Friday, 21 January 2022

Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field airmen involved in improving gunship weapon

Matt Ellis


Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field airmen involved in improving gunship weapon

NSWC Dahlgren Corporate Communications

EGLIN AFB — Both Eglin Air Force Base and nearby Hurlburt Field were part of a U.S. Navy project involving the design, development and delivery of an upgraded 105mm gun made with the AC-130 gunship in mind.

The gunships are a version of the ubiquitous and long-serving multiple-role four-engine turboprop airplane used at Hurlburt and elsewhere across U.S. military forces.

Engineers at Virginia's Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division designed, developed and delivered the upgraded weapon during a process that included trips to Eglin and Hurlburt (headquarters of Air Force Special Operations Command) for testing and direct collaboration with the warfighter.

The engineers also visited Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, Cannon Air Forece Base in New Mexico and Robins Air Force Base in Georgia in the process of getting the weapon to the warfighters who will use it. Additionally, gunners and technicians also came to Dahlgren to provide insight on the weapon's performance after testing.


Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren engineers (from left) Matthew Buckler, Gregory Fish and Thomas Houck stand in front of the new 105mm Gun Aircraft Unit they helped develop for the AC-130 gunship.

The 105mm Gun Aircraft Unit (GAU) allows warfighters on the ground to complete their missions more effectively and safely while the AC-130 provides close air support, air interdiction and force protection. The new weapon replaces the former gun system aboard the AC-130 gunships and positively impacts the warfighters’ ability to operate and maintain the system in the field.

“This has become a much more reliable system with less maintenance,” said Matthew Buckler, NSWCDD's Battle Management System (BMS) Gun Weapons System lead mechanical engineer. “If we can get a system that’s more reliable, that’s more repeatable, that works and that allows the warfighter to complete their mission every time — that’s a huge benefit for the warfighter.”

From the start of the design effort, the Dahlgren engineers behind the 105mm gun worked directly with the participating troops to get real-time feedback from experienced gunners and technicians. 

“Personally, this is the most rewarding work I’ve done in my engineering career hands down,” said Gregory Fish, NSWCDD’s GAU lead analyst. “It’s a fantastic place to work — incredible sense of accomplishment and achievement. And when we get the debriefs of what the weapon effectiveness is out in the field, it makes you feel like you’ve done something that makes a difference because these (GAU’s) are literally the tip of the spear.”

The previous iteration of the AC-130’s 105mm gun system comprised the M102 howitzer and M137A1 recoil mechanism, which are no longer supported by the Army. That meant an upgrade was necessary due to obsolescence and advancements in technologies since the original recoil mechanism was designed. 


An AC-130J Ghostrider gunship assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field soars over Wisconsin during the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 airshow last July.

The upgrades to the 105mm GAU are sweeping, but the engineers at Dahlgren were careful to ensure that the functionality, accuracy and usability of the weapon remain largely the same.

Throughout the iterative design process, Buckler said, the team encountered challenging yet navigable obstacles and tackled each issue as it came.

“We’ve described (the development process) as peeling back an onion,” Buckler said. “You get the most immediate issue and solve that one. Then when you solve that one, something else becomes more important and you kind of just keep peeling it back until you’ve essentially solved all of your major issues... ."


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Thursday, 20 January 2022

USAF Looks to Small Businesses for Some F-22 Upgrades

Steve Cooke



Jan. 14, 2022 | By John A. Tirpak

Air Force Maj. Paul Lopez, F-22 Demo Team commander, performs aerial maneuvers July 14, 2019, at the Mission Over Malmstrom open house event on Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jacob M. Thompson.


The Air Force is looking for a host of F-22 Raptor upgrades and will seek small businesses to offer potential solutions, according to a draft “open topic” on the AFVentures Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) page. No timing was stated for the upgrades.

According to a recent but undated “Focus Topics” summary in the AFVentures system, which is run by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Air Force is looking at 14 potential F-22 upgrades, including:

  • Integrating the Thales Scorpion helmet-mounted display/weapon cuing system
  • A long-range infrared search-and-track sensor
  • Manned-unmanned teaming
  • Pilot-assisted autonomy
  • A GPS-alternative navigation system
  • Simulation of “red air” threats
  • Algorithms for “optimized intercepts”
  • Combat identification of threats
  • Cyber intrusion detection and prevention
  • Predictive maintenance
  • Synthetic data generation
  • Sensor fusion
  • Improved sensing
  • Real-time debriefing

The Air Force has been evaluating the Scorpion helmet for at least seven years. The F-22 is the only frontline Air Force fighter not to have a helmet-mounted display and targeting system; the F-15 and F-16 both use the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cuing System (JHMCS), and the F-35 has its own unique helmet-mounted display system (HMDS).

For various reasons—mostly budgetary, but also due to the size of the helmet hampering pilot movements under the F-22 canopy—the helmet system has been consistently deleted from planned F-22 upgrades over the years.

The AFVentures announcement says the service is willing to entertain small business proposals to process aircraft data and provide an interface to the Scorpion helmet, not to provide the helmet itself. The “desired functionality” is to include “displays of threats, battlespace lines, aircraft state information, weapon information, and navigation information.” The overall goal is to improve battlespace situational awareness; “usability and processing intensity are considerations.”

Another longtime Air Force goal is to equip the F-22 with an infrared search and track system (IRST), but using one of those available for the F-15 and F-16 has been problematic because of the challenge of integrating them with the jet’s stealth profile. The F-35 uses a stealthy faceted aperture under its nose for various infrared sensing functions. The AFVentures draft didn’t give many specifics, saying only that it’s looking for “novel hardware and software solutions” that would work at long ranges.

An IRST is considered a key sensing capability now that adversary air forces are employing stealth aircraft that have greatly reduced radar cross sections. An IRST would have to be integrated with the F-22’s other sensors—mainly its active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar—to provide a holistic view of the battlespace. The AFVentures “improved sensing” subject area speaks to this, saying “methods of interest include machine learning for radar systems, cognitive radar algorithms, radar waveform modernization, sparse sensing, and more.”

In a 2017 interview with Air Force Magazine, Ken Merchant, who was at the time Lockheed Martin’s vice president for the F-22, and more recently headed F-35 sustainment and now has his own company, Life Cycle Solutions, said the F-22’s internal layout does not have the necessary “real estate” available to accommodate an F-35-style electro-optical system. However, he suggested that if the F-22’s early-generation flat panel displays—which are thick and heavy—were swapped out for the latest slim and light versions, then space in the cockpit area might be found for an IRST. At the time, Merchant said only that the Air Force was looking at “other options.”

The F-22 could not use the Lockheed Martin “Legion Pod,” which flies with the F-15 and has been fitted to the F-16 and various drones, because it would require external carriage and defeat the F-22’s low observable features. If the F-22 carried an IRST in its “cheek” internal weapon station, where short-range AIM-9X missiles are carried, it would still require the station doors to open, also negating the jet’s stealth profile and creating asymmetric drag for extended use.

For manned-unmanned teaming, AFVentures is looking for a system to help the F-22 pilot with “monitoring and control” of an unmanned escort aircraft. The application is to take in all available information and provide the pilot with a “god’s eye view of the battlespace;” package and send commands over certain data links; and employ a touchscreen tablet as the user interface.

Likewise, the “pilot assisted autonomy” system would help the pilot by “suggestion actions” based on inputs from sensors, identify immediate risks, “reason about intentions,” and alert the pilot to hazardous situations.

For the GPS alternative, AFVentures said only that it wants “a more layered approach” to navigation and position that can provide “accurate and real-time” position without using GPS. Recent Air Force technology discussions have speculated about using extremely sensitive, nano-scale inertial measurement systems for this purpose.  

The “predictive maintenance” system sounds like the F-35’s Autonomic Logistics Information System/Operational Data Integration Network (ALIS/ODIN), and would automatically monitor all the maintenance calls and aircraft condition reports on the F-22 fleet while providing predictive maintenance recommendations. The product will be evaluated on “accuracy, usability, and effectiveness in improving F-22 maintenance.”

For “synthetic data generation,” the Air Force wants the F-22’s large volume of classified data to be simulated so contractors can develop software for it without accessing secret data. The F-22 system program office wants “a synthetic data generation platform that can generate unclassified data with the same statistical significance as the original classified data for purposes of rapid testing and development;” presumably, of software and hardware being added through open mission systems.

For “optimized intercept,” the Air Force wants a system that will take in all the data available to the F-22 pilot and plot “an optimized pathway to intercept adversary aircraft,” presumably avoiding ground- and air-based radars and threats. The AFRL wants a system that could be flown “by a single Blue fighter against many Red fighters,” with the ability to expand to a four-ship of Blue aircraft. The pilots would need to see a display with a three-dimensional route, which is constantly updated based on sensor inputs.  

“Real Time Debriefing” is described as being able to give the pilot immediate feedback on performance during Basic Fighter Maneuver training, rather than having to land and debrief. The envisaged system would compare the pilot’s actions against what the computer calculates as the best tactics to employ.

The Air Force has said it does not plan to retain the F-22 beyond around 2030, due to the advance of counter-stealth systems and the F-22’s small fleet size, but it will continue to upgrade the aircraft to keep it relevant against the toughest threats until the Next Generation Air Dominance system is fielded.


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Wednesday, 19 January 2022

Tu-142 continue to work in the Atlantic and the Arctic

Dmitry Pichugin


Ту-142 продолжают работу в Атлантике и Арктике

Today, 04:13

Tu-142 of the naval aviation of the Northern Fleet , March 2020


Russian anti-submarine aviation continues to work actively and monitors the situation in strategically important regions. Thus, the crews of long-range Tu-142 aircraft of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Northern Fleet last year regularly made sorties to patrol important areas of the North Atlantic and the Arctic. This work will reportedly continue this year.

Successes and plans

On January 9, the press service of the Ministry of Defense wrote about the work of the anti-submarine aviation of the Northern Fleet. It is reported that in the past 2021, the crews of Tu-142 long-range anti-submarine aircraft repeatedly performed tasks in international airspace over the Atlantic and the Arctic. All such flights were carried out in accordance with the rules and agreements, without violating the air borders of third countries.

The pilots solved the tasks of patrolling and looked for submarines of a potential enemy. They also conducted aerial reconnaissance and participated in the general processes of monitoring the situation in the Arctic. The average departure time last year was 10 hours. The average flight range is 7 thousand km.

The Ministry of Defense reports that such flights will be carried out in the new year 2022. At the same time, monitoring the situation in the Arctic and the Atlantic will become one of the priority tasks for Tu-142s and their crews from the Northern Fleet’s naval aviation.

Details of such plans have not yet been specified. Given recent successes, it can be assumed that this year's sorties will be similar to those of the recent past. The frequency and intensity of departures should not change significantly; the zones of special attention of anti-submarine aviation will remain the same.


long flights

According to known data, the current activity indicators of our long-range anti-submarine aviation are at a fairly high level and ensure the implementation of the necessary measures. In addition, it becomes possible to expand the range of naval aviation tasks to be solved.

In the past, the negative situation in the country led to a well-known drop in the performance of the armed forces in general and naval aviation in particular. Subsequently, a gradual recovery began, and in the past decade its results appeared in the context of anti-submarine aviation. The number of departures began to grow; equipment was modernized.

In 2017, the command of the armed forces reported that the intensity of long-range aviation flights, incl. anti-submarine, reached the level of the times of the USSR. Aircraft of various types performed flights to different areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as various seas, incl. remote from Russian borders.

Flights in the Arctic were resumed under various programs. In particular, in 2018, for the first time after a long break, long-range Tu-142 aircraft flew across the Pole to the shores of North America. At the same time, the number of patrol flights in the northern part of the Atlantic and over the Arctic Ocean was growing.

Main tasks

During such sorties, the crews of anti-submarine Tu-142 solve several basic tasks. First of all, this is the search for submarines carrying strategic weapons of a potential enemy. It is also necessary to find and track multi-purpose submarines that pose a danger to our SSBNs.

Tu-142M3, overhauled in 2019

Tu-142 aircraft and other types of aircraft are capable of collecting data on underwater targets and transmitting them to headquarters or ships of the fleet. It also provides for the possibility of an independent attack of an underwater target with the help of standard weapons .

It should be noted that anti-submarine aviation crews may encounter serious difficulties in conducted and announced sorties. So, when working over open water, the Tu-142 aircraft or another type of aircraft can freely use all standard search tools. Completing tasks in the Arctic, where most of the water is covered with ice, is associated with certain limitations and is difficult.

Ice of considerable thickness virtually excludes the search for underwater targets with the help of hydrobuoys. In such a situation, it is necessary to use other devices that were originally considered as auxiliary ones. In particular, a submarine that has surfaced and broken through the ice can be detected using a standard onboard radar. Also, in northern conditions, the attack of a target with the help of mine-torpedo or bomb weapons is complicated or excluded.

In general, anti-submarine aviation is able to fully work on complex areas of the Arctic and effectively solve all the tasks. However, all this imposes special requirements on the training and skills of the crews. The exercises and other events of recent years clearly show that the qualifications of our pilots correspond to the assigned tasks.

Air Fleet

According to known data, now the Russian Navy's naval aviation has more than two dozen Tu-142 aircraft of several major modifications. Equipment is roughly equally divided between the Northern and Pacific fleets. Working from its bases, it is able to control large areas of the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans.

Tu-142M3 tests after repair, 2020

Available planes are quite old and in need of repair and modernization. Right now, a major overhaul program for all existing Tu-142s is being carried out. Most of the equipment has already gone through the necessary procedures and returned to service. Delivery of the next repaired boards is expected in the near future.

A few years ago, the issue of deep modernization of existing Tu-142s according to new projects was discussed. It is assumed that such measures will significantly improve the technical and operational characteristics of the machines, as well as once again extend their service life. However, exact information on the implementation of such projects is not yet available. Perhaps they will be dealt with after the completion of the repair of all existing aircraft.

At the same time, the issue of a radical renewal of long-range anti-submarine aviation is already being worked out. In 2019, the Ministry of Defense turned to the aviation industry with a request for proposals on a promising patrol aircraft. In the distant future, such a machine will have to replace both the Tu-142 and the Il-38. Fundamental decisions on such proposals were planned to be made in the near future. However, since then, no new reports have been received - probably due to the secrecy of the project.

Special Role

Thus, despite the limited number and solid age, Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft of the main modifications retain a special role in the structure of naval aviation. They continue to fly on patrol and track the underwater activity of a potential enemy in strategically important areas.

Reportedly, in recent years, some progress has been made in this matter, and work will continue. This year, the naval aviation of the Northern Fleet is planning new flights to the northern regions of the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic. For all their complexity, such activities are of particular importance for ensuring security, and also have a number of additional goals - and therefore will be continued.

Author: Ryabov Kirill
Photos used: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, "UAC"


Tu-142M / MR / MZ Long-Range Anti-Submarine Aircraft: Details
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Sohu: Does Russia really not have a fighter to replace the MiG-31?

Alexey Zorya


Sohu (Китай): насколько велик тяжелый перехватчик МиГ-31? Тот же корпус, что и у МиГ-29, размер понятен с первого взгляда | Военное дело | ИноСМИ - Все, что достойно перевода

Sohu: Does Russia really not have a fighter to replace the MiG-31?

© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation | Go to photo bank


The MiG-31 is an extremely useful Russian weapon against United States air and sea targets. However, the possibility of selling this interceptor in large quantities, on the one hand, depends on whether Russia wants to sell it, and on the other hand, on whether someone wants to buy it.

Pictures of military aircraft (军机图)

Design Bureau named after Mikoyan A.I. (now JSC RAC MiG), was an important aircraft manufacturer during the Soviet era and produced a large number of world famous aircraft during the Cold War. We can say that the MiG-29 and MiG-31 are the two most famous fighters of this design bureau.

In particular, the MiG-29 is an excellent multirole fighter, while the MiG-31 is a heavy interceptor fighter. The MiG-31 first took to the air in 1975 with a range of over 3,000 kilometers, a top speed of Mach 2.83 and a maximum takeoff weight of 46.2 tons. The length of the aircraft is 22.69 meters, the wingspan is 13.46 meters, and the height is 6.15 meters.

Unlike the MiG-31, the MiG-29 fighter is a medium-sized fighter with a range of only about 2,000 kilometers. The MiG-29 has a maximum takeoff weight of just over 20 tons, a length of 17.37 meters, a wingspan of 11.4 meters and a height of 4.73 meters. If two fighters are put together, the difference in size will be clear at a glance.

The birth of the MiG-31 is largely due to the size of the territory of the Soviet Union. Due to the vastness of the country during the Soviet era, it needed a long-range, fast interceptor with a large bomb load to protect its borders. The MiG-31 was developed from the MiG-25.

The MiG-31 is currently one of the most widely used fighter aircraft in the Russian military. The current upgraded version of the MiG-31 is equipped with a new D-30F6M engine, digital flight control, multifunctional LCD displays in the cockpit, and other new features. Russia is preparing to take the updated MiG-31 into service until the 2030s. Russia is currently developing a supersonic fighter-interceptor to replace the MiG-31, also known as the MiG-41 or PAK DP (Advanced Long-Range Interceptor Aircraft).

According to current estimates, the PAK DP will have a top speed of Mach 4 to Mach 4.3 and a cruising speed of approximately Mach 3. What weapons the PAK-DP will use in the future is also an interesting question. Viktor Bondarev, then Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, said the MiG-41 would carry R-37 long-range air-to-air missiles "and completely new missiles." The range of the R-37 air-to-air missile can reach 400 kilometers. In addition, the previous modification of the aircraft - the MiG-31 - can carry R-77 medium-range air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 110 kilometers, and the MiG-31 can usually carry four such missiles. The launching ability of the R-37 in terms of speed and range is determined by the Zaslon-M radar,


Why does Russia like the MiG-31 so much?

1. Russia has the largest territory in the world. When it comes to military equipment, Russia needs heavy interceptors to patrol its vast borders. Most of the conventional "light" or even medium fighters currently in service with Russia cannot fulfill this mission, as they lack the range and speed to intercept. For example, the MiG-29 has a range of only 2,000 kilometers or less, and cannot perform missions to expel and intercept enemy aircraft. And since there is not enough power, he will not be able to quickly gain altitude and carry out the task of intercepting American supersonic bombers, while the MiG-31 is capable of this.
2. At present, Russia is still under the threat of foreign invasion. American strategic bombers often approach Russia's borders for transit reconnaissance. In mid-October of this year, American B-1B bombers invaded the Russian naval exercise area, and the Russian army did not hesitate to take the MiG-31 into the air to expel the B-1B. It can be seen that in an emergency, the MiG-31 has an emergency response capability that other fighters cannot match.
3. The MiG-31 can not only perform its usual tasks effectively, but thanks to its large fuselage, it can also integrate new weapons and provide new combat capabilities. A vivid example of this is the Russian hypersonic missile Kinzhal, custom-made specifically for the MiG-31.
 

Does Russia really not have a fighter to replace the MiG-31?

1. With the many design paths for fighter jets and the development of aerial refueling systems, the actual international demand for heavy interceptors such as the MiG-31 is not that high. But Russia is another matter: Russia considers the threat from the United States the most serious, especially from American strategic bombers and surface fleets. Therefore, for Russia, the MiG-31 is not “adding new patterns to the brocade” ,  but an indispensable part of the fight against the United States.
2. Despite the fact that the Su-57 and Su-35S have begun to be produced and even entered service in batches in the army, there is still a big gap in the Russian Air Force. Add to that the challenges that Russia faces in the north, south, west and east, and even these new generation multi-role fighters alone cannot cope with them. Russia is increasingly facing growing threats, especially on its northern border, and the MiG-31 is capable of high-intensity cruise flights.
3. The MiG-31 has its own unique characteristics, and the resulting air superiority is widely recognized by the Russian army. Therefore, although now you can often see that Russia has not only Su-35S, but also Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers, but it is the MiG-31 that is still the “mysterious killer”, lifting which into the air at any moment terrifies the enemy .
 

Why won't the US make an interceptor similar to the MiG-31?

1. When the Soviet Union was building the MiG-31, it faced an unprecedented threat from the United States. In the mid-1970s, there were three huge dangers for the Soviet Union: the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird strategic supersonic reconnaissance aircraft, cruise missiles, and low-flying aircraft. And especially in response to the SR-71, the Soviet army had to keep high-speed interceptor fighters in service. The pressure from the existence of this kind of aircraft for the United States is negligible, so there has never been a strong demand in America for the creation of analogues of the MiG-31.
2. The United States is much smaller than the Soviet Union and Russia, and the Russian Federation cannot satisfy its air defense needs by relying on conventional fighters alone. In addition, it does not have enough air bases to completely cover its borders with conventional aircraft. The MiG-31 can fly for a long time at Mach 2.3 (cruising speed), which allows only four aircraft to patrol and protect a really vast area from bombers and cruise missiles. The United States, on the other hand, went the opposite way: it built a large number of military air bases and deployed a large number of conventional fighters to completely cover the borders. Why won't Russia build more air bases? This is also due to the geographical landscape of the country: many places in the north are in the permafrost region and are not suitable for the construction of air bases.
3. The United States believes that the MiG-31 is not a high performance fighter and its mission is relatively simple. This is not consistent with the concept of the development of American technology, so it is quite natural for the United States not to produce such heavy interceptors.
 

So why is the MiG-31 not being exported?

The answer to this question should be divided into internal and external causes.

As for internal reasons, for Russia, a supersonic interceptor such as the MiG-31 has a huge impact and even plays a certain strategic role. It is quite possible to designate it as a product not for sale.

At the international level, not all countries are as big as Russia, and their geography and climate are not as complex as hers, so the demand for the purchase of the MiG-31 is not so great.

Thus, the MiG-31 is indeed an extremely useful Russian weapon against United States air and sea targets. However, the possibility of selling this interceptor in large quantities, on the one hand, depends on whether Russia wants to sell it, and on the other hand, on whether someone wants to buy it.


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J-20 equipped with a revolutionary WS-15 engine: will the Chinese stealth fighter become the world leader in thrust?

Liberation Army Daily / cropped


J-20 оснастили революционным двигателем WS-15: станет ли китайский стелс-истребитель мировым лидером по тяге?

Roman Barsky


The Chinese press reports that flight tests of the long-awaited WS-15 engine have begun despite pessimistic forecasts that it will not enter service before 2025. This indicates that the fighter has reached a new advanced stage of development, according to militarywatchmagazine. 

As usual, for the initial tests on a twin-engine fighter, one WS-15 engine and another engine of an earlier modification WS-10 were used. Since the reliability of the new engine is still uncertain, the test flight is paired with a production engine to provide engine redundancy and allow the fighter to land when needed using only one WS-10 engine.   

Developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Engine Research Institute, the WS-15 turbofan  will be produced by Xian Aeroengine Corporation and is expected to have better fuel efficiency and much more power than its predecessor. The new engine will provide the J-20 with much greater endurance and superior flight performance. The WS-15 engine is expected to make the J-20 the world's leading fighter and interceptor in terms of thrust output, at least until the first sixth-generation aircraft arrive.

J-20 stealth fighter 

Its closest competitors are the promising engine "Product 30"  Design Bureau. "A. Lyulki", which will be used by Russian Su-57 and possibly Su-34 fighters, D-30F used by MiG-31 , and also F119 used by American F-22.   

The most powerful engine in the world for a fighter today is the American F135, which is installed on the American single-engine F-35 fighter. A number of sources indicate that the WS-15 may well compete with it in terms of power. 

J-20 stealth fighter 

Although Chinese military aviation has become a world leader in a number of areas, its engine technology still lags behind: the American F119 and F135, as well as the Russian AL-41 , still outperform any existing Chinese designs.   The WS-15 engine development program appears to be designed to outdo these older engines and put China on par with, or even ahead of, the world leaders.    

The recent transition allowing J-10 single-engine fighters to use local WS-10 engines was a major indicator of their growing reliability, as single-engine fighters lack a standby engine, meaning that if a WS-10 fails mid-flight, the aircraft will certainly , will be lost. NIT reported that  China would stop using the Russian engine , although the J-20 previously used the Russian AL-31 engine, developed for the Su-34 fighter-bomber , as an interim measure until the WS-10 design was finalized. But the Russian engine still remains a little more powerful.    

It is expected that arming with the new WS-15 power plant, albeit belatedly, will allow the J-20 to fly supersonic for an extended period of time without the use of afterburner. The ability to cruise at supersonic speed is a key feature for a fifth-generation fighter jet of the 21st century. 

J-20 stealth fighter 

The new version of the J-20, which integrates a new thrust vectoring engine, will significantly increase maneuverability at low speeds. The increased traction of the WS-15 will help to further improve this parameter, and will also contribute to greater maneuverability at high speeds. In addition, increased engine power can provide energy for new, more powerful sensors.    

It is not yet known which fighters the WS-15 could eventually be fitted to. There is some speculation that a future fifth-generation single-engine fighter designed for export markets could also use this power plant.      

The J-20 is one of two fifth-generation fighters currently in service with the Chinese Air Force at squadron size and in service, like the F-35 in the United States. The Chinese media have previously written about the   advantages of the J-20 fighter over the Su-57 and F-35 .   

Other fifth-generation fighter projects continue to be developed in China, including the naval fighter developed under the FC-31 program .


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Monday, 17 January 2022

Iran wants to buy Su 35? US media: Can only afford MiG series fighter jets

Pavel Bezrukov - AviaPressPhoto


伊朗要买苏35？美媒：只能买得起米格系列战斗机|伊朗|俄罗斯|苏35_新浪军事_新浪网: 

Author's signature: Xiaotian

　　According to the US media "Military Observer" website, since December 2021, some Western media have begun to report that Iran and Russia are about to sign a defense procurement agreement worth up to $10 billion, which will include the purchase of 24 Su-35s fighter jets, two S-400 air defense missile systems and a military satellite. According to reports, the contract will also include extending the airframes of Iran's active MiG-29 fighter jets and Su-24MK fighter-bombers, overhauling and upgrading them, and Russia will also train Iranian pilots. The $10 billion contract will be paid for in whole or in part with Iranian crude, the report said. In many respects, however, the deal appears highly irregular and its credibility is questioned. Since the 1990s, Western media have repeatedly reported that Iran has purchased advanced weapons from Russia, including a large number of MiG-29 fighters, MiG-31 interceptors, and even Tu-22M strategic bombers. But as it turns out, that didn't happen.



　　There are a number of elements in the rumoured Russia-Iran arms deal that seem out of place. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the deal is that Iran will pay Russia, one of the world's largest oil exporters, for its weapons with oil. And Russia's ability to efficiently refine Iranian crude oil remains in doubt. Although Russia has indeed used barter trade in the past to accept payments for oil, especially when international oil prices are very high, this is very unlikely now. In addition, the contract value of 10 billion US dollars is also doubtful. Judging from the previous export situation, the price of more than 20 Su-35s and two sets of S-400 is about 4 billion US dollars, which also includes related training and transportation. , spare parts, maintenance equipment and the Su-35's airborne weapons. Therefore, in the rumored Iran-Russia military trade agreement, the purchase of new weapons is about more than 4 billion US dollars, while the price of purchasing a satellite and refurbishing an old Soviet-era fighter jet is as high as more than 5 billion US dollars? Therefore, the figure of 10 billion US dollars is difficult to match with the specific projects of the contract.



        Other doubts about the contract also include the news that the Su-35 purchased by Iran was originally made for Egypt and was resold to Iran because Egypt cancelled the purchase. But no official source has confirmed that Egypt did cancel the contract. Beyond that, the question remains whether Iran can afford the use of the Su-35. Operating costs for such twin-engine heavy fighters are very high, and it is also the most expensive fighter jet Russia has ever exported, and it remains doubtful whether Iran can afford it. It is reported that Iran intends to purchase the J-10C. Although the J-10C is more complex and technologically advanced than the Su-35 in many aspects, its procurement and operation costs are much less than the Su-35. Considering the current situation of the Iranian Air Force and the need to replace a large number of old fighters, it is more likely that the country will buy lighter and lower cost fighters. If Iran had to procure fighter jets from Russia, the country had shown greater interest in the cheaper Su-30, and could also buy the lighter and cheaper MiG-29M or MiG-35 because they Access to the same maintenance infrastructure as the country's currently equipped MiG-29 fleet. And Iran has also emphasized the requirement to obtain a production license to assemble the new fighter domestically, and the Su-35 is unlikely to meet this requirement, and the MiG-29M or MiG-35 is more likely.

　　Although the news about Iran's purchase of Russian weapons may attract a lot of attention and may affect domestic public opinion in both Iran and Russia, the purchase of Su-35 and S-400 at a price of 10 billion US dollars, and Iran is still offset by crude oil, This possibility is not high.

Disclaimer: The above content is uploaded and published by netizens in the Sina Military Contention column. It only represents the views of the netizens who posted them, and does not mean that this website agrees with their views and is responsible for their authenticity.



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S-400 Triumph (SA-21 Growler): Details
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F-22 will get "one more advantage" over Russian fighters

Russell Hill


F-22 получит «еще одно преимущество» перед российскими истребителями: Оружие: Наука и техника: Lenta.ru

The Drive: F-22 fighter will receive an infrared search and tracking sensor

Photo: Chris Drzazgowski / US Air Force / Reuters

The F-22 Raptor, the fifth-generation American fighter, will receive an infrared search and tracking sensor, providing "another advantage" over Russian and Chinese combat aircraft, writes The Drive.

This device, as the publication notes, provides "significant ability to detect and track other aircraft at long distances, including stealth aircraft that are completely passive and immune to electronic interference."

The publication claims that this sensor was previously planned to be installed on the F-22 Raptor, but then such plans were abandoned in order to save money. It is noted that the integration of the sensor into the aircraft may encounter technical difficulties.

“The Air Force and the US military in general are increasingly turning their attention to the threats posed by China and Russia, so adding an infrared sensor to their most combat-ready fighters will provide another advantage,” the publication says.

In November 2021, the publication drew attention to pictures posted on Instagram by aviation photographer Santos Caceres. In the photographs, the fifth-generation American fighter F-22 Raptor was seen with a "mirror" coating.


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