Australian Air force chief: PAK FA, J-20 years behind F-35 in development

[thestringshredder]

Lockheed Martin Corp is well on the way to fixing the F-35s performance and helmet problems, Australian military chiefs said on Thursday, rejecting criticism the troubled jet will be overmatched by newer Russian and Chinese aircraft.

In testimony to parliament on the F-35, for which Australia is one of the largest international buyers with plans for up to 100, Australian air force chief Air Marshal Geoff Brown said rivals were years behind the Lightning II’s development.

Critics of the F-35 have predicted the aircraft, for which many performance data are classified, will be outflown by emerging aircraft like Russia’s Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA and China’s J-20, as well as existing fighters like the Su-35, citing computer modelling of known abilities.

“Let me tell you, I don’t think that they have the level of stealth that’s available in U.S. fifth generation aircraft, and it’s by a significant factor,” Air Marshal Brown told lawmakers.

“Both PAK FA, J-20 and J-31 are possibly where we were in excess of 10-12 years ago in their development time frames, so all those aeroplanes have still got a long, long way to go,” Brown said.

The United States and its allies plan to buy more than 3,100 of the F-35 joint strike fighters in coming decades, although the numbers may change as some countries pare back orders. Australia is one of nine partner countries involved in the aircraft’s development.

Australia earlier this month released a new strategic blueprint after the U.S. pivot to the Asia-Pacific, committing to the joint strike fighter and promising to beef up its maritime and air forces as China and India emerge as regional heavyweights.

U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Christopher Bogdan warned Congress last month that the $396 billion F-35 program, the most expensive ever U.S. arms program, remained at risk of a “death spiral” in which cuts in orders drive up the cost per plane, leading to more cuts..

Some unclassified computer wargaming of the F-35 against major rivals has pointed to the F-35 being defeated, with critics claiming the aircraft is too ungainly and lightly armed to come out on top in a close-quarters dog fight.

Development has also been plagued by problems in the development of complex software to fuse sensor information from on-board and off-board data systems bringing together weapons, radar and electronic warfare capabilities.

Those include glitches with its futuristic helmet, designed by a joint venture of Rockwell Collins Inc and Israel’s Elbit Systems to display all the information F-35 pilots need to fly the plane.

Brown said the F-35′s stealth and integrated sensors gave a “God’s eye view of the world”, while Australia’s F-35 program chief Air Vice-Marshal Kym Osley said helmet issues including sensor light clouding displays, ineffective night vision and image “jitter” were being steadily overcome.

Software programming appeared to be the biggest development risk, lawmakers were told, with costs now projected to fall to around $83 million apiece, with the first two aircraft to cost $130 million each.

Australia expects delivery of its first two F-35 fighters in 2014-15, with the first squadron to be operational in 2020. It has so far contractually committed to buying only 14 F-35s.

Link - Australian Air force chief: PAK FA, J-20 years behind F-35 in development | idrw.org

 

[J-30]

He has to say these words since he may be the one who ordered the planes, how does he know the capabilities of other planes??

 

[ptldM3]

Time will tell, but I guess when parliament puts you in the hot seat you try to deflect the heat.

 

[Backbencher]

As if he knows the development pace of both Pakfa and J20 .
I bet he will not be able to notify the precise specification's of both these birds .

 

[walle]

Australia needs to show its allegiance to the US and become the "sheriff" of oceania as former PM John Howard put it, economically its already in a marriage with China. This is one of the ways it can still cling onto the US.

 

[Agnostic_Indian]

that's a fair observation

 

[anant_s]

The testimony sounds more like coming from a Lockheed Sales executive rather than from ACM of a country. Yes F-35 has its own superior features but to brush aside T-50 and J-20 might be a grave mistake.

 

[Windjammer]

Albeit in many military aviation circles, they refer to T-50 PAK FA, as a "Follow up Flanker", but the question remains how can any Western observer comment on the capabilities of Russian and Chinese aircraft which are still going through an experimental phase.

 

[Sergi]

Hahaha it's funny
and I though the main rule of the war is to never underestimate your enemy

 

[Screambowl]

May be because, the semiconductor technology, electrical cooling system, and the process speed of onboard computers are faster. Plus process technology of materials and tensile expansion , stress factor etc are better in Falcon. Adding to that the friction on wings due to air the friction constant is very less as compared to other 5th generation. But Russia has almost similar manufacturing capabilities.

 

[Badbadman]

Holy $hit Indians Pakistanis Chinese nearly on same side. God help any westerner on this thread.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Well he doesn't sound too convinced:

“Let me tell you, I don’t think that they have the level of stealth that’s available in U.S. fifth generation aircraft, and it’s by a significant factor,” Air Marshal Brown told lawmakers.

The Australians are in a unique position wrt the F-35, it seems past RAAF chiefs and PMs sold out to American influence and LM and they are in the brown stuff as far as this project is concerned.


If anyone hasn't seen it I'd thoroughly recommend a watch:

I can understand his comments to the Chinese, to an extent, but to lump the Russians in with the Chinese is pretty unfair to Russia and its distinguished aerospace industry.



Anyway he has to say this- they've already pumped in Billions into the project.

 

[SPFG]

Sigh -

J20

No AESA
No Supercruising Engine
No TVC
No 5th Gen Avionics
Stealth Shaping
Large Payload
Interceptor Based Agility/Maneuverability

PAKFA

AESA
TVC
Supercruising
5th gen Avionics
Stealth Shaping
Standard Payload
Flanker Agility (READ LOW SUSTAINED TURN RATE)
Great Manueverability

F22

AESA
TVC
Supercruising
5th gen Avionics
Stealth Shaping
Standard Payload
High Agility ( Sustained Turn Rate 28 deg/s)
Great Maneuverability

F35
AESA
TVC (ONLY VTOL/V-iffing ability)
Supercruising
5th gen Avionics
Stealth Shaping
Standard Payload
High Agility
Standard Maneuverability of 4.5 Gen(READ F18,EF2000 Better Kinetic Performance
htp://ww.flightglobal.com/news/articles/in-focus-lockheed-claims-f-35-kinematics-better-than-or-equal-to-typhoon-or-super-hornet-382078/ (FIX LINK))


Further Detailed Info
htp://aircraft.wikiacom/wiki/F-22_Raptor_versus_Sukhoi_PAK-FA (FIX LINK , IGNORE F35 AND J20 DATA)

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

The biggest mistake made by western analysts is that PAK FA is meant to be an all aspect stealth fighter,its not.By design its a affordable 'counter stealth' fighter.Meaning it has enough stealth that it will be detected at quite close the range ,allowing the PAK fa to get into WVR.In WVR its a complete beast,supercruise,astonishing speed,3d thrust vector.The f-35 is subsonic with no supercruise and also more costly[2:1] in close ranges it can't compete and it's not fast enough to fly away either.Its overeliant on its first shot.

The Boresight: Sukhoi Makes Her Move?

Assessing the Sukhoi PAK-FA / Sukhoi/KnAAPO T-50/I-21/Article 701 PAK-FA ????????????? ??????????? ???????? ????????? ???????

 

[a.kumar]

From when did Mach 1.6+ became subsonic ??