This is not a surprise, given that Bell Helicopter Textron’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter has proved to be a complete clusterf%$#, “Army officials acknowledged Tuesday that they are weighing alternatives to Bell Helicopter Textron’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter in anticipation of an upcoming Defense Department decision on the troubled program.”
Category: Aviation
This Will Be at Least a Decade Late, and Underperform
It looks like India is looking at developing a medium fighter aircraft in the 20 tonne range.
Considering the fact that its light fighter, the Tejas, is something like 15 years overdue, and that the indigenous engine, the Kaveri, has been abandoned, I do not see this as the start of a pleasant story, particularly given the fact that they are looking about integrating stealth features, which implies that the program will be particularly ambitious.
It’s already starting off on the wrong foot, as they have stated that it is their intent to use two Kaveri engines to power the aircraft.
Boeing Awarded $18.6m Follow On Contract for Dual Combustion Ramjet (DCR) Engine
Theoretically, at least, this program is a precursor to a Mach 6 missile.
I say theoretically because the first two tests ended in failure.
I Wonder if Some of Those Tranch 3 Options Will Go to Japan
Because Eurofighter is pushing very hard to win Japan’s F-X contest.
The leading contenders are the Typhoon, the Super Bug, and an F-15E variant.
The Japanese already operate the F-15, and have assembled C and D models, and Australia uses the F/A-18E/F, which gives both aircraft an advantage.
The Typhoon’s advantages will come down to supercruise, an area where the Japanese have expressed interest, and frontal radar cross section, where the F-15 variants lose, but the Typhoon and the Super-Hornet have an advantage.
As an interceptor, the Typhoon is clearly superior, at least if fitted with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.
Given its relatively feeble air-to-air capabilities, I can’t see the JSF being used in air defense.
Tranche 3 Typhoon Orders Still in Flux for Member Nations
the member nations are looking at splitting their orders for 236 Typhoons into two sub tranches, with the second having an AESA radar.
Also, it looks as if the member nations will be granted permission to export their purchase options to customers outside the consortium, in order to reduce pressure on their budgets.
Is it just me, or have the costs for procuring combat aircraft become way to much?
Rolls-Royce Looking at 2017-18 Cert for Open Rotor Engine
RR expects to be able to certify its RB2011 open rotor engine in the next 9-10 years, which is a fairly aggressive schedule, when one considers the issues of noise and certification for a completely new type of engine. (paid subscription required)
In addition to noise issues, fan shrouds make conventional turbofans typically quieter, there are also issues such as bird strike and blade loss that have not been addresses from either an engineering or a regulatory perspective, and all these issues are non-trivial.
Defense Video Pr0n: Sikorsky X2 Edtion
Care of The DEW Line. Stephen Trimble took a video of the Sikorski promotional video with his moblie
Dassault Gets to Pitch Rafale to the Swiss
Truth be told, I think that it’s too much plane for an F-5 replacement, though if the Swiss get a good deal out of French desperation for an export sale, more power to them.
Same applies to the Eurofighter Typhoon, only more so, though, since the Swiss already operate F/A-18 Hornets, the jump to the Super Bug would not be so big.
My money though, is still on the Gripen, it’s a lot cheaper all along the life cycle, and the Swiss don’t really need the additional range of the larger aircraft.
I Loved This TV Show in the 1960s
You know, Voyage to the Botom of the Sea.
It appears that someone in DARPA did too, because they are looking at the flying sub, though it does not look as cool as the original:
DARPA’s strategic technology office wants an aircraft that can reach a destination, whether it is 1,850km (1,000nm) away by air or 185km by sea or 22km travelling underwater, in less than 8h.
I want whatever it is that they are smoking.
F-35B STOVL Video Pron
Who knows, they may actually be able to do this before the next presidential election.
That Being Said, the Chinese Naval Aspirations Seem More Realistic
They are not talking about building carriers, yet, but the PLN has started training naval fighter pilots, which is probably a prelude to developing a rudimentary carrier capability.
The F-22: What Stage is Acceptance
It looks like the USAF is finally starting to give up on more F-22s, and is instead looking for an orderly way to transition to the F-35 JSF.
Of course, it would have been nice if they had realized this 4 years ago, and not crippled the F-35 in air-to-air weapons carriage.
The JSF is Less Capable and More Expensive Than Previously Admitted
Well, we now have reports of Israel signing a contract to buy F-35 JSFs for $15.2 billion (see also here).
As Bill Sweetman notes this means that the JSF costs about $200 million a plane, well over the $80m claimed for the aircraft, and more than the fly away cost of the F-22.
As I’ve noted earlier, there was a Rand study modeling the F-35 against an upgraded Su-27, and it was allegedly clubbed like a baby seal (here and here).
This is unsurprising: with a thrust to weight ratio of about 0.85:1 in air to air configuration, and a wing loading of 108 lbs/sq ft, similar to the F-105 Thunderchief (aka the “Lead Sled”), this will not be a particularly agile aircraft, even with a state of the art flight control system.
It appears now that the USAF and Lochkeed Martin are claiming that Maneuvering is Irrelevant, as the fighter will have the Distributed Aperture System (DAS), a system of multiple wide angle sensors that will create a 360° view around the aircraft, and so it will be able to fly through at high speed and launch a, “high-off-boresight, lock-on-after-launch (LOAL) missile shot with any datalink-equipped missile.”
They said that the missiles would do all the work before Viet Nam too, and the USAF and the Navy had to start training their pilots to dogfight again.
BTW, Bill Sweetman (again), in writing about the 360 degree attack, notes that there was a precedent, the Boulton-Paul Defiant, and notes:
If the Germans had had an expression for “clubbed like baby seals” in 1940, the Luftwaffe would have used it.
My thoughts exactly.
Hope Hits Target in Tests
The German Hope penetrating glide bomb hit its target in flight trials in September.
It’s a 3000 lb class weapon that is supposed to have a better penetrating capability than the 5000 lb GBU-28, and it has a range in excess of 100 km and a CEP of 3m.
I find it interesting that it appears to have a variable incidence oblique wing, at least as shown in the picture, which is probably needed to get the range.
If one assumes a launch at 35,000 feet, and a terminal dive from 5000 feet, the range implies a 10:1 glide ratio, which would require decent aerodynamic efficiency.
Brazil Shortlists Fighters
Brazil is looking for fighters to replace it’s existing 1960s vintage fighter force.
It has now shortlisted the Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale and Gripen NG while dropping the Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16, and Su-35 from the competition.
If they are looking at lifecycle costs, the Gripen wins, being half the weight of the competitors.
If they are looking for an aircraft to operate of their carrier, the Rafale wins, because the F/A-18 is really too big for their rather small carrier.
Additionally, they have an existing relationship with Dassault, as they leased Mirage 2000s from them.
That being said, Stephen Trimble notes they are very interested in technology transfer, wanting to rebuild their defense industry, which, after all, was half of the effort to build the Italo-Brazilian team that built AMX attack plane in the 1970s, so it may come down to who gives them the best technology transfer.
My guess is that this competition is France’s to lose, but they have found innovative ways to lose export competitions recently.
More Tanker Mishugas
First, it appears that Northrop-Grumman is entitled to an as yet undetermined cancellation fee, which is yet another reason to think that the entire tanker process is completely fracked.
But here is the kicker, Northrop Grumman’s bid was $2.9 billion cheaper:
John Young, the undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, said in an interview at the Pentagon yesterday that under the tanker proposal from Northrop Grumman and its partner European Aeronautic Defence & Space, developing the first 68 aircraft would have cost $12.5 billion, compared with $15.4 billion under Boeing’s plan.
So, the tanker version of the A330 had longer range, greater fuel offload capability, the ability to tank and carry cargo, and it was $2.9 billion cheaper.
Let’s also note that it was already flying, as Australia’s A330 MRTT, as versus Boeing’s proposal, an as yet unconstructed model with, “767-200 airframe; over-wing exits from the -300; floors, doors and structurally enhanced wings from the -300F; a cockpit, and the tail section and flaps from the -400ER”.
Delightful.
JSF Program Managers Get Stroppy
It appears that in some computer simulations of the JSF versus late model SU-35 fighters, the F-35 got clubbed like baby seals.
All in all, this is not particularly surprising. It’s a redux of the F-105 (Lead Sled) vs. the MiG-21 of the Vietnam era.
The MiG-35 has a better power to weight ratio, wing loading, and air to air weapons load out, the F-35 carruing only 2 AMRAAMs because the USAF doesn’t want a comparison with the F-22, a white elephant that they are still lobbying for.
Needless to say, the Airforce brass is thoroughly unamused by these reports, and they are mounting a PR counteroffensive, including claims that the simulation was an apples to oranges comparison, because the F-35 was carrying all of its weapons internally.
Dude, you carry the stuff on pylons, and you lose stealth. If you lose stealth, you will be clubbed like a baby seal, it’s the only advantage that the F-35 has.
My favorite bit of this counter-offensive is this patently absurd claim:
“Advanced stealth and sensor fusion allow the F-35 pilot to see, target and destroy the adversary and strategic targets in a very high surface-to-air threat scenario, and deal with air threats intent on denying access — all before the F-35 is ever detected — then return safely to do it again,” said Tom Burbage, a Lockheed Martin vice president.
Considering that he is presenting what is called a “flaming datum”, so named because a ship burning or sinking was how U-Boats, an early form of stealth vehicle, were determined to be in the area, and then suggesting that he can return to the area and make another attack, is absurd.
Something like 50% of all sub sinkings followed a flaming datum.
In any case, it appears that as part of planning for the dual role missile, A2A weapons carriage will be improved (paid subscription required):
The U.S. Air Force and Navy have begun talks to define the Joint Dual-Role Air Dominance Missile (JDRADM) intended to replace both air-to-air AIM-120 Amraam and anti-radar AGM-88 Harm beyond 2020 and allow the F-35 to defend itself against both opposing fighters and air defenses.
…
Separately, studies into “super-packing” the JSF’s bays to increase the number of weapons carried have come up with a way of loading six Amraam-sized missiles internally, according to the program office. This could be an option for later F-35 capability blocks.
So my guess is that the boyz in blue have seen the same simulations, and are looking to rectify the problem.
Next Man Makes a Move, and the N*gg*r Gets It
If you’ve ever seen Blazing Saddles,* you remember the scene where Cleavon Little, realizing that the citizens of Rick Ridge are about to lynch him, holds a gun to his own neck, and then holds himself hostage until he can extricate himself from the situation.
Well, it appears that EADS, parent company of Airbus has watched Blazing Saddles many, many times, because this is the stratagem that they are using to deal with the penalty clauses in their contracts for late delivery:
Aerospace giant EADS has threatened to freeze production of its Airbus subsidiary’s flagship military airlifter if clients do not drop penalty clauses for late delivery, a German news report said Sept. 20.
The A400M airlifter. (EADS)Der Spiegel weekly, trailing its Sept. 22 publication, cited a letter sent by Louis Gallois, the French chief executive of both companies, to the governments of seven countries who have ordered the A400M plane.
Un-dirtyword-believable.
*If you’ve never seen Blazing Saddles, you need to rent it and watch it today.
Yeah, Right, We Believe You
So, after what seems like 40 gazillion protests, contractor and congressional dick swinging, and a cloud over the whole program, the USAF hopes to complete the process for selecting a Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) helicopter by years end, and to award a contract.
Let’s just say that I’m highly dubious of this.