U.S NAVY SEAL F-35C LIGHTNING AIRCRAFT SYSTEM BOMBER PROGRAM

Navy Carrier-Suitable Version (F-35C)

The Navy is procuring the F-35C, a carrier-suitable CTOL version of the aircraft. The F-35C is also known as the “CV” version of the F-35, as CV is the naval designation for aircraft carrier. The Navy in the future plans to operate carrier air wings featuring a strike fighter combination of F/A-18E/Fs (which the Navy has been procuring since FY1997) and F-35Cs. The F/A-18E/F is generally considered a fourth-generation strike-fighter. (Some F/A-18E/F supporters argue that it is a “fourth-plus” or “4.5”generation strike fighter because it incorporates some fifth-generation technology, particularly in its sensors.) In contrast to the Air Force, which has operated stealthy bombers and fighters for years, the F-35C is to be the Navy’s first considerably stealthy aircraft.

The F/A-18E/F incorporates a few stealth features, but the F-35C is stealthier. The F/A-18E/F is less expensive to procure than the F-35C. The Department of the Navy states that:

The F-35C carrier variant (CV) complements the F/A-18E/F Block II and EA-18G in providing survivable, long-range strike capability and persistence over the battlefield. The F-35 will give the ESG and CSG commanders a survivable “Day-One” strike capability in a denied access environment that can not be accomplished by current legacy aircraft.

Alternate Engine Program
The F-35 is powered by the Pratt and Whitney F135 engine, which was derived from the F-22’s Pratt and Whitney F119 engine. The F135 is produced in Pratt and Whitney’s facilities in East Hartford and Middletown, CT. Rolls-Royce is a subcontractor to Pratt and Whitney for the vertical lift system for the F-35B.

Consistent with congressional direction for the FY1996 defense budget (see Appendix A), DOD
established a program to develop an alternate engine for the F-35. The alternate engine, the F136,
is being developed by a team consisting of General Electric (GE) and Rolls-Royce. The team includes GE Transportation Aircraft Engines of Cincinnati, OH, and Rolls-Royce PLC of Bristol, England, and Indianapolis, IN. The F136 is a derivative of the F120 engine that was originally developed to compete with the F119 engine for the F-22 program.

A September 24, 2009, DOD information paper on the alternate engine program provided to CRS states the following:

• Pratt and Whitney has received a total of $7.3 billion in funding during the period FY1994-FY2009 for work relating to the F-35 program. This figure includes funding for work that was performed during the Concept Demonstration phase of the F-35 program for the Boeing concept for the JSF (a concept that was not selected for System Development and Demonstration [SDD]). The total of $7.3 billion includes $6.1 billion received during the period FY2002-FY2009 for F135 SDD work. The estimated cost of the F135 SDD contract increased from $4.8 billion at contract award in 2001 to $6.7 billion as of September 2009.
Approximately $0.8 billion of the increase is cost growth; the remaining $1.1 billion or so reflects an increase in the scope of work to be performed.

• The General Electric/Rolls-Royce team received a total of $2.4 billion during the period FY1995-FY2009. This total includes $1.7 billion for SDD work for the F136 engine during the period FY2005-FY2009. The F136 GE/Rolls-Royce team’s effort does not include design, development, test, and delivery of STOVL
Lift System components and exhaust systems, which are developed and provided under the F135 Pratt and Whitney SDD contract. The F136 SDD contract consequently includes fewer test hours and fewer ground test engines. In addition, since the F136 SDD flight qualification occurs later in the F-35 SDD program, fewer flight test engines would be needed.

DOD included the F-35 alternate program in its proposed budgets through FY2006, although Congress in certain years increased funding for the program above the requested amount and/or included bill and report language supporting the program. The George W. Bush administration proposed terminating the alternate engine program in FY2007, FY2008, and FY2009. Congress rejected these proposals and provided funding, bill language, and report language to continue the program.
The F-35 alternate engine program has emerged as a major item of debate on the FY2010 defense budget. The Obama administration opposes further funding for the alternate engine program and has threatened to veto the FY2010 defense authorization or appropriation bill if either “would seriously disrupt” the F-35 program. (See “Legislative Activity for FY2010.”) In the “Issues for Congress” section of this report, the alternate engine program is the first issue discussed. Appendix A presents details from the legislative history of the issue.

Lockheed Martin F-35C Joint Strike Fighter

Produced for the July 28, 2009 roll-out ceremony for the first F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, this Lockheed Martin video includes a segment showing how the F-35C will look on the deck on a US Navy aircraft carrier when in enters servcie in 2015. The first F-35C, aircraft CF-1, is shown in the final stages of assembly and the video includes flight-test footage of the first F-35A, aircraft AA-1, and first F-35B, aircraft BF-1.