AvWeek: Explore other options beyond F-35

[XanderCrews]

1st503rdsgt
Someone should tell that to the Russians and Chinese. Seems a magic box of stealth would be cheaper than their current efforts. How strange... considering that they should be the ones most aware of how useless VLO will be in "~5-10 years."

Not sure about the Chinese - all we have is a few pictures? The Pak Fa though is adopting that exact approach - only limited emphasis on stealth. From what they say and what we read they have the technology but have deliberately not gone down that path. There has to be a reason? Instead they have decided to improve it in all conventional areas over there 4++ SU35.
Improvements such as a new big powerful ASEA radar with 5 antennas - improved IR detection front and rear - L-Band [or C/D Band as some say] Radar on the leading edges - better range and endurance - 20,000m ceiling - better agility - keep there 3D thrust vectoring - super-cruise - big payload.
No trade-offs for stealth overall.
On the countermeasure side and electronics and computer software etc. we will just have to wait but they obviously are putting in the best they have or can buy. Other experts say the L-Band can be used in this area as well.
On missiles the Head of there Missile development stated only about 4 months ago - "we have more or less finished developing improved medium range and short range missiles for the Pak Fa and air to ground missiles but are still continuing work on a 2 stage missile. We have given up on a Meteor equivalent as too expensive to produce. They don't say much about this 2 stage missile and never have except to say they are still working on it. Other experts say its purpose obviously is to overcome the problem of missile performance dropping off in the terminal stages. Designed to be launched and guided "possibly by Microwave guidance" to an approximate location picked up by the L-Band or ?Radar close to the target on the first stage and then have the final stage using its own seeker take over for the final terminal stage. In effect combine a medium range guided missile with a short range self seeking missile. One thing for sure is they are not putting L-Band or whatever they are on the Pak Fa for nothing and they are not spending money on developing a 2 stage missile for nothing. The Israelis could be correct about the 5-10 year limit. Against an enemy though there is no doubt VLO will still have advantages for a long time but against better equipped enemies the advantages it now has will are gradually disappearing. There never ever has been a technology that could not be effectively countered and the Russians are probably the best equipped to do that.

You must work on the PAK-FA Program! What else can you tell us?

[sewerrat]

Well, the F-35 is far from being out of the woods. Then again, I'm just old enough to remember doom and gloom surrounding the C-17 program back in the day. Turns out the USAF ended up buying more than they wanted when the cold war was still on. One wonders what Sweetman's opinion was on that project (I have vague memories of AVweek not liking it). Of course, there wasn't much of an internet back then to remember one's mistakes. He certainly didn't have to deal with much ridicule when Aurora failed to materialize. Should the F-35 work out, the blogosphere might not be so forgiving.

Yeah, I remember the C-17 days. Then around 1989 the F-117 was torn to shreds after it bombed Panama, and the bombs fell exactly where they were targeted. The F-15 was also criticized being it ever saw duty - now everyone thinks its the greatest thing since spam. Its the circle of life... there will always be more armchair quarterbacks than real QBs. The internet has just magnified that effect by about 3 billion people. Sweetman needs to make $$$... like everyone else in the "media" its by sensationalized overblown stories.

The -35 will be the saving grace of the USAF after the cancellation of the F-22. And with its gee whiz electronics, it'll worth its weight in platinum.

[popcorn]

In the game of aerial hide-and-seek, surely the PAK-FA pilot must be aware that he is switching on a gigantic "hey guys..,here I am" sign every time he switches on all those radars?

[count_to_10]

Well, the F-35 is far from being out of the woods. Then again, I'm just old enough to remember doom and gloom surrounding the C-17 program back in the day. Turns out the USAF ended up buying more than they wanted when the cold war was still on. One wonders what Sweetman's opinion was on that project (I have vague memories of AVweek not liking it). Of course, there wasn't much of an internet back then to remember one's mistakes. He certainly didn't have to deal with much ridicule when Aurora failed to materialize. Should the F-35 work out, the blogosphere might not be so forgiving.

Yeah, I remember the C-17 days. Then around 1989 the F-117 was torn to shreds after it bombed Panama, and the bombs fell exactly where they were targeted. The F-15 was also criticized being it ever saw duty - now everyone thinks its the greatest thing since spam. Its the circle of life... there will always be more armchair quarterbacks than real QBs. The internet has just magnified that effect by about 3 billion people. Sweetman needs to make $$$... like everyone else in the "media" its by sensationalized overblown stories.

The -35 will be the saving grace of the USAF after the cancellation of the F-22. And with its gee whiz electronics, it'll worth its weight in platinum.

Unless I've done my math wrong, that would come out to something like $700 million.