New Leadership Reimagines U.S.A.F. Fleet Structure

INFO about the F-22 upgrade graphic: https://www.airforcemag.com/new-officia ... ibly-jatm/ [6 page article PDF below]

New Leadership Reimagines U.S. Air Force Fighter Fleet Structure [2 page PDF of article attached]
29 Apr 2022 Steve Trimble & Brian Everstine

"A new, long-term vision for the U.S. Air Force fighter fleet has gradually come into focus, and, if Congress approves, the changes for the tactical aviation portfolio could be stark....

...the Air Force plans to nearly halve a Trump administration plan to buy at least 144 Boeing F-15EX fighters as a short-term replacement for more than 200 F-15C/Ds, cutting the procurement program off after ordering only 80 of the Eagle II fighters in fiscal 2024.

Although the Lockheed Martin F-35A is the only feasible alternative as an F-15C/D replacement in the near term, the Air Force instead aims to slash planned orders for the stealthy, single-engine fighter over the next two years by as many as 34 jets, then ramp up orders after F-15EX procurement is completed in fiscal 2024. The 33-year-old F-15E fleet, meanwhile, emerges from the fighter reshuffling unscathed....

...Air Force officials are seeking to finance new fighter capabilities such as NGAD and F-35 Block 4 by retiring aircraft in the short term. The strategy has usually been met with resistance by Congress. Indeed, the Air Force’s total aircraft inventory in fiscal 2022 comes out about even with the fiscal 2018 fleet, despite proposals to retire hundreds of aircraft over the five-year period.

At the same time, Kendall has proposed reengining the F-35. The Pratt & Whitney F135 is meeting specifications, but Block 4 electronic upgrades risk overwhelming the power and thermal management system. Pratt designed the 43,000-lb.-thrust engine to provide bleed air from the compressor to cool the onboard electronics. But the Block 3F electronics introduced in 2016 already demand twice the optimal 15 kW of bleed-air offtake. The Block 4 upgrades, which include a new core processor, will require a 47-kW offtake from the compressor.

The Air Force is debating whether to upgrade the F135 or shift to the product of the Advanced Engine Technology Development program. The candidates include the GE Aviation XA100 or Pratt XA101 turbofans, which feature adaptive controls for bypass flow that can offer at least a doubling of cooling capacity compared with the F135...."

Source: https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/ ... -structure

/smh

SHAKE YOUR HEAD? https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-a ... ng-my-head BwahHahHah How 'bout...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3fZuW-aJsg Soul Train Shake Your Booty KC & Sunshine Band

All this re-imagining things is expensive, less money to do the mission.

Seems like they are hell bent on killing military capacity.

INFO about the F-22 upgrade graphic: https://www.airforcemag.com/new-officia ... ibly-jatm/ [8 page article PDF below]

New Leadership Reimagines U.S. Air Force Fighter Fleet Structure [2 page PDF of article attached]
29 Apr 2022 Steve Trimble & Brian Everstine

"A new, long-term vision for the U.S. Air Force fighter fleet has gradually come into focus, and, if Congress approves, the changes for the tactical aviation portfolio could be stark....

...the Air Force plans to nearly halve a Trump administration plan to buy at least 144 Boeing F-15EX fighters as a short-term replacement for more than 200 F-15C/Ds, cutting the procurement program off after ordering only 80 of the Eagle II fighters in fiscal 2024.

Although the Lockheed Martin F-35A is the only feasible alternative as an F-15C/D replacement in the near term, the Air Force instead aims to slash planned orders for the stealthy, single-engine fighter over the next two years by as many as 34 jets, then ramp up orders after F-15EX procurement is completed in fiscal 2024. The 33-year-old F-15E fleet, meanwhile, emerges from the fighter reshuffling unscathed....

...Air Force officials are seeking to finance new fighter capabilities such as NGAD and F-35 Block 4 by retiring aircraft in the short term. The strategy has usually been met with resistance by Congress. Indeed, the Air Force’s total aircraft inventory in fiscal 2022 comes out about even with the fiscal 2018 fleet, despite proposals to retire hundreds of aircraft over the five-year period.

At the same time, Kendall has proposed reengining the F-35. The Pratt & Whitney F135 is meeting specifications, but Block 4 electronic upgrades risk overwhelming the power and thermal management system. Pratt designed the 43,000-lb.-thrust engine to provide bleed air from the compressor to cool the onboard electronics. But the Block 3F electronics introduced in 2016 already demand twice the optimal 15 kW of bleed-air offtake. The Block 4 upgrades, which include a new core processor, will require a 47-kW offtake from the compressor.

The Air Force is debating whether to upgrade the F135 or shift to the product of the Advanced Engine Technology Development program. The candidates include the GE Aviation XA100 or Pratt XA101 turbofans, which feature adaptive controls for bypass flow that can offer at least a doubling of cooling capacity compared with the F135...."

Source: https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/ ... -structure

This is odd because newer chips typically give you the same or more processing, but are more powerful efficient. There should always be a part supplier or a chip maker will to do it smaller and better.

This is odd because newer chips typically give you the same or more processing, but are more po.werful efficient. There should always be a part supplier or a chip maker will to do it smaller and better.

So your implication that less efficient chips are being used to do the same work using more power and creating more heat is correct, or...

Flip your supposition around and consider how much processing power has been increased **IF** newer, faster, more efficient processors ARE being used and power demand is increasing by 50%.

Holy crap, batman! Imagine the increase in radar detection range, increase in resolution of images & streaming to other platforms, increase in EW capability.

The only other scenario I can imagine is they are doing more (processing) with less (power), e.g. dropping compute required power from 30kw back down to, say, 17kw, and are incorporating a 30kw "LAZER" somewhere without telling us.