US Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Gloire_bb

Colonel
Registered Member
China will outproduce US in 6th gen platforms. China will have an early head start in 6th gen production compared to 5th gen.

How long do you think US takes to produce 200 b21? It will be over decade. And f47 is not even ready yet.
It appears B-21 line is meant to be very powerful. I.e. no.
 

SlothmanAllen

Senior Member
Registered Member
Those look like procurement contract years/values. Actual deliveries usually lag a year, two or three.
I agree, also congress needs to maintain funding to make these a reality. When combined with the reconciliation funding of a potential $450 billion (some advocating for $600 billion) it seems as if there is some support to bring US defense spending to around 5% of GDP.

If they can maintain a defense budget of 5% of GDP then I think we will need to re-evaluate our assumptions on the future US defense posture. These targets for missile production are representative of a much more ambitious production capacity. I expect similar scaling in things like fighter and bomber procurement as well. F-15EX, F-35A, B-21 and F-47 would see not only large increases in rate of production but also number of platforms procured.
 

subotai1

Junior Member
Registered Member
Those look like procurement contract years/values. Actual deliveries usually lag a year, two or three.
Exactly. And the US is going to struggle to produce these. Even if it has the physical facilities, what it doesn't have is enough electronics components. Global silicon-related supply was only starting to recover from Covid when the AI and Data Center surge started. So weapons production is competing with that just to get what they need.
 

bsdnf

Senior Member
Registered Member
The reporting on the Red Flag exercise is utterly baffling.

The idea of F-35B simulating J-35 is stupid enough.

The tanker captain interviewed even had the audacity to say, "This isn't easy mode." But one F-35B came within 50 miles of the tanker where the reporter was, "but it is shot down by our guardian".

Bro, within 50 miles not 150miles? Do you guys think US tankers are more maneuverable than the Rafale? 200+ kilometers should be the warning line. You guys are all already dead, and the reporter is so stupid as to report it with pride?
 

siegecrossbow

Field Marshall
Staff member
Super Moderator
The reporting on the Red Flag exercise is utterly baffling.

The idea of F-35B simulating J-35 is stupid enough.

One F-35B came within 50 miles of the tanker where the reporter was, "but it is shot down by our guardian" The tanker captain interviewed even had the audacity to say, "This isn't easy mode." Bro, do you think US tankers are more maneuverable than the Rafale? 200 kilometers is the warning line. You guys are all dead, and the reporter is so stupid as to report it with pride?

Maybe it’s one of the new batch F-35B that used state of the art TR-3 radar so that it can’t engage tanker from BVR?

1770726535843.jpeg
 

douglaxd

New Member
Registered Member
“It’s an incredibly advanced radar,” Wittman said of the APG-85. “The arrays on it give it much more power which is why we have to upgrade the engine. I think we need about 82 kilowatts of power versus what it’s producing right now. The APG-85 is key to Block 4, and it’s key to TR-3 software upgrade capabilities and integration with the imaging system, the Distributed Aperture System.”

This is probably my lack of understanding, but isn't 82 KW a ridiculous amount of power for the arrays? I believe Irbis uses like 20kW, but I am probably comparing apples and oranges.
 

SlothmanAllen

Senior Member
Registered Member
This is probably my lack of understanding, but isn't 82 KW a ridiculous amount of power for the arrays? I believe Irbis uses like 20kW, but I am probably comparing apples and oranges.
I don't think that specifically relates to the radar. Tech Refresh 4 (TR-4) along with TR-3 are massive upgrades of the underlying software and hardware for the F-35. The 82kW power mentioned in your quote likely refers to total power generated by the aircraft of which the APG-85 would be one component. The new Power and Thermal Management System (PTMS) plays and important role in cooling all of this new equipment and providing room for future growth.
 

jospence

New Member
Registered Member
The reporting on the Red Flag exercise is utterly baffling.

The idea of F-35B simulating J-35 is stupid enough.

The tanker captain interviewed even had the audacity to say, "This isn't easy mode." But one F-35B came within 50 miles of the tanker where the reporter was, "but it is shot down by our guardian".

Bro, within 50 miles not 150miles? Do you guys think US tankers are more maneuverable than the Rafale? 200+ kilometers should be the warning line. You guys are all already dead, and the reporter is so stupid as to report it with pride?
I don't really get what's stupid about using an F-35B to simulate the J-35. Yes the ranges and actual tests were stupid, but they're both 5th generation stealth aircraft of a roughly comparable size class and similar(ish) functions. The U.S. used the F-5 to simulate the MiG-21 during Cold War exercises as an adversary aircraft, it's just sort of the nature of the business.
 

bsdnf

Senior Member
Registered Member
I don't really get what's stupid about using an F-35B to simulate the J-35. Yes the ranges and actual tests were stupid, but they're both 5th generation stealth aircraft of a roughly comparable size class and similar(ish) functions. The U.S. used the F-5 to simulate the MiG-21 during Cold War exercises as an adversary aircraft, it's just sort of the nature of the business.
Okay, let's try using the F-35B to simulate supersonic cruising J-35.

This doesn't sound serious enough, just like they didn't consider the really serious BVR exercise engagement. It just like dealing with the their Allies
 
Last edited:
Top