Internationale fighter ontwikkelingen

Gestart door Lex, 19/12/2015 | 16:32 uur

Harald

The S-3 Viking Retired Way Too Early      ( .. een type vliegtuig wat gemist wordt ... vooral in de anti submarine rol !! )

Carrier-launched submarine hunters were adaptable

Eight years ago the U.S. Navy retired:

A) Its only dedicated carrier-based tanker.
B) Its last dedicated carrier-based anti-submarine airplane.
C) A carrier-based plane with more than twice the range of its current jets.

With a maximum speed of only 500 miles per hour—many airliners fly faster—the S-3 Viking wasn't about to be the subject of any movies starring Tom Cruise. However, the long-legged jets proved extremely useful in a very wide variety of roles, whether as an electronic spy, submarine hunter, aerial tanker, cargo plane or even an attack jet. And many of those roles have not been satisfactorily replaced since.

The S-3 Viking was first conceived in 1960s to serve as a next-generation submarine hunter. In the event of a war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the U.S. Navy's most important mission would have been combating the Soviet Union's large submarine fleet. If the war went nuclear, Soviet ballistic-missile submarines could have wreaked terrible devastation on U.S. cities. And if the conflict remained conventional, then attack submarines would have done their best to sink convoys of American troop ships reinforcing NATO forces in Europe.

During World War II, carrier-based aircraft such as the TBF Avenger torpedo bomber played a major role in sinking Axis submarines. However, the diesel-electric submarines of that era needed to surface frequently to recharge their batteries, exposing themselves to air attack. By the late 1950s, the Soviet Union had begun to deploy its first nuclear submarines, which could remain submerged for weeks, and later months, at a time, and the current S-2 submarine hunters were not adequate for chasing them down.

Lockheed partnered with LTV—which had experience developing the carrier-based A-7 and F-8 jets—in producing a new anti-submarine plane with a sophisticated new design. The resulting twin turbofan jet seated a crew of four in a two-by-two configuration, including a pilot and copilot, a sensor operator and tactical coordinator.

The long-legged plane had a range of 2,300 miles and came with an aerial refueling probe that could extend that even further—leading on one occasion to an S-3 flying 13 hours from a carrier in the Mediterranean to Washington, D.C., carrying a captured terrorist hijacker.

The plane's twin TF-34-400 turbofans—an engine related to that on the A-10 attack plane—were infamous for their peculiar vacuum-cleaner-like whine, leading to the plane's nickname of "Hoover."

The Viking's crew had access to a diverse array of sensors, starting with a APS-116 sea-search radar that could switch between a high-resolution mode for detecting submarine periscopes and a long-range mode that could extend up to 150 miles. A meters-long Magnetic Anomaly Detector boom could extend from the tail to scan the water for the metal in submarine hulls.

The Viking also carried up to 60 sonar buoys to aid in tracking submarines, an infrared sensor and an ALR-47 ESM sensor that could track electromagnetic emitters. Most impressively, the Viking was one of the first U.S. planes to implement a degree of data fusion between the various sensors.

The Viking's internal weapons bay and external wing pylons could carry a diverse array of weapons including homing torpedoes, CAPTOR anti-ship mines, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, unguided bombs, rocket pods and even nuclear gravity bombs.

The S-3A entered operational service in 1974 with VS-41, and soon each carrier had its own squadron of the anti-submarine planes. Though the U.S. Navy fortunately did not engage in any actual anti-submarine warfare in the subsequent decades, the records of S-3 squadrons suggest they might have proved pretty effective at their job.

For example, in 1984 a Viking was the first NATO platform to detect a new class of Russian submarines, and in 1986, S-3s of VS-28 flying from the USS Independence detected submarines from eight different countries while on a cruise in the Mediterranean.

Around that time the Navy began upgrading more than 100 Vikings to the S-3B model, which came with new APS-137 synthetic aperture radars with high enough resolution to identify ships by class.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy began assigning additional roles to the S-3 Viking. For example, taking advantage of the type's large hull, six Vikings were modified into US-3A cargo planes modified to serve as special high-priority Carrier On-Deck Delivery planes, capable of carrying six passengers and up to four thousand pounds of cargo.

The Viking also took on a new role as an electronic spy, particularly with the 16 modified ES-3 Sea Shadow aircraft that entered service in 1993. These signals-intelligence aircraft were capable of spying on enemy communications and determining the position of hostile transmitters so that friendly forces could target them.

The Sea Shadows had a brief but eventful operational career, helping identify targets during the air wars over former Yugoslavia and enforcing the no-fly zone over Iraq before being retired from service in 1998 in favor of a replacement program that never materialized. There were also a half-dozen unique variants of the Viking, including "Aladdin" and "Beartrap" aircraft, engaged in intelligence missions that remain classified to this day.

One of the Viking's most important roles was serving as an aerial refueling tanker. After the Navy retired its KA-6 Intruder refueling planes in the mid-nineties, the S-3 remained the only carrier-based tanker plane available until the Navy began introducing air-refueling-capable Super Hornet fighters in 2002.

Particularly during the U.S. intervention against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, the Viking flew countless refueling sorties to give short-ranged fighters aboard U.S. carriers the reach to participate in the conflict.

The poky S-3 even saw action in the anti-ship and air-to-ground role, starting with the destruction of an Iraqi Silkworm anti-ship missile during the 1991 Gulf War using AGM-84 SLAM missiles. Vikings also sank several Iraqi patrol boats and destroyed anti-aircraft guns and coastal radars during the conflict.

More than a decade later, an S-3 crippled Saddam Hussein's 350-foot personal yacht Al Mansur in its harbor at Basra using an infrared-guided Maverick missile. The boat was, however, subsequently hit by F-14 Tomcat fighters.

In fact, the airplane would soon play a pivotal role in the infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech, when an S-3A was filmed to great fanfare landing Pres. George W. Bush aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003. Though the carrier was only 30 miles away from shore, well within range of a helicopter delivery, the Viking was chosen for its dramatic appeal.

However, the Navy was intent on phasing the Viking out, skeptical that it was worth the effort to continually upgrade the aircraft's systems. The last operational Vikings were actually flying out of Al Asad Air Base in Iraq's Anbar Province in 2008, where they were using LANTIRN infrared targeting and navigation pods to identify ambushes and roadside mines in advance of friendly convoys, proving the type's versatility until the very end.

The Navy finally retired its last S-3 squadron in January 2009, though three aircraft continued to serve on in the experimental VX-30 unit until 2016. Pilots in the unit remarked the onboard sensors remained so effective that they were detecting "schools of dolphins and patches of seaweed."

The retired airframes now lie in storage in the "Boneyard" facility in Arizona. An inspection revealed the airframes had only flown around 10,000 hours out of a potential 23,000-hour service life. The last remaining S-3 in service is an experimental research plane flown by NASA.

This led Lockheed to propose refitting the S-3s to serve as replacements for the reliable C-2 Greyhound cargo plane the Navy was retiring from the Carrier Onboard Delivery role. However, in 2015 the Navy chose to instead purchase the tilt-rotor CMV-22B Osprey instead.

The Osprey has much shorter range than either the Greyhound or the proposed S-3 variant, is slower and more expensive to operate per flight hour, and cannot fly high or in adverse weather conditions due to its unpressurized crew compartment. But using the Osprey does allow the Navy to directly resupply non-carrier-based ships directly, rather than having to land cargo on the carrier by plane and then redistribute to other ships via helicopter.

For several years, it also appeared likely that South Korea might purchase up to 36 refurbished S-3s to assist in its efforts to hunt down North Korea's large submarine force, which includes numerous mini-submarines that have on more than one occasion caused considerable havoc. However, in March 2017 Aviation Weekly reported that Seoul had passed over the Viking and is now interested in the much larger P-8 Poseidon maritime-patrol plane.

The Navy is unlikely to return to the Viking, despite its demonstrated flexibility. This is out of a defensible preference for operating fewer different types of aircraft to maximize efficiency in training, maintenance and spare parts.

However, the Viking's retirements reinforces the Navy's continued reliance on short-range carrier-based aircraft, which is becoming an increasing liability as more capable shore-based missiles threaten carriers at or beyond the maximum combat radius of their onboard aircraft.

Take, for example, the carrier air wing's reliance on Super Hornet fighters to serve as air-refueling tankers. While it is to the Super Hornets credit that it can perform this role, it is hardly an optimal use of the flight-hours of a high-performance fighter plane. Furthermore, a Super Hornet tanker cannot carry as much fuel as a dedicated tanker.

In fact, missile-equipped Vikings would have slightly less than twice the combat radius of a Super Hornet equipped with extra fuel tanks. Of course, the Viking is not an airplane that wants to get to close to well-defended airspace, but it might still offer carrier air wings a useful capability for delivering stand-off attacks at much greater range.

Finally, there is the matter of the anti-submarine mission, which has no fixed-wing replacement onboard American carriers.

While Navy SH-60 Seahawk helicopters provide anti-submarine protection, they can only operate over fairly short distances at low speeds, suitable for close protection rather than large area patrols. Long-distance patrol duties are now confined to large P-3 and P-8 maritime patrol planes, which operate from bases on land.

This means the carriers can only make limited contributions to the anti-submarine mission, even though we live in a time when cheap and effective submarines are proliferating to an unprecedented degree in the Pacific, and submarines have repeatedly succeeded in slipping through defenses to sink carriers in naval exercises.

The Viking provided valuable service to the U.S. Navy by virtue of its very long range and adaptability to a wide variety of roles. It could likely have gone on doing so for many more years if newer, more expensive and more limited alternatives had not displaced it.

https://warisboring.com/the-s-3-viking-retired-way-too-early/

jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)

Europe faces Herculean challenge to develop new fighter jet

Fri Jun 23, 2017

By Andrea Shalal | PARIS

Europe is embarking on an expensive and politically charged effort to develop a new combat jet that will shape the future of the European fighter industry and its three existing programs: Eurofighter, France's Rafale and Sweden's Gripen.

Two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters early talks had started on whether and how European countries could co-operate on a new sixth-generation fighter, which could involve a combination of manned and unmanned systems.

Zie link

http://reut.rs/2rZqit7 via @Reuters

jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)


Harald

Paris Air Show: MBDA seeks munition revolution


European missile house MBDA has unveiled a new family of gliding smart munitions, but officials played down suggestions it could compete as a Small Diameter Bomb II alternative for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter operators. 

The new missiles, known as SmartGlider, will come in two variants; a 120kg 'light' variant that integrates a 100kg warhead, and a 1,300kg 'heavy' variant that will come with a 1,000kg multi-effect warhead.

The light variant has similarities with the Raytheon SDB being developed for integration on the F-35 but MBDA officials told Shephard that it is 'not constrained by F-35 requirements' and is actually aimed as a general purpose use munition, and a way for air forces to upgrade their legacy precision-guided munitions.

'We have a warhead that is comparable and more efficient than SDB I,' said Lionel Mazenq, MBDA's business development manager France. 'But we don't think there is a market to compete under the F-35 against the SDB...here we are targeting other western aircraft.'

Speaking to Shephard at the Paris Air Show, MBDA officials said the missiles will provide an unprecedented capability to suppress enemy air defence networks.

'The need for range and the need for effects is coming from analysis we have made of recent conflicts with our military advisors and also with the contacts we have with air forces in European and elsewhere,' said Mazenq.

He added: 'We have prepared a portfolio of weapons that can engage a wide spectrum of targets – from hardened infrastructure to relocatable targets and mobile vehicles – with a minimum number of types of effectors.'

The 'heavy' SmartGlider's form factor will be more compact than the 1,300kg Storm Shadow cruise missile, also manufactured by MBDA. While the 'light' variant will be bigger in form factor than the company's Select Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR) jet-powered munition, because it does not have 'the constraints associated with the F-35'.

The SmartGlider will be a compact munition 'built around a single multi-effect penetrator', with the light variant utilising a Hexabomb Smart Launcher (HSL). An aircraft the size of a Dassault Rafale or Eurofighter Typhoon could carry up to three HSLs, meaning a maximum weapon loadout of 18 SmartGliders.

This would allow a pilot to saturate an area with munitions, as they would be able to supply independent mission data to each munition 'instantly'.

In its terminal phase, the munition can be guided by an infrared or visible band seeker, and it is also envisaged that radio-frequency sensors will be integrated 'to resist area-denial strategies', said Mazenq. 'As we have seen in Syria, the area denial strategies are multiple and not always hard kill.'

Describing its current phase, Mazenq said MBDA had been working on this project for four years, so it was now mature enough to start development and integration 'as soon as possible'. This would likely require investment from a customer, which could come from either Europe or an export customer.

'We are in discussions with interested customers but I won't say who with,' said Mazenq. 

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/defence-notes/paris-air-show-mbda-seeks-missile-revolution/



http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/184599/mbda-introduces-the-smartglider-family-of-weapons.html

Harald

USAF found it will cost $50 billion to produce another 194 F-22s

A study by the U.S. Air Force has found that the American taxpayer will have to fork out $50 billion to procure another 194 Lockheed Martin F-22 stealth fighters.

Military.com reported that nearly $10 billion is required to restart the production line. Each jet will cost around $200 million.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/06/21/the-f22-fighter-jet-restart-dead-study.html


Harald



F-35 Aerial Demonstration Debut at 2017 Paris Air Show

The F-35A made its aerial demonstration debut on June 19, 2017 at the Paris Air Show in front of crowds of thousands. Watch this impressive display of 5th Generation innovation in aviation.

The F-35 fighter jet of U.S. Air Force at the first time took to the skies, performing air stunts and demonstrating maneuvering skills at the Paris Air Show 2017.

An F-35A—the model designed for the U.S. Air Force—took off in a vertical climb, then made a series of loops, twists and other dramatic maneuvers. In another impressive display, the stealth fighter abruptly cut its throttle to slowly float through the air, simulating the F-35's capabilities in a dogfight.

The demonstrations in Paris were the first opportunity for international audiences to see the F-35's aerodynamic capabilities, including acrobatic and high maneuvers.

Also according to Reuters, Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) is in the final stages of negotiating a deal worth more than $37 billion to sell a record 440 F-35 fighter jets to a group of 11 nations including the United States, two people familiar with the talks said.

This would be the biggest deal yet for the stealthy F-35 jet, set to make its Paris Airshow debut.

http://defence-blog.com/news/us-f-35-fighter-jet-shows-off-amazing-air-stunts-and-maneuvers-at-paris-air-show-2017.html

Harald

Still in Development, F-35 Gets Mission System Upgrade

Lockheed Martin Selects Harris Corporation to Upgrade F-35 Lightning II Mission System Avionics
(Source: Harris Corporation; issued June 19, 2017)

PARIS -- Lockheed Martin has selected Harris Corporation to upgrade mission system avionics for the F-35 Lightning II as part of the Technology Refresh #3 (TR3) program, significantly boosting the aircraft's data storage, display processing and throughput capabilities. The announcement was made during the International Paris Air Show being held June 19-25 in Le Bourget.

Harris will provide the Aircraft Memory System (AMS) and Panoramic Cockpit Display Electronic Unit (PCD EU), which are based on open architecture and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology. The AMS provides solid-state mass storage capability for the F-35 aircraft avionics subsystems. It is the repository for avionics operational flight programs, mission and theater data, prognostics and health data, audio, display video, and aircraft parametric data. The PCD EU provides processing for the panoramic head-down display in the cockpit.

"The new TR3 electronics pave the way for system upgrades well into the future," said Ed Zoiss, president, Harris Electronic Systems. "Open systems are the future of avionics and Harris is investing substantial R&D to develop these solutions. These awards affirm the military's approach to open systems architecture and Harris' commitment to delivering more affordable, higher performance solutions than would have been possible using proprietary technology."

The technology development phase will begin in June 2017, followed by a system qualification phase in early 2019, and a subsequent 5-year production contract phase. Harris avionics and ruggedized open systems mission processing technology already support the F-35, F-22, and F/A-18.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/184609/still-in-development%2C-f_35-gets-mission-system-upgrade.html

jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)


jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)


Sparkplug

A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Ronald Elzenga

Citaat van: Poleme op 18/06/2017 | 12:04 uur
Verder Bouwen ?

...
We gaan het zien. Het verleden is geen garantie voor de toekomst...zowel in het negatieve, als in het positieve. Hele andere tijden en ontwikkelingen nu. We zullen het zien..

Poleme

Citaat van: Ronald Elzenga op 15/06/2017 | 16:18 uur
Ja, was een mooie 1-motorige EU "standaard" geweest. Maar het politieke krachtenveld is nog te verdeeld in Europa. Dus nu andere realiteiten en daar wat mij betreft op verder bouwen. Mogelijk de volgende generatie..
Verder Bouwen ?

Duitsland heeft onlangs een Request For Information (RFI) gedaan naar de F-35A.
Echter de kans dat Duitsland ook echt de LightningII gaat aanschaffen is klein.  Want een sterke lobby van de Duitse luchtvaart industrie en vakbonden.
Frankrijk en het VK zijn bezig met het Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programma, welke o.a. een vervanger voor de Tornado moet opleveren.  En zij streven ernaar om dit programma a la Jaguar, Lynx en Puma bilateraal te houden.  Waarschijnlijk o.a. om te voorkomen dat dit weer een te duur en (te) vertraagd Europees project wordt door opeen stapeling van nationale eisen.
De Duitse RFI naar de F-35A is daarom een drukmiddel naar de huidige FCAS partners toe, om Duitsland toe te laten tot dit project.

Daarnaast zijn Duitsland en Spanje weer bezig met een mogelijke vervanger voor de Typhoon.
Hier heeft Frankrijk zeer waarschijnlijk geen zin in om toe te treden, want de Rafale wordt nu doorontwikkeld tot F4 en Dassault heeft een groter (openstaand) order portefeuille dan het Eurofighter consortium. 
Airbus mag dan wel een oproep hebben gedaan voor 1 gezamenlijk Europees jachtvliegtuig ontwerp.
Maar ervaringen zoals bij het FCAS en nEuroN RPA (UCAV) laten zien dat Europese bedrijven met elkaar kunnen samenwerken.  Tot dat ... het moment komt dat men werk moet opgeven aan een andere EUropese partner.

De Euro crisis slaagde er niet in om de Euro munt partners nader tot elkaar te brengen.  Juist het tegenover gestelde gebeurde, de nationale deuren en luiken werden dicht geslagen.  We hebben een Brexit en in Italie willen ze ook af van de Euro munt.
Nulla tenaci invia est via - Voor de doorzetter is geen weg onbegaanbaar.