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[TK3600]

I had a hard time looking it up, but apparently a new Black Hawk can cost anywhere from $15-20 million depending on configuration and number of airframes ordered. You could be right that the price could be that high, but I doubt it given the limited information I was able to find.

I cannot speak to what Chinese production cost for a unmanned UH-60 / Z-20 capable aircraft would be.

So this is Tyler's big piece that he hinted previously.


The obsession for vtol is weird. The guy Armor Harris claims to prevent runway destruction from PLA strikes but the problem is that the air base, supply, fuel , logistics and command are also there to be destroyed.

His idea of putting these onto non carrier ships is interesting. Yet that wouldn't help. USN will be sending a carrier fleet, and would prioritize defending the carrier, not launching short range(the 1000mile combat radius is pretty absurd claim especially with vertical launch and recovery burning your fuel) UCAV off an arleigh burke. Not to mention, Arleigh Burke is so heavy and packed already with so many years of upgrades, where do you find the space to support this? Is more than just a launcher, it requires logisticis, fuel, weapon and again, someone to control it.

The fundamental problem that USN has is that IF it survives the endless barrage of missiles to get close to use it's aircraft. The fleet should be out of SAM and unable to effectively reload them at sea or safely at port. It faces the conudrum of leaving the PLA A2/AD which means the fleet did nothing, or risk continuing on without any defenses.

In the end, it is a simple math problem, China should and probably have enough ASHM to make sure the third and seventh fleet out of SAM before it can do anything.

"Armor Harris: So, it’s been in development for about a year and a half at Shield AI. We’re actually moving towards demonstrator flights doing the vertical takeoff and landing component of the mission profile in the second half of next year. And then all-up flights in ’28, and really prioritizing, again, speed to the joint force."

So remains to be seen actually working on time, within budget, and promises fulfilled. He is from spacex falcon 9 so there are experience.

That is assuming the SAM will 100% protect the ship while it lasts. But the reality is a fast enough missle will straight up go through the defense.

 

[another505]

That is assuming the SAM will 100% protect the ship while it lasts. But the reality is a fast enough missle will straight up go through the defense.

Yes, that is assuming 100 percent hit rate for SAM. One getting through means a DDG/CG entire VLS inventory is out of commission, dramatically weakening the whole fleet's defence.

Yet, a lot of American's or NATO fanboys don't understand even IF "SUPERIOR QUALITY" western missile is real and every ASHM will be intercepted. It is a simple math problem that shows the carrier group can't get into range to chinese coast line without somehow attacking to disrupt Chinese launchers(ships, subs, H-6, DF-21/26 ASHBM)

 

[another505]

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Politically, I can see SK government wanting the prestige for for have nuclear submarines.
But militarily, what is there to gain with it? Extra range for a small theater against North Korea?

Others hinted it is a slippery slope way for south korea to have it's own nuclear weapon one day.

 

[TK3600]

Yes, that is assuming 100 percent hit rate for SAM. One getting through means a DDG/CG entire VLS inventory is out of commission, dramatically weakening the whole fleet's defence.

Yet, a lot of American's or NATO fanboys don't understand even IF "SUPERIOR QUALITY" western missile is real and every ASHM will be intercepted. It is a simple math problem that shows the carrier group can't get into range to chinese coast line without somehow attacking to disrupt Chinese launchers(ships, subs, H-6, DF-21/26 ASHBM)

If Israel showed anything, interception rate against ballistic missiles would be quite low. This will forever be the case. It is always easier to hit a ship size of football field and 30 knot, than hitting a car sized missile moving at mach 5. Whatever tech improvement happen on interceptor, the same tech apply to ballistic missile.

 

[00CuriousObserver]

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How the US is preparing a military staging ground near Venezuela

 

[gelgoog]

I doubt production of the Su-57 will double, given the situation Russia faces and how there are no export customers.

There is at least one. Supposedly Algeria.

Plus it's debatable whether it is stealthy enough to be considered 5th gen.

Look, this stich is tiresome. People claim this because of the supposedly exposed engine fans on the frontal aspect. But then they ignore the Su-57 has way less side RCS than the F-22 for example. And unlike the stock F-22 the Su-57 has side radar and can shoot enemy aircraft at side angles with its missiles.

The US used to claim when the F-22 came out that 5th generation was supercruise, high manueverability with TVC, and stealth. Then the F-35 came out and it lacks the first two. So is the F-35 5th generation or not?

Let's see what happens with the Su-75, but I expect it will suffer the same fate as the Su-57.

What? Getting possibly produced in the hundreds of aircraft?

But let's suppose you're correct.
Russia is still nowhere near China or the US.

Of course not. Russia has an economy that is much smaller.

 

[SlothmanAllen]

Manned Vectis?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1985404409208095007

Not much to go on here. Interesting that they would even have a concept for this.

 

[Aniah]

Manned Vectis?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1985404409208095007

Not much to go on here. Interesting that they would even have a concept for this.

Looks like it got removed.

 

[siegecrossbow]

YFQ-44A flew today

View attachment 163694

I don’t think stealth was in the cards even if they get rid of the vertical slab…

 

[ougoah]

This thing they call a CCA is truly about the level of engineering as China's vast range of target drones which probably include scaled down F-22, B-2 and F-35 shaped target drones. At least we've seen those small B-2 and F-22 target drones presented in Chinese airshows.

If you showed me even 10 years ago the UADF A and B and then showed me this YFQ-44, I would have responded with something like "wow US military aviation and technology is still well in the lead. Looks like they've managed to produce supersonic unmanned fighters in the future but China's not doing too badly, at least it has unmanned tech, implying decent enough networking, computing and software".








140KN vs 20KN

internal weapons bay with likely capacity for 4x PL-16 missiles vs ... well no weapons bay, barely 2x AMRAAMs worth, one under each wing. Same goes for any US CCA currently near service until Lockheed Martin and Northrop bring out their large CCAs/UADFs. By then PLAAF will have the 6th gens in service and the next generation of UADFs near service.

supersonic vs low subsonic

even without tails, the UADFs look like they can still turn much better than this target drone.

ULO vs barely LO.

Only advantage of the American CCAs vs Chinese CCAs or UADFs is that they are all much cheaper and can be made much faster (ironic I know). I bet in this space, China's got plenty of its own attritable CCAs too.