With its System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase well under way, the JSF programme is accelerating.
Lockheed Martin has announced that it expects to begin negotiations with Australia on 12 August. Australia has announced its intention to join the SDD phase at a cost of $300 million to fulfil its AIR6000 requirement.
A preliminary design review is expected in mid-2003, with the critical design review following in mid-2004.
Although the aircraft is already flying in demonstrator form, the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) aircraft will fly during 2006 and 2007, with the conventional take-off and landing aircraft flying first, followed by the STOVL version and then by the carrier-capable variant.
Capability
Development and flight test will follow a ‘blocked' approach, with the Block One version having only a basic warfighting capability, in the interdiction and limited air-to-air roles with JDAM and AMRAAM as its only weapons. This phase will stretch from 2003 until 2009.
The Block Two standard will add further weapons and will have the additional roles of close air support and destruction of enemy air defences.
The Block Two configuration will be broadly representative of the full-up US military configuration, and will be achieved mainly through a revised software load, making the upgrade of Block One aircraft simple, cheap and quick.
Block Three will represent the full NATO-compatible standard, and will fly all JSF missions, using all key weapons. Block Three development will take place between 2006 and 2012.
Source: Flight Daily News
