F-35A Lightning II in Europe
The F-35 was designed as a network-centric combat aircraft, acting as a gateway in this regard, while also providing other network elements with an integrated tactical picture. This will increase the level of situational awareness of all elements of the network to a level equal to the situational awareness of the F-35 pilot.
On January 31, an official ceremony of signing a contract for the purchase of 32 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft for the Polish Air Force took place in Deblin. Thus, Poland joined the seven European countries that have already chosen the F-35 - Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, Italy and the UK. Taking this opportunity, it is worth presenting the progress and current state of the F-35A procurement programs in the above countries and the involvement of local companies in the implementation of production and maintenance programs for the global fleet of aircraft of this type.
The fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter, JSF) multipurpose combat aircraft program has been international from the very beginning. Three variants of the F-35 were developed to replace several types of aircraft used both in the US and in allied countries: F / A-18 Hornet, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-4 Phantom II, A-10 Thunderbolt II, Tornado , AMX and Harrier. Countries interested in acquiring the F-35 and meeting US safety requirements can participate in the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the JSF program. In exchange for a financial contribution, they could further participate in operational tests, and then in mass production, becoming the so-called. cooperation partners (Cooperative Program Partners, CPP).
Depending on the level of involvement of foreign partners, the CPPs were divided into three groups. The only Tier 1 partner (Tier 1 or Level 2004) is the UK, whose financial contribution by 2,056 amounted to $5,1 billion (then it was 2002% of the total cost of the SDD stage). Before 1,028, Italy ($2,5 billion; 800%) and the Netherlands ($2,0 million; 2%) also joined JSF as Tier/Tier 144 partners. Australia (0,4 million; 110%) , Denmark (0,3 million; 100%), Canada (0,2 million; 122%), Norway (0,3 million; 175%) and Turkey (0,4 million; 3%) became Tier 35 Partners. (Level / Level XNUMX). In turn, Israel and Singapore joined the JSF program as the so-called Security Cooperation Participants (SCP) - they were informed about the program, but did not directly participate in it. The remaining F-XNUMX buyers are treated as export customers.
Among the European countries of NATO, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Turkey (which, however, was excluded from the program in 35) and Italy, still expressed their desire to acquire the F-2019A aircraft with conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL), and the F-35B Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) to the UK and Italy (see Aviation International No. 8/2019). Other potential European buyers of the F-35 include Finland, Greece, Spain, Romania and Switzerland, but no binding decisions have yet been made on them.
The adoption of the F-35 aircraft means not only a rapid increase in the combat potential and operational capabilities of the Air Force, but also a fundamental change in training programs for personnel and procedures for maintaining, repairing and overhauling airframes, engines and avionics. Expensive investments are also required in the infrastructure of air bases, as well as in equipment and materials for ground handling of aircraft. A certain compensation for the costs incurred is the participation of local enterprises in programs for the production, maintenance and further modernization of aircraft (Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development, PSFD), designed for several decades. This brings measurable long-term economic benefits to countries that decide to buy the F-35, such as access to new technologies, jobs, budget revenues.
Belgium
Discussions on obtaining successors to the F-16 aircraft began in Belgium more than a decade ago, but it was not until March 17, 2017 that the government announced an official invitation to tender. The F-35A's competitors in the ACCaP (Air Combat Capability Program) were to be the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab JAS 39E/F Gripen. On April 19 of the same year, Boeing withdrew from the tender. The Swedes did the same on 10 July. In October, the Belgian government rejected the French proposal on a technicality. On January 19, 2018, the US State Department agreed to the possible sale of 34 F-35As to Belgium under the FMS (Foreign Military Sales) procedure.
The tender was supposed to be settled in June 2018, but it was postponed to October. Due to the huge costs, Brussels was considering other options, including offering again to France or upgrading existing F-16s. Finally, on October 25, 2018, it was decided to select the F-35A aircraft with Block 4 avionics software. Thus, Belgium became the thirteenth country to purchase the F-35. During a press conference, Belgian Defense Minister Stephen Vandeput announced that the American proposal was the best in each of the seven evaluation criteria, and that the F-35A was the best choice for our country in terms of finance, operation and industry.
It is expected that the cost of purchasing 34 F-35As, together with logistics and personnel training, by 3,8 years, the potential contract amount could be 4 billion euros). Deliveries are expected to begin in 2030 and continue until the end of the decade. Initial operational readiness (IOC) should be achieved in the middle of 6,53, and full operational readiness (FOC) - in January 2023. According to plans, the F-2027A will remain in the aviation component (Luchtcomponent; Composante Air; [Belgian] Air Component) of the Belgian Defense Forces (Defense; La Défense; [Belgian] Defense Forces) until at least 2029.
Many Belgian companies are participating in the F-35 program. The Dutch company Fokker Technologies ordered Asco Industries in Zaventem to produce damper fins. In March 2018, Gosselis-based Sonaca signed a contract with Lockheed Martin to manufacture individual F-35 structural elements. In turn, Ignition! (a joint venture between Sonaca and Sabena Aerospace) will handle logistics (operations management, spare parts distribution, ground equipment, aircraft repairs and equipment upgrades) and pilot and mechanic training. Under contract with the Pratt & Whitney Belgium Engine Center (BEC) in Liege, owned by the Norwegian company AIM Norway, he will participate in periodic inspections, repairs and overhauls of F135 engines. ILIAS Solutions will provide IT tools for fleet management, maintenance and procurement.
Denmark
Denmark expressed its desire to join the JSF program in 1997 and became a third level partner in 2002. In August 2005, the Danish government officially launched the procedure for acquiring new fighters (the Nyt Kampfly program) to replace the F-16s used in the Air Force (Flyvevåbnet; Royal Danish Air Force, RDAF). At that time, the purchase of 48 vehicles was considered. Among the candidates were Lockheed Martin F-35A, Saab JAS 39 Gripen and Eurofighter Typhoon. However, the French Rafale was absent as Dassault withdrew from the tender. In December 2007 the Eurofighter also withdrew from the competition, but in May 2008 Boeing joined with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The winning design was to be selected in 2009, but the tender was soon delayed by one year, and in March 2010 the entire program was put on hold for financial reasons.
On March 13, 2013, the Danes resumed the tender procedure, inviting all the same four companies to participate. This time it was about the purchase of 24-32 aircraft. Detailed requests were sent on April 10, 2014, and three bids were received by July 21 (Saab pulled out of the bid in the meantime). The decision on the choice of a specific type of aircraft was supposed to be made by the end of June 2015, but on May 27 it was postponed. In the end, it was only on May 12, 2016 that Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Defense Minister Peter Christensen announced that the government would recommend to parliament the purchase of 27 F-35As worth about US$3 billion (CZK 20 billion). On June 9, the government's decision was approved by opposition political parties. The contract for the production and supply of eight units for the LRIP 12 series was signed in 2018. Subsequently, two units will be ordered for the LRIP 13 series and four for the LRIP 14 series.
On January 16, 2019, assembly of the front fuselage of the first Danish F-35A (RDAF registration number L-001) began at the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth. The aircraft is expected to be completed later this year before being handed over to the RDAF for Luke AFB in Arizona next year. Danish pilots will be trained by the 308th Fighter Squadron "Emerald Knights" of the 56th Fighter Wing of the US Air Force. According to the plan, the delivery of F-35A aircraft will last until 2026. Initial Operational Readiness (IOC) is to be achieved in 2025 and Full Operational Readiness (FOC) in 2027.
The Danish company Terma has been producing structural elements and equipment for all three modifications of the F-35 for many years, incl. underwing air-to-ground weapons pylons, GAU-22/A cannon ventral container for F-35B and F-35C versions, composite leading edges of the horizontal tail, composite panels covering the middle part of the fuselage and horizontal and vertical tail, AN radar components /APG-81 and AN/AAQ-37 (Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System, EO DAS) warning systems. The Multicut company produces duralumin brackets and holders for mountings and fittings for the airframe and the F135 engine. The Danish Avionics Test Center (ATCD; a joint venture between Termy and Scandinavian Avionics) will maintain, repair and upgrade the avionics components of the Danish F-35A.
The Netherlands
At the turn of the 16th and 16th centuries, during the implementation of the program to upgrade the F-35A / B fighters to the F-5AM / BM standard, the Dutch began to consider the possibility of acquiring their successors. The F-2002 aircraft was considered the most promising, so on June 15, 2006, the Netherlands joined the SDD phase of the JSF program, and on November 30, 2008, they signed an agreement to also participate in the PSFD phase. On 2 May 2009, the Dutch Parliament agreed to fund the participation of the Royal Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht, KLu; Royal Netherlands Air Force, RNLAF) in Initial Operational Testing (IOT&E). For their needs, on June 35, 01, the first F-001A (AN-19; RNLAF F-2010) was purchased, and on November 02, 002, the second (AN-3 / F-4). The aircraft were produced as part of the LRIP (Low-Rate Initial Production) series 1 and 2012. The first copy was rolled out on April 2, 2013, the second on March 6, 2012. They were tested on August 27, 2013 and June 25, 12, respectively. were purchased by the RNLAF on July 2013 and September 35, XNUMX and became the first F-XNUMXAs delivered to a foreign user.
