Shotgunner51
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ADVANCES in Chinese and Russian stealth technology and a gun that can’t shoot have once again put Australia’s next generation fighter in the firing line.
Jamie Seidel
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is no stranger to controversy. It is, after all, the most expensive defence program in history. But the clamour of criticism is growing as new details emerge of its chief competitors — the Chinese J-20 and Russian T-50 stealth fighters.
China, which topped the United States as the world’s largest economy in 2014, is pushing ahead with an ambitious military expansion program. And it’s throwing money at several new stealth designs to ensure their success.
Special delivery ... Australia’s first F-35 arrives for training operations in the US last month.
The result: A looming shift in the balance of air power that threatens to eliminate the air superiority lead the West has held since World War II.
An increasingly cash-strapped United States may be finding itself in a similar position to that of the United Kingdom before World War II — a waning world power in deep denial of its fading might.
All its air-defence eggs, along with those of most of its allies — are now in the one F-35 Lightning II basket. It’s too big to fail. There are no fallback options.
Seven years behind schedule and tens of billions of dollars over budget, it was revealed last week the next generation stealth jet won’t be allowed to fire its gun until 2019 because of growing issues with the aircraft’s 8.4 million lines of software. Other recent delays have included problems with the nose wheel, steering motor and an engine fire.
Nevertheless more than 150 F-35s have already been delivered.
But the debate is no longer about $700+ billion development issues. Concerns are being aimed at a raw comparison of fundamental proposed capabilities with competing stealth designs.
In ‘stealth’ mode, the F-35 can carry only two bombs and two anti-aircraft missiles. Its potentially equally sneaky opponents appear to be able to carry up to eight.
In ‘non-stealth’ mode, the all-in-one F-35 has fittings to carry seven external objects. Its faster, more manoeuvrable and longer-ranged specialist opponents can carry double that.
None of these differences can be improved through upgrades.
So, does the F-35 have enough of a technological advantage to make every shot count? And are its performance deficiencies in the ‘basic’ arenas of speed, manoeuvrability, payload and range irrelevant?
It’s an increasingly vicious debate being played out in think tanks, design rooms and halls of power around the world.
Here’s a look at what has defence and aviation critics so concerned:
RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
The United States’ “dream machine” is the F-22 Raptor: A fighter optimised for air-to-air combat with uncompromised and unparralelled stealth features.
Problem is, only 187 were delivered between 2011 and 2012 because of their extreme expense
Such budget cutbacks and the enormous expense of designing modern combat aircraft has funnelled the F-35 into being an ‘all things for all people’ program. It has to take the place of the F-18 carrier fighter, the A-10 tank buster, the F-16 fighter — even the iconic AV8 Harrier jump jets. It also now has to fill the holes left by the limited number of F-22s.
On the surface such broad capability sounds like a bargain buy: Last month, the first of Australia’s 75 F-35s was delivered to a training field in the United States.
Such diverse demands, however, come at a heavy price: The F-35 in its current form has less armament, shorter range, less manoeuvrability, a slower rate of climb and lower speeds than many of the specialist aircraft it is supposed to replace.
The Australian Defence Force has been approached for comment on this criticism, but is yet to reply.
Such is the effect that last week, one air force official involved in the F-35 development program reportedly told US media: “The F-35 will, in my opinion, be 10 years behind legacy fighters when it achieves (operation) … it will not have the weapons or sensor capability (for close air support) missions that legacy multi-role fighters had by the mid-2000s.”
China and Russia are also pressing ahead with their 5th Generation fighter programs. Russia states it will have no less than 55 new T-50 stealth fighters operational by 2020. They’re also not limited by building only one airframe: China is working on no less than four designs.
Like the F-35, the performance and payload of these new aircraft are somewhat constrained by the tight demands of stealth. Unlike the F-35, they’re not expected to be all things to all people — allowing them to be larger and more focused in purpose.
“They’re still in the glossy brochure phase of development, so they still look ten feet tall and bulletproof,” one senior US fighter pilot told the US Naval Institute late last year.
“I think they’ll eventually be on par with our fifth gen jets — as they should be, because industrial espionage is alive and well.”
T-50: This new Russian ‘stealth’ fighter can fly faster, further and higher than the F-35 with a much greater load of anti-aircraft weapons. Source: Supplied
Sukhoi T-50 (PAK-FA): The stealth capabilities of this impressive-looking jet are hotly debated. It does not appear to rely heavily upon reflecting radar. Instead, the emphasis appears to be on absorbing it. While not regarded as a match for the F-22 Raptor, its mix of speed, high agility and heavy firepower clearly indicate it has been optimised for air superiority and tracking down the likes of the B-2 Stealth bomber. Of particular concern is the suspicion that it can carry a new long-wave radar capable of determining the presence of small stealth aircraft. A pinpoint location can then be given by advanced infra-red sensors. Super cruise engines enable it to fly fast for extended periods and it is believed to be capable of lying much higher than the F-35.
J-31: This Chinese multi-role stealth fighter has reportedly been offered for sale to its allies. Source: Supplied
Shenyang J-31 Falcon Hawk: This is China’s most advanced attempt at a 5th Generation fighter jet. With roughly the appearance as an F-35, it is likewise intended to operate from aircraft carriers. Iit also appears to have only four weapon ‘hard points’ internally. It does not, however, have a ‘jump-jet’ version — greatly reducing the compromises of its design. The J-31 made its first public appearance at an air show in November and has reportedly been offered up for export sales.
J-20: Optimised as a long-range interceptor, it appears this Chinese fighter is designed to hunt-down and destroy other stealth aircraft. Source: Supplied
Chengdu J-20: This is China’s first attempt at stealth fighter. The large twin-engined interceptor made its first test flight in 2011. Two new aircraft were rolled out last month making a total of six flying prototypes. Analysts say only its front profile is stealthy, though effectiveness of its radar-absorbing materials is unknown. However, its high speed, heavy payload and increasingly powerful sensors could make it a fearsome opponent for the F-35. Features it has that the American jet does not include engines capable of super cruise, thrust nozzles for agility and a particularly long range.
J-25: These concept images of what is said to be China’s next stealth project have appeared on State television. Source: Supplied.
J-23 and J-25: These designs, beyond being recently touted by Chinese media as “F-22 Raptor killers”, appear to be just paper tigers at this stage. But the fact they are “in the works” put the People’s Liberation Army one step ahead of the West: There is no replacement for the F-35 on the drawing board.
China also has a swathe of new non-stealth jets currently entering operational deployment. The sophisticated J-15 Flying Shark was tested aboard the training carrier Liaoning last year. The J-10 Firebird multi-role strike fighter (with eleven hardpoints to carry a wide range of weapons) was introduced in 2005 with advanced radar systems and cockpit technology.
So do the new stealth jets pose a real threat?
“Overall at this stage they’re not [operational] so it’s hard for anyone to truly make a reasonable assessment,” an F-35 test pilot reportedly told the USNI.
MANOEUVRABILITY
The need for the small F-35 to carry a heavy range of internal engines, fuel and weapons has resulted in what aviation parlance labels a ‘high wing loading’. Essentially, the wings are small in relation to its weight.
It’s a ratio that militaries have known produces poorer turning circles since World War I.
Dogfighting, however, is largely an element of a bygone age. Much combat now takes place without aircraft even being in visual range.
But critics say this is misleading: The ability to twist, turn and accelerate is a desperate — but vital — last-moment component of countermeasures to modern missiles. It’s how combat jets ‘hide’ behind clouds of tinfoil, bright flares and electronic ‘noise’.
But dogfighting is just a small part of the F-35’s role.
The ability to change direction fast remains a vital element of the low-level attack runs being made by the likes of the A-10 and AV8 Harrier: It’s all about rapidly getting into the right position at the right time to effectively fire guns and drop bombs. It’s also about ducking behind a ridge line to dodge enemy fire.
PERFORMANCE
Compared to its predecessors, particularly the F-16, the Lightning II is not very fast and has a sluggish rate of climb. This is of particular concern for those hoping to use the new stealth fighter in the role of air-defence interceptor: The ability to respond to a rapidly evolving attack will be reduced.
The reason for this is simple. Like the F-16, the F-35 is hauled through the air by a single engine. Unlike the F-16, the F-35 has to carry a lot more in its tightly constrained airframe.
As the new fighter’s weight has grown with each added requirement, the engine’s ability to push the aircraft through the air has diminished. And this is before the compromises needed to accommodate the jump-jet version of the engine are taken into account.
The F-35 also lacks a key element of the F-22 Raptor, now appearing the most modern Russian jets: Supercruise. This is an advanced technology which vastly improves the fuel economy of jet engines — allowing aircraft to coast at supersonic speeds for long distances without having to dump raw fuel on an afterburner.
Consistent high speed is another of the few options available to combat pilots to dodge incoming enemy fire.
Then there is the matter of reliability: An F-35 was burnt-out on takeoff last year when an engine defect sparked a fire. To be fair, Russian and Chinese engines have long been notoriously prone to breakdowns.
But once in the air, analysts say their new stealth fighters appear capable of flying faster — further.
A 2012 report into the combat radius being displayed by the different variants of the F-35 show figures consistently at the bottom end of expectations. The conventional versions can reach out to about 1100km. The ‘jump-jet’ variant (now being considered for use on Australia’s new Canberra-Class assault ships) was consistently falling below 900km — the minimum estimated effective range.
This translates to very limited availability in combat zones.
FIREPOWER
As the jet upon which all the hopes of several air forces and navies have been pinned upon, it carries a surprisingly small array of weapons.
It can fit four to six missiles for air-to-air combat in its internal bays (The F-22 can carry eight). These can be mixed with, or partially replaced by, air-to-ground weapons in its strike role — though at best it can carry only two large bombs. (In comparison the A-10, along with the enormous cannon it is built around, can carry a mix of 11 bombs and missiles).
When carrying extra dogfighting missiles and ground-attack weapons under its wings, the F-35 loses its stealth. Once seen, the fighter’s low speed, acceleration and agility puts it at a severe disadvantage to even much older competitors.
Advocates argue the new missiles the F-35 is intended to carry make the jet itself somewhat irrelevant. The fighter’s inability to climb and turn can be compensated for by the performance of the missiles themselves — all the Lighting II has to do is sneak those missiles into range of a target.
That’s why it’s a stealth fighter.
However, some analysts say even the most modern air-to-air missiles only have a 50-50 chance of hitting a supersonic target. The F-35 can launch a single salvo of two missiles. Russias 4.5th Generation Su 27 Flanker can fire four salvos of three different varieties of missile — making them all that much harder to confuse and dodge.
If the Russian jet gets into a position to open fire, that is.
Regardless, the range of weapons the F-35 is able to carry is — for the time being — limited.
In one such example, it was revealed late last week software delays mean the F-35 is incapable of firing the 180/220 shots its gun carries until at least 2019.
US defence officials last week announced efforts are now in place to attempt to get the gun working for test pilots in 2017 and begin operational deployment in 2018.
Guns, while largely unused in dogfights, are regarded as key weapons in supporting troops on the ground.
STEALTH
This is the F-35’s strength. It’s what the new jet has that its predecessors don’t, and what advocates say more than makes up for the aircraft’s reduced capabilities.
The plan is for the Lightning II to slip into firing position — be it against ground or air targets — before unleashing an ultra-accurate punch.
It’s an idea the Chinese and Russians also have embraced in their latest designs.
But they’ve chosen to optimise their stealth airframes for different roles — not bundle them all into one. And, to this point, they also appear to have given flight performance the edge over pure radar invisibility.
For the F-35, compromise — as well as cost — has resulted in less than optimal stealth characteristics. It’s ‘round’ engine nozzle is said to be a beacon for radar from behind — though it does allow a degree of ‘directional thrust’ that the stealthy square alternative does not. The most modern Russian and Chinese jets have similar flexible, vectored-thrust nozzles to enhance their manoeuvrability.
The F-35’s simplified airframe also appears to have far less of the ‘shaped stealth’ found in the F-22: Essentially, this a combination of angles and curves which reflect away radar beams. This implies a much greater reliance on radar-absorbing materials.
But the concept of stealth itself is increasingly being challenged.
Most anti-radar technology is effective at deflecting short wavelength sensors (essentially high-pitch). Lower wavelengths, though, are much harder to bounce away — and that’s the direction Russia’s modern fighter-based radars appear to be headed.
The other option is to use technology other than radar, such as infra-red.
Some defence industry experts express the fear that the F-35 could soon be detectable at ranges of up to 90km.
SENSOR SWEEP
Along with stealth, F-35 advocates keep returning to the jet’s “ace in the hole” — its ultra-advanced sensors, electronics and software.
The catchphrase is “sensor fusion”: The ability to pull every last piece of information out of its surrounding environment, from both its own electronics and those on the ground and air about it. This is all to be projected at the pilot in a virtual-reality bubble generated for the pilot by an ultra-advanced helmet display. It’s not yet fully operational.
But it’s the aircraft’s ultra-advanced “artificial intelligence” that is causing the most concern. Its self-diagnostic system is reportedly becoming notorious for shutting the aircraft down because it “disagrees” with what mechanics have been doing — even to the point of refusing to accept human overrides.
Questions are also being raised about the effectiveness of the ground-attack sensors it carries. They’re believed to be inferior to those used by current generation F-16 and A-10 jets. In particular, while it can feed off information provided by ground troops, it cannot return the favour.
“The (Electro-Optical Targeting System) technology is 10-plus years old, hasn’t been able to take advantage of all the pod upgrades in the meantime, and there were some performance trade-offs to accommodate space and stealth,” one Air Force official reportedly said.
Eye in the sky ... The reflective coating of the F-35’s EOTS sensor.
@JamieSeidel
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/special-features/f-35-in-new-dogfight-over-chinese-russian-stealth-technology/story-fnknbqfy-1227177399053?nk=04c55b58d778d4e7818d475d0cbfea33
Jamie Seidel
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is no stranger to controversy. It is, after all, the most expensive defence program in history. But the clamour of criticism is growing as new details emerge of its chief competitors — the Chinese J-20 and Russian T-50 stealth fighters.
China, which topped the United States as the world’s largest economy in 2014, is pushing ahead with an ambitious military expansion program. And it’s throwing money at several new stealth designs to ensure their success.
Special delivery ... Australia’s first F-35 arrives for training operations in the US last month.
The result: A looming shift in the balance of air power that threatens to eliminate the air superiority lead the West has held since World War II.
An increasingly cash-strapped United States may be finding itself in a similar position to that of the United Kingdom before World War II — a waning world power in deep denial of its fading might.
All its air-defence eggs, along with those of most of its allies — are now in the one F-35 Lightning II basket. It’s too big to fail. There are no fallback options.
Seven years behind schedule and tens of billions of dollars over budget, it was revealed last week the next generation stealth jet won’t be allowed to fire its gun until 2019 because of growing issues with the aircraft’s 8.4 million lines of software. Other recent delays have included problems with the nose wheel, steering motor and an engine fire.
Nevertheless more than 150 F-35s have already been delivered.
But the debate is no longer about $700+ billion development issues. Concerns are being aimed at a raw comparison of fundamental proposed capabilities with competing stealth designs.
In ‘stealth’ mode, the F-35 can carry only two bombs and two anti-aircraft missiles. Its potentially equally sneaky opponents appear to be able to carry up to eight.
In ‘non-stealth’ mode, the all-in-one F-35 has fittings to carry seven external objects. Its faster, more manoeuvrable and longer-ranged specialist opponents can carry double that.
None of these differences can be improved through upgrades.
So, does the F-35 have enough of a technological advantage to make every shot count? And are its performance deficiencies in the ‘basic’ arenas of speed, manoeuvrability, payload and range irrelevant?
It’s an increasingly vicious debate being played out in think tanks, design rooms and halls of power around the world.
Here’s a look at what has defence and aviation critics so concerned:
RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
The United States’ “dream machine” is the F-22 Raptor: A fighter optimised for air-to-air combat with uncompromised and unparralelled stealth features.
Problem is, only 187 were delivered between 2011 and 2012 because of their extreme expense
Such budget cutbacks and the enormous expense of designing modern combat aircraft has funnelled the F-35 into being an ‘all things for all people’ program. It has to take the place of the F-18 carrier fighter, the A-10 tank buster, the F-16 fighter — even the iconic AV8 Harrier jump jets. It also now has to fill the holes left by the limited number of F-22s.
On the surface such broad capability sounds like a bargain buy: Last month, the first of Australia’s 75 F-35s was delivered to a training field in the United States.
Such diverse demands, however, come at a heavy price: The F-35 in its current form has less armament, shorter range, less manoeuvrability, a slower rate of climb and lower speeds than many of the specialist aircraft it is supposed to replace.
The Australian Defence Force has been approached for comment on this criticism, but is yet to reply.
Such is the effect that last week, one air force official involved in the F-35 development program reportedly told US media: “The F-35 will, in my opinion, be 10 years behind legacy fighters when it achieves (operation) … it will not have the weapons or sensor capability (for close air support) missions that legacy multi-role fighters had by the mid-2000s.”
China and Russia are also pressing ahead with their 5th Generation fighter programs. Russia states it will have no less than 55 new T-50 stealth fighters operational by 2020. They’re also not limited by building only one airframe: China is working on no less than four designs.
Like the F-35, the performance and payload of these new aircraft are somewhat constrained by the tight demands of stealth. Unlike the F-35, they’re not expected to be all things to all people — allowing them to be larger and more focused in purpose.
“They’re still in the glossy brochure phase of development, so they still look ten feet tall and bulletproof,” one senior US fighter pilot told the US Naval Institute late last year.
“I think they’ll eventually be on par with our fifth gen jets — as they should be, because industrial espionage is alive and well.”
T-50: This new Russian ‘stealth’ fighter can fly faster, further and higher than the F-35 with a much greater load of anti-aircraft weapons. Source: Supplied
Sukhoi T-50 (PAK-FA): The stealth capabilities of this impressive-looking jet are hotly debated. It does not appear to rely heavily upon reflecting radar. Instead, the emphasis appears to be on absorbing it. While not regarded as a match for the F-22 Raptor, its mix of speed, high agility and heavy firepower clearly indicate it has been optimised for air superiority and tracking down the likes of the B-2 Stealth bomber. Of particular concern is the suspicion that it can carry a new long-wave radar capable of determining the presence of small stealth aircraft. A pinpoint location can then be given by advanced infra-red sensors. Super cruise engines enable it to fly fast for extended periods and it is believed to be capable of lying much higher than the F-35.
J-31: This Chinese multi-role stealth fighter has reportedly been offered for sale to its allies. Source: Supplied
Shenyang J-31 Falcon Hawk: This is China’s most advanced attempt at a 5th Generation fighter jet. With roughly the appearance as an F-35, it is likewise intended to operate from aircraft carriers. Iit also appears to have only four weapon ‘hard points’ internally. It does not, however, have a ‘jump-jet’ version — greatly reducing the compromises of its design. The J-31 made its first public appearance at an air show in November and has reportedly been offered up for export sales.
J-20: Optimised as a long-range interceptor, it appears this Chinese fighter is designed to hunt-down and destroy other stealth aircraft. Source: Supplied
Chengdu J-20: This is China’s first attempt at stealth fighter. The large twin-engined interceptor made its first test flight in 2011. Two new aircraft were rolled out last month making a total of six flying prototypes. Analysts say only its front profile is stealthy, though effectiveness of its radar-absorbing materials is unknown. However, its high speed, heavy payload and increasingly powerful sensors could make it a fearsome opponent for the F-35. Features it has that the American jet does not include engines capable of super cruise, thrust nozzles for agility and a particularly long range.
J-25: These concept images of what is said to be China’s next stealth project have appeared on State television. Source: Supplied.
J-23 and J-25: These designs, beyond being recently touted by Chinese media as “F-22 Raptor killers”, appear to be just paper tigers at this stage. But the fact they are “in the works” put the People’s Liberation Army one step ahead of the West: There is no replacement for the F-35 on the drawing board.
China also has a swathe of new non-stealth jets currently entering operational deployment. The sophisticated J-15 Flying Shark was tested aboard the training carrier Liaoning last year. The J-10 Firebird multi-role strike fighter (with eleven hardpoints to carry a wide range of weapons) was introduced in 2005 with advanced radar systems and cockpit technology.
So do the new stealth jets pose a real threat?
“Overall at this stage they’re not [operational] so it’s hard for anyone to truly make a reasonable assessment,” an F-35 test pilot reportedly told the USNI.
MANOEUVRABILITY
The need for the small F-35 to carry a heavy range of internal engines, fuel and weapons has resulted in what aviation parlance labels a ‘high wing loading’. Essentially, the wings are small in relation to its weight.
It’s a ratio that militaries have known produces poorer turning circles since World War I.
Dogfighting, however, is largely an element of a bygone age. Much combat now takes place without aircraft even being in visual range.
But critics say this is misleading: The ability to twist, turn and accelerate is a desperate — but vital — last-moment component of countermeasures to modern missiles. It’s how combat jets ‘hide’ behind clouds of tinfoil, bright flares and electronic ‘noise’.
But dogfighting is just a small part of the F-35’s role.
The ability to change direction fast remains a vital element of the low-level attack runs being made by the likes of the A-10 and AV8 Harrier: It’s all about rapidly getting into the right position at the right time to effectively fire guns and drop bombs. It’s also about ducking behind a ridge line to dodge enemy fire.
PERFORMANCE
Compared to its predecessors, particularly the F-16, the Lightning II is not very fast and has a sluggish rate of climb. This is of particular concern for those hoping to use the new stealth fighter in the role of air-defence interceptor: The ability to respond to a rapidly evolving attack will be reduced.
The reason for this is simple. Like the F-16, the F-35 is hauled through the air by a single engine. Unlike the F-16, the F-35 has to carry a lot more in its tightly constrained airframe.
As the new fighter’s weight has grown with each added requirement, the engine’s ability to push the aircraft through the air has diminished. And this is before the compromises needed to accommodate the jump-jet version of the engine are taken into account.
The F-35 also lacks a key element of the F-22 Raptor, now appearing the most modern Russian jets: Supercruise. This is an advanced technology which vastly improves the fuel economy of jet engines — allowing aircraft to coast at supersonic speeds for long distances without having to dump raw fuel on an afterburner.
Consistent high speed is another of the few options available to combat pilots to dodge incoming enemy fire.
Then there is the matter of reliability: An F-35 was burnt-out on takeoff last year when an engine defect sparked a fire. To be fair, Russian and Chinese engines have long been notoriously prone to breakdowns.
But once in the air, analysts say their new stealth fighters appear capable of flying faster — further.
A 2012 report into the combat radius being displayed by the different variants of the F-35 show figures consistently at the bottom end of expectations. The conventional versions can reach out to about 1100km. The ‘jump-jet’ variant (now being considered for use on Australia’s new Canberra-Class assault ships) was consistently falling below 900km — the minimum estimated effective range.
This translates to very limited availability in combat zones.
FIREPOWER
As the jet upon which all the hopes of several air forces and navies have been pinned upon, it carries a surprisingly small array of weapons.
It can fit four to six missiles for air-to-air combat in its internal bays (The F-22 can carry eight). These can be mixed with, or partially replaced by, air-to-ground weapons in its strike role — though at best it can carry only two large bombs. (In comparison the A-10, along with the enormous cannon it is built around, can carry a mix of 11 bombs and missiles).
When carrying extra dogfighting missiles and ground-attack weapons under its wings, the F-35 loses its stealth. Once seen, the fighter’s low speed, acceleration and agility puts it at a severe disadvantage to even much older competitors.
Advocates argue the new missiles the F-35 is intended to carry make the jet itself somewhat irrelevant. The fighter’s inability to climb and turn can be compensated for by the performance of the missiles themselves — all the Lighting II has to do is sneak those missiles into range of a target.
That’s why it’s a stealth fighter.
However, some analysts say even the most modern air-to-air missiles only have a 50-50 chance of hitting a supersonic target. The F-35 can launch a single salvo of two missiles. Russias 4.5th Generation Su 27 Flanker can fire four salvos of three different varieties of missile — making them all that much harder to confuse and dodge.
If the Russian jet gets into a position to open fire, that is.
Regardless, the range of weapons the F-35 is able to carry is — for the time being — limited.
In one such example, it was revealed late last week software delays mean the F-35 is incapable of firing the 180/220 shots its gun carries until at least 2019.
US defence officials last week announced efforts are now in place to attempt to get the gun working for test pilots in 2017 and begin operational deployment in 2018.
Guns, while largely unused in dogfights, are regarded as key weapons in supporting troops on the ground.
STEALTH
This is the F-35’s strength. It’s what the new jet has that its predecessors don’t, and what advocates say more than makes up for the aircraft’s reduced capabilities.
The plan is for the Lightning II to slip into firing position — be it against ground or air targets — before unleashing an ultra-accurate punch.
It’s an idea the Chinese and Russians also have embraced in their latest designs.
But they’ve chosen to optimise their stealth airframes for different roles — not bundle them all into one. And, to this point, they also appear to have given flight performance the edge over pure radar invisibility.
For the F-35, compromise — as well as cost — has resulted in less than optimal stealth characteristics. It’s ‘round’ engine nozzle is said to be a beacon for radar from behind — though it does allow a degree of ‘directional thrust’ that the stealthy square alternative does not. The most modern Russian and Chinese jets have similar flexible, vectored-thrust nozzles to enhance their manoeuvrability.
The F-35’s simplified airframe also appears to have far less of the ‘shaped stealth’ found in the F-22: Essentially, this a combination of angles and curves which reflect away radar beams. This implies a much greater reliance on radar-absorbing materials.
But the concept of stealth itself is increasingly being challenged.
Most anti-radar technology is effective at deflecting short wavelength sensors (essentially high-pitch). Lower wavelengths, though, are much harder to bounce away — and that’s the direction Russia’s modern fighter-based radars appear to be headed.
The other option is to use technology other than radar, such as infra-red.
Some defence industry experts express the fear that the F-35 could soon be detectable at ranges of up to 90km.
SENSOR SWEEP
Along with stealth, F-35 advocates keep returning to the jet’s “ace in the hole” — its ultra-advanced sensors, electronics and software.
The catchphrase is “sensor fusion”: The ability to pull every last piece of information out of its surrounding environment, from both its own electronics and those on the ground and air about it. This is all to be projected at the pilot in a virtual-reality bubble generated for the pilot by an ultra-advanced helmet display. It’s not yet fully operational.
But it’s the aircraft’s ultra-advanced “artificial intelligence” that is causing the most concern. Its self-diagnostic system is reportedly becoming notorious for shutting the aircraft down because it “disagrees” with what mechanics have been doing — even to the point of refusing to accept human overrides.
Questions are also being raised about the effectiveness of the ground-attack sensors it carries. They’re believed to be inferior to those used by current generation F-16 and A-10 jets. In particular, while it can feed off information provided by ground troops, it cannot return the favour.
“The (Electro-Optical Targeting System) technology is 10-plus years old, hasn’t been able to take advantage of all the pod upgrades in the meantime, and there were some performance trade-offs to accommodate space and stealth,” one Air Force official reportedly said.
Eye in the sky ... The reflective coating of the F-35’s EOTS sensor.
@JamieSeidel
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/special-features/f-35-in-new-dogfight-over-chinese-russian-stealth-technology/story-fnknbqfy-1227177399053?nk=04c55b58d778d4e7818d475d0cbfea33
!!!!!!! Australia will use it for the interception role or for naval strikes, not to go toe-to-toe with Chinese, American or anyone-elses frontline fighters. Look at what the F-35 is to replace to determine what its role will be. In the USAF, the A-10, A/V-8 and F-16 are all attack aircraft, not fighters, though they can all carry AA weapons and two of the three have been used as AA platforms. The F-35 is to replace them all - for good or bad. The F-35 doesn't need performance, maneuverability or defensive firepower (AA missiles). It does need good EW capabilities, Jamming systems, targeting devices and enough variety in payload to do its job.
