F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program: UK Update

Rafale-M carrier launch
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DID has been watching Britain's participation in the F-35 JSF program rather closely for the past few months. The UK is the only Tier 1 partner aside from the USA, and with other participants wobbling and EU-related political pressures trying to pry members away, Britain's ongoing participation matters a great deal to the program. As such, the escalating kerfuffle around technology transfer restrictions, F136 engine program cancellations and side steps, and escalating rumbles of discontent in Parliament have wider significance. At present, Britain is slated to buy 150 F-35B STOVL (Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing) fighters for use by the Royal Navy on its carriers et. al., complementing the RAF's Eurofighters and possibly an upgraded set of Tornado GR4 strike fighters to form its fighter fleet from 2015-2030.

DID has noted the formal cooperation between Britain and France on their next-generation CVF/PA2 carriers, and quietly added the recent formal signing of that accord to our main CVF anchor post as we keep track of developments. While negotiating that agreement in late January on Britain's desired terms, however, Britain had another agreement offered - and promised to give it due consideration.

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P&W;, Rolls Royce Define Cooperation on F135 Jet Engine

F-35B: lift fan open
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On January 6, 2006, DID noted the proposed changes in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program that were coming in the Pentagon's FY 2007 budget request. One of those cuts was to the F-35's engine choice program, which DID described in depth when the contenders were issued $3.43 billion in contracts in August 2005. The General Electric/Rolls Royce F136 would be cancelled, and the entire contract (and implicitly, future spares and maintenance) awarded to Pratt & Whitney's F135, currently powering the F-35 JSF test fleet.

Given Britain's $2 billion participation as the only other Tier 1 partner with the USA, the implied snub to Britain was not taken well. Engine choice programs have worked well for the F-16 and F-15 fighters, and Congress may yet decide to restore this competitive aspect of the program in order to keep future costs in line. If not, however, Pratt & Whitney has moved to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Rolls Royce to define their future collaboration on the F135 engine, which may also help them take some of the steam out of British lobbying efforts to reinstate engine choice. This remains to be seen, of course.

At the same time, testing has resumed on the GE/RR F136 under the $2.4B System Design and Demonstration contract that was awarded in August of 2005.

TiN Coating Trialed to Keep British Lynx Helicopters Airborne in the Sandbox

Lynx, landing
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A trial programme run by Britain's Defence Logistic Organisation's Helicopter Engines Integrated Project Team (HEIPT) is trying to reduce sand erosion to the Lynx helicopter Gem engine Low Pressure (LP) compressor blades. Iraq's and Afghanistan's environments cause significant erosion, forcing replacement with new blades, extra overhaul costs and lower availability stats. Attaching sand filters to the engines has helped, but not solved the problem.

The titanium nitride coating comprises both hard layers for surface protection and soft layers that have elastic properties to encourage particles to bounce off without penetrating; it also provides limited protection against Foreign Object Damage. The coating has an impressive provenance acquired during use on Russian helicopter engines, and in further separate testing in the United States, which uses it on the US Marines' CH-46E Sea Knights. The test project follows extensive research into the effects of sand erosion undertaken in conjunction with engine designer Rolls Royce, and includes experts from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) who will advise and independently assess all aspects of the project. If the trial goes well and the new coating performs as well as expected, MoD will consider whether to roll it out to the rest of the Lynx fleet. See full release for further information and statistics.

BAE's Upcoming GBP 400M Deal to Support UK's Harrier fleet

GR7 Harrier II
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DID has covered the performance of Britain's Harrier IIs before, and also Britain's procurement trend toward "Future Contracting for Availability," i.e. all-encompassing, performance-based lifecycle maintenance contracts. Now Flight International reports that BAE Systems is to receive a GBP 400 million ($706 million at current conversion) availability-based contract to provide support for the UK's Harrier II GR9/9A (most advanced AV-8B counterpart) until the type leaves service around 2018.

The Joint Availability Support Solution (JASS) deal will apparently be agreed with prime contractor BAE by May 2007, following the completion of an assessment phase launched in July 2005. The contract will reportedly have BAE oversee the in-service support of "repairable avionics, structures, general systems components and consumable articles" for the 60-aircraft GR9/9A fleet, while Rolls-Royce will receive a contract to support the Harriers' Pegasus engines. See Flight International for further details.

UK Defence Committee Continues Questions RE: CVF, F-35 (updated)

CVF Alliance Design
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DID has put together a focus briefing on the British CVF future carrier program, and covered both its growing ITAR-related quarrel with the USA and the potential for a British pullout from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program. From the UK House of Commons Defence Committee release:

"Providing the Navy with the 'carrier strike' capability is expected to cost some GBP 31 billion (whole life costs), including some GBP 12 billion of procurement costs. The key programmes are the two new aircraft carriers and up to 150 new carrier borne aircraft - the Joint Strike Fighter [DID: F-35B STOVL]. It is possible that neither the carriers nor the aircraft will be delivered on time, or, crucially, at the same time, and the Committee says MoD and the Royal Navy must make plans for bridging any gap that may emerge....

On the aircraft, the programme is being led by the US. It has experienced problems which must be monitored closely. The Committee is concerned that the UK should get all the information and access to technology from the US that it requires to have 'sovereign capability' - the ability to maintain the JSF aircraft and undertake future upgrades independently. If not, the UK might need to look at other aircraft to operate from the carriers...."

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Reports: Cuts on the way to F-35 JSF R&D;, Engine Programs

From Top: F-35A, C, B
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InsideDefense.com reports that US House & Senate conferees agreed to a final version of an FY 2006 defense spending bill that reduces the multinational F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program's funding request by $200 million, including $108 million in cuts to research, development, testing and engineering (RDT&E) funding. The US Air Force had asked for $2.6 billion, including $200 million to fund long-lead items for the purchase of five aircraft in FY 2007. The House spending bill had fully funded the $2.4 billion RDT&E request, but the Senate plan would have cut that by $270 million.

In the end, the result was closer to the Senate's plan, and $30 million was also cut from the long-lead items budget. As DID reports below, the F-35's dual-engine program may also be in question, a development that could have far-reaching ramifications for the JSF program. The contemplated cuts may even have ramifications for the USA's F-22 Raptor program.

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$113M in US and International E-2 Related Contracts

Japanese E-2C
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The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD has recently issued several contract modifications and delivery orders related to the E-2 Hawkeye carrier-capable airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft. AWACS aircraft have long-range radars that can scan 360 degrees, identifying threats, passing on communications, and coordinating defensive or offensive responses. The Hawkeye's AN/APS-145 radar, for example, is capable of tracking more than 2,000 targets and controlling the interception of 40 hostile targets at ranges over 550 km/350 miles.

The contracts total $113 million, and include both US and international orders:

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NAVAIR Issues V-22 Osprey Contracts Worth $1.17B

V-22 Osprey

The USA's Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD has issued a series of contracts over the last week or so related to the twin-engine V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft. The V-22 Osprey remains controversial given its $100 million per plane cost, and performance questions over the course of the program. Cuts may also be forthcoming in 2007.

These contracts cover both the US Marines' planned MV-22 machines which are approved for full-rate production, and Special Operations Command's CV-22 which is still being modified and has yet to enter Operational Evaluation (OpEval). The total value of these six contracts, options, and delivery orders is approximately $1.17 billion.

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Eurofighter Flies Off With $10B Saudi Contract

RAF Eurofighter
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Back in 2005, DID reported that talks were underway for a Saudi purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from Britain's BAE Systems - with an important (albeit denied) set of conditions on the Saudi side. Readers are urged to pay attention to the conditions reported by The Guardian newspaper, however, because it has now been confirmed that Saudi Arabia has ordered Eurofighter Typhoons, ostensibly to replace many of its Tornado aircraft. BAE has provided Tornado planes to Saudi Arabia since 1985.

The Financial Times reports from its sources that the agreement is understood to be for 48 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, with an option for a further 24 (total: 72). While both BAE and the UK Ministry of Defence were keeping mum about the precise number of Eurofighters, the BBC added that the deal is rumored to be worth more than GBP 6 billion ($10.6 billion). Britain's Independent newspaper added more specifics, calling the deal the third phase of the Al-Yamamah oil-for-planes arrangement:

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GBP 315M Tornado Maintenance Contracts Pave Way for "Future Contracting for Availability"

Tornado GR4s
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The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded an innovative GBP 130 million contract ($230.5 million) to BAE Systems for Combined Maintenance and Upgrade work on the Royal Air Force's Fleet of 139 Tornado GR4 strike aircraft (the UK also operates the Tornado F3 interceptor variant). Another GBP 185 million ($330 million) agreement has been signed with Rolls Royce for the Tornado fleet's Turbounion RB199 turbofan engines.

As discussed in DID's focus piece on the UK's CVF future aircraft carrier, The UK MoD's "Future Contracting for Availability" orientation represents a long term trend toward all-encompassing lifecycle maintenance contracts that is slowly being rolled out across its equipment fleet. These contracts are another step in that direction. Details follow...

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