Issue 282: A New Gap?

Further JSF delays puts classic Hornet life of type at risk

The RAAF’s air combat transition plan from the classic F/A-18A/B Hornet to the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter is potentially in tatters following the March 15 revelation that the USAF might not declare Initial Operating Capability (IOC) of their F-35A JSF until 2018.

Testifying before the US House Armed Services Committee (HASC), Lt Gen Shackelford from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force stated that, following last year’s technical baseline Review (TBR) of the program by new JSF Program Office (JPO) head, Vice Admiral David Venlet, the USAF was reassessing its previous plan to declare IOC in 2016.
“We are currently analysing the impacts to program delivery timelines due to the most recent program restructure, and the results of this analysis will be available later this year,” he told the HASC. “When this analysis is complete, the Air Force will re-evaluate our IOC estimate, but we currently expect up to a two year delay. We will declare IOC for our F-35As based on achieving the required ORD (Operational Requirements Document)-compliant capability and capacity criteria, and not on a specific date.”

Current Plan

Prior to the TBR, the USAF had said in mid 2010 that it expected to be able to “meet the specific capability and capacity criteria required for F-35A IOC” in 2016.