Silent Viper: Why Lockheed Martin is not fiddling with idea of Semi-Stealth F-16 for India

[INDIAPOSITIVE]

SOURCE: VISHAL KARPE / FOR MY TAKE / IDRW.ORG

While rival Boeing is repacking its legacy Combat jets with Semi-Stealth tech configuration and has relaunched Semi-Stealthy F-18 and F-15 variants, Pioneer in Stealth technology Lockheed Martin is simply not interested in reconfiguring its legacy F-16 into Semi-stealth combat jet to lure more customers.

Lockheed Martin officials while speaking to Indian media flatly refused to integrate any Stealth elements in F-16 which are currently been offered to India under PM Modi’s “Make in India ” Defence initiative with Private defence collaboration in India.

The official added that F-16 has some degree of visual stealth in the jet due to its size but bluntly said Stealth elements needs to be factored in at the time of design stage to develop a Stealthy combat jet.

But Lockheed Martin in mid-1990’s, Lockheed modified the forward structure of a block 30 Viper in an attempt to prove technologies that would be part of the looming Joint Strike Fighter tender. The DSI modified F-16 configurations did provide a drastic reduction in radar cross section, thus lowering an aircraft’s detectability on radar, especially those that function at higher bandwidths.

DSI inlet integrated F-16 With other “low observable” enhancements, such as the inclusion of the Low Observable Nozzle and the installation of radar absorbent coatings and skin may have lead to a reasonable reduction in overall radar cross-section. Lockheed also incorporated LOAN (Low-Observable Asymmetric Nozzle) nozzle into modified F100-PW-200 engine from the JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) Program. LOAN provides a significant reduction in radar cross section and infrared signature emissions from the engine, as well as the potential for reduced maintenance costs.

DSI concept seemed to have impressed Chinese engineers so much that they have now incorporated it them in all their indigenously developed combat jet and DSI is seen in J-20, J-10B /C, JF-17 Block II and J-31.

With Lockheed Martin background in the development of Stealth from SR-71, F-117 till F-22 and F-35, lack of Development of silent Viper by Lockheed Martin suggests that they are only interested in marketing their 5th Generation F-35 to interested buyers and Semi-Stealth F-16 could have ruined their F-35 sales and India is seen has potential customer for F-35 . while F-16 Fighter Jet With Diverterless Supersonic Inlet (DSI) is rusting somewhere in Lockheed’s Skunk Works at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.

http://idrw.org/silent-viper-why-lo...ing-with-idea-of-semi-stealth-f-16-for-india/

 

[Kompromat]

That's just a testbed for studying divertless super sonic intakes.

 

[anant_s]

First of all what on earth is Semi Stealth?
Second does the writer mean to imply that Diverterless Supersonic Inlet will provide some sort of miraculous reduction in RCS of a fighter without changing its frame and geometric configuration?
Third US doesn't seem to be interested in any further upgrades of F-16 given limited budgets in future and hence investing in Falcon to reduce its RCS, won't be a wise idea especially when F-16 is in later part of its career.
@MilSpec @Water Car Engineer

 

[Imran Khan]

First of all what on earth is Semi Stealth?
Second does the writer mean to imply that Diverterless Supersonic Inlet will provide some sort of miraculous reduction in RCS of a fighter without changing its frame and geometric configuration?
Third US doesn't seem to be interested in any further upgrades of F-16 given limited budgets in future and hence investing in Falcon to reduce its RCS, won't be a wise idea especially when F-16 is in later part of its career.
@MilSpec @Water Car Engineer

As much as possible reduce RCS sir

 

[schoolboy]

As a private company that charges pricey sums for its aircraft and makes healthy profits it's professional to not take on a commitment that cannot materialise. At least Lockheed Martin is being honest about it. In India a contractor would eagerly promise the moon and later come up with a product that did not meet specifications.

 

[Alphacharlie]

So the Story Starts....with a Fart !!

1/2 Stealth, 1/3 Stealth, 1/4 Stealth..........

Then some one will Start Jumping we Got DSI DSI DSI in our Jet, You (Indians) Dont !!

Its Plain and Simple Terms F16 is MULTI-ROLE Bomb Truck carrying 6200 KG or 1 SQN = 2 SQNs of Mig 21 Bison.

Certainly, will make existing Owners ENVY....but thats Life !!

 

[volatile]

WHy a company who has better products than F16 can waste time in making F16 stealthy where it has F35 functioning . F16 was a test bed for many future technologies that doesn't mean that F16 should have some blocks for the same such as

Thrust vectoring

Delta wing