F-35 jets to boost Stealth Easy maintenance Dogfight ...€¦ · 3/4/2019 · F-35 jets to boost...
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Sources: LOCKHEED MARTIN, NORTHROP GRUMMAN STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS: BRYANDT LYN, MIKE M DIZON Singapore is seeking to buy four F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for a start, with the option of getting eight more, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in Parliament last Friday. The F-35s have been identified to replace the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s ageing F-16s, which face obsolescence beyond 2030. Here’s what you need to know about the multirole fighters. F-35 jets to boost S’pore’s air prowess KEY FACTS The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a family of single-seat, single-engined, all-weather stealth multirole fighters that is dubbed the world’s most advanced. The fifth-generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It has three main models: The F-35A conventional take-off and landing variant; The F-35B short take-off and vertical-landing variant; and The F-35C carrier-based, catapult-assisted take-off but arrested-recovery variant. Mindef is reportedly interested in only the F-35A/B variants. The US principally funds F-35 development, with additional funding from other Nato members and close US allies. The nine partner countries are Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the US. Offers DAS protective sphere of situational awareness Warns the pilot of incoming aircraft and missile threats Has missile tracking Has day/night vision and navigation Radar warning system has 360-degree coverage KEY FIREPOWER Air-to-air mission Air-to-air / air-to-surface Air-to-air mission Air-to-air / air-to-surface Cost: About US$400,000 (S$542,000) Material: Carbon-fibre Access to six cameras mounted around the plane to give pilots a 360-degree view of the surrounding airspace, including letting them “look through” the floor of the plane Advanced night-vision capabilities Head-up display projects directly onto the visor, putting information like altitude, speed and location of enemy aircraft or ground weapons right in front of the pilot’s eyes Mission-centric payloads Unlike the fourth- generation F-16, the F-35 conceals all its weapons and fuel tanks inside its sleek skin. However, F-35s flying in missions that do not require a high level of stealth can still carry external fuel tanks and weapons for more range and firepower. KEY NUMBERS Price of an F-35A Who are buying F-35s? Orders from partner countries Foreign military sales Aircraft delivered Italy Canada Denmark As production ramps and additional improvements are implemented, Lockheed Martin’s goal is to reduce the cost of an F-35A to US$80 million by 2020. Norway Netherlands South Korea Japan Belgium US$89.2m F-35B US$115.5m F-35C US$107.7m United States 2,456 >355 90 88 27 Britain 138 52 Australia 100 Turkey 100 37 40 147 34 50 Israel 2,585kg Internal ordnance 9,980kg Internal/external ordnance Stealth mode Beast mode HQ F-35B Stealth The shape of the aircraft is designed to have a low radar cross-section. The use of structural fibre mats and radar-absorbent coatings makes it harder for enemies to detect it. Easy maintenance Automated Logistics Information System back-end cyber support infrastructure tells technicians how each jet is configured, its flight telemetry and what exactly needs to be fixed. Short take-off/vertical landing capability Combat radius: 833km Weapons payload: 6,800kg 15.6m 10.7m Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan Synthetic aperture radar Internal four-barrel 25mm Gatling gun Panoramic cockpit display Martin-Baker US16E ejection seat Dogfight ability At the January 2017 US Air Force’s Exercise Red Flag, the F-35 came away with a kill ratio of 20:1. This means that it defeated 20 enemies for each F-35 downed. Advanced avionics A group of F-35s can seamlessly and securely share everything each pilot sees with one another via a high-data rate, directional communications link. This allows for coordinated tactics and greater situational awareness, making the F-35s more lethal and effective. The F-35s can quickly relay information to command and control nodes of other forces, land and sea, creating a broader tactical picture. This is in line with Mindef’s vision of a networked and integrated fighting force. AIM-120 AMRAAM AIM-120 AMRAAM AIM-120 AMRAAM AIM-9X Sidewinder AIM-9X Sidewinder GBU-31 JDAM 2,000lbs (Mk-84 warhead) AIM-120 AMRAAM GBU-31 JDAM 2,000lbs (Mk-84 warhead) 1 2 3 The nozzle swivels 95 degrees downwards to provide vertical thrust Roll posts under the wings provide stabilisation and control The change sequence takes about 15 seconds Three-bearing swivel nozzle Roll posts Lift fan The F-35B can take off from runways as short as 168m. With Singapore’s small land area, this will be a beneficial strategic trait. The F-35s also function as powerful network nodes designed to gather, process and distribute more information than any fighter in history. This information farming will give their pilots a decisive advantage over adversaries. KEY ALL-AROUND DEFENCE RADAR Radar warning bands Emitter locating DAS aperture (six in total) The electro-optical distributed aperture system (DAS) paired with the radar warning system essentially eliminates all surprises for the F-35. Speed: Mach 1.6 Internal fuel capacity: 6,125kg Max g-rating: 7.0 Data link Data link KEY EQUIPMENT State-of-the-art helmet The Israeli-US-designed, augmented-reality helmet is packed with high-tech gadgetry.
Transcript of F-35 jets to boost Stealth Easy maintenance Dogfight ...€¦ · 3/4/2019 · F-35 jets to boost...
Sources: LOCKHEED MARTIN, NORTHROP GRUMMANSTRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS: BRYANDT LYN, MIKE M DIZON
Singapore is seeking to buy four F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for a start, with the option of getting eight more, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in Parliament last Friday. The F-35s have been identified to replace the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s ageing F-16s, which face obsolescence beyond 2030. Here’s what you need to know about the multirole fighters.
F-35 jets to boostS’pore’s air prowess
KEY FACTS The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a family
of single-seat, single-engined, all-weather stealth multirole fighters that is dubbed the world’s most advanced. The fifth-generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground-attack and air-superiority missions.
It has three main models:The F-35A conventional take-off and landing variant;The F-35B short take-off and vertical-landing variant; andThe F-35C carrier-based, catapult-assisted take-off but arrested-recovery variant.
Mindef is reportedly interested in only the F-35A/B variants.
The US principally funds F-35 development, with additional funding from other Nato members and close US allies.
The nine partner countries are Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the US.
Offers DAS protective sphere of situational awareness
Warns the pilot of incoming aircraft and missile threats
Has missile tracking
Has day/night vision and navigation
Radar warning system has 360-degree coverage
KEY FIREPOWERAir-to-air mission Air-to-air / air-to-surface Air-to-air mission Air-to-air / air-to-surface
Cost: About US$400,000 (S$542,000) Material: Carbon-fibre
Access to six cameras mounted around the plane to give pilots a 360-degree view of the surrounding airspace, including letting them “look through” the floor of the plane Advanced night-vision capabilities Head-up display projects directly onto
the visor, putting information like altitude, speed and location of enemy aircraft or ground weapons right in front of the pilot’s eyes
Mission-centric payloadsUnlike the fourth- generation F-16, the F-35 conceals all its weapons and fuel tanks inside its sleek skin. However, F-35s flying in missions that do not require a high level of stealth can still carry external fuel tanks and weapons for more range and firepower.
KEY NUMBERS
Price of an F-35A
Who are buying F-35s?
Orders from partner countries Foreign military sales
Aircraft delivered Italy Canada Denmark
As production ramps and additional improvements are implemented, Lockheed Martin’s goal is to reduce the cost of an F-35A to US$80 million by 2020. Norway Netherlands South Korea
Japan
Belgium
US$89.2mF-35B
US$115.5mF-35C
US$107.7mUnited States
2,456
>355 90 88 27
Britain
138
52
Australia
100Turkey
100
37 40
147
34
50Israel
2,585kgInternal
ordnance
9,980kgInternal/external
ordnance
Stealth mode Beast mode
HQ
F-35B
Stealth
The shape of the aircraft is designed to have a low radar cross-section. The use of structural fibre mats and radar-absorbent coatings makes it harder for enemies to detect it.
Easy maintenance
Automated Logistics Information System back-end cyber support infrastructure tells technicians how each jet is configured, its flight telemetry and what exactly needs to be fixed.
Short take-off/verticallanding capability
Combat radius: 833kmWeapons payload: 6,800kg
15.6m
10.7m
Pratt & WhitneyF135 turbofan
Syntheticapertureradar
Internal four-barrel25mm Gatling gun
Panoramiccockpitdisplay
Martin-Baker US16Eejection seat
Dogfight ability
At the January 2017 US Air Force’s Exercise Red Flag, the F-35 came away with a kill ratio of 20:1. This means that it defeated 20 enemies for each F-35 downed.
Advancedavionics
A group of F-35s can seamlessly and securely
share everything each pilot sees with one another via a
high-data rate, directional communications link. This
allows for coordinated tactics and greater
situational awareness, making the F-35s more
lethal and effective.
The F-35s can quickly relay information to command and
control nodes of other forces, land and sea,
creating a broader tactical picture. This is
in line with Mindef’s vision of a networked
and integrated fighting force.
AIM-120 AMRAAM
AIM-120 AMRAAM
AIM-120 AMRAAM
AIM-9X Sidewinder
AIM-9XSidewinder
GBU-31 JDAM 2,000lbs(Mk-84 warhead)
AIM-120 AMRAAM
GBU-31 JDAM 2,000lbs(Mk-84 warhead)
1
2
3
The nozzle swivels 95 degrees downwards to provide vertical thrust
Roll posts under the wings provide stabilisation and control
The change sequence takes about 15 seconds
Three-bearingswivel nozzle
Roll posts
Lift fan
The F-35B can take off from runways as short as 168m. With Singapore’s small land area, this will be a beneficial strategic trait.
The F-35s also function as powerful network nodes designed to gather, process and distribute more information than any fighter in history. This information farming will give their pilots a decisive advantage over adversaries.
KEY ALL-AROUND DEFENCE
RADAR
Radarwarningbands
Emitterlocating
DASaperture
(six in total)
The electro-optical distributed aperture system (DAS) paired with the radar warning system essentially eliminates all surprises for the F-35.
Speed: Mach 1.6
Internal fuel capacity: 6,125kg
Max g-rating: 7.0
Data link
Data link
KEY EQUIPMENTState-of-the-art helmetThe Israeli-US-designed, augmented-reality helmet is packed with high-tech gadgetry.
