F22 - Not invincible | Page 4 | World Defense

F22 - Not invincible

Atalay

MEMBER
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
336
Reactions
283 9 0
Country
Turkey
Location
Germany
Does China’s J-20 rival other stealth fighters?

Chengdu J-20 marks the first entry of a multirole stealth fighter into China's armed forces. According to the Department of Defense (DOD), China views stealth technology as a core component in the transformation of its air force from "a predominantly territorial air force to one capable of conducting both offensive and defensive operations." Designed for enhanced stealth and maneuverability, the J-20 has the potential to provide China with a variety of previously unavailable air combat options and enhance its capability to project power.

Development of the J-20

As an advanced multirole stealth fighter, it is speculated that the J-20 can fulfill both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat roles for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army Navy (referred to as either Naval Aviation or the PLAN-AF). According to PLAAF Senior Colonel Shen Jinke, the J-20 will enhance the overall combat capability of China's air force. A 2016 report by the DOD states that the J-20 represents a critical step in China's efforts to develop "advanced aircraft to improve its regional power projection capabilities and to strengthen its ability to strike regional airbases and facilities." In 2014, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission described the J-20 as "more advanced than any other fighter currently deployed by Asia Pacific countries."

The J-20 is believed to be equipped with subsystems and field signature reduction technology that collectively meet the internationally-accepted classification of a "fifth-generation" aircraft. This refers to military aircraft featuring the general requirements of stealth technology, supersonic cruising speed, and highly integrated avionics. The J-20 is the first Chinese aircraft to fit this description, and it may serve as a critical asset for both the air force and the navy. As these branches have different areas of responsibility, how the J-20 is ultimately utilized is likely to vary. In broad terms, the PLAAF is China's mainstay for air operations and is responsible for homeland air defense, while Naval Aviation is tasked with fleet air defense and defending the territorial waters and coastline of China.

It is worth noting, however, that China's criteria for defining aircraft generations differs from accepted international standards. China defines aircraft generations based upon when an aircraft was integrated into the air force. Per China's criteria, the J-20 is considered a fourth-generation aircraft.

Currently, the United States is the only country with a fully operational fifth-generation fighter. Several other countries including Russia, India, and Japan are currently in the process of developing their own advanced stealth fighters that fit this classification.

The J-20 is one of two stealth fighters being simultaneously developed in China. The other aircraft is the Shenyang FC-31, a smaller multirole stealth fighter that is being developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and could potentially be commercially exported to other countries. The two Chinese stealth fighters may have been designed to complement each other in a similar manner to the planned deployment of the F-22 and F-35 by the United States. At present, China and the U.S. are the only two countries that have concurrent stealth fighter programs.

According to General David L. Goldfein, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, information-age fighters like the J-20 are designed to link into national defense networks, which enables these cutting-edge fighters to access real-time information supplied by satellites and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). As a result, the J-20, like the F-35, should be assessed as part of a "family of systems" instead of a standalone aircraft.

On September 28, 2017, it was announced that the J-20 has been officially commissioned into service, but the aircraft is unlikely to be fully operational until 2018 or 2019.

Comparing the J-20 to other stealth fighters

The J-20 is part of a small but elite group of advanced fighters either currently in service or under development, including the F-22 Raptor and the T-50 PAK-FA. Early reports over-estimated the J-20's length at approximately 23 meters (m), but satellite imagery has reliably shown the J-20 to be between 20.3 and 20.5 meters long - making it comparable in size to both its American and Russian counterparts.

It has been reported that the J-20 is expected to feature a Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) of 34,000 - 37,000 kilograms. By comparison, the F-22 has an MTOW of 38,000 kilograms, and the T-50 has an MTOW between 35,000 - 37,000 kilograms. Some analysts have suggested, however, that it is unlikely for the J-20 to have a lower MTOW than the F-22. Both aircraft are similar in size, and it is likely that the more rearward placement of the J-20's engines in its fuselage relative to F-22 offer the Chinese fighter a substantially greater internal volume.

0G3vjY.jpg

EyjGlg.png


In terms of armaments, the J-20 contains two lateral bays for small air-to-air missiles and a larger bay under the fuselage for a variety of missiles and surface attack weapons. This is similar to the weapons bay configuration of the F-22, but different from the Russian T-50, which instead holds two small and two large weapons bays.

The J-20 is also slated to carry a variety of advanced electronic systems. This technology includes an active electronically scanned array, a chin mounted infrared/electro-optic search and track sensor, and a passive electro-optical detection system that will provide 360° spherical coverage around the aircraft. These systems are expected to be comparable to those found inside the F-35. Additionally, the J-20 is likely to field an advanced communications suite that will enable it to datalink with friendly platforms in service and platforms under development, such as the Divine Eagle airborne early warning drone.

Prototype and early production models of the J-20 were equipped with the Russian AL-31 engines, but China is developing a new, more powerful powerplant. Chen Xiangbao, an Aero Engine Corporation official, announced on March 13, 2017 that the J-20 will soon feature next-generation engines. Reports indicate that China plans to upgrade the J-20 in the coming years with the Chinese-made WS-15 engine, which would provide the J-20 with sustained supersonic travel (supercruise). This new engine may rival the cutting-edge Pratt & Whitney F119 engine currently used by the F-22. Compared to the older engines, the WS-15 would enable the J-20 to travel further while consuming less fuel and fly faster for longer periods of time. It is unknown when the WS-15 will be put online; in the interim, it has been reported that China has outfitted the newer models of the J-20 with the WS-10 engine. The domestically built WS-10 is less powerful than the WS-15, but advanced versions of the WS-10 are capable of achieving low supercruise. Other countries with advanced militaries, such as the U.S., Russia, and many European countries, all have fighter aircraft with supercruise capability.


Using a Physical Optics simulation algorithm, co-founders of the Air Power Australia think-tank Dr. Michael Pelosi and Dr. Carlos Kopp determined that the J-20, like the F-22, has also achieved some Low Observable design goals for enhanced stealth. Such a design allows the J-20 to bypass radar and electronic countermeasures with low to zero visibility. However, some aspects of the aircraft, such as the round nozzle of earlier models (the WS-15 may have a stealthier design) may work against its stealth capabilities. The T-50 may share a similar rear aspect signature reduction, but it is worth noting that both aircraft likely boast superior signature reductions when compared to fourth generation fighters. China may be working to incrementally improve the J-20's stealth capabilities. Advanced versions of the WS-10 engine are reported to feature sawtooth serrations around its edges that are designed to redirect radar away from the nozzles. In contrast, the F-22's Pratt & Whitney F119 engines have square nozzles, which greatly improves stealth.

Many details regarding the J-20 remain unknown. Based on observed serial numbers and the recent unveiling of two J-20's at the Zhuhai Air Show in November 2016, at least eleven J-20s may have already been produced. This number may suggest that the J-20 has now entered low-rate initial production (LRIP), the small-quantity testing phase prior to mass production. Experts differ on the J-20's flyaway cost - the marginal per-unit production cost, with estimates ranging from $30 million to up to $120 million. By comparison, the F-22 has a per-unit cost of $143 million while the T-50 is estimated to cost less than $100 million. Peter Singer notes that China is likely capable of mass-producing the J-20, but it remains unclear how many J-20s will be produced. Higher-end estimates indicate that several hundred J-20s will be produced to replace older fighters.

How might China utilize the J-20

The J-20 has the potential to considerably enhance China's regional military strength. According to a 2014 U.S. Naval War College report, an operational stealth fighter would "immediately become the most advanced aircraft deployed by any East Asian Power," surpassing the aircraft fielded in India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, or Taiwan. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission advances a similar assessment, noting that the arrival of the J-20 will enhance China's military leverage against opposing forces in the region. With the J-20 expected become fully operational in the next couple of years, the PLAAF has a considerable head start over the Indian, Japanese, and Korean air forces, which are not slated to put their locally-made advanced fighter counterparts into service until the 2020s.

Opinions vary about the J-20's comparative strengths as an air superiority (air-to-air) fighter or a strike (air-to-ground) aircraft. Some analysts believe that the J-20's emphasis on frontal stealth makes it an effective long-range interceptor, meant for mid-air engagements. Others see the J-20 as a long-range strike aircraft, best suited for penetrating enemy air defenses and damaging critical infrastructure on the ground. Such high-value targets would include airfields, command bases, and other military installations. A 2015 RAND report noted the J-20's "combination of forward stealth and long range could hold U.S. Navy surface assets at risk, and that a long-range maritime strike capability may be a cause for greater concern than a short-range air-superiority fighter like the F-22." The J-20's size and weapons configuration may, however, preclude it from functioning as an effective strike fighter in either context. Importantly, the mission types Chinese pilots are trained for may determine how the J-20 is eventually utilized.

Reports differ regarding the J-20's range, which is expected to fall between 1,200 and 2,700 kilometers. Regardless of this uncertainty, the J-20's combat radius is likely to extend well-beyond the Chinese mainland. The U.S. Naval War College suggests that the J-20 could be an "effective surface-attack platform for out to several hundred nautical miles at sea." Air Power Australia notes that the J-20 would be a suitable choice of aircraft for operating within China's "first island chain" and "second island chain." Should China integrate aerial refueling aircraft with the J-20, the stealth fighter's operational range would extend even further across the Asia-Pacific.

Increased range offers China considerable flexibility in terms of basing options. Basing the J-20 further inland means the J-20 can conduct distant missions before returning to the relative safety of China's Integrated Air Defense System. This modernized aerial defense net - composed of early warning sensors, long-range surface-to-air missiles, and air interceptors - may deter opposing air forces from pursuing J-20s into the mainland.


https://chinapower.csis.org/china-chengdu-j-20/
 

Atalay

MEMBER
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
336
Reactions
283 9 0
Country
Turkey
Location
Germany
Russia Mulls Upgrading Su-57 to 6th Generation Fighter Jet

The Su-57 has the potential to be a 6th-generation fighter jet, the former head of the Russian Aerospace Force claims.

thediplomat_2015-01-06_12-04-00-36x36.jpg

By Franz-Stefan Gady
November 01, 2017



Russia’s first indigenously designed and built fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Su-57, could be turned into a sixth-generation fighter aircraft, the former head of the Russian Aerospace Force, Viktor Bondarev told TASS news agency on November.
“This is actually a splendid plane and it can embrace both fifth-and sixth-generation features. It has huge modernization potential,” Bondarev, now chairman of the Federation Council Defense and Security Committee, said. “Importantly, it is the best among the existing versions by its stealth characteristics. It incorporates all the best that is available in modern aviation science both in Russia and in the world,” he added.
As I reported in July 2016, Russian defense officials have repeatedly claimed that hardware elements designed for a future sixth generation fighter have been tested on the Su-57 prototype, including flight and navigation systems as well as advanced electronic warfare and radar systems.

Russia revealed for the first time the design of a new sixth generation fighter aircraft in March 2016 (See: “Russia Reveals First Design of New 6th Generation Fighter”). The new aircraft is slated to be available in manned and unmanned configuration, and could take to the air for the first time in the late 2020s, according to Russian defense officials.
Meanwhile, work on the Su-57 is continuing. Bodarek cautioned that it will take time for the new aircraft to be introduced into service. “In the first year, the Aerospace Force won’t get 20 or 15 planes. It will get only two or three and so on,” he said on November 1. The service is currently testing nine Su-57 prototypes with two additional aircraft expected to be delivered to the service by the end 2017.
Doubts remain as to whether the Su-57 is genuinely a fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The Su-57 reportedly is a multirole, single seat, twin-engine air superiority/deep air support fighter poised to replace the Russian Aerospace Force’s MiG-29s and Su-27s. “The Su-57 will be armed with beyond visual range air-to-air missiles as well as of air-to-ground missiles including the extended range Kh-35UE tactical cruise missile,” I explainedpreviously.
It can also be armed with nuclear-capable cruise missiles.
One of the chief technical problems that still need to be resolved is designing and producing a next-generation engine for the Su-57, as I noted:
As of now, Su-57 prototypes are equipped with a derivative of the Saturn AL-41F1S engine, dubbed AL-41F1, an engine also installed on the Sukhoi Su-35S Flanker-E.
While the Su-57 was slated to conduct its maiden flight this year, a new engine— the next-generation Saturn izdeliye 30 — will reportedly not be ready until 2020.
According to Russian defense sources, experimental design work on the Su-57 will not be completed until 2019.


Current engine

1513128732777.png
 

Khafee

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
12,324
Reactions
24,463 1,293 0
The F-22 was introduced early 2000s and it's illogical to phase it out so early for no reason. At least keep the production line running by introducing an export version to the market.

The F22 may not have some of the gizmos of the F35, but it is not available for export, not even to the closest allies, for a reason. In the air superiority role it is still top dog.

We have pics available of Rafale, Blk60's and even M2K9's, getting missile locks on it during mock engagements, but at what cost? How many of the opposition had to be sacrificed, before one could get a lock?

Did the F22 loose on purpose i.e. lost a war to win a battle? Just to see what tactics, or features (in case of foreign fighters) had they got in store?

The F22 is continuously being upgraded as well. The latest upgrade being the Increment 3.2b Hardware & Software upgrade, which includes the software only upgrade called Update 6. It took nearly two years to implement. It is being kept at the cutting edge of tech.

In Short, The F22 is expected to stay as top fighter, till at least 2030. The following OP, provides much more details:

*********************************************************************************************************************************************

The U.S. Air Force's Stealth F-22 Raptor Will Fly Until 2060
Dave Majumdar
June 26, 2017

The United States Air Force is planning to keep the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor in service though 2060. To that end, the service is funding a series of upgrades that will keep the powerful fifth-generation air superiority relevant for decades to come. Indeed, the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2018 budget request is a down payment towards that goal.

“We plan to retain the F-22 until the 2060 timeframe, meaning a sustained effort is required to counter advancing threats that specifically target its capabilities. The FY18 budget includes 624.5 million dollars in RDT&E and $398.5 million in procurement towards this goal,” Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, military deputy to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, and Lt. Gen. Jerry Harris, Air Force, deputy chief of staff for plans, programs and requirements, wrote in their written testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on June 7.

As Tom McIntyre, a program analyst for F-22 requirements at Air Combat Command, told me earlier today, while the year 2060 came as a surprise to the Raptor community, the airframe will be structurally sound until at least that time.

“That came somewhat as a surprise to us,” McIntyre said. “We were not expecting 2060, but the F-22 program has a very robust structural integrity program known as ASIP (aircraft structural integrity program).”

Robust Structure:
The Raptor’s airframe is incredibly robust due to the Air Force’s extreme requirements for the design during the closing years of the Cold War. Though the F-22 was designed with an 8000-hour airframe life, real life-flying experience shows that the jet can be safely flown without modifications out to 12,000 hours at the low-end and as many as 15,000 hours on the high-end.

“Way back in the late 80s and early 90s when we designed the F-22, we had about 10 design missions that we built the structure of the aircraft around,” McIntyre said.

“That’s what during EMD [engineering, manufacturing, development] we did the full scale testing on against those missions. We came to find out we have not been flying the Raptor nearly as hard as those design missions nor as what we found out during the structural testing, so actually the airframe itself—without any service life extension program—is good out to approximately 2060.”

Nor is corrosion a factor as has been the case on the U.S. Navy’s Boeing F/A-18 Hornets. Most of the issues that the Air Force found on the Raptor were related to galvanic corrosion due to the aircraft’s stealth material. But none of the corrosion was on the critical airframe structures of the aircraft, McIntyre noted. In any case, the Air Force is taking action—which is to replace a particular conductive stealth coating—to eliminate the corrosion problem on the Raptor.

“Those corrective actions are currently being done at the depot at Hill Air Force Base,” McIntyre said.

“We’re also adding modifications to avoid future corrosion and all of those mods should be completed about mid-2020.”

Tooling:
Moreover, the Air Force is auditing the Sierra Army Depot to make sure that the F-22 manufacturing tooling is secure—and thus far everything is in order. The audit is 85 percent complete and thus far all of the tooling has been found. Earlier, some Air Force officials had expressed concerns that the equipment had been misplaced—however, those concerns were unfounded as it turns out.

“When you store 40,000 tools in a bunch of Connexes, it’s probably like my garage, I know something is out in it, but it takes me a while sometimes to find it,” McIntyre said.

“They’ve found no issues with finding any of the tooling.”

As for restarting the F-22 production line, that is a non-starter for the Air Force.
“The Air Force has no plans to restart the F-22 production line because it wouldn’t make economic or operational sense to do so,” Maj. Carrie Kessler, a spokeswoman for Air Combat Command told me.

The Raptor in 2060
Given that the F-22 airframe will easily make it to 2060, the question is what can the Air Force do to keep the Raptor tactically relevant into the later part of the 21st Century? The Air Force does not yet have an answer to that question, but it does have a plan to keep the Raptor relevant to the 2030s.

“We don’t have a crystal ball that goes out to 2060,” McIntyre said.

“Our organization is working the requirements for the F-22 to keep it operationally relevant for obtaining and maintaining air superiority between now and 2030.”

Potential adversaries like Russia and China are designing measures to defeat the Raptor and American air superiority writ large. What might happen is that the F-22 would partner with the sixth-generation Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) in a teaming arrangement similar to today’s partnership between fourth and fifth-generation aircraft. The Raptor would take the place of the F-15C Eagle as the lower-tier of a high-low mix with the PCA forming the upper-tier.

“When the PCA comes online, it will be designed to operate and be interoperable with fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35,” McIntyre said.

“There will come a time whether it is 2030, 2040 or 2050 when the F-22 will be kind of like a fourth-generation aircraft today.”

Nonetheless, based on the threats the Air Force sees becoming operational in 2019-2020, the service is looking at planning future upgrades for the F-22—however those discussions are classified.
“Those are classified capabilities,” McIntyre said.

“Following those, at some point in time, because the Raptor is going to be around a long time, we are looking at something that is tentatively known as mid-life update.”
That mid-life upgrade will likely mean new computer hardware and new avionics such as modernized radars and antennas.

“Sometime between 2025 and 2030 we’re going to have to take a serious look at the supportability of some of the systems onboard the Raptor and upgrading those,” McIntyre said.
“We’re currently in the very early stage of looking at that.”

The Immediate Future:
The Air Force is investing in keeping the Raptor ready for near term threats too. Increment 3.2B—which adds full integration of the Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder and the AIM-120D AMRAAM and a host of other upgrades—will be entering operational testing this summer before it starts to be fielded in fiscal year 2019. There is also a software only modification called Update 6 which will be fielded simultaneously that modernizes the Raptor’s cryptography, McIntyre said.

A more significant modernization effort after Update 6 is the Raptor’s TACLink-16 effort that will add Link-16 transmit capability to the F-22 in 2021. The Air Force—after resisting incorporating the omni-directional Link-16 datalink for years—is finally adding a transmit function to the Raptor. The reason is that as the service has gained more experience in operating the stealth aircraft, it has learned many operational lessons.

“As we are finding out, the F-22 overall from a tactical employment standpoint is not afraid of operating with Link-16 transmit on almost all the time,” McIntyre said.

“Over time as we have learned more about the aircraft, the smart men and women flying it have developed tactics and found that some of our early concerns with Link-16 transmit were unfounded.”

The Air Force had considered much newer and much more capable datalinks for the Raptor such as the F-35’s Multi-Function Advanced Datalink (MADL) and the Navy’s high-speed, high-bandwidth Tactical Targeting Network Technologies (TTNT), but McIntyre said that he is not the expert on that particular aspect of the Raptor program and, thus, is not comfortable discussing that decision. But he did discuss why the Air Force is not relying only on the Talon HATE datalink pod on the F-15C to retransmit information from the Raptor to the rest of the fleet.

“That is a capability that is only going to be fielded on a very limited number of F-15 aircraft,” McIntyre said.
“Unless you’re operating with a very limited number of F-15 aircraft you would not be able to share the tactical picture the F-22 is able to gather with its sensors.”

But the TACLink-16 program includes more than just the addition of the new data-link capability. The Air Force intends to fill the remaining empty avionics bays onboard the Raptor—the jet has three bays in total—with an open mission systems (OMS) architecture as the foundation for future F-22 upgrades.

“The OMS is an enabler for all future F-22 modernization,” McIntyre said.
“You can kind of think of it—it’s grossly oversimplified—like it’s an iPhone that you can add applications to.”
Immediately following the TACLink project is TACMAN—or Tactical Mandates—which features the Pentagon’s mandatory Mode 5 Identification, Friend or Foe upgrade for both the interrogation and transmission functions. The upgrade also features advanced combat identification and electronic protection features, McIntyre said.
“That will follow in 2022, so you see we kinda got an bang, bang right after TACLink-16 with TACMAN,” McIntyre said.

Another piece of good news for Raptor pilots—which is enabled by OMS—is that the F-22 will finally receive a helmet–mounted cueing systems (HMCS) to exploit the outer edges of the AIM-9X weapons employment zone. Development and integration of the HMCS are scheduled to start next year in 2018. The new system will be fielded in 2021 if all goes as planned. The Air Force has not picked which HMCS it will choose yet, but there should be down selection in the next year or so, McIntyre said.

“The key enabler is the OMS,” McIntyre said.

the addition of the HMCS, the Raptor will almost be the aircraft that was originally promised to the Air Force when the Advanced Tactical Fighter program was awarded to Lockheed so many years ago.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/th...stealth-f-22-raptor-will-fly-until-2060-21329
 

Khafee

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
12,324
Reactions
24,463 1,293 0
America's Stealth F-22 Raptor Will Soon Be Able to Kill Enemy Fighters from Twice the Range

by Dave Majumdar
May 8, 2017

Developmental testers at Edwards Air Force Base in California have completed testing on the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor’s Increment 3.2B upgrade. The new configuration will significantly boost the stealthy fifth-generation air superiority fighter’s already fearsome air-to-air capabilities.

As part of the final hurdle, F-22 Raptors assigned to the 411th Flight Test Squadron launched inert AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120D AMRAAM air intercept missiles against multiple BQM-167A sub-scale aerial targets on April 18 over the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). The test marks a “significant effort along the 3.2B developmental test and evaluation upgrade timeline” according to the Air Force.

“The shots at UTTR were the graduation live fire event of a two-year-long 3.2B upgrade,” Lt. Col. Randel Gordon, commander of the 411th FLTS, said. “The achievement of those shots is a huge technical accomplishment for the 412th Test Wing and 411th FLTS.”
The live missile shot was a particularly difficult and technically challenging event that was named after Chuck Norris, a 1980s-era action movie star. “We saved the best for last. This was the Chuck Norris shot,” Gordon said. “It was really a technically challenging shot and a graduation shot following two years of hard work. I’m deeply proud of those people in my squadron who made this happen.”

The Increment 3.2B hardware and software upgrade is one of the most significant improvements to the Raptor since the jet became operational in December 2005. Most significantly, the Increment 3.2B upgrade includes full AIM-9X Block 1 and Block 2 integration onto the Raptor. The current Increment 3.1/Upgrade 5 configuration only offers rudimentary AIM-9X Block 1 capability where the pilots see AIM-9M symbology in the cockpit.

Increment 3.2B fixes that problem with the Common Weapon Employment Zone and adds the new AIM-9X Block 2. The upgrade also includes the latest AIM-120D version of the venerable AMRAAM—which offers 50 percent greater range than previous versions of the weapon. Together, the upgrade greatly boosts the Raptor’s air-to-air prowess.

Additionally, the Increment 3.B upgrade adds an Enhanced Stores Management System (ESMS) for better future weapons integration and employment improvements. It also significantly enhances the Raptor’s Intra-Flight Data Link (IFDL) and adds much better electronic protection measures. Other improvements include greatly improved emitter geolocation capability for the Raptor’s AN/ALR-94 electronic support measures suite.

Increment 3.2B is scheduled to enter operational testing in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year—theoretically this July and August. It should start to be fielded operationally with frontline squadrons late next year. The addition of the AIM-9X helps to address one of the Raptor’s few deficiencies—due to budget cuts in the late 1990s, the Air Force deferred AIM-9X integration and deleted the F-22’s planned helmet-mounted cuing system.

Full AIM-9X integration greatly enhances the Raptor’s already formidable within visual range dogfighting capabilities. Even without a helmet-mounted cuing system, the AIM-9X is far more capable than the antiquated AIM-9M. But to fully exploit the outer edges of the new high off-boresight capabilities of the new Sidewinder variants, the Raptor will need a helmet-mounted cuing system. Air Combat Command hopes to procure such a system for the Raptor that—if all goes well—should be fielded in the early 2020s.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/th...-22-raptor-will-soon-be-able-kill-enemy-20570
 

Khafee

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
12,324
Reactions
24,463 1,293 0
United Technologies awarded $6.7B contract for F-22 engine
By James LaPorta | Dec. 15, 2017

Dec. 15 (UPI) -- United Technologies has been awarded $6.7 billion in a contract with the U.S. Air Force for sustainment on the Pratt and Whitney F-119 engine for Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor.

The deal, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, comes under the terms of an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract between the U.S. Air Force and United Technologies.

The F-22 Raptor is a 5th generation stealth air-superiority fighter with ground attack capabilities and is one of the most advanced fighters in the world. The aircraft has seen recent action in Afghanistan, as it aircraft was used in counter-revenue operations targeting Taliban narcotic manufacturing locations in the northern region of Helmand Province.

Work on the contract will be performed at multiple Air Force bases across the U.S., and is expected to be completed in December 2025.

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/20...contract-for-F-22-engine/3541513346481/?nll=1
 

Khafee

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
12,324
Reactions
24,463 1,293 0
Lockheed Martin receives $7B for F-22 sustainment
By James LaPorta
Dec. 22, 2017

Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin was awarded a $7 billion contact from the U.S. Air Force for F-22 Raptor sustainment.

The terms of the deal were announced Thursday in a press statement released by the Department of Defense. The contract is classified under a indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract over a five-year period, with an expected completion date of December 2027.
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation stealth air-superiority fighter with ground attack capabilities and is one of the most advanced fighters in the world.

The aircraft has seen recent action in Afghanistan, as the aircraft was selected for use in counter-revenue operations targeting Taliban narcotic manufacturing locations in the northern region of Helmand Province, due to the aircraft carrying GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs -- a precision-guided weapon system.

The contract between Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force provides for comprehensive F-22 air vehicle sustainment. Work is scheduled to be performed at five operational U.S. Air Force and joint service bases and five U.S. military installation support bases across the United States, in addition to some undisclosed overseas locations.

More than $1.9 million from fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance funds will be obligated to Lockheed Martin at the time of award contract, according to the press release.

Last week, United Technologies was awarded $6.7 billion from the U.S. Air Force for sustainment on the Pratt and Whitney F-119 engine that powers the F-22 Raptor.

Similar to Thursday's contract award, United Technologies is also classified as a indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract until December 2025.

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/20...-7B-for-F-22-sustainment/6381513952602/?nll=1
 

Khafee

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
12,324
Reactions
24,463 1,293 0
Eglin F-22 Crashes, Pilot Ejects
May 15, 2020 | By Brian W. Everstine

1589573440300.png

An F-22 from the 43rd Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., crashed the morning of May 15 just north of the base. The pilot safely ejected and was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

The F-22, assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing, was flying a training sortie with Eglin’s 33rd Fighter Wing about 12 miles northeast of Eglin in the base’s test and training range when the pilot was forced to eject.

The pilot was taken to the 96th Medical Group hospital at the base and is in stable condition, according to an Air Force release. There was no loss of life or damage to civilian property related to the crash. The Air Force is investigating the crash.

Nearby Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., canceled a planned flyover because of the crash, the base said in a statement.

After a Category 5 hurricane struck Tyndall in the fall of 2018, the Air Force moved many of the F-22s previously based there to other Raptor bases.

The F-22s that remained have been split between Tyndall and Eglin as the service conducts environmental impact studies needed to complete movement of the aircraft. The F-22s are leaving Tyndall to make room for 72 F-35s.

The mishap marks the fifth crash of an F-22, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft. The last total loss occurred in 2013, according to Air Force Safety Center data. As of the end of fiscal 2019, there had been 44 total “Class A” mishaps with the aircraft, meaning the loss of a life or total damages of more than $2 million.
 

Counter-Errorist

THINK TANK
Joined
Oct 1, 2019
Messages
1,105
Reactions
2,855 149 0
Country
Pakistan
Location
Pakistan
F-35 crash at the same base. This is strange.


======

F-35 Out Of Eglin Air Force Base Has Crashed, Second Aircraft Loss For The Base In Five Days
The aircraft was on a routine night training mission when the incident occurred.
BY TYLER ROGOWAY
MAY 20, 2020
https%3A%2F%2Fapi.thedrive.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F05%2F352356.jpg%3Fquality%3D85
USAF

Details remain scarce at this time, but an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that was flying out of Eglin AFB, which is located on the Florida panhandle, has crashed. Thankfully, the pilot was able to eject and is safe. The incident occurred at around 9:30 pm local time and the F-35A was on a routine night training mission.
This is the second crash of an aircraft operating out of the base in less than a week, with an F-22 Raptor going down on Friday, May 15th. Thankfully, in that incident, the pilot was also able to eject and survive the mishap. If the F-35 is destroyed, it would be the third crash of an F-35 that resulted in a total write-off of the airframe.


Eglin Air Force Base@TeamEglin


NEWS RELEASE: An F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 58th Fighter Sq crashed upon landing around 9:30 p.m. today @TeamEglin. The pilot successfully ejected and was transported to the 96th Medical Group for evaluation and monitoring. The pilot is in stable condition. Cont.
81
9:29 AM - May 20, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
82 people are talking about this

Eglin Air Force Base@TeamEglin


NEWS RELEASE cont. At the time of the accident, the pilot was participating in a routine night training sortie. First responders from the 96th Test Wing are on the scene and the site is secured. The accident is under investigation. There was no loss of life or damage to civilian
14
9:32 AM - May 20, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See Eglin Air Force Base's other Tweet

Eglin Air Force Base@TeamEglin


NEWS RELEASE cont. property. The name of the pilot is not being released at this time. Please contact the 33rd Fighter Wing Public Affairs office @ (850)226-3876 or [email protected] with questions.
5
9:36 AM - May 20, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See Eglin Air Force Base's other Tweets


Eglin AFB is home to a large number of aircraft. It is a major training base for F-35, and more recently, F-22 aircraft, the latter of which were displaced after Hurricane Michael ravaged nearby Tyndall AFB. Eglin AFB has myriad other missions, including being the home of weapons development for the Air Force's tactical aircraft communities and supporting other developmental missions. The nearby Eglin Range Complex hosts all types of training and weapons development activities, among other events. Duke Field lies deep within in it, and Hurlburt Field, home of Air Force Special Operations Command's headquarters, as well as the Navy's primary air training base of Naval Air Station Pensacola, sit very close by. As such, the base sees many types of aircraft frequent its expansive aprons and runways and the nearby ranges.


https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-cms-content-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1589946951546-23425235.jpeg

We will update this story as more information comes available.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Top