Block 3F software aids
F-35 weapons test
22 AUGUST, 2016 - BY: LEIGH
GIANGRECO - WASHINGTON DC
With the aide of its new Block 3F software,
the Lockheed Martin F-35 recently completed twelve weapons delivery accuracy
and 13 weapon separation events during a month-long weapon test on the US West
Coast.
During Block 2 software testing
on the F-35, the service accomplished three weapons delivery accuracy tests in
one month. The recent tests employed 30 different weapons including the Boeing
Joint Direct Attack Munition, Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM, Boeing GPS-guided Small
Diameter Bomb and Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder, according to a 22 August Lockheed
press release.
“The WDAs rely on the full
capability of the F-35 — multiple sensors, navigation, weapons envelope,
mission planning, data links and inter-agency range scheduling — all working in
sequence to put steel on target,” Lt Gen Chris Bogdan, F-35 programme executive
officer says in the release.
Although the US Marine Corps
declared initial operational capability for the F-35 in July 2015 and the US
Air Force declared IOC for the F-35 on 2 August, many of the aircraft’s more
advanced capabilities will not become ready until software Blocks 3F and 4 are
available in 2018 and 2021, respectively. With its current Block 3I software,
the F-35A is limited to 7g manoeuvres, rather than the 9g loads it is expected
to handle with Block 3F.
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