The F-35 thread

In fact, even though these aircraft are not stealth, Typhoons are equipped with Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) systems and IRST (the Infra-Red Search and Track), two missing features on Raptors.
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Source

All the paper work I can find on the F-35 indicates a surround IR system with 6 camera's and therefore it would lack the optics required for a long range IRST capability.

Source


Here are the IRST system on the Su-27 here, Rafael here and Eurofighter here.
 
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Dave said:
I'm sure I've seen an article saying that Meteor is currently being integrated into the F35 program, if I can find it again I'll post it.
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Yes, but I think its only for the Non-US operators (UK etc)
 
Dave said:
I'm sure I've seen an article saying that Meteor is currently being integrated into the F35 program, if I can find it again I'll post it.
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Yes, but I think its only for the Non-US operators (UK etc)
 
I found the marketing blurb for the EOTS system on the F-35 here.

No range information but the optics are significantly smaller than say Su-27's unless which does influence range.
 
buka001 said:
Yes, but I think its only for the Non-US operators (UK etc)
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If the Yanks can't engineer a comparable missile themselves there's no reason they won't buy it if required, as its integrated it'll just be a matter of putting the order on and loading them into the bomb bay when they arrive ;)
 
So from the looks of it they seem to have an EOTS system and then the "augmented" reality system so that is like 7/8 IR cameras. No wonder the aircraft is to heavy.
 
Blu82 said:
Russia is more advanced here as a counter to stealth and the US is trying to catch up since it is an effective passive sensor.
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It seems the European systems are the ones to beat, the US are now working on a pod for its existing fleet, I wouldn't be surprised if the European tech appeared in the US system.
 
Dave said:
It seems the European systems are the ones to beat, the US are now working on a pod for its existing fleet, I wouldn't be surprised if the European tech appeared in the US system.
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Though F-22 or F-35 inside IRST range means game on and all its stealth capability wasted.
 
That I know and that is why the F-22 decision design decision baffles me. The F-15 you can add a pod the F-22 you can't.

This shows my problem with the F-35 there are compromises in the one size fits all airframe which you can't fix by adding a pod due to steatlh considerations and I therefor believe three airframes would have been better for their money spent.
 
Dave said:
If the Yanks can't engineer a comparable missile themselves there's no reason they won't buy it if required, as its integrated it'll just be a matter of putting the order on and loading them into the bomb bay when they arrive ;)
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The 120 can already be fired 'passively' in what's called 'Flood' mode where it doesn't receive guidance from the launch craft and so locks on to the first radar source it gets when going active.
 
FoXtroT said:
The 120 can already be fired 'passively' in what's called 'Flood' mode where it doesn't receive guidance from the launch craft and so locks on to the first radar source it gets when going active.
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Meteor goes a step further with built in guidance that works with a 2 way data link, so it can get corrections or even a completely new targeting during flight and then utilise its own systems for that last 10 seconds or so as it accelerates and goes bang...

They are claiming that if Meteor gets within 200 km of a jet it won't escape or evade the missile.

I would expect the Yanks to have a comparable system before long.
 
So it seems an internal memo on the Red Flag exercise became available. Some key points good and bad.

Overall, the F-35 was far more survivable then the participating legacy aircraft,” the Marine officer wrote in his concluding paragraph
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In all, fewer than two of the squadron’s fighters— 23 percent—were “full mission capable” at any one time, on average. Crews kept approximately 53 percent of the six planes “partial mission capable” throughout Red Flag 16-3.
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Discussion

Executive Summary
 
Dave said:
Meteor goes a step further with built in guidance that works with a 2 way data link, so it can get corrections or even a completely new targeting during flight and then utilise its own systems for that last 10 seconds or so as it accelerates and goes bang....
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Just be aware that you can detect a two way RF datalink in a suitable configured EW system and then possibly jam it. A big thing about radar systems is that a EW suit can detect it way before the transmitting platform can detect the platform carrying the EW suit.
 
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Blu82 said:
Just be aware that you can detect a two way RF datalink in a suitable configured EW system and then possibly jam it. A big thing about radar systems is that a EW suit can detect it way before the transmitting platform can detect the platform carrying the EW suit.
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Just be aware that your entire jamming theory is supposition, no one (who actually knows) would admit online to the specifics of the actual data link used, even the new general use link 16 is extremely resistant to jamming.

Of course, even if some enemy actually managed to jam the multiple frequencies used by Meteor it would just default to inbuilt systems and the targeted plane is still dead.
 
Blu82 said:
So it seems an internal memo on the Red Flag exercise became available. Some key points good and bad.






Discussion

Executive Summary
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The thing that is getting me is the unreliability in poor weather. I know solutions are either in place or being worked on, but this is surprising.

The RAAF F-35's were grounded because of weather this week.
 
buka001 said:
The thing that is getting me is the unreliability in poor weather. I know solutions are either in place or being worked on, but this is surprising.

The RAAF F-35's were grounded because of weather this week.
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Not quite the story...

The RAAF are using 2 older version F35's for demonstrations around Aus, not current production aircraft. The test aircraft haven't been fitted with lightning protection yet.

Two Australian F-35s, which had just performed during an air show near Melbourne, were scheduled on March 5 to fly northeast to Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley, near Brisbane. Departure was postponed until the next day because of lightning conditions near Amberley.

Newer F-35s have lightning protection, but the two Australian aircraft—the first of seventy-two that the country has ordered—are early production models that haven’t yet been retrofitted.

“It is well documented that the F-35A aircraft requires modifications for lightning protection and these modifications have not yet been completed on the two visiting Australian aircraft,” said an RAAF press release. “As safety is Air Force’s priority, the aircraft will not fly in conditions where lightning is present.”
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http://nationalinterest.org/blog/th...-let-its-stealth-f-35-lightning-iis-fly-19706
 
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