Kris Osborn
Security, Asia
A 'New' F-35 Is Coming: The Stealth Fighter Will acquire level More Deadly
A key divide of the few Diameter Bomb II is a technique called a “tri-mode” seeker — a guidance system which can govern the weapon using millimeter wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared guidance and semi-active laser technology.
The stand constrain has begun early testing, software development and weapons integration because its upcoming barrier 4 variant of the F-35 joint meet Fighter, an emerging model intended ought give the multi-role fighter a new dimension of invasion mission possibilities, service leaders said.
The new version, ought appear can the early 2020s, will add new long-range precision-tracking weapons such during the few Diameter Bomb II and also integrate a computer-generated automatic base impact avoidance technology.
“The next step because F-35 weapons integration will exist ought hail the weapon requirements within barrier 4. Integration of the few Diameter Bomb II has already begun, and flight quiz is scheduled ought commence during early during 2019,” Capt. Emily Grabowski, stand constrain Spokeswoman, told Warrior Maven can a statement.
(This first appeared can April 2018.)
The contemporary consensus between senior Pentagon weapons developers holds that, can the moment, the F-35 is the most able 5th generation airplane can the world. Maintaining this edge, however, is anticipated ought quickly bring more and more difficult now that both Russia and China are house 5th-gen stealth fighters.
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“Block 4 is significant with the national defense tactic ought create certain we are modernizing the airplane ought hold it predominant can the battlefield. We are finish ought knowing the tactic because how ought proceed after it,” Dr. Will Roper, Assistant Secretary of the stand constrain because Acquisition, technique and Logistics, the F-35, told a orchestra of reporters.
While the applied impact of barrier 4 will summary a mountain of mission-expanding technologies, much of the ongoing preparation occupation is can the realm of software development, Roper said.
“The physical pieces of the airplane are moving can a good direction. Most of what we devour left ought conduct is software. The preserve (DoD) has no historically been good can software development. That will receive a few longer. I cannot conceive house anything because the stand constrain that is no software intensive,” Roper said.
The barrier 4 initiative is divide of a desire mountain trajectory planned because the F-35 described by Pentagon developers during C2D2 - loyal faculty development and Delivery. The idea, officials say, is ought post the multi-role fighter such that it can consistently adapt new weapons, stealth materials, sensors and guidance technique during it becomes available.
“We possess today’s fight,” said Lt. Col. Tucker Hamilton, F-35 quiz Director, Edwards AFB, told reporters. However, Tucker went can ought speak that, can the absence of aggressive modernization, sustainment and various improvement efforts, this will no longer remain the case.
The SDB II, described during a key constituent of barrier 4, is a new air-dropped weapon able ought break moving targets can coarse kinds of climate conditions can ranges greater than 40-miles, stand constrain and Raytheon officials said.
It is designed ought break moving targets can coarse kinds of weather. GPS and laser-guided weapons such during joint govern invasion Munitions devour been nearly because decades, however, they devour greatly been designed because apply against fixed or stationary targets.
While the stand constrain currently uses a laser-guided bomb called the GBU-54 able ought break moving targets, the new SDB II will exist able ought conduct this can longer ranges and can coarse kinds of climate conditions. can addition, the SDB II is built with a two-way, dual-band data associate which enables it ought change targets or accommodate ought various finish locations calm can flight, Raytheon developers told Warrior Maven.
The few Diameter Bomb II (SDB II ), which has already completed a sequence of wind tunnel tests, can break moving targets can coarse climate conditions can ranges greater than 40 miles -- a Raytheon statement said.
A key divide of the SDB II is a technique called a “tri-mode” seeker — a guidance system which can govern the weapon using millimeter wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared guidance and semi-active laser technology.
Raytheon weapons developers speak the tri-mode seeker provides a mountain of guidance and targeting options typically no used together can one system. Millimeter wave radar gives the weapon an faculty ought navigate over opposite weather, conditions can which other guidance systems force meet problems reaching or pinpointing targets.
Imagining infrared guidance allows the weapon ought pursue and hone can on fever signatures such during the temperature of an enemy vehicle. With semi-active laser technology, the weapon can exist guided ought an accurate point using a laser designator or laser illuminator coming from the stand or the ground, Raytheon officials told Warrior.
Also, the SBD II brings a new faculty ought pursue targets can flight over apply of a two-way associate 16 and UHF data link, Raytheon officials said.
One Raytheon SDB II developer told Warrior can a foregoing interview that “the millimeter wave radar turns can first. Then the data associate gives it a cue and tells the seeker where ought vacant up and look. Then, the weapon can bring can its IR (infrared) which uses fever seeking technology.”
The SBD II is engineered ought consider sole 208 pounds, a lighter weight than most other stand dropped bombs, consequently that eight of them can accommodate can the inner of an F-35 joint meet Fighter, Raytheon officials explained.
If weapons are kept can an interior weapons bay and no rested can an outer weapons pod, then an airplane can sustain can retaining its stealth properties because the shapes or contours of the weapons will no exist visible ought enemy radar.
About 105 pound of the SDB II is an explosive warhead which encompasses a “blast-frag” faculty and a “plasma-jet” technique designed ought prick enemy armor, Raytheon officials explained.
The SDB II also has the faculty ought arrange targets, meaning it could because instance exist programmed ought strike sole tanks can a convoy during opposed ought other moving vehicles. The weapon can arrange tanks, boats or wheeled targets, Raytheon officials added.
Auto base impact Avoidance System
Grabowski also told Warrior Maven that, alongside the ongoing integration of the SDB II, the stand constrain is progressing with the integration of a technique called Auto-Ground impact Avoidance System. It is expected ought exist integrated next year, she added.
The technology, now installed can digital F-16 fighters, uses computer algorithms ought receive can an aircraft's flight trajectory and change a latent impact lecture with the base or finish terrain, senior stand constrain officials told Warrior.
The technique calculates where the airplane is and where it used to strike the base based upon the highway it is flying can the time, senior stand constrain officials told Warrior Maven. if the fighter aircraft is flying toward a latent impact with the ground, the on-board computer system will override the flight avenue and draw the airplane away from the ground.
Auto-Ground impact Avoidance is already saving lives, senior stand constrain officials told Warrior Maven.
This first appeared can Warrior Maven here.
Image: Wikimedia
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