Page 59 - Australian Defence Magazine November 2021

NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
AIRPOWER 59
DURING the recent Australia-US Talisman Sabre 21 exer- cise, an RAAF F-35A flying an acceptance flight in the US successfully used its Multi-Function Advanced Data Link (MADL) in conjunction with a Virtual Aegis Weapon Sys- tem (VAWS) to share real-time sensor data with ADF ele- ments engaged in the exercise.
The demonstration was designed to highlight the F-35’s capabilities in support of joint all-domain warfare aspira- tions represented in the US Pacific Defence Initiative and improve interoperability between the US forces and allies such as Australia.
Meanwhile, the RAAF now has 41 of its 72 F-35A Light- ning IIs in service at Williamtown, representing the larg- est fleet outside the US at the present time. Despite the restrictions on travel imposed by COVID-19, Defence says the program remains on track to achieve FOC on schedule by the end of 2023.
Already the second of the RAAF’s three operational F- 35A fighter squadrons is working up on their new jets and the third - and the only squadron to be based outside Wil- liamtown - will receive its first aircraft at Tindal by the end of the year. In addition, the first Australian F-35 op- erational conversion course was successfully completed in July, representing the completion of the process to migrate F-35 pilot and maintenance personnel from the US.
F-35 ENTERPRISE WRIT LARGE
Looking at the wider F-35 program, Lockheed Martin has recently delivered its 700th production aircraft from its Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facilities in Fort Worth Texas, Cameri in Italy and at Nagoya in Japan.
According to Lockheed Martin data, F-35s are operating from 21 different air bases around the world, in excess of 1,460 pilots and 11,025 maintenance personnel have been trained, and the global fleet has now surpassed 430,000 flight hours. Of the total flying time, the 41 Australian F- 35As have contributed around 12,000 flying hours.
The F-35 has also achieved further sales success in re- cent months, with Switzerland selecting the F-35A in June as its next fighter aircraft, with a proposed order for 36 jets to replace its ageing F/A-18A/B Hornets. A little further back in time, the US State Department approved the sale of up to 12 F-35B Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variants to Singapore in January 2020 and Lock- heed Martin has several actives sales campaigns under- way, including in Finland, where Helsinki is expected to make a decision on its own F/A-18C/D Hornet replacement program in the near term.
The F-35 has attracted a great deal of criticism from op- erators for its high unit purchase price and unacceptably high sustainment costs, but Lockheed Martin’s Director of
LEFT: An F-35A Lightning II in the ordnance loading area at RAAF Base Darwin, during Exercise Rogue Ambush
ABOVE LEFT: A Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft, off the coast of Newcastle, New South Wales
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