F-22 Funding Cut - Please Comment OMG

[The One Man Gang]

UPDATE: According to my former colleagues at the Strategy Page, the Navy is very close to pulling the plug on the F-35 and replacing it with a droid.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htnavai/articles/20100208.aspx

February 8, 2010; The U.S. Navy has sped up its efforts to ready its X-47B UCAS (Unmanned Combat Aerial System), for carrier operations. This includes an additional $2 billion for development, in an attempt to have the X-47B demonstrating the ability to regularly operate from a carrier, and perform combat (including reconnaissance and surveillance) operations, within five years. Senior admirals see this as a way to solve several problems. One is the dominance of the U.S. Air Force in UAV operations (with their fleet of Predator, Reaper and Global Hawk UAVs). Then there is the growing cost of the new F-35, that is supposed to replace older F-18s on carriers and U.S. Marine Corps squadrons. If the X-47B, and similar UAVs, can be developed quickly, and cheaply, enough, they could be purchased, instead of much more expensive F-35s, by the end of the decade.

http://www.aviationnews.eu/2009/01/07/pratt-whitney-powered-navy-unmanned-combat-air-system-unveiled/

Don't ask me what those weird insignia are on the wings.  Must have something to do with "Hope" or "Change."

Translations:
EO = electro-optical - an advanced TV camera slaved to the radar that can visually ID a target miles away
IR = infra-red heat sensor
SAR = synthetic aperture radar - a system that converts radar signals into something very closely resembling a photographic image, very useful in ground-attack missions.
ESM = Electronic Support Measures - recon pods
TOGW = take-off gross weight
WOD = wind over deck - what you get when the carrier "turns into the wind" to launch or recover planes

[The One Man Gang]

I was wondering if they'd get around to this:

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20100214.aspx

DARPA Takes A Contract Out On Pilots
February 14, 2010: The U.S. Department of Defense, through DARPA (its research organization) is going to explore development of robotic ground support aircraft. This will involve two separate efforts. In one, DARPA will turn F-16s, F-18s and A-10s into unmanned ground support aircraft, to see if they can perform as well as the manned versions. Also, DARPA will seek designs that improve on the performance of the current MQ-9 Reaper. DARPA wants its experimental aircraft operating within two years.

The U.S. Navy is already hustling to ready its X-47B UCAS (Unmanned Combat Aerial System), for carrier operations and combat use. Within five years, the navy plans to have the X-47B demonstrating the ability to regularly operate from a carrier, and perform combat (including reconnaissance and surveillance) operations. (more)

If you have a son or daughter who has visions of strapping on a jet fighter and driving it through the skies, make sure they know it's a dead-end career move.

[The One Man Gang]

More fighter pr0n:



Cmdr. Thomas Bush, commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 131, executes a high-speed fly-by in an F/A-18C Hornet over the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) during a change of command ceremony. Bush was relieved by Cmdr. Benjamin Hewlett.

[The One Man Gang]

Now the Navy and Marine Corps have had to ground 104 F/A18-A/B/C/D Hornets for cracks.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4537356&c=AME&s=AIR

U.S. Grounds 104 Hornets After More Cracks Discovered
By Philip Ewing
Published: 12 Mar 2010 15:12

U.S. Naval Air Systems Command grounded 104 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets March 12 after inspectors discovered the airframes were developing cracks much earlier than engineers had thought.
A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet prepares to land on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson during a flight demonstration March 10, while Vinson was underway off the coast of Argentina. (MC2 ADRIAN WHITE / U.S. NAVY)

The grounding order affects the first four varieties of Hornet - models A through D - and does not apply to aircraft now flying combat missions over Iraq or Afghanistan. The number of Hornets affected makes up 16 percent of the Navy-Marine A through D fleet.

There have been no crashes or other mishaps related to the problem, said Navy spokesman Lt. Nate Christensen.

[Dementia_Madness]

Cracks?!? Oprah's flaying them?   

[The One Man Gang]

In a way, yes.

The problem is the loads the wings are carrying.  An F/A18 can carry about four tons of ordnance and/or fuel tanks on its wings.  That stresses the wings, but in peacetime, the planes rarely carry that much needing less fuel and carrying practice munitions that weigh a fraction of "war loads." Therefore "peacetime" flying spreads any damage to wing spars over a much longer period and rarely do the planes land with bombs still attached.  In "wartime" all that changes.  Therefore the wing and other structures can incur a decade's worth of normal wear in just a year or so.  This doesn't count that combat flying involves a lot more "high-G" maneuvers which place even more strain on the airframe.

Many times F/A18s are launched with full warload but then don't have to drop some or all of them due to lack of targets and the increased accuracy of "smart" bombs which require only one to do the job a flight of Vietnam-era F4 would have needed four or five per plane to do. Now the F/A18s land with bombs still attached with subsequent deleterious effects on structural life.

[Dementia_Madness]

 

Vehreigh inkther-hesting.

[The One Man Gang]

More news on the droid front:

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20100513.aspx

Robotic Fighter-Bombers Are Massing On The Horizon
May 13, 2010:
Boeing recently revealed that it has built a new, jet propelled, combat UAV, the Phantom Ray. It looks remarkably like the X-45C that Boeing was developing for the air force, before that project was cancelled four years ago. Boeing admitted that Phantom Ray is, in effect, an upgraded X-45C. Since the X-45 was cancelled, enthusiasm for such aircraft has grown in the air force and navy. So Boeing, using its own money, went ahead and built the X-45C/Phantom Ray, and plans to have it make its first flight before the end of the year. After that, who knows?

<snip>

Meanwhile, many UCAV designers want to equip the UCAVs with sensors (various types of video cams) to give the aircraft the same kind of "situational awareness" that piloted aircraft have. But for this to work, the UCAV would need software that would enable it to think like a fighter pilot. The techies say this can be done. But the fighter pilots that run the air force and naval aviation are not so sure. There also some worry about job security and pilots being replaced by robotic aircraft. All this is headed for some mock combat exercise between manned and unmanned fighters. Such tests will be a competition between pilots and programmers. But the programmer community contains fighter pilots as well, and the smart money is on the geeks to outsmart, or at least outfly, the human pilots. No one thinks it will be a lopsided battle, but the robotic aircraft are so much cheaper, that even a dead even finish favors the pilotless aircraft. The U.S. Navy has invested several billion dollars, so far, in developing combat UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) that can operate from aircraft carriers, and replace some of the manned aircraft on carriers.

The Boeing "Phantom Ray" prototype. (Boeing)



Three generations: 1st generation T-33 trainer version of the F-80 "Shooting Star"; 4th generation F-15E "Strike Eagle"; 6th generation X-45 UCAV (NASA)

[Dementia_Madness]

sweet....I do not see us ever getting away from completely pilotless, but I think one day we will be at a point where the majority of our fighters/bombers are piloted by AI backed up and supported by remote "pilots" and possibly even "on sight" pilots who can override in emergencies or indications of signal hijacking from the ground.  I do not think it would reduce the number of pilots, rather increase the number of vehicles they will have control over at a time.

[One Man Gang]

Another solution to the USAF's problem may also be on the horizon.  Seems Boeing has been quietly been developing a new F-15SE (Silent Eagle) variant.  This is a stealthy version of the F-15E Strike Eagle already serving in the USAF, IAF, ROKAF, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.  Reports are that the IAF is VERY disillusioned by the delays in the F-35 and is giving serious consideration to canceling the order and buying the new F-15s.  This new fighter has added attractions for foreign operators and the USAF: 1) a factory-fresh F-15SE costs about 1/2 to 2/3 of an F-35 which is tickling $100 million per copy; 2) they could get the -15SEs about four to six years earlier than the F-35; 2)  the -15E and the -15SE have the same engines and basic airframe so retraining of maintenance types can be expedited; and 4) apparently Boeing will be offering a retro-fit package to bring older -15Es up to the SE standard.

The USAF owns 224 F-15Es, the Heebs have 25, the ROKs have 60+ and more on order, Singapore has 25, and the Saudis have 72.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20100725.aspx

For over a year now, F-15 manufacturer Boeing has been offering a "stealthy" aircraft called the F-15SE (Silent Eagle). The target market is nations that want some stealth, but do not want to pay the high price of the F-35.

<snip>

While not as stealthy as the F-22, the F-15SE claims to be as stealthy as the F-35, which costs 40 percent more.

I suspect one of those nations not wanting "to pay the high price of the F-35" might well be the United States.

[One Man Gang]

P-38 Lightning  and an F22 Raptor at Offutt AFB.



Kelly Johnson's genius is apparent.

[The One Man Gang]

The continuing delays and overruns in the F35 program is speeding the move to droids.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20101108.aspx

"F-35 Delays Speed Up UAV Development
November 8, 2010: Unable to buy new aircraft designs (because they are too expensive, or simply take too long to get into service), and facing the prospect of unmanned aircraft (UAVs) displacing more and more manned ones, the American military is spending a growing chunk of its budgets on upgrading and refurbishing the combat aircraft they already have. This was not a deliberate, long term plan, but simply a reaction to shortages of new aircraft. A lot of the new electronics and weapons involved in these upgrades can also equip UAV designs still in development, so such efforts are a double win.

More and more, it looks like the new 36 ton F-22 and 27 ton F-35 are the end of the road for manned fighter-bombers. Not just because the F-22 and F-35 cost so much to develop, but because so much new tech has arrived on the scene that it simply makes more military, and economic, sense to go with unmanned aircraft. Meanwhile, the existing  F-15's F-16s, F-18s, A-10s and all American heavy bombers are being equipped with new targeting pods and combat Internet connections, along with new radars and all sorts of electronics. Older aircraft are having worn out structural components rebuilt or replaced. This buys time until the unmanned aircraft are ready. F-35s will also fill the gap, which may be a very small one."

Lots of info on foreign UAV projects there as well.