Croyez-vous au programme JSF ?

samkenobi a écrit

Bon je n'ai pas encore parcouru tout le topic mais connait on la signature radar du F-35 Je sait c'est beaucoup demander…
tout ce que je sait c'est qu'il est moins furtif que le F-22 mais serait il plus furtif qu'un rafale par exemple?

Clansman a écrit

samkenobi a écrit

Bon je n'ai pas encore parcouru tout le topic mais connait on la signature radar du F-35 Je sait c'est beaucoup demander…
tout ce que je sait c'est qu'il est moins furtif que le F-22 mais serait il plus furtif qu'un rafale par exemple?

Disons qu'il y a des chances que oui, il soit plus furtif qu'un Rafale. Mais impossible de quantifier ça pour l'instant.

F-22 Stealth Ability Revealed by USAF

November 25, 2005: The U.S. Air Force, in it's effort to get money to build more F-22s, has revealed just how 'stealthy' the F-22 is. It's RCS (Radar Cross Section) is the equivalent, for a radar, to a metal marble. The less stealthy (and much cheaper) F-35, is equal to a metal golf ball. The F-35 stealthiness is a bit better than the B-2 bomber, which, in turn, was twice as good as that on the even older F-117. Much older aircraft, like the B-52, have a huge RCS, which makes them very easy to spot on radar. But with a smaller RCS, it's more likely that the aircraft won't be detected at all.

RogCas a écrit

C'est vrai. Personne (ici) ne le sait. En revanche, on peut se faire une idée :

F-22 Stealth Ability Revealed by USAF

November 25, 2005: The U.S. Air Force, in it's effort to get money to build more F-22s, has revealed just how 'stealthy' the F-22 is. It's RCS (Radar Cross Section) is the equivalent, for a radar, to a metal marble. The less stealthy (and much cheaper) F-35, is equal to a metal golf ball. The F-35 stealthiness is a bit better than the B-2 bomber, which, in turn, was twice as good as that on the even older F-117. Much older aircraft, like the B-52, have a huge RCS, which makes them very easy to spot on radar. But with a smaller RCS, it's more likely that the aircraft won't be detected at all.

Source : http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20051125.aspx

BRITAIN is considering pulling out of a £9 billion project with America to produce the new Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, intended to fly off the Royal Navy’s forthcoming aircraft carriers. The move is part of an increasingly desperate attempt to plug a £1.5 billion shortfall in the defence budget. The RAF’s 25 new Airbus A400 transport aircraft could also be at risk. Studies have now been commissioned to analyse whether Eurofighters could be adapted to fly off the carriers. If Britain abandons the JSF, it will be seen as a further snub to the Americans following Gordon Brown’s decision last week not to send 4,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Only a week earlier, during a visit to London, Robert Gates, the American defence secretary, had said he understood Britain would be sending more troops to meet what commanders say is a 10,000 shortfall. The possible ditching of the JSF results in part from spiralling costs that have seen the price of the planned 150 British aircraft rise from the original £9 billion estimate to £15 billion. Britain has already paid out £2.5 billion in preliminary costs but next spring must start paying for actual aircraft. At that point it is committed to the entire project whatever the price. Once full production begins, Britain will be paying more than £1 billion a year for the aircraft, exacerbating the already dire state of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) budget. “That has really concentrated minds at the MoD,” said Francis Tusa, editor of Defence Analysis. “Put simply no-one has the faintest idea how much this project will cost.” The cost is only part of the problem. There is serious concern over the aircraft’s lack of firepower as it can only carry three 500lb bombs, compared with as many as eight on the Eurofighter. There is also increasing frustration over the continued American refusal to share information on the technology involved. President George Bush signed a deal with Tony Blair shortly before the former prime minister handed over to Gordon Brown, promising to share top secret technology with Britain…

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4837746.ece


La suite…

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4837746.ece?token=null&offset=12&page=2

F-35A Logs 50th Mission; F-35B Prepares For Transition To STOVL Flights
Posted on: Oct. 2nd, 2008 || Source: Lockheed Martin | E-mail Article | Print Article


FORT WORTH, Texas, September 30th, 2008 – The conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35A Lightning II notched its 50th flight last week in preparation for testing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., while the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant began a planned modification interval that will lead to STOVL-mode flight early next year.

In preparation for its deployment to Edwards, the F-35A is conducting a final series of in-flight refueling tests from its Fort Worth base, having taken on 12,000 pounds of fuel during a three-hour flight on Thursday, Sept. 25. Additionally, on Sept. 16, the aircraft flew for the first time with a full weapons load in its internal bays. The mock-up weapons duplicate the dimensions and weight of a typical F-35 strike mission load-out in full stealth configuration: two 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions and two Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles.

With more than 5,000 pounds of ordnance in its internal weapons bays, performance remained strong, with no discernable indication of the degradation sometimes experienced in current fighters because of aerodynamic drag. "The acceleration in maximum-afterburner takeoff was very quick," said F-35 Chief Test Pilot Jon Beesley. "The climb-out with full internal weapons carriage was particularly impressive to me. Very pleasant to see clean-fighter climb rates and angles while carrying a combat load."

At Edwards Air Force Base, pilots will test the F-35A's ability to shut down and restart the engine while airborne.

While AA-1 has been preparing for its Edwards deployment, the STOVL F-35B has undergone a range of handling-qualities tests, engine-power transitions from idle to full afterburner, extended its retractable fuel probe, and opened and closed all of the doors associated with its STOVL propulsion system. "The aircraft performed exactly as we predicted with the STOVL doors in their various positions. It has exceeded our expectations in its 14 flights to date, and this was a key milestone to achieve before starting vertical flight operations in the next few months," said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 program general manager. The tests validated computer modeling and simulation predictions and moved the aircraft a step closer to vertical flight early next year.

The F-35B now begins a 12-week modification period for system evaluations, calibrations and software and hardware updates, including the installation of the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine that is certified for short takeoffs, hovers, vertical landings and the full range of STOVL-mode and conventional flight. The test plan calls for transition to vertical flight operations in early 2009.

With four System Development and Demonstration aircraft complete and the remaining 15 in production, Lockheed Martin plans to begin delivering one F-35 per month, with all SDD aircraft scheduled for completion by late 2009. Additionally:

The second F-35B has already transitioned from production to the flight line and is undergoing ground testing prior to its projected first flight in early 2009.

The first structurally optimized F-35A also has entered final assembly in the recently completed moving assembly line.

The first F-35 dedicated solely to ground-test activities has tested structural components to well beyond their designed load limits.

The program is on schedule to begin delivery of production-model aircraft to the armed services beginning in 2010.


The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation stealth fighter. Three F-35 variants derived from a common design, developed together and using the same sustainment infrastructure worldwide will replace at least 13 types of aircraft for 11 nations initially, making the Lightning II the most cost-effective fighter program in history.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.

The program is on schedule to begin delivery of production-model aircraft to the armed services beginning in 2010.