USAF News and Discussion

FormerDirtDart

FormerDirtDart

Well-Known Member
Northrop Grumman to change planned offering for T-X program

Northrop Grumman has dropped it's plan to offer BAE's Hawk trainer for the T-X (T-38 replacement) program. They will instead offer a Scaled Composites (a NG subsidiary) designed "clean-sheet" advanced jet trainer.
Scaled Composites will assemble the prototype aircraft at their Mojave, California facility, and are eyeing to conduct the first flight by the end of the year.
Northrop Pivots To Clean-Sheet T-X Trainer | Defense content from Aviation Week
 
FormerDirtDart

FormerDirtDart

Well-Known Member
General Dynamics has withdrawn as the prime contractor for Alenia Aermacchi's M-346 Master/T-100 bid in the USAF T-X trainer replacement program.
It is not know if GD will retain it's role as the systems integrator for the M-346 Master/T-100 bid.
Alenia Aermacchi spokespeople have yet to provide comments on the recent development.

General Dynamics Withdraws as T-100 Prime Contractor
 
M

Mr.V

New Member
Looks like Senator. McSally has scored a victory in staving off retirement of the mighty A-10.

Reports coming in of the bill to keep it flying passing. With no operational capability to replace its unique capabilities right now, this seems like a real win for today's warfighters.

Can't post the link but article was on airforce times "house armed services committee markup keeps A-10".
 
Ranger25

Ranger25

Active Member
Staff member
USAF airborne Laser program

USAF Gen Carlisle has stated he wants high energy lasers on board AC130j models by 2020 and the tech exists to do it.


"I want a high-energy laser on an AC-130J gunship by the close of this decade," Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold, commander of the Air Force special operations command said Sept. 15 at the Air Force Association conference. "The technology is ripe [for doing this]. I have the space, I have the weight and I have the power on an AC-130J to put a high-energy laser on an aircraft."

Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, Air Combat Command commander, echoed the comments saying, "I believe that we will have a directed energy capability in a pod that can be mounted on a fighter aircraft very soon." He told reporters that he expected the technology would be ready by 2020, though he is pushing for an even shorter timeline.

"First move is let's get into a defensive capability to ensure that I can fight my way to the target, I can fight on the target and I can fight my way off the target — that's our job," Heithold said. The situations in which AC-130s can operate have been shrinking due to a growing threat environment. A directed energy weapon would broaden that operational area and allow the service to "zap" incoming enemy missiles, he said.

In an offensive capacity, the Air Force can use directed energy weapons to disable airplanes, vehicles and communications without an adversary's knowledge, providing a strategic advantage for the warfighter, Heithold said. Looking at past missions "had we … been able to disable a node somewhere without anybody knowing we had disabled that node, we would have had more success with the mission."







Directed Energy Weapons on Aircraft by 2020, Air Force Officials Say - Blog
 
B

barney41

Member
Why not? So long as there is no deliberate attempt to blind enemy combatantsmin contravenion of international conventions, then using a laser to incinerate them seems legal. Or am I understanding this wrong?
 
John Fedup

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
barney41 said:
Why not? So long as there is no deliberate attempt to blind enemy combatantsmin contravenion of international conventions, then using a laser to incinerate them seems legal. Or am I understanding this wrong?
Click to expand...
I can see no difference between using a gun/missile or laser to disable or destroy an enemy aircraft. Besides, the laser in question, even if aimed at the pilots eyes, would result in death not blindness.
 
Ranger25

Ranger25

Active Member
Staff member
barney41 said:
Why not? So long as there is no deliberate attempt to blind enemy combatantsmin contravenion of international conventions, then using a laser to incinerate them seems legal. Or am I understanding this wrong?
Click to expand...
I see no convention blocks to using it/them against combatants whatsoever. Only upside IMO. The concept of no longer having limits of on board rounds is a huge leap for both offensive and defensive operations. game changing tech
 
S

SpudmanWP

The Bunker Group
John Fedup said:
I can see no difference between using a gun/missile or laser to disable or destroy an enemy aircraft. Besides, the laser in question, even if aimed at the pilots eyes, would result in death not blindness.
Click to expand...
Even the largest of the portable laser today would only blind the pilot at best. As soon as he felt the heat, he would reflexively look away.

Then again, a blind pilot is just a dead pilot waiting to crash.
 
Ranger25

Ranger25

Active Member
Staff member
Ranger25

Ranger25

Active Member
Staff member
Russian AF collecting data in Syria in western 5th gen aircraft?

With the IL-20M coot and newest flankers deployed one has to wonder if the intent it to look at the Radar signatures of the F22 and gain real world experience to counter it.

Wonder if the USAF will continue to fly it or avoid giving the Russians valuable intel

Same could be said if the deploy S300/400 systems, could also observe and gain Intel
 
A

ADMk2

Just a bloke
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
Ranger25 said:
With the IL-20M coot and newest flankers deployed one has to wonder if the intent it to look at the Radar signatures of the F22 and gain real world experience to counter it.

Wonder if the USAF will continue to fly it or avoid giving the Russians valuable intel

Same could be said if the deploy S300/400 systems, could also observe and gain Intel
Click to expand...
These things work both ways. Seen the ESM fitout we have on our E-7A Wedgetails we have over there, for example?

However in such an environment I don't doubt for a second the F-22A and other LO assets will employ appropriate signature management policies...
 
Ranger25

Ranger25

Active Member
Staff member
More JASSM on the way formthenUSAF to include JASSM-ER

The USAF has awarded USD305.4 million for production JASSMs and JASSM-ERs
The deal includes 140 JASSMs and 140 JASSM-ERs
Lockheed Martin has received a USD305.4 million contract from the US Air Force for continued production of the stealthy Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) and its Extended Range (ER) variant, the company announced on 15 October.

The Lot 13 contract includes 140 of the baseline cruise missiles for US and international partners, 140 extended-range variants, and support equipment and services. Representing the fifth production lot of JASSM-ER, it is the largest order to date. More than 2,300 JASSMs and JASSM-ERs have been ordered, while over 1,700 have been delivered, according to Lockheed Martin.

The missiles feature a penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead, an infrared seeker, and enhanced digital anti-jam GPS receiver.
 
John Fedup

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
SpudmanWP said:
Northrup Grumann wins the LRS-B Award.

No real details available yet.
Click to expand...
I wonder how long the Boeing-LM team contract protest process will take? Was the survival of NG as a plane maker also a factor in the win? Perhaps LM should have waited until after the LRS-B award before scooping up Sikorsky.

In any event, a great winfor NG.
 
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