View Full Version : Military Related Stories Thread
I was concerned about flooding the news forum with these kind of materials, and Lance came up with a terrific suggestion. Just have a single thread for these kind of articles, and just add to it.
I suppose one could include Military/Aerospace stories of all kinds...not just technology.
All are invited to post new threads and replies :mrgreen:
(mods feel free to move existing threads like this to here)
The Sikorsky S-70 Battle Hawk helicopter -- with a turreted 20mm cannon -- brings true battlefield versatility to the Australian Army's AIR-87 Armed Reconnaissance program. The Battlehawk being offered to the Australian Army is a variant of the Blackhawk helicopter for the armed reconnaissance and attack applications. It is based on the UH-60L aircraft in service today with the U.S. Army, and incorporates numerous improvements to the UH-60A -- on which Australia's S-70A-9 Army Blackhawk, is based.
Among the most significant improvements is the change from T700-GE-700 engines with 1,560 shp each to T700-GE-701C engines with 1,890 shp each and an uprated 3,400 shp gearbox to handle them. Other improvements also include better electromagnetic and corrosion protection and a 9,000 lb rated cargo hook. With these improvements, the Battlehawk helicopter is able to meet the AIR-87 mission requirements, along with an additional 1,000 to 1,500 lb payload capability for fuel, weapons reload, external load or other payloads for mission flexibility.
It has Blackhawk survivability features that have been battlefield-proven in Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Haiti, Turkey, Bosnia, Colombia and Desert Storm. The Battlehawk helicopter has dash speed and agility capabilities that few dedicated attack helicopters can match and none can exceed.
The major Battlehawk weapons feature is the 20mm GIAT THL 20 turreted gun. Its location under the cabin provides a rugged, simple integration. The gun can be slaved to the Elbit Systems Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) cueing, or to the Elbit Systems Toplite II Targeting Sensor Line of Sight. Ammunition is stored in the cabin and fed to the gun through one 90-degree bend, versus up to seven such bends with nose-mounted gun turrets, providing unparalleled accessibility, feed and ease of reload.
Past weapons integration on the Blackhawk using the External Stores/Weapons System (ESWS) have included Hellfire missiles, 2.75-inch Rockets, Stinger Missiles and various gun pods including 7.65 mm, 20mm and 30mm cannon. One current operational configuration has dual 30mm chain guns, dual 7.65mm machine guns and Hellfire missiles and rockets, more than doubling the firepower of existing attack helicopters. The ESWS also can accommodate up to four 230 gallon external fuel pods.
The Elbit Systems MIDASH (Modular Integrated Display and Sight Helmet) provides highly accurate helmet tracking, flight and weapons symbology for day and night operations. It features state-of-the-art image intensifiers for night pilotage. It is lighter and more ergonomically designed with a larger field of view (FOV) than existing HMD systems. The Elbit Systems Toplite II Targeting Sensor System has FLIR, Daytime TV and laser Designator and Rangefinder for search and weapon designation.
The Battlehawk helicopter has a full "glass" cockpit with Rockwell Collins active matrix color LCD Multifunction Displays and CDUs. They result in a significantly smaller instrument panel with 27 degrees visibility over the nose, 12 degrees more than most attack pilot cockpits. The narrower panel also improves lateral and downward visibility using chin windows nonexistent on current attack helicopters. The HMDs and HOCAS (Hands on Collective and Stick) features of the Battlehawk helicopter enable either pilot or copilot to perform piloting, search, comm or weapons tasks while maintaining "eyes up, hands on."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ5oHrS4ysk&feature=player_embedded
WASHINGTON, March 14, 2011 – Navy and Marine Corps leaders today signed an agreement by which the Corps will join the Navy in buying the F-35 joint strike fighter variant designed for aircraft carriers, service leaders announced today.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James F. Amos signed a memorandum of agreement today on the purchase of F/A-18E/F and F-35B/C fighter jets they say will improve air capabilities for both services.
Under the agreement, the two services will buy 680 F-35s. The Navy will buy 260 of the F-35C carrier variant, and the Marine Corps will buy 80 of the F-35Cs, along with 340 of the F-35Bs, a short-take off, vertical-landing variant. The Corps will assign five of its air squadrons to flying the F-35Cs in the Navy’s carrier air wing, the agreement says.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced in January that he was placing the F-35B on the equivalent of two years probation due to testing problems with the STOVL aircraft.
Today’s agreement demonstrates the commitment of Gates, Mabus and Roughead to the purchase of the F-35B, Thomas E. Laux, the Navy’s deputy assistant secretary for air programs, said during a press briefing. “These quantities match the fiscal 2012 budget request,” he said.
The F-35Cs will be assigned to the Navy’s aircraft carriers, while the “B” variants are assigned to L-class ships, Laux said. “Our priority is to do testing of the F-35Cs on the carrier,” he said. “We will learn a lot about the F-35Bs on the L ships” to determine if the STOVLs may be used on carriers.
The agreement reflects the “enduring partnership” of Navy and Marine Corps aviation, Laux said. Training for the aircraft will be “completely integrated,” and there will be only one pipeline, he said.
The combination of F-35B and C variants, along with the F-18s, will improve the services’ advance air capabilities, service officials said.
“Together, the Navy and Marine Corps are stronger than they are alone,” Laux said. “Together, we are more formidable than we are apart.”
Warton, United Kingdom - The first ever release of a Paveway IV precision guided bomb from a Typhoon aircraft, using the avionics system to safely release the weapon, has been achieved in an hour long test flight over the Aberporth Range in Wales. The integration of Paveway IV demonstrates a commitment to enhance and upgrade Typhoon’s capabilities in its ground attack role and forms part of the Typhoon Future Capability Upgrade.
Typhoon Test Pilot Nat Makepeace, who was at the controls of development aircraft IPA6, said: “This was a successful test flight demonstrating the avionics system is able to use global positioning system (GPS) data and target information sourced from the aircraft to prepare for the release. All communication with the aircraft and safe release of the bomb went to plan.”
Paveway IV is a highly accurate, precision guided bomb capable of significantly minimising collateral damage. It is low cost and will provide Typhoon pilots with the very best technology for operations with its all-weather, day and night precision capability.
The test is part of an ongoing programme to integrate Paveway IV onto the aircraft and builds on the environmental and jettison trials which have already been performed.
Paveway IV is expected to be provided to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) early in 2012 when the RAF will start operational evaluation.
This work further demonstrates the systems integration capabilities of the BAE Systems Typhoon team. These skills are essential for the continued development of the Typhoon aircraft. The team is working closely with the MOD, the Eurofighter partner nations and Raytheon on this development programme.
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With the goal of reducing the sensor-to-shooter timeline to just minutes and expanding airborne ground surveillance command and control, Northrop Grumman has completed the installation and testing of a multispectral intelligence sensor housed in a new keel beam accessory bay (KAB) on a modified E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft.
"Once it is delivered, our combat commanders and joint forces will have a powerful new capability to track identified targets throughout the battle space and free up other sensors to support operational needs," said Mike Mos, director of Joint STARS' architectures and concept demonstrations for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.
The installation and test examined the use of the MS-177 camera, a 500-pound multispectral intelligence sensor on the all-weather Joint STARS weapons system. The goal was to see how the sensor enhances combat identification in support of Joint STARS' continued role as a valued battle manager providing eyes in the sky for boots on the ground.
While in test flights off the coast of Florida, Joint STARS operators tasked the MS-177 sensor to collect information and streamed it into the battle management system already in place-producing very strong results.
Joint STARS operators were able to simultaneously exploit ground moving target indication (GMTI) and high-resolution imagery which expanded situational awareness. Images were also transmitted to off-board SIPRNET elements using its beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) satellite communications system capabilities.
"From long distances, the APY-7 radar combined with the MS-177 camera could identify very clearly people, buildings, automobiles and ships," said Mos. "Coupling the electro-optical/infrared [EO/IR] capability of the MS-177 camera with the GMTI capability makes the system an even stronger force multiplier."
The Northrop Grumman technical team worked closely with the U.S. Air Force's Electronics Systems Center and Aeronautical Systems Center engineers to ensure airworthiness of the aircraft after the KAB and camera were installed, as well as a new multi-sensor fairing to support dual-sided operations.
"Flight tests on the Joint STARS test bed aircraft proved the KAB, located directly behind the APY-7 radar, can support an additional large sensor, or multiple small sensors with no impact to the system's current battle management command and control and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability," Mos said.
"Next, the team will perform more aerodynamic modeling and testing with the new fairing, and we'll continue our innovative research to see how other sensor combinations integrated into the Joint STARS weapons system could provide additional capability to combat commanders. Once the United States Air Force has completed its military utility assessment, we'll look to see how we can begin to integrate the KAB and more sensors onto the entire fleet."
The 17-aircraft Joint STARS fleet is the only all-weather, long-range, real-time, wide area surveillance and battle management and command and control weapons system in the world. It is flown by the 116th Air Control Wing based in Warner Robins, Ga., and since 2001, crews have flown over 63,000 hours in 5,200 combat missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn.
http://i.imgur.com/Wwrih.jpg
BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate exclusively on the preparation and submission of a joint proposal to the UK and French Ministries of Defence for the design, development, production and support of a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).
The MoU will enable the two companies to establish a framework under which they may jointly pursue this long term business opportunity.
This signature follows the United Kingdom and French Governments agreement at the Anglo-French Summit in November 2010 to collaborate on the next generation MALE UAS to meet the requirements of both countries.
BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation have already completed a joint MALE UAS feasibility study for the United Kingdom and French Governments. This study has given both companies the confidence to move to the next stage of developing a joint proposal that will harness the considerable UAS capabilities of both BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation.
Kevin Taylor, Managing Director Military Air & Information at BAE Systems said: “A successful BAE Systems/Dassault Aviation solution will ensure that the UK and France maintain their status as leading providers of aerospace capability. It will also ensure that both countries get the best return on the investment they have made in state-of-the-art technologies and UASs. We have a strong team in place that is ready to develop the future frontline UAS capability required by both the UK and France.”
Eric Trappier, Executive Vice President International at Dassault Aviation also commented: “BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation's joint experience and proven capabilities, together with an efficient co-operation process, allow us to offer a MALE UAS that will provide the UK and France with a cost-effective intelligent autonomous exploitation system to meet both countries’ military requirements to schedule and within the budgetary constraints under which both governments will operate in future. We look forward to a swift development go-ahead decision from the two governments soon.”
http://i.imgur.com/pKiRY.jpg
THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The Dutch navy says it has discovered the sunken wreck of a German World War I submarine off the island of Terschelling and will designate it a war grave.
The Defense Ministry says the wreck of the U-106 is lying on the seabed 40 meters (130 feet) underwater and 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of Terschelling, an island in the Wadden Sea off the northern Netherlands.
The submarine was first discovered in October 2009, but the find was only announced Wednesday after the Dutch Defense Ministry authorities confirmed its identity with German authorities.
The Dutch navy initially believed the wreck was a Dutch submarine, 0-13, that went missing during World War II, but divers and remote cameras later confirmed it was the U-106.
redred
03-17-2011, 11:17 AM
hey max do you have a military background or just an interest in this subject?
hey max do you have a military background or just an interest in this subject?
Both. US Navy service, and just a geek interest in the subject. To clarify, I'm not some whacked out right-wing war monger. I personally am very much against what my country has done over the past 10 years regarding foreign policy, and where we have sent our forces into harms way. That being said, I still find the technology to be exciting. I just wish my country would sometimes learn to mind it's own business. I would also like to see some of this innovation directed to civilian aerospace and transportation.
redred
03-18-2011, 10:03 AM
cool,thanks max :tup: but it's a shame you aren't a whacked out right-wing war monger i feel the site would be better for it :lol:
cool,thanks max :tup: but it's a shame you aren't a whacked out right-wing war monger i feel the site would be better for it :lol:
LMAO. My views tend to lean conservative, but not on all matters. I think it's madness in a country of 320 million people, people feel they need to be either this party or that party. I'm my own party.
MARIETTA, Georgia, March 17th, 2011 -- The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is logging a deployment-intensive pace in early 2011 following a busy 2010, and the company continues to provide key support to the fleet as the Raptor projects power globally.
In January and February, the U.S. Air Force had Raptors deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan, as part of a rotational deployment for a Pacific Air Forces Theater Security Package; to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, for capabilities enhancement testing; and to Nellis AFB, Nev., for Red Flag, an air combat training exercise. F-22s from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, deployed to Japan performed with exceptional readiness, flying 100 percent of a robust sortie schedule in January.
The world's premier air dominance fighter and the only fully operational 5th generation fighter, the F-22 deployed around the world in 2010, including to Andersen AFB, Guam; Japan; South Korea; and the United Arab Emirates. In a first for the F-22 fleet, Raptors from Holloman AFB, N.M., performed a re-deployment, traveling from Japan to Guam last year. The Holloman Raptors combined with F-22s from Langley AFB to make for 24 total Raptors on Guam at the time.
As the weapon system support integrator, Lockheed Martin supports Raptor deployments through comprehensive and responsive sustainment services as part of a Performance-Based Logistics contract. The company received a $726.6 million contract modification from the Air Force in February for fleet sustainment this year.
When F-22 units deploy, Lockheed Martin field service representatives deploy with them, providing support in areas such as avionics, systems engineering, low observables maintenance, technical information and mission planning. Thanks in part to the contributions of the representatives, Raptor performance in recent global deployments often proved greater than even that of home-station operations.
"The Raptor is a high-demand asset in vital strategic theaters, projecting power, bringing deterrence and enhancing security for the United States and allies," said Jeff Babione, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s F-22 program. "We have been working alongside U.S. Air Force F-22 maintainers to ensure aircraft availability, performance and reliability for pivotal operations around the world."
Deploying to new areas brings new challenges. Highlighting F-22 performance capabilities in an austere overseas climate, 12 Raptors from the 27th Fighter Squadron based at Langley AFB, Va., flew more than 600 sorties and 1,300 hours while deployed to Andersen AFB from early June to mid October last year.
According to Lt. Col. Pete M. Fesler, squadron commander, Lockheed Martin sustainment representatives proved helpful not only in keeping Raptors flying, but in helping squadron maintainers sharpen their skills.
"Lockheed Martin representatives proved a great addition to our maintenance and operations team during our deployment," said Lt. Col. Fesler. "Their engineering, maintenance and system expertise helped to grow our active duty and Air National Guard Airmen into better Raptor maintainers."
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., March 17, 2011- Less than a month after completing the first flight of the U.S. Navy's X-47B UCAS-Demonstration aircraft, flight test engineers from Northrop Grumman Corporation and the Navy have successfully completed the aircraft's second and third flights.
The flights, both conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, mark the beginning of a process called envelope expansion during which the test team will begin proving that the tailless aircraft can perform safely over a broad range of altitudes, air speeds and operating weights.
During the X-47B's 39-minute second flight on March 1, the aircraft flew to an altitude of 7,500 feet at speeds up to 200 knots. During its 41-minute third flight on March 4, the aircraft reached an altitude of 7,500 feet and a top speed of 180 knots. By comparison, the X-47B flew only to 5,000 feet at a top speed of 180 knots during its first flight Feb 4.
"Conducting two flights of a brand new type of aircraft within one week, and both within a month of first flight speaks not only to the robust design of the X-47B aircraft, but also to the dedication and engineering skills of the joint UCAS-D flight test team," said Janis Pamiljans, vice president for the Navy UCAS program for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. "These flights continue to add momentum to the team's march toward demonstrating in 2013 that we can safely operate this tailless, low-observable-relevant air system on a Navy aircraft carrier."
According to Phil Saunders, chief engineer for Northrop Grumman's Navy UCAS program, envelope expansion is designed to fully characterize the aircraft's flying qualities and prove that they match the system's performance requirements and the test team's predictions.
"Over the next few flights, we'll continue to expand the envelope in terms of air speed, altitude and operating weight range," he said. "By gradually ramping up the complexity of requirements, we will systematically prove that this air system can safely take off, fly and land in all anticipated flight environments."
Northrop Grumman and the Navy expect to complete the planned 49-flight envelope expansion program at Edwards Air Force Base before moving the first X-47B to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., later this year, he added.
One of the most important measures of performance, Saunders explains, is aircraft stability. The X-47B, which relies on high-speed computers to manage its flight control surfaces, must be able to adjust quickly and automatically to unpredictable environmental conditions such as air turbulence or cross winds. The recent test flights included a series of maneuvers designed to measure the aircraft's ability to maintain a smooth, level flying state in the presence of such conditions.
The flight tests also confirmed that the X-47B's flush mounted air data system – a nod to its low-observable-relevant design – is accurately sensing and communicating the aircraft's air speed, a critical factor in takeoff and landing.
In addition, the flight tests gave the team the opportunity to validate the aircraft's engine performance; its command and control system, and its ability to fly at a constant angle of attack and a constant rate of descent while on final approach to landing, simulating what it will have to do to make successful landing on an aircraft carrier.
The Navy awarded the UCAS-D prime contract to Northrop Grumman in August 2007. The six-year contract calls for the development of two X-47B fighter-sized aircraft. The program will demonstrate the first-ever carrier launches and recoveries by a tailless, unmanned aircraft. Autonomous aerial refueling will also be performed after carrier integration and at-sea trials.
http://i.imgur.com/MZd2k.jpg
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An F-22 Raptor successfully flew at supercruise March 18 on a 50/50 fuel blend of conventional petroleum-based JP-8 and biofuel derived from camelina, a weed-like plant not used for food.
The flight was the capstone of a series of ground and flight test events conducted by the 411th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base the week of March 14 for the Raptor using the biofuel blend. The Air Force selected the F-22 weapon system to be the biofuel blend flight test pathfinder for all fighter aircraft.
The overall test objective was to evaluate biofuel fuel blend suitability in the F-22 weapon system. Testing consisted of air starts, operability, and performance at different speeds and altitude throughout the flight envelope. The F-22 Raptor performed several maneuvers including a supercruise at 40,000 ft. reaching speeds of 1.5 Mach. Supercruise is supersonic flight without using the engine's afterburner.
"The F-22 flew on Friday, March 18 and performed flawlessly on the biofuel blend citing no noticeable differences from traditional JP-8," said Jeff Braun, director of the Alternative Fuels Certification Division, part of the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
The overall flight was a success and another milestone completed for the Alternative Fuels Certification Division in support the Air Force's 2016 acquisition goal to cost-competitively acquire 50 percent of the domestic aviation fuel requirement via alternative fuel blends in which the component is derived from domestic sources produced in a manner that is 'greener' than fuels produced from conventional petroleum.
The camelina-derived synthetic fuel falls into a class of hydro-processed blended biofuels known as hydrotreated renewable jet fuels, or "HRJs." The HRJ fuel can be derived from a variety of plant oil and animal fat feedstocks.
Air Force officials in February certified the entire C-17 Globemaster III fleet for unrestricted flight operations using the HRJ biofuel blend.
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) -- Air Force engineers currently plan to fly the second X-51A Waverider hypersonic flight test demonstrator as early as March 22, program officials said March 15.
"We are proud of the first flight results, and at the same time we understand the inherent risk in a high-technology demonstrator like the X-51A," said Curtis Berger, the director of the hypersonics programs at Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, the company that built the X-51A's fuel-cooled supersonic combustion ramjet, or scramjet engine. "We can't wait to get this second vehicle in the air and show what we can do."
Four X-51As were built for the Air Force by teams at Boeing and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. The X-51A made history on its inaugural hypersonic flight test on May 26, 2010, when it was launched from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., tucked under the wing of a B-52 Stratofortress. After release, it ultimately accelerated to Mach 5 under scramjet power. The flight was about 10 times longer than any previous hypersonic scramjet flight and "80 to 90 percent" of flight test objectives were achieved, program officials said.
Underscoring the complexity and uncertainty of hypersonic flight testing, Charlie Brink, the Air Force Research Laboratory X-51A program manager, noted that not everything went perfectly on the first flight test. The vehicle failed to accelerate as quickly as anticipated and the flight test had to be terminated after 143 seconds under scramjet power. A perfect flight would have lasted another 100 seconds and accelerated the X-51A cruiser to Mach 6.
After the flight, members of the flight test team independently scoured over telemetry data for a month. Then they conducted a comprehensive "fault tree analysis" to identify every piece of anomalous data to determine the root cause.
According to Mr. Brink, two separate fault trees were identified: The vehicle failed to accelerate as rapidly as expected and unexpected temperatures and pressures were observed in internal sections of the cruiser. Engineers examined and walked through 156 different nodes in excruciating detail in search of a cause.
"In a demonstrator you learn things," Mr. Brink said.
Program officials already knew from wind tunnel engine tests about the intense heat the scramjet engine and hypersonic flight creates. During flight, the scramjet engine actually grows about three-fourths of an inch. The effect complicates design for such things as interface seals.
The Boeing "Phantom Works" and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne teams pulled the engines from the three remaining flight test vehicles and focused on the interface between the rear of the fuel-cooled engine and its vehicle mounted nozzle. Mr. Brink said the effort identified an "apparent thermal seal breach" at the interface which was not as tight as it needed to be. This caused some of the hot gases that should have provided thrust to leak into the rear of the cruiser.
"We went through a complete critical design review of the interface," Mr. Brink said.
In the end, the team made design changes to make it a "much more robust" interface. All of the remaining X-51As have been modified with the new beefed up design.
Mission and weather permitting, a B-52 test crew will take off March 16 from the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB and the flight test team will run through a dress rehearsal for the entire flight profile for the next hypersonic mission, albeit without the X-51A attached.
The second X-51 is waiting in a hangar at Edwards AFB and is ready to fly, Mr. Brink said. He added the next flight is scheduled for March 22 over the Navy's Point Mugu Sea Range but a number of factors with the flight-test vehicle, weather, range availability, and supporting test assets could slip the flight date to the right.
Mr. Brink said officials at the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency and at NASA have been critical to the X-51A's development. Those at DARPA provided substantial funding and NASA officials provided strong support via access to their wind tunnels at Langley Research Center and to the supercomputer at NASA Ames Research Center where computational fluid dynamics calculations of drag and other aerodynamic forces were performed.
Mr. Brink said the computations were validated during the first hypersonic test, coming in within 2 percent of actual data observed during the first flight. NASA Dryden aircrews also provide photo and safety chase during the flight tests.
He noted the X-51A was not designed to be a weapon, but its success as a technology demonstrator soon may enable the transition of technologies to a new class of hypersonic weapon systems. He added that there are a number of initiatives in the works, but none had been decided upon and there currently is no program of record for a hypersonic strike or ISR aircraft based upon the Waverider.
"Right now we are just focused on the X-51's next flight," Mr. Brink said. "We definitely hope it will go longer...and faster than the first."
http://i.imgur.com/gekwn.jpg
One aircraft conspicuous by its absence over the skies of Libya is the Air Force’s vaunted F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter. The Lockheed Martin-built jet was likely benched due to its inability to communicate with other coalition aircraft and its limited ability to hit ground targets, analysts said.
“The designers of the F-22 had a dilemma, which is whether to have the connectivity that would allow versatility or to have the radio silence that would facilitate stealthiness. What they opted for was a limited set of tactical data links,” said Loren Thompson, an analyst and chief operating office at the Lexington Institute, Arlington Va.
The F-22 can only connect with other F-22s via an intraflight data link, and can only receive, but not transmit, over the standard Link-16 data link found on most allied aircraft.
Radio emissions from various data links could potentially give away the aircraft’s position, Thompson said.
As such, while the Raptor is the stealthiest operational aircraft in the world, it lacks much of the connectivity found on other warplanes, he said.
The aircraft also lacks a significant air-to-surface punch. Currently, the F-22 can only use two 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions, which are GPS-guided bombs, against fixed targets. It does not yet have the ability to carry the 250-pound Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) or to create synthetic aperture radar maps, which are black and white photo-quality images of the Earth’s surface, needed to select its own ground targets. By contrast, an F-15E Strike Eagle can carry 24,000 pounds of ordnance.
Those capabilities will be available once the Increment 3.1 hardware and software upgrade is fielded into the operational Raptor fleet later this year. However, even with Increment 3.1 installed, the F-22 will only be able to designate two targets in total for the eight SDBs it would be able to carry. The operational test force has been putting Increment 3.1 through its paces at Nellis AFB, Nev., since November.
However, the addition of Increment 3.1 will not resolve the Raptor’s basic inability to connect with other aircraft, nor has the Air Force articulated a clear plan for the F-22 to do so. A future upgrade called Increment 3.2 was to have included the Multifunction Advanced Data-link (MADL) found on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, however, the Air Force deleted funding for that data link last year.
The MADL is also planned for integration into the B-2, which would have enabled the entire Air Force stealth aircraft fleet to be connected during operations inside hostile airspace.
Further, it is only with the addition of Increment 3.2 that the Raptor would be able to independently retarget eight SDBs at eight separate targets.
Under the Air Force’s global strike task force doctrine, the Raptor would normally escort B-2 Spirit stealth bombers in “kicking down the door” of an enemy’s air defenses. However, U.S. Africa Command, which is running Operation Odyssey Dawn, confirmed the F-22 has not flown over Libya.
“I see no indication that F-22s were used as an escort for the B-2 nor do I see anything that indicates the Raptor will be used in future missions over Libya,” said Air Force Maj. Eric Hilliard, a spokesman for Africa Command.
On March 20, three B-2s flew bombing runs out of their base at Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Mo., against targets in Libya.
Analysts concurred that part of the reason for the absence of the Raptor is that it was not needed to defeat Libya’s relatively pedestrian air defenses. The Libyans have a largely obsolete fleet of aircraft and only older model Soviet surface-to-air weaponry.
“Frankly, they might not be needed. Libya’s defenses were not that robust to begin with and were rolled back quite handily,” said Mark Gunzinger, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Analysis, Washington.
“Libya is not generally considered a highly capable adversary,” Thompson added.
Gunzinger said that the B-2s probably flew at night, which would eliminate any chance of the billion-dollar warplane being spotted visually by the enemy. The large subsonic aircraft could be potentially vulnerable if it was seen, which is why it would be escorted by high performance stealth fighters like the F-22 if it was flying against a more challenging foe such as Iran or North Korea, Thompson said.
http://i.imgur.com/PzCjI.jpg
ARLINGTON, Va. — Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit rescued a U.S. Air Force pilot downed in Libya March 22.
The F-15E Strike Eagle crashed in northeast Libya March 21 while flying in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn, the joint coalition enforcing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 to protect the Libyan people from the country’s ruler.
Using two AV/8B Harriers, two MV-22 Ospreys and two CH-53E Super Stallions carrying a quick reaction force, the Camp Lejeune, N.C., based Marines conducted a Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel mission to recover the pilot.
The Marine aircraft began launching off the the USS Kearsarge, which was roughly 130 nautical miles from the pilot - within 30 minutes of the crash - according to a senior Marine officer in the Pentagon.
Marine officials attributed the quick reaction time to the versatility of the Osprey. "Total time from launch to return - 90 minutes roundtrip. That's what an Osprey gets you, that speed," the official said.
According to official reports, the Harrier close air support element dropped two laser-guided 500-pound bombs in the area in support of the downed pilot. One MV-22 Osprey landed and extracted the pilot.
Once extracted, the aircraft returned to the USS Kearsarge with the pilot. Navy Lt. Lauren A. Weber, a doctor with the 26th MEU, said the pilot returned in good condition.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation and the names of the pilots will be released pending next-of-kin notification.
The recovery force remains on standby while aviation assets are conducting operations in any environment. All seven Marine expeditionary units are trained, equipped and ready to conduct similar missions when called upon.
beowulf
03-24-2011, 02:21 PM
ARLINGTON, Va. — Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit rescued a U.S. Air Force pilot downed in Libya March 22.
The F-15E Strike Eagle crashed in northeast Libya March 21 while flying in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn, the joint coalition enforcing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 to protect the Libyan people from the country’s ruler.
must be quoted from a US source.................no mention of the civilians injured after the marines strafed the rescue site
beowulf
03-25-2011, 12:43 PM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1369743/Gurkha-fought-Taliban-awarded-Gallantry-Cross.html
hard as feckin' nails...............dread to think what would have happened to the taliban if he had had his kukri with him!
http://i54.tinypic.com/xom6wg.jpg
'As soon as it was confirmed Taliban, I was really scared,' he recalled.
'But as soon as I opened fire that was gone - before they kill me I have to kill some.
i read somewhere else that he is the third generation of his family to be decorated for bravery
and the rest of them on that article deserve the recognition that they are getting ....much respect 8-)
redred
04-08-2011, 01:30 PM
Luftwaffe Dornier 17 at Goodwin Sands 'still intact'
By Nick Higham
BBC News
The discovery of a unique German warplane off the Kent coast left experts "incredulous". New images suggest the Dornier 17 is still intact and there are hopes that it will go on show.
They called it "the flying pencil": a slim, elegant aircraft originally designed in 1934 to carry passengers, which by the start of World War II had been converted into a deadly weapon of war.
The Dornier 17 was one of the mainstays of the Luftwaffe bombing fleets which began their assault on British cities and RAF airfields in the summer of 1940, in what became known as the Battle of Britain.
A total of 1,700 Dorniers were built, but the plane discovered in Goodwin Sands is thought to be the last remaining one.
Dornier 17 Z-2, serial number 1160, of number 7 squadron, 3 Group, third Bomber Wing, was shot down on 26 August 1940 and made an emergency landing in the sea just off the Kent coast.
Two of the four crew members died, two - including the pilot - survived to become prisoners of war.
'Still intact'
The wreck of the plane sank some 50 ft (15.24m) to the bottom, turning turtle as it did so, and came to rest on its back on the notoriously shifting Goodwin Sands, which soon covered it.
Last month, a team on board the Port of London Authority (PLA) vessel, Yantlet, set out from Ramsgate to survey the wreck using the latest high-tech sonar equipment.
The survey confirmed an earlier finding that the plane has now been uncovered by the sand, as 70 years of time and tide have done their work.
"The really good news today is that we've got some very clear imagery," said John Dillon-Leetch, the PLA's deputy port hydrographer.
"The wreck is there. It seems to be still intact, and we'll find out more information over the next few days as we process and look down deeper into the data we have."
The BBC has been given exclusive access to the resulting 3D images, which are startling in their clarity.
The most important thing they show is that the aircraft's structure suffered no catastrophic damage during its final landing. The Dornier is largely intact, except for damage to the forward cockpit and observation windows.
The survey was carried out for the RAF Museum at Hendon in North London. The museum's head of collections, Ian Thirsk, was on board the Yantlet.
When he first learnt of the plane's existence he was, he says, "incredulous".
"This aircraft is a unique aeroplane and it's linked to an iconic event in British history, so its importance cannot be overemphasised, nationally and internationally. It's one of the most significant aeronautical finds of the century."
Very few Dorniers survived the war.
"They were either all shot down or they were scrapped. After the war the German people didn't want to remember, so aircraft like that were destroyed," he says.
New display
Some continued to fly with the Finnish airforce until the early 1950s, but they too were eventually scrapped.
The plan now is to raise the aircraft and put it on show at Hendon.
The museum, which is funded by the Ministry of Defence, is bidding for cash from heritage organisations to cover the costs.
The work has become urgent because recreational divers have now discovered the wreck and already souvenir hunters have started taking bits of it to the surface. In doing so they risk prosecution, since the wreck is MoD property.
Though the museum has complete examples of the other German bombers that took part in the Blitz, including a Heinkel 111 and a Junkers 88 - as well as fighter aircraft like the Spitfire, Hurricane and Messerschmitt 109 - it has only a few Dornier fragments salvaged from wrecked aircraft.
The salvaged plane will form part of a new Battle of Britain Beacon display which will replace the museum's present gallery devoted to the battle.
But though the wreck will be conserved it will not be restored to its original appearance.
That, says Mr Thirsk, would involve so much work and replacement of damaged parts that the result would be nothing more than a replica.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12997528
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