F-35 Program - General Discussion

OTH can't do a 3D track, it has to work co-operatively with other tracking systems
 
^Yup, that's why I was only discussing the azimuth component... 3D would require azimuth and angular elevation components (plus the usual range axis).

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(As a technical aside, altho just as an estimation mechanism for relative altitude changes, there is a technique w/ skywave oth systems using the doppler variations in multipath effects on a target to allow for relative altitude estimation: http://asp.eurasipjournals.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/1687-6180-2013-100. Not quite there yet but give the engineering time. This is skywave propagation tho, so not the same as the surface wave prop used by the russian system.)
 
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OTH works fine with surface ships and land tracking - not so much for air. the ionosphere is just too erratic to determine altitude. so you might be able to find a co-ord - but the aircraft is sitting in a 50,000m column. despite all the claims made about OTH or bi-stats detecting "stealth" - it doesn't work as a universal and consistent tool. eg detecting a JSF, xb47, b2, yf-23, f-22 etc... won't work against all platforms' ie the same system won't necessarily be able to detect all of the above in identical loc circumstances

the US is however working with Aust on using JORN as a track manager....
 
^If you check out the paper I linked, they were able to achieve an altitude estimation w/ a std-dev of approx 219m. Not quite there yet for accurate elevation data, but give the engineering time.
 
Pratt & Whitney are proposing a Block 1 Upgrade to the F135 engine of F35. If the proposal is accepted and funding approved for the 2019 program, then the first Block 1 Upgrade F135 engines could be delivered in 2023.

Meanwhile Pratt & Whitney are also working on a long term upgrade project for the F135 engine that uses adaptive cycle technology. They are in discussions with LockMart because the new engine will be dimensionally larger than the current one. GE have also been included in the adaptive cycle engine program.
 
ADMk2 said:
Here is the best article I've read on the F-35's EW capabilities and about the most you're going to get from open source...

Avionics Magazine :: F-35 Electronic Warfare Suite: More Than Self-Protection

I don't believe the F-35 carries a dedicated self-protection jammer, if that is what you are asking, but then again it may...

:D
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Just a little more on this - looks like Barracuda may well include a broad spectrum jamming capability over and above what is provided by the APG81:

BAE Systems Inches Out In Public On Electronic Warfare « Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary

“While F-35 is capable of stand-off jamming for other aircraft — providing 10 times the effective radiated power of any legacy fighter — F-35s can also operate in closer proximity to the threat (‘stand-in’) to provide jamming power many multiples that of any legacy fighter.”

From BAE: “Always active, AN/ASQ-239 provides all-aspect, broadband protection, allowing the F-35 to reach well-defended targets and suppress enemy radars. The system stands alone in its ability to operate in signal-dense environments, providing the aircraft with radio-frequency and infrared countermeasures, and rapid response capabilities.”
 
Sorry all but this was too good to pass up. In a rare moment of masochistic curiosity I was reading a recent F35 article from War Is Boring. Apparently they queried the USAF on the meaning of the recently released graphic describing the (flawless) performance of the F35 against F15E aggressors. This is what they got in response:

https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*k1M2QcbCyqE4j4AJPJytRg.jpeg

:lol2 :haha :rotfl

Also featured:

Ops executed OCA-SEAD, AI, DCA and CAS missions, employed 16x inert GBU-12s and integrated in LFE's with F15E's (with ZERO F35 losses). The scenarios were robust and one experienced former F16 pilot stated, "we would never have survived that in a Viper".

https://www.scribd.com/document/318463329/Records-Responsive-to-FOIA-2016-03480-F
 
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So in a nutshell the F-35s took off, flew to the target, destroyed the target and engaged IADS and CAP on their terms, before returning to base without loss.

The thought comes to mind that comparing the F-35 to the F-16 is like comparing the Mosquito (or perhaps even the B-57G Canberra) to the Fairey Battle.
 
there's one excited commentator on one of the anti F-35 forums that just HAS to be Kurt Plummer, I've never seen anyone else use up so much room to say so little, though of course he's got competition in that regard from the usual looney crew...
 
Bonza said:
there's one excited commentator on one of the anti F-35 forums that just HAS to be Kurt Plummer, I've never seen anyone else use up so much room to say so little, though of course he's got competition in that regard from the usual looney crew...
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Yep that will be him. Ranting about UAV / UAS being infinitely greater than manned fighters and going on and on about 'poles' (his term for missiles, apparently).
 
ADMk2 said:
Yep that will be him. Ranting about UAV / UAS being infinitely greater than manned fighters and going on and on about 'poles' (his term for missiles, apparently).
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If I recall correctly he was still going on about saturating the battlespace with super-MALD decoys armed with warheads, as per years ago on this very site. Such an unusual poster - I had nothing to do with him personally as he was rather before my time, sometimes one could see a glimmer of something worth considering in his posts but then he'd continue for another half dozen paragraphs and by the end you'd have no idea what he was talking about. Huge fan of self-invented jargon, that one.
 
StobieWan said:
Oh, I remember KP from the CIS Milforum...information to jargon ratio...poor..
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He used to do it to imply knowledge and experience and to intimidate those will less subject matter experience. poor form ....

pity, as when he drove within socially acceptable lanes he was ok to have a discussion with. problem was that when he got on his high horse he lost all credibility
 
Bonza said:
If I recall correctly he was still going on about saturating the battlespace with super-MALD decoys armed with warheads, as per years ago on this very site. Such an unusual poster - I had nothing to do with him personally as he was rather before my time, sometimes one could see a glimmer of something worth considering in his posts but then he'd continue for another half dozen paragraphs and by the end you'd have no idea what he was talking about. Huge fan of self-invented jargon, that one.
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Yep, that's him. Whatever else he might have been, he was a hell of a typist as I recall. He used to bang out 1000 word plus replies, in the virtual blink of an eye...
 
gf0012-aust said:
He used to do it to imply knowledge and experience and to intimidate those will less subject matter experience. poor form ....

pity, as when he drove within socially acceptable lanes he was ok to have a discussion with. problem was that when he got on his high horse he lost all credibility
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I think I have encountered him before on other fora (eg. on YouTube under the rather ominous moniker "Mists & Shadows") and this is precisely the impression I got. Vast tracts of jargon interspersed with references to very specific but spurious historical systems/events. Very much meant to insinuate a high level of knowledge and experience on the subject matter that probably wasn't there(?). Totally undermined by the inability to use paragraphs or make a salient point though... Seemed to disappear once he realised I could still understand and respond to what he was saying.
 
It is looking like that the F35A is close to achieving IOC with the USAF. Apparently even with the current strictures placed on it, its CAS abilities are as good as the F16s were two years ago. The paperwork is now with the AOC Air Combat Command, Gen 'Hawk' Carlisle, for his approval.
 
ngatimozart said:
It is looking like that the F35A is close to achieving IOC with the USAF. Apparently even with the current strictures placed on it, its CAS abilities are as good as the F16s were two years ago. The paperwork is now with the AOC Air Combat Command, Gen 'Hawk' Carlisle, for his approval.
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theres close to 200 in service now - but some numpty will still be saying that the lines should close

:)
 
https://news.usni.org/2016/07/29/f-35b-tactics-evolving#more-20947

note that freeplay was involved - ie unscripted re response constraints for red and blue but actually weighted to red team because blue fielded a numerical 1/3rd of the typical flight component to prosecute - but note no spawning involved for blue team and red team was amped up to cause pressure

it will be interesting to see future "Pitch Black" and modified Blue Flag exercises in the near future
 
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