Incremental development of the Joint Strike Fighter's (JSF) capabilities is being considered as a way to reduce cost. The move could avoid budget problems later in the programme.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin are designing their JSFs to provide the full capability specified by the operational requirements agreed by the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and UK Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.
Industry officials say studies are under way to identify requirements that are cost and schedule drivers, and to determine whether time and money can be saved by deferring development of those capabilities until after an initial standard of JSF has been fielded.
One option, suggests Lockheed Martin JSF programme manager Frank Cappuccio, might be to develop a baseline air-to-ground aircraft then add air-to-air and other required capabilities later.
"Evolutionary acquisition", as it is called, would hold down development costs and help placate critics who argue that the USA cannot afford to develop the JSF at the same time as it is procuring the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin/BoeingF-22 Raptor.
Boeing JSF programme manager Frank Statkus says the concept is similar to the multistage improvement programmes that expanded the capabilities of the Boeing F-15 and Lockheed Martin F-16 after they entered service, but would be planned into the development effort from the outset.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin believe their JSF designs are fully compliant with the latest set of operational requirements, which incorporated a variety of changes. G capability was raised from 8.5 to 9, and range was increased to over 1,100km (600nm) for the USAF version and beyond 1,500km for the USN JSF.
Neither manufacturer anticipates the need for a further iteration of their designs.Capuccio says Lockheed Martin intends instead to refine its current 230-5 configuration, while Statkus does not anticipate changes to Boeing's current 374 design.
Source: Flight International
