F-35 program head to retire

Well, the F-35 is in for a bumpy ride starting this summer. Gen Bogdan is set to retire this summer, and Rear Admiral Mat Winter is set to take over (after promotion to Vice Admiral). Admiral Winter's resume includes being program executive officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, overseeing the X-47B development, and best of all, being responsible for the UCLASS fiasco.

For those not familiar with UCLASS (although if you've been around here, you'd have to have been in a hole in the ground somewhere), it began as a long range stealthy strike platform, and ended with being renamed CBARS, and turned into a carrier based tanker. I fully expect to hear that the F-35C will change missions at least 7 times in the coming months, as well as having IOC pushed back (yes, that was sarcasm).

WASHINGTON— Leadership of the F-35 program office is expected to change hands this year, with the current deputy director taking the reins of the program.

Navy Rear. Adm. Mat Winter, currently the F-35 deputy program executive officer, will be named head of the program when Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan retires this summer, the Pentagon announced. Winter will also be promoted to vice admiral.

Winter joined the F-35 office in 2016. Before that he served as the chief of Naval Research.

The F-35 will not be Winter's first experience managing a controversial, high-profile program of record. As the Navy's program executive officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, he oversaw the development of the X-47, a stealthy unmanned aircraft that could autonomously launch from a carrier. He also was responsible for the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike program, which was cancelled after myriad problems including schedule slippage and changing requirements. UCLASS has now translated into a Navy program of record for an unmanned, carrier-launched tanker.

www.defensenews.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Get ready for the F-35 tanker, ISR, UCAV, AWACs, and head scruber mods.

a reply to: Sammamishman

I fully expect to see it go through sea search, missile truck, become non-stealthy, and end up as a COD.

I was hoping Bogdan would stay PEO until USAF reaches FOC. That way the damage anyone else can do would be limited. Oh well, since FOC isn't far away, hopefully this remains the case.

a reply to: Sammamishman

You forgot the extra batch of -B's to operate off of the destroyers in the ASW role.

a reply to: Barnalby

They're going to replace TERN with F-35Bs I'm sure.

I hadn't heard of UCLASS before, but I know when someone is defending their turf from being taken over:

en.wikipedia.org...

"After debate over whether the UCLASS should primarily focus on stealthy bombing or scouting, the Pentagon instead changed the program entirely into the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) to create an UAV for aerial refueling duties to extend the range of manned fighters"

No air force command would want to see their squadrons turned into UAV's, so they give the UCLASS program a "nudge" into the dangerous work of inflight refueling. This then lets them free up more pilots to do scouting and bombing. Clever.

a reply to: stormcell

The Navy has fought against UAVs tooth and nail since they came about. They recognize the fact that they need them, but they don't want them at the same time. So they're in the process of painting themselves into a nasty corner.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I just want to see a -B dipping a sonobuoy. I wonder if they can fit a small torpedo in the internal weapons bay?

I probably shouldn't risk giving them any ideas, should I...

a reply to: Barnalby

Yeah, you really shouldn't. You should be shot for even suggesting that.

And yes, they probably could fit a Mk.54 or something along those lines.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I gave you a star..........after I finished wiping my coffee off of my computer. F-35 COD. That's a good one.

a reply to: JIMC5499

Thank you. I'm rather proud of that one.

a reply to: Barnalby

An F-35 deploying sonobuoys is not impossible. The same for dropping an ASW torpedo. They tested Harriers dropping sonobuoys in the 80's. Remember they have sonobuoys and torpedoes that can be dropped from the new P-8's. There is no reason why an F-35 couldn't do a vectored torpedo attack.

The F-15 is going to get jassed up is it not?

2040 Project?

The F-15 2040 is going to be the New prospect missile truck for th F-22?


When it comes to the F-35 i think it just going to become a jassed export model to replace the old NATO f-16s.
The US is probably dont going to invest to much in it for them selves. They will let other NATO members take the rest cost.

a reply to: spy66

No. The F-15 probably won't make it out of the early 2020s. They haven't decided yet, but discussions are ongoing that would retire the fleet within 10 years.

The US is going to buy more F-35s than every export customer combined. By an order of magnitude.

Hopefully the program is to far along for it to get any major changes. When you look at the program maturity allied to what the partner nations have signed up for he's not going to have the same level of autonomy. I'd not be surprised to see weapons test schedules changed around multiple times while they work out exactly what's going to be the most important role and I'd not be surprised to see if they can stick the the Mk54 in there somehow with the HAAWC