F-35 Joint Strike Fighter News, Videos and pics Thread

[aksha]

Re: US military news thread

Jam Session
Prototype Electronic Warfare Pod Aces First Flight

As the plane lifted off, engineers and technicians monitored images of the belly of the aircraft and its precious cargo, a prototype of a complex electronic attack system known as the Next-Generation Jammer (NGJ).

There had already been airworthiness tests and pod check flights, but this was the main event. The jet was headed to California’s Mojave Desert and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake for a three-hour mission to assess aircraft integration, jamming techniques, beam agility, array-transmit power and jammer management.

The test would essentially demonstrate how air defense radars, posing as enemy threat radars, could be disrupted. The jammer would use its own, wind-driven generator for power.

In a control center ringed by monitors and instrumentation, a small team evaluated system effectiveness. Raytheon engineer Tom Brukiewa began the test by speaking three coded phrases: “Music on. See music. Data good.”

That signaled to his colleagues to begin their planned mission scenarios. The first-of-its-kind electronic warfare system performed flawlessly, meeting or exceeding all objectives and earning the operator’s highest ratings.

The test was “a critical step in demonstrating readiness of the core enabling technologies for the next generation of EW systems,” said Travis Slocumb, vice president of Electronic Warfare Systems at Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems.

Slocumb marveled that the flight test was successful on its first sortie; just eight months after the U.S. Navy awarded the contract. The test platform used a high power, Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) front end and multichannel techniques generator that are common building blocks for the U.S. Navy’s NGJ and other airborne, maritime and ground-based EW systems.

In its gray, cigar-shaped pod, the Raytheon-built system will ultimately hang from EA-18 Growler jets to provide warfighters with a considerable upgrade in capability over existing equipment.

When the team members met the next day, they decided there was no need to fly a second mission test. All the fundamental subsystems required for NGJ were checked in a representative environment against real world threats.

“We’re dealing with a lot of cutting-edge technology,” said Nader Khatib, Raytheon’s NGJ Flight Demonstration Pod program lead. “Putting it together as a full system and seeing it work as intended was just so exciting.”

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

 

[Jeff Head]

Re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Everybody is forced to work with a budget, Jeff.

You are stating the obvious...I am not sure to what reason because I personally have never indicated anything different.

is different from what it will be by then.

Yes. As the most tested and scrutinized aircraft in history, it will undoubtedly be much better by then

You see, the F-35 is no doubt a good aircraft,

No doubt, thanks for recognizing this, but for those of us who have been involved in the industry directly, and watching this aircraft for years, we have known that all along.

I want to see the F-35B/C in the Indian Navy.

As do I...as I have stated.

You will have to excuse me if I think it is inadequate in its current avatar.

I have no issue with that. Anything made by man can always be made better. And the F-35 is no exception. My issue has never been with differences in opinion.

This is my first time using these terms. I will keep that in mind though.

If you read my advise, it was not limited to those terms alone. As I said, you would be best served on SD to not only keep it I mind, but to avoid it altogether.

As it is...many nations are choosing it and will fly the F-35. Despite whatever birthing pains and flaws you, I, or others may see or interpret in it. The F-35 will be an extremely effective and very capable fifth generation stealth strike fighter that is going to be around in large numbers for decades.

Once its capabilities are developed into operational practice...it is going to set a very high standard and bar for OPFOR to counter. No doubt they will do their utmost to do so...it is the nature of the beast.

The people working on these things on both sides...and most of the work they do at this time is completely classified...are the best that their nations can bring to the fray.

I take generalized comments that are thrown out as barbs, but which are not rooted in any firsthand knowledge of the actual capabilities pretty lightly...on both sides. Given the level of people working on these projects and the history of their achievements, neither side is to be underestimated or taken lightly.

 

[A Bar Brother]

Re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

You are stating the obvious...I am not sure to what reason because I personally have never indicated anything different.

My point is, the program "cannot" bring in mission creep. The budget has exceeded by 70% and new capability being introduced into the aircraft is questionable. This is my only gripe. It would be great if LM asks for a new budget for missions creep and Congress approves it. But until then, it is going to be a long road to get to the next block upgrades.

The F-35 should have been at Block 10 or higher by 2021, not Block 4. This was the original schedule for Block upgrades.

You see how far behind the F-35 really is. The F-35 from 2021 will only have achieved capabilities from the first section. The remaining will follow after that.

The LCA was the same as the F-35. Though the programs themselves are incomparable, due to the delays the IAF brought in mission creep so the aircraft could keep up with other aircraft from around the world. They are currently equipping the first prototype with a new EW suite, an upgraded version (with ECM) that wasn't part of the actual program. So no matter how late the aircraft is, it will stay at par with other comparable aircraft. Of course, that meant pouring more money into the program, the same isn't being done for the F-35. You can claim I am generalizing everything, but that image provides more information than I can ever give.

So you really have two options. Continue going as you were and hope that the numbers you have is enough to offset any capability surprise the OPFOR brings in or increase the budget allocated in order to get to Block 10 quicker than whatever is scheduled as of now. As long as the budget is restricted, the F-35 is going to be in a bit of trouble. Just so you know, a lot of the capability that the F-35 is scheduled to get by 2021, the European jets have already achieved and stuff that the F-35 will achieve by Block 6/7, the Europeans will be achieving it by 2020.

Of course, you don't have to agree with anything I have said since I am only going by open source information.

 

[Brumby]

Re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

a lot of the capability that the F-35 is scheduled to get by 2021, the European jets have already achieved

7 years ahead in comparative terms. I am interested to know what are they as "a lot" suggest a significant list.

 

[A Bar Brother]

Re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

7 years ahead in comparative terms. I am interested to know what are they as "a lot" suggest a significant list.

I was already pulled up for comparing stuff on the Indian military thread, so I don't want to go there unless allowed. But the list is quite significant.

 

[navyreco]

Re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

[video=youtube;d7VuysNHFIY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=d7VuysNHFIY[/video]

 

[A Bar Brother]

Re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

 

[Franklin]

Re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

The Shenyang J-31 should be a godsend for people like that in Israel. The plane is still in its conceptual stage and no real avionics or sub systems have been developed for it yet. So the SAC just have to make a better airframe and get a pair of good Russian engines and then the Israeli's can come in and fill the plane full with their electronics. That is the Avionics, helmet mounted sights, radar, ECM, MAW and whatever they need or want. The SAC can even tailor the airframe and the weapons bay to the Israeli's needs! They can set up production lines in Israel and share profits with the Israeli's from any future export deals. The J-31 airframe is aerodynamically better than the F-35 to begin with because it doesn't have to compromise for VSTOL operations. And not to mention the twin engine design will make this plane safer and more reliable.

But politically its impossible as the Americans will go ballistic if the Israeli's did that. Just imagine what the Americans would say if the Israeli's told them that they can keep their F-35's as they are going in bed with China for the J-31! I don't think that prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu will be able to go back to Washington DC nevermind receiving standing ovations in Congress.

 

[A Bar Brother]

Re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

The Shenyang J-31 should be a godsend for people like that in Israel. The plane is still in its conceptual stage and no real avionics or sub systems have been developed for it yet. So the SAC just have to make a better airframe and get a pair of good Russian engines and then the Israeli's can come in and fill the plane full with their electronics. That is the Avionics, helmet mounted sights, radar, ECM, MAW and whatever they need or want. The SAC can even tailor the airframe and the weapons bay to the Israeli's needs! They can set up production lines in Israel and share profits with the Israeli's from any future export deals. The J-31 airframe is aerodynamically better than the F-35 to begin with because it doesn't have to compromise for VSTOL operations. And not to mention the twin engine design will make this plane safer and more reliable.

But politically its impossible as the Americans will go ballistic if the Israeli's did that. Just imagine what the Americans would say if the Israeli's told them that they can keep their F-35's as they are going in bed with China for the J-31! I don't think that prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu will be able to go back to Washington DC nevermind receiving standing ovations in Congress.

The Israelis have many options apart from China if they go for a JV option. There's the AMCA program where the Israelis can help get an export version up and running. There's the Turkish program which hasn't even begun yet. They can always get a new program running with the French. They can make an export version of the PAKFA with Russia and India.

The US is paying for the Israeli F-35s out of their aid money, so it's going to be really difficult to get out of it.

 

[93fiM5]

Re: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Thread

The Shenyang J-31 should be a godsend for people like that in Israel. The plane is still in its conceptual stage and no real avionics or sub systems have been developed for it yet. So the SAC just have to make a better airframe and get a pair of good Russian engines and then the Israeli's can come in and fill the plane full with their electronics. That is the Avionics, helmet mounted sights, radar, ECM, MAW and whatever they need or want. The SAC can even tailor the airframe and the weapons bay to the Israeli's needs! They can set up production lines in Israel and share profits with the Israeli's from any future export deals. The J-31 airframe is aerodynamically better than the F-35 to begin with because it doesn't have to compromise for VSTOL operations. And not to mention the twin engine design will make this plane safer and more reliable.

But politically its impossible as the Americans will go ballistic if the Israeli's did that. Just imagine what the Americans would say if the Israeli's told them that they can keep their F-35's as they are going in bed with China for the J-31! I don't think that prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu will be able to go back to Washington DC nevermind receiving standing ovations in Congress.

Have to say you're making some pretty big assumptions. Do you have any proof that the J-31 is aerodynamically superior to the F-35? Twin engines do not automatically make an aircraft safer nor more reliable. Also keep in mind the Israelis are building wing assemblies for the F-35 for their aircraft and other partners as well. The Israelis definitely have a stake in the F-35 and a good share of technology transfer not to mention the financial aid. So I see ZERO reason why the Israelis would jump ship so to speak from the U.S. who has a proven record building 5th generation fighters.