Links to fighter specifications:
2) F-35 Joint Fighter Project and F-35 specifications - models F-35A, F-35B and F-35C
4) Dassault;Rafale

Development issues and challenges

»ITAR Fallout: Britain to Pull Out of F-35 JSF Program?
~ as the only other "Tier One" partner, Britain is the most significant U.S. partner in the 10-nation program,
~ and has invested approximately $2 billion in the F-35B's development as its future carrier aircraft
~ Britain is seeking full independent maintainability and control over its F-35 fighters -
~ and one of the most critical and contested areas lies in the plane's massive software source code
~ since software will run so many aspects of the F-35's operations,
~ access to source code is necessary in order to debug many flaws, and may be required to integrate new weapons
~ at the same time, plane's dependence on software makes protecting securtity of that source code an absolute must
~ to have even parts of it fall into hostile hands could be a disaster of the first magnitude
~ on American side, there is also quasi-protectionist angle of not wishing to have others copy software
~ and develop spin-off products in future that are based on US work
~ even attempting to scrutinize that would be a challenge, however, and creates intrusiveness, approval, and friction problems of its own.

~ Eurofighter Typhoon is in service with the Air Forces of Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom
~ aircraft production is ongoing and with 638 aircraft under contract to four Partner Nations, Austria is the first export customer

»Eurofighter Typhoon Multi-Role Combat Fighter

»F-35 specifications
F-35 Radio: Link-16 connectivity specified as communication link for all F-35 models
F-35C Armament:
~ 2 under-wing missiles , 2 AIM-9X Sidewinder or , 2 AIM-120B/C AMRAAM , 4 hardpoints , AGM-65 Maverick
~ AGM-88 HARM , AGM-158 JASSM , Storm Shadow , GBU-10/12/16/24 LGB , GBU-31 JDAM , Mk 82/83/84 GP , CBU-99/100 Rockeye II , transport pods

Manufacturers:

»TERMA

General:
~ selected to manufacture key components of F-35 JSF
~ design and manufacture of the Gun Pod for two of the three variants of the aircraft
~ produces EH101 roof, each roof is built with 3.500 subparts and 48.000 fasteners

Terma to Supply Reconnaissance Pod for SAAB JAS-39 Gripen Fighter:
~ Generic Modular Reconnaissance Pod (MRP) developed for JAS 39 Gripen, is an evolution of reconnaissance pods for fighter aircraft
~ it employs an advanced rotating window section with a 360 degree rotation, which is electronically synchronized with the sensors.
~ Terma develops to Saab also Environmental Control, Electrical, and part of the Reconnaissance Management System
~ new reconnaissance pod is conceptually based on the successful F-16 MRP also developed by Terma.
~ MRP provides customers with a maximum of flexibility in tailoring the sensor suite to operational requirements for airborne tactical reconnaissance
~ pod is conceptually based on the successful F-16 MRP also developed by Terma
~ due to its generic design new MRP can be carried on various aircraft platforms
~ it is easily integrated into the aircraft by a data bus and a video interface to displays in the cockpit
~ MRP employs a circular cross-section on the lower 180° of the pod and an advanced rotating section
~ with a small Infra-Red (IR) translucent window
~ compared to older pod designs where you either had an opening into free air or horizon-to-horizon windows,
~ this MRP design takes advantage of a small IR translucent window
~ this design is cost beneficial and gives a better background for managing pod internal environment
~ rotating window section is attached directly to MRP strongback and can be positioned at various positions
~ along length of pod mid-section, which allows it to accommodate a variety of different sensors and
~ caters for variations in pod stuffing, weight and balance restraints
~ section's 360° rotation is electronically synchronized to sensor aiming - except for take-off and landing,
~ where window is rotated to a position in the strongback and, thus,
~ providing protection of the glass during these phases of flight
~ upper part of MRP employs a square cross-section providing room for the strongback,
~ ducts for environmental control system, cabling, etc
~ this 'hybrid' concept permits the main advantages of the MRP,
~ namely internal pod space and separation between sensor attachments and outer fairings required to eliminate or limit
~ buffeting(vibratory motion of a component or airframe as a whole when subjected to vibratory impulses contained within an aerodynamic wake)
~ and dynamic vibrations, which is very important for the performance of sensitive sensors installed in pod
~ furthermore MRP provides advantages of a round structure in terms of aerodynamics and rotating devices
~ nose and tail sections of the MRP are designed to hold data link antennas
~ providing system with an active role in network centric warfare operations
~ Reconnaissance Management System, RMS, provides management and control of all equipment and functions in pod
~ it has a modular open architecture housed in a chassis with Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS)
~ Circuit Card Assemblies for I/O interfaces, communications, computer and image chain processors

»Raytheon Missile Systems

»AGM-64 Maverick

»Sagem

»AASM (air-to-ground modular weapon)
~ while missile is carried by plane, this system "aligns" with inertial navigation (high precision)/GPS of plane whose Kalman filter operates in "in-flight alignment" mode
~ if aircraft has taken off from an aircraft carrier, it will have performed a similar alignment ("at-sea alignment") to match inertial/GPS (and more) system of aircraft carrier
~ it is currently developed for Mirage 2000 and Rafale air-to-ground combat aircraft

Buffeting:
»Control of turbulence buffeting of rotor blades using small trailing-edge flap