T
HE ACTING US Defense
Secretary announced on
June 7 that F-35A training
for Turkish personnel would
end at Eglin AFB, Florida
and Luke AFB, Arizona
and 42 pilots and maintainers would
need to leave the country by July 31.
The announcement came as part of a
proposal to end Turkish participation
in the Joint Strike Fighter program
following its refusal to end plans to
procuring S-400 Triumf air defense
systems from Russia.
The initial plans would have allowed
18 pilots to complete their training
in June, however, security concerns
spurred the commander of Luke’s
56th Fighter Wing to pause all training
for the Turkish pilots. It was decided
that there was no such concern with
Turkish maintenance personnel,who were permitted to complete
their training at Eglin. The F-35 Joint
Program O ce was also working to
end Turkey’s industrial participation in
the program. As a result, Turkey would
‘receive no new workshare in the F-
program. Its current workshare will be
transitioned to alternate sources as
they are quali ed and come into rate
production,’ according to the secretary,
however, Lockheed Martin o cials at
the Paris Air Show in June said that no
contracts had changed thus far.
Turkish companies produce 937
components for the F-35 including
around 400 that are sole-sourced.
The components include the aircraft’s
center fuselage, other airframe
structures, composite skins, landing
gear doors, weapon bay doors,
and air inlets, electrical wiring and
interconnection system, plus engineGROUNDED
TURKISH F-35A PROGRAM ON THE BRINK
components. Turkish plans had
included the purchase of 100 F-35As
and the establishment of a regional
overhaul center for the ghter’s F
engines in Turkey.
In the background, the Polish
government has formally requested
pricing for 32 F-35As under the US
Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
F-35s would replace the Polish Air
Force’s eet of 31 Russian-built MiG-
ghters as well as 18 Su-22 strike
aircraft. The US government hopes to
fast-track the purchase and could sign
a Letter of O er and Acceptance by
the end of 2019.
Lockheed Martin delivered the
400th F-35 on May 24 when the 388th
Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, Utah, received
the USAF’s 283rd F-35A. The US Marine
Corps has 87 F-35Bs and the US Navy
30 F-35Cs. Worldwide, more than 800
pilots and over 7,500 maintainers
have been certi ed to operate and
maintain the ghter. Lighting IIs
are currently being operated by 10
nations from 17 bases worldwide. The
contractor expects to deliver 131 F-35s
during 2019, which is a 40 per cent
increase on 2018.EUROFIGHTER
ANNOUNCES
LONG-TERM
EVOLUTION
PLAN
EUROFIGHTER HAS SECURED an
initial €53-million contract for a
19-month Long Term Evolution
study for the Typhoon. Announced
at the Paris Air Show on June 19,
Euro ghter says the study surrounds
enhanced engine performance, a
new large-area cockpit display and
new mission system architecture
with high-speed data networks and
enhanced target data management.
Much of the work will also
surround the aircraft’s already
impressive electronic warfare system
and enhanced use of mission data
across platforms and the ability to
re-program systems in ight — part
of what Leonardo vice president of
integrated missile solutions Mark
Hewer referred to as ‘digital stealth’.Marines F-35C
First aircraft for VMFA-314 ‘Black
Knights’. See US News
Gripen latest
Finland o er expanded with
GlobalEye. See World NewsALSO THIS MONTH...
VALKYRIE FLIES AGAIN
The XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator carried out its second fl ight at the
US Army’s Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona, on June 11. Developed by
the Air Force Research Laboratory and Kratos Defense and Security
Solutions, the low-cost demonstrator is being developed as part of
the Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) program, which is
intended to break the ‘escalating cost trajectory of tactically relevant
aircraft’. USAF 586 FLTS/2ndLt Randolph AbayaEmbraer says discussions with
potential customers for the
P600 AEW are already under
way. Embraer‘GHOST’ AGGRESSOR
The US Air Force’s 64th Aggressor Squadron (AGRS) has unveiled its
new F-16C scheme, known as the ‘Ghost’. The aircraft (serial 84-220)
took to the air for the fi rst time in its new colors on May 23. The design
was chosen by a clever public poll held by Brig Gen Rob Novotny, the
57th Wing commander, on his social media account to add a new look
to the 64th AGRS. The scheme is based on one of the digital camoufl age
schemes worn by a Russian Su-57 ‘Frazor’. USAF/SSgt Tabatha McCarthyHEADLINES [NEWS]
http://www.combataircraft.net // August 2019 07
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