Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

JSF 'no match' for latest Russian fighters or Chinese radar
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/jsf-no-match-for-latest-russian-fighters-or-chinese-radar/story-e6frg8yo-1226265180090 ^

Posted on 02/07/2012 4:14:53 PM PST by kronos77

THE stealth qualities of the futuristic F-35 Joint Strike Fighter on order for the Royal Australian Air Force are overrated and the plane's combat performance greatly exaggerated, a defence lobby group has claimed.

The complaints by Air Power Australia, longtime critics of the $16 billion JSF acquisition, were made last night before a public hearing of parliament's defence sub-committee.

Latest-generation Russian fighters such as the Sukhoi T-50 would easily defeat the F-35 in air-to-air combat, Air Power's Peter Goon said, referring to recent modelling tests by his organisation.

"The aircraft we are planning to buy is carrying over 2000 pounds (900kg) of dead weight," Mr Goon said, referring to the JSF's big jet engines.

New Russian and Chinese air defence radars would also have little trouble detecting the JSF, a craft touted for its stealth qualities, he added.

The RAAF says it wants 100 US-designed JSFs to replace the decommisioned F-111 strike aircraft, with the first squadron supposed to be operating by 2018.

But the program has been mired in cost overruns and delays.

Last month US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta ordered the purchase of US JSFs to be delayed to allow Lockheed-Martin time to resolve production and technical shortcomings.

The company is contracted to deliver the first two training aircraft in 2014 with another 12 scheduled for 2015-17.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith has said he is now considering an option to order additional F/A-18F Super Hornets to fill any capability gap created by further JSF production delays.

(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.com.au ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: aerospace; airforce; australia; f35; jsf; navair; russia; sourcetitlenoturl
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061 next last
To: Heavyrunner
I think the F-18 Hornet is a pretty good fighter. Still, my hearts love is the F-16. I learned air combat maneuvers at Air Combat USA. I've taken several of their flights and learned a lot from those guys. We flew SIAI Marchetti-260's. Okay sure, they're prop but WOW!!!! You get into a furball rat chase with those guys and it's a blast!!!!

Photobucket

21 posted on 02/07/2012 4:51:26 PM PST by SkyDancer ("Never Have Regrets Because At The Time It Was Exactly What You Wanted")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Ken522
it's kinda like apples and oranges...
22 posted on 02/07/2012 4:52:43 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SkyDancer

Uh, an AMRAAM will kill about 50 miles outside of gun range. You need to alive to be superior....


23 posted on 02/07/2012 4:54:53 PM PST by Kozak ("It's not an Election it's a Restraining Order" .....PJ O'Rourke)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: kronos77

How much is truly known about the Russian T-50?


24 posted on 02/07/2012 4:56:39 PM PST by Erik Latranyi (Gingrich=Tea Party, Romney=Gerald Ford)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Yo-Yo

They could even get a f-15se now.


25 posted on 02/07/2012 4:59:40 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: The Working Man

“If the JSF is so bad in comparison to the Russian and Chinese designs then how come the Chinese have done everything in their power to steal every secret it has?”

With respect, the Chinese are probably working to steal US secrets related to steam valves and felt tip pens almost as much as they are working on mil secrets.


26 posted on 02/07/2012 5:04:40 PM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder (The only economic certainty: When it all blows up, Krugman will say we didn't spend enough.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: The Working Man

If they have to rewrite code, it should be no problem getting some H1-Bs to do it on the cheap.


27 posted on 02/07/2012 5:05:22 PM PST by glorgau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: kronos77
Here's another "analysis" comparing dogfight qualities of the F-35 to the new birds from everyone else.

First, this is NOT an air superiority fighter and was never intended to be. Second, put US Avionics and Weapons in it and YES, it would defeat the Russian and Chinese birds easily.

Without a dogfight.

Sheesh, what passes for defense analysis now days...

28 posted on 02/07/2012 5:05:27 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Texas Fossil
They said the same things about the MiG-25 Foxbat until a Soviet defected in one.

Is that the one western "experts" speculated had an outer skin of titanium that turned out to be just plain steel?


29 posted on 02/07/2012 5:05:45 PM PST by Iron Munro ("Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight he'll just kill you." John Steinbeck)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: sten
"the future will be thousands of drones versus a handful of 1980s tech"

The F35 can control those drones through it's RADAR.

30 posted on 02/07/2012 5:07:09 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Kozak

Get down in ground clutter.


31 posted on 02/07/2012 5:09:55 PM PST by SkyDancer ("Never Have Regrets Because At The Time It Was Exactly What You Wanted")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: SkyDancer
It’s the pilot not the plane.

Agreed, the training of the pilot, his/her skills and the application of his/her ship is what is important (of course you can add in intangibles too such a luck, divine intervention and what else you can think of) but the first three are important. It is quite possible where you could have an F-100/MiG-19 win over a Su-30/F-22 although if I had to take something up, I'd want at least an F-4 or something made from 1960/1965 onward. Actually jet fighter performance in the physical world such as max speed, range and maneuverability pretty much plateaued at about 1960, from then on, it was mainly improvements in avionics/computers and stealth, the latter I think is overrated IMHO.

I'm a believer in Kurt Vonnegut where he wrote in his 1958 story, "The Manned Missiles," where you had UAV's fight each other in the future to a stalemate where you had the idea of using manned aircraft and manned kamikaze missiles being used to overcome the artificial intelligences of the UAV's.
32 posted on 02/07/2012 5:15:12 PM PST by Nowhere Man (Holodeck Computer: End Obama Administration simulation program, NOW!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Texas Fossil

I read that too about the MiG-25, when you took it about Mach 2.5, you had to nurse the engine, otherwise it would crap out on you.


33 posted on 02/07/2012 5:16:33 PM PST by Nowhere Man (Holodeck Computer: End Obama Administration simulation program, NOW!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Texas Fossil; kronos77

The way I remember that is that, yes, everyone laughed at the round-head rivets and the vacuum tube radar...that is, until a year later when the report was released. It said the round-rivets were used in non-aerodynamic areas and that US planes (Phantoms) built in the same time frame as the MIG also used vacuum tube radar, and that the Russian radar was more powerful than ours. People weren’t laughing any longer.


34 posted on 02/07/2012 5:17:49 PM PST by Imnidiot (THIS SPACE FOR RENT)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: org.whodat

IIRC, pulse CW radar can detect stealth aircraft, a technology that was used by Chain Home by the UK in the late 1930’s and World War II.


35 posted on 02/07/2012 5:19:05 PM PST by Nowhere Man (Holodeck Computer: End Obama Administration simulation program, NOW!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: The Working Man

Hell, everything we buy in this country is made in China.

Don’t be surprised if most of the parts of the F-35 are also made there.


36 posted on 02/07/2012 5:20:21 PM PST by 353FMG
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: SkyDancer

How does the F-22 stack up against the F-16 IYO?


37 posted on 02/07/2012 5:20:28 PM PST by 70times7 (Serving Free Republics' warped and obscure humor needs since 1999!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Imnidiot
I was aware that the round rivets were in unimportant areas.

I knew about the tube radar issue.

But my point was that what we observed as “performance” (climb rate). Always caused engine failure.

Others mentioned it is the pilot and not necessarily the plane.

The Japanese Zeros in WWII out maneuvered our fighters, but tactics overcame that. They had little armor.

38 posted on 02/07/2012 6:10:44 PM PST by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: 70times7

Don’t know.


39 posted on 02/07/2012 6:16:31 PM PST by SkyDancer ("Never Have Regrets Because At The Time It Was Exactly What You Wanted")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Iron Munro

Yep, plain stee.


40 posted on 02/07/2012 6:16:48 PM PST by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson