F-35 Lightning II completes SDD

The F-35 programme completed the final developmental flight test as part of its System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase on April 11.
Lockheed Martin, which describes the flight test programme the “most comprehensive in aviation history”, concluded SDD with a sortie by US Navy F-35C CF-2 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

The jet flew a mission to collect loads data while carrying external stores. “Completing F-35 SDD flight test is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication from the joint government and industry team,” said VADM Mat Winter, F-35 Program Executive Officer.  “Since the first flight of AA-1 in 2006, the developmental flight test programme has operated for more than 11 years mishap-free, conducting more than 9,200 sorties, accumulating over 17,000 flight hours, and executing more than 65,000 test points to verify the design, durability, software, sensors, weapons capability and performance for all three F-35 variants.”

Test pilot Peter Wilson conducts the fi nal SDD test fl ight in F-35C CF-2 on April 11.  The F-35C completed a mission to collect loads data while carrying external 2,000lb GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles. 

Work completed by F-35 test teams cleared the way for the Lightning II’s Block 3F software capability to be delivered to operational US Air Force units.  The test team conducted six at-sea detachments and performed more than 1,500 vertical landing tests on the F-35B.  The developmental flight test team completed 183 weapons separation tests, 46 weapons delivery accuracy tests and 33 mission effectiveness tests, which included a ‘capstone’ multi-ship mission of eight F-35s in a large-force exercise last October.

The SDD phase will formally be completed following Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) and a Department of Defense decision to launch full-rate production.  IOT&E is scheduled to begin in September.  Meanwhile, F-35 flight testing continues in support of the Joint Program Office’s Continuous Capability Development and Delivery (C2D2) improvement programme. In related news, the US Department of Defense recently stopped accepting most F-35 deliveries.

Source: Air Forces Monthly (AFM)