F-22 Raptor Thread

according to DefenseNews Lockheed pitches new F-22 mods to boost the life of its stealth coating
Lockheed Martin has proposed doing additional maintenance work on F-22s in the hopes of lengthening the life of the fighter’s low observable coating.

Under the current contract, Lockheed is charged with refurbishing the low observable (LO) coating on the inlets of 10 F-22s per year at its facility in Marietta, Georgia, while the U.S. Air Force recoats F-22 inlets at the base in Ogden, Utah, using its own organic maintainer staff.

However, the company believes it can get a head start on work planned for 2019, when the leading edges of the aircraft will need to be recoated, with a number of near-term modifications to keep the existing coating in good shape, John Cottam, the company’s F-22 deputy program manager told Defense News.

Lockheed submitted its proposal for additional F-22 work in late April and is awaiting a decision from the U.S. Air Force on whether to move forward with any of the suggested work.

One of the modifications involves applying a product called Mighty Tough Boot to the aircraft, which fills gaps on the surface of an F-22 that could cause the aircraft to be seen on radar, Cottam said.

“The gaps on an airplane are what raises the signature of an airplane, so by putting these coatings or these gap fillers into the airplane, you’re helping the low observability of the airplane,” he said. “It reduces the amount of corners and things that are picked up by radar.”

From 2014 to 2016, the F-22’s mission capable rate has fallen from almost 73 percent to 60 percent. One contributing factor is the breakdown of the Raptor’s stealth coating, Col. Michael Lawrence, chief of the maintenance division in the Air Force’s directorate of logistics, said in a March interview with Defense News’ sister publication Air Force Times.

“Across the entire F-22 fleet, we’re experiencing low observable coating reversion problems. Basically, in high flow areas, what’s essentially happening is there’s a gradual deterioration of the coatings,” he said. “If the LO coatings aren’t doing what we need them to do, then the platform loses its ability to do its primary mission, which is get behind enemy lines without detection.”

However, Lockheed and the U.S. Air Force had always expected the LO coating to gradually degrade, and it is doing so on pace with the company’s predictions, Cottam said. He likened the LO coating deterioration to a painted fence post that is exposed to the elements.

“If you leave it out in the sun long enough, eventually that paint is going to crack, and if you don’t do anything to fix it when it cracks, eventually it’s going to start to peel off in chunks,” he said. “In this case we knew it was going to occur about this time in the aircraft’s life, [and] we are starting to see the coatings on the airplane start to wrinkle and crack just like you would the paint.”

A stealth jet’s inlets are the most critical part of the plane to recoat because, if the LO coating begins flaking off, it could be ingested by the engine, causing permanent damage.

“When we do these fixes to the inlets, and we will continue this as we do the edges, we’re actually using a different compound than we had used on the production airplanes, which has significantly stronger, lasts much longer, so it’s going to be giving the Air Force a longer time in the next interval where this might become a problem,” Cottam said.

Although both the F-22 and F-35 incorporate low observable technologies, the composition of the LO coatings are completely different and require separate application processes.

“We would very much like to go towards, as best we can, the way the F-35 coats their airplanes for a number of reasons,” he said. A single or more similar coating would lower material costs, enable the Air Force to train one set of maintainers to sustain the coating and simplify the inventory.

“If we could get closer to something common, it would be a great savings. We’re trying to work that. Our engineers are very busy trying to see where that is possible.”
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this is interesting:
"While the Raptor relies on command and control assets in the fight, such as USAF E-3 Sentry AWACS or the Royal Australian Air Force E-7 Wedgetail, the jet uses its “sensor fusion” to fine tune the strike package. The Raptors unique sensor package helps de-conflict multiple assets, including tracking non-coalition aircraft and urging them to move along. The F-22’s sensors are packaged into one screen with a “fused” picture, whereas other aircraft such as F-15Es have individual displays for each set of information. This helps the Raptor pilot get a better understanding of the situation.

“The pilot can put it together, and make a mental 3D picture,” Shell said. “We have more information at our fingertips than other aircraft. We have an easier time making big decisions.”

The F-22’s Undetected, Indispensable Role Over Syria
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Jul 6, 2016
...
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
document
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at p. designated 1-7 (15 of 83 in PDF)
EDIT in Table F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
summarizing money actually spent LOL
Procurement (excluding R&D) cost ($m / # of aircraft):
2015 6675/38 = 176
2016 9476/68 = 139
2017 8286/63 = 132
(retyped, rounded by me)
and one year later ...
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in the table at the bottom of p. '1-7' (15 out of 87 in that PDF document):
2016 entry fits what's in the above post, which is 'Procurement' of 68 copies for 9476 mil
2017 now is 68 copies for 8885; 8885/68 = 131
2018 is 70 copies for 9117; 9117/70 = 130

I guess you know what I'm going to do one year from now
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Air Force Plans to Engineer New F-22 Sensor Targeting Technology
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SCOUT WARRIOR
Yesterday at 10:47 PM

The F-22 upgrade allows full functionality for the AIM-120D and AIM-9X Air-to-Air missiles as well as enhanced Air-to-Surface target location capabilities.

The Air Force is in the early phases of designing new sensors for its stealthy 5th-generation F-22 Raptor as it proceeds with software upgrades, hardware adjustments, new antennas and data link improvements designed to better enable to connect the F-22 and F-35 sensor packages to one another, industry officials explained.

Sensor interoperability, two-way data links and other kinds of technical integration between the two 5th-Gen stealth aircraft are considered key to an Air Force combat strategy which intends for the F-22 speed and air-to-air combat supremacy to complement and work in tandem with the F-35's next-gen sensors, precision-attack technology, computers and multi-role fighting mission ability.

"The F-22 is designed to fly in concert with F-35. Software Update 6 for the F-22 will give the Air Force a chance to link their sensor packages together. Sensors are a key component to its capability. As the F-22 gets its new weapons on board – you are going to need to upgrade the sensors to use the new weapons capability," John Cottam, F-22 Program Deputy, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, told Scout Warrior in an interview.

While the F-35 is engineered with dog-fighting abilities, its advanced sensor technology is intended to recognize enemy threats at much further distances - enabling earlier, longer-range attacks to destroy enemies in the air. Such technologies, which include 360-degree sensors known as Northrop Grumman's Distributed Aperture System and a long range Electro-Optical Targeting System, are designed to give the F-35 an ability to destroy targets at much longer ranges - therefore precluding the need to dogfight.

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Like the F-35, the latest F-22s have radar (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and data-links (F-22 has LINK 16), radar warning receivers and targeting technologies. Being that the F-22 is regarded as the world's best air-to-air platform, an ability for an F-35 and F-22 to more quickly exchange sensor information such as targeting data would produce a potentially unprecedented battlefield advantage, industry developers and Air Force senior leaders have explained. The combined impact of each of the airplanes respective technological advantages makes for an unrivaled air-combat supremacy, observers have argued.

For example, either of the aircraft could use stealth technology to penetrate enemy airspace and destroy air defense systems. Once a safe air corridor is established for further attacks, an F-22 could maintain or ensure continued air supremacy while an F-35 conducted close-air-support ground attacks or pursued ISR missions with its drone-like video-surveillance technology. Additionally, either platform could identify targets for the other, drawing upon the strengths of each.

Conversely, an F-35 could use its long-range sensors and "sensor fusion" to identify airborne targets which the F-22 may be best suited to attack.

Air Force developers are, quite naturally, acutely aware of the Chinese J-20 stealth fighter and Russia's PAK-FA T-50 stealth aircraft as evidence that the US will need to work vigorously to sustain its technological edge.

Along these lines, both the F-22 and F-35 are engineered to draw from "mission data files," described as on-board libraries storing information on known threats in particular geographical locations. This database is integrated into a radar warning receiver so that aircraft have the earliest possible indication of the threats they are seeing.

Air Force officials have told Scout Warrior that, by 2019, the service will begin upgrading F-22 functionality for the AIM-120D and AIM-9X Air-to-Air missiles as well as enhanced Air-to-Surface target location capabilities. The F-22 currently carries the AIM-9X Block 1 and the current upgrade will enable carriage of AIM-9X Block 2.

Raytheon AIM-9X weapons developers explain that the Block 2 variant adds a redesigned fuze and a digital ignition safety device that enhances ground handling and in-flight safety. Block II also features updated electronics that enable significant enhancements, including lock-on-after-launch capability using a new weapon datalink to support beyond visual range engagements, a Raytheon statement said.

Another part of the weapons upgrade includes engineering the F-22 to fire the AIM-120D, a beyond visual range Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), designed for all weather day-and-night attacks; it is a "fire and forget" missile with active transmit radar guidance, Raytheon data states. The AIM-120D is built with upgrades to previous AMRAAM missiles by increasing attack range, GPS navigation, inertial measurment units and a two-way data link, Raytheon statements explain.

As the Air Force and Lockheed Martin move forward with weapons envelope expansions and enhancements for the F-22, there is of course a commensurate need to upgrade software and its on-board sensors to adjust to emerging future threats, industry developers explained. Ultimately, this effort will lead the Air Force to draft up requirements for new F-22 sensors.

Cottam also explained that the House and Senate have directed the Air Force to look at two different potential sensor upgrades for the F-22, an effort the service is now in the conceptual phase of exploring.

"A sensor enhancement program is now being configured. We do not know what that is going to entail because it is not yet funded by the Air Force and we have not seen a requirements documents," Cottam said. "Threats in the world are always evolving so we need to evolve this plane as well."

An essential software adjustment, called “Update 6,” is now being worked on by Lockheed Martin engineers on contract with the Air Force. Work on the software is slated to be finished by 2020, Cottam added.

A hardware portion of the upgrades, called a “tactical mandate,” involves engineering new antennas specifically designed to preserve the stealth configuration of the F-22.

“New antennas have to be first constructed. They will be retrofitted onto the airplane. Because of the stealth configuration putting, antennas on is difficult and time consuming,” Cottam said.

Meanwhile, the Air Force is performing key maintenance on the F-22 Raptor's stealth materials while upgrading the stealth fighter with new attack weapons to include improved air-to-air and air-to-surface strike technology, service officials said.



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The AIM-120D also includes improved High-Angle Off-Boresight technology enabling the weapon to destroy targets at a wider range of angles.

Additional upgrades to the stealth fighter, slated for 2021, are designed to better enable digital communications via data links with 4th and 5th generation airplanes.

"The backbone of this upgrade also includes the installation of an open systems architecture that will allow for future upgrades to be done faster and at less expense than could be previously accomplished," 1st Lt. Carrie J. Volpe, Action Officer, Air Combat Command Public Affair, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., told Scout Warrior.

Stealth Coating Maintenance

The Air Force has contracted Lockheed Martin to perform essential maintenance to the F-22's low-observable stealth coating to ensure it is equipped to manage fast-emerging threats.

Lockheed Martin completed the first F-22 Raptor at the company’s Inlet Coating Repair (ICR) Speedline, a company statement said.

"Periodic maintenance is required to maintain the special exterior coatings that contribute to the 5th Generation Raptor’s Very Low Observable radar cross-section," Lockheed stated.

The increase in F-22 deployments, including ongoing operational combat missions, has increased the demand for ICR. Additionally, Lockheed Martin is providing modification support services, analytical condition inspections, radar cross section turntable support and antenna calibration.



TBC
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
F-22 Attack & Supercruise Technology

At the moment, targeting information from drones is relayed from the ground station back up to an F-22. However, computer algorithms and technology is fast evolving such that aircraft like an F-22s will soon be able to quickly view drone video feeds in the cockpit without needing a ground station -- and eventually be able to control nearby drones from the air. These developments were highlighted in a special Scout Warrior interview with Air Force Chief Scientist Greg Zacharias.



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U.S. Air Force
Zacharias explained that fifth generation fighters such as the F-35 and F-22 are quickly approaching an ability to command-and-control nearby drones from the air. This would allow unmanned systems to deliver payload, test enemy air defenses and potentially extend the reach of ISR missions.

Newer F-22s have a technology called Synthetic Aperture Radar, or SAR, which uses electromagnetic signals or “pings” to deliver a picture or rendering of the terrain below, allow for better target identification.

The SAR technology sends a ping to the ground and then analyzes the return signal to calculate the contours, distance and characteristics of the ground below.

Overall, the Air Force operates somewhere between 80 and 100 or more F-22s. Dave Majumdar of
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writes that many would like to see more F-22s added to the Air Force arsenal. (
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). For instance, some members of Congress, such as former Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., have requested that more F-22s be built, given its technological superiority.

Citing budget concerns, Air Force officials have said it is unlikely the service will want to build new F-22s, however it is possible the Trump administration could want to change that.

F-22 Technologies

The F-22 is known for a range of technologies including an ability called “super cruise” which enables the fighter to reach speeds of Mach 1.5 without needing to turn on its after burners.

“The F-22 engines produce more thrust than any current fighter engine. The combination of sleek aerodynamic design and increased thrust allows the F-22 to cruise at supersonic airspeeds. Super Cruise greatly expands the F-22’s operating envelope in both speed and range over current fighters, which must use fuel-consuming afterburner to operate at supersonic speeds,” Col. Larry Broadwell, the Commander of the 1st Operations Group at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, told Scout Warrior in a special pilot interview last year.

The fighter jet fires a 20mm cannon and has the ability to carry and fire all the air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons including precision-guided ground bombs, such Joint Direct Attack Munitions called the GBU 32 and GBU 39, Broadwell explained. In the air-to-air configuration the Raptor carries six AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9 Sidewinders, he added.

“The F-22 possesses a sophisticated sensor suite allowing the pilot to track, identify, shoot and kill air-to-air threats before being detected. Significant advances in cockpit design and sensor fusion improve the pilot's situational awareness,” he said.

It also uses what’s called a radar-warning receiver – a technology which uses an updateable data base called “mission data files” to recognize a wide-range of enemy fighters, Broadwell said.

Made by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the F-22 uses two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners and two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles, an Air Force statement said. It is 16-feet tall, 62-feet long and weighs 43,340 pounds. Its maximum take-off weight is 83,500.

The aircraft was first introduced in December of 2005, and each plane costs $143 million, Air Force statements say.

“Its greatest asset is the ability to target attack and kill an enemy without the enemy ever being aware they are there,” Broadwell added.

The Air Force’s stealthy F-22 Raptor fighter jet delivered some of the first strikes in the U.S.-led attacks on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, when aerial bombing began in 2014, service officials told Scout Warrior.

After delivering some of the first strikes in the U.S. Coalition-led military action against ISIS, the F-22 began to shift its focus from an air-dominance mission to one more focused on supporting attacks on the ground.

"An F-22 squadron led the first strike in OIR (Operation Inherent Resolve). The aircraft made historic contributions in the air-to-ground regime,” he added.

Even though ISIS does not have sophisticated air defenses or fighter jets of their own to challenge the F-22, there are still impactful ways in which the F-22 continues to greatly help the ongoing attacks, Broadwell said.

“There are no issues with the air superiority mission. That is the first thing they focus on. After that, they can transition to what they have been doing over the last several months and that has been figuring out innovative ways to contribute in the air-to-ground regime to support the coalition,” Broadwell said.


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