of the JSF will be built:

Two companies are competing to produce the JSF. Boeing's entry is the X-32 (Landen's favorite, pictured above). Lockheed's entry is the X-35 (seen on the background of this page), which bears an intentional resemblance to Lockheed's F-22 Raptor.

The winning company will begin production and development of the JSF in 2001, and the aircraft should enter operational service in 2008. Almost 3000 aircraft are expected to be ordered by the U.S. military, and another 60 by the British Royal Navy.

All JSF variants will have a high degree of commonality but will also have unique technology and the capability to meet their specific requirements. For example, here are the requirements for the Boeing JSF variants:

BOEING JSF REQUIREMENTS
CTOL (Conventional Takeoff and Landing) version for the US Air Force 
Length 45 feet
Wingspan, no wing folds 36 feet
Unit flyaway cost $28M
Empty weight Mid 22,000 pounds
Maximum takeoff weight 50,000 pounds
Internal fuel 15,000 pounds
Payload more than 13,000 pounds
Combat radius more than 600 nautical miles 
STOVL (Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing) version for the US Marine Corps and the UK Royal Navy 
Length 45 feet
Wingspan 30 feet
Unit flyaway cost $35M
Empty weight mid 24,000 pounds
Maximum takeoff weight 50,000 pounds
Internal fuel 15,000 pounds
Payload more than 13,000 pounds payload
Combat radius more than 600 nautical miles
Carrier-based version for the US Navy 
Length 45 feet
Wingspan, no wing folds 36 feet
Unit flyaway cost $38M
Empty weight mid 24,000 pounds
Maximum takeoff weight 50,000 pounds
Internal fuel 16,000 pounds
Payload 17,000 pounds
Combat radius more than 600 nautical miles

The JSF will serve as the Air Force's "low-end" complement to the F-22 Raptor. The F-22 will of course be replacing the USAF's aging F-15 fleet, which first entered service in 1975. Then-Air Force acquisition executive Arthur L. Money told Congress in 1998, "The F-22 is the force enabler; the JSF is the force."

The Marine (STOVL) version will be the most demanding to build. It will have to operate vertically, fly at supersonic speeds, and be able to carry a significant weapon payload. Never before has one aircraft performed all those functions.

The Navy version of the JSF will serve as their "high-end" weapons system, complementing the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet which is currently in production.

The JSF will have a single engine. The Navy wanted the JSF to be a twin-engine aircraft, to prevent single engine failure from causing an over-water disaster. However, years of flight data showed that today's single-engine jets have safety records which compare favorably to older twin-engine aircraft such as the F-14 Tomcat.

JSF Links

Official JSF Page
Lockheed Martin X-35 Page
Boeing X-32 Page
Northrop Grumman JSF page
[ USAF ] [ USN ] [ USMC ] [ Int'l ]
British Aerospace JSF Page
Air Force Association magazine article
Air Force Technology JSF article
Boeing JSF X-32 First Flight
RealMedia video (18 Sep 2000)
28.8k | 56k | 200k
(Courtesy of Boeing)
Lockheed Martin X-35 First Flight
(24 Oct 2000)
QT (25.8MB) | AVI (50.4MB) | MPG (60.5MB)
(Courtesy of Lockheed Martin)
JSF Programme Data
from Jane's All the World's Aircraft
 

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