With the leak (?) of a weak “final” draft (PDF) on the quadrennial defense review (QDR), the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Department of Defense (DOD) have a big problem with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
That problem extends to the cancellation of the F-22.
The graphic below from the QDR draft shows that it disagrees with not only the USAF road map for the F-35 but also Mr. Gates unjustified cancellation of the F-22. Gates decision to cancel the F-22 was never based on sound evidence.
Yet, in the very beginning, Gates signs his name to the QDR draft. These people are willing to put the defense of the nation at risk and tell us that the water we feel on our back is rain. For example; Operation: USELESS DIRT in Afghanistan provides no credible defense for the United States. 911 was caused by poor airline and airport security along with poor control of non-U.S. citizens running on questionable or expired visas.
With that Gates and crew are willing to sell the crown jewels of Americas air power deterrence down the river based on pet theories and PowerPoint slides substituting for hard analysis.
The QDR draft suggests 6 air superiority wings for a total of 432 combat coded slots. Those slots can only be the property of the F-22. The F-35 is not an air superiority fighter and it never was designed to be. Given the next generation of AK-47 equivalent aircraft coming down the pike in the form of the SU-35 and PAK-FA (backed up by S300,S400 etc SAMs), the F-35 would be facing that threat with sub-parity capability.
–click here for a larger image–
Even more interesting is that if QDR is to believed, it calls for 720-792 combat coded “theater-strike-wing” aircraft. Assuming it ever gets past development problems, this can only be the F-35. This is far shy of the 1763 that the USAF wants to order.
Gates, the DOD and the USAF have not done any credible homework to come up with their requirements. All of this can only be fixed when Gates and his merry band of sycophants leave DOD service. The replacement for these people will have to include those with hard engineering and science skills. But for now, this is your DOD road map. It is a sham.
Technorati Tags: F-22, F-35, Gates, DOD, QDR, sham, military, budget
Conferring on the specification data for the T-50 PAK-FA now appearing in the public domain:
Length: 72.17 ft
Wing Span: 46.61 ft
Overall Height: 19.85 ft
Wing Sweep: 46.5 degs
MTOW: 81,500 lbs
Max Speed: 1,400 KTAS (Mach 2.44 @ 36kft, ISA)
Cruise Speed Range: 700 KTAS to 920 KTAS (1.22M to 1.6M @36kft, ISA)
Maximum Initial Climb Rate: 69,000 fpm
Climb Ceiling: 65 kft
With these sort of figures, given the aerodynamic/kinematic pedigree of this aircraft and what is obvious from the design, expect to see mid envelope Ps > 1,000 ft/sec and the ability to attain high turn rates/high agility above 60 kft, if not right up to service ceiling.
This aircraft is John Boyd’s wet dream.
As Eric and others suggest, the Su-35S and the T-50 PAK-FA are likely to become the Air Power equivalents of the AK-47 and RPG-7, while the Russian SAM systems and other anti-access weapons are the Air Power equivalents of IEDs.
I agree with you Eric. This does not make any sense. I wish we could build a Super F-111 that can carry BVR AA missiles similar to the Phoenix and with an increased payload. Of course the fighter of choice the F-15 would accompany them on strike missions as fighter wing cover. The F22 is nice but probably only useful against radars and SAMs. We could use either an EF-111 or a UAV that has Jamming capabilities to help out the F15 and SXF111s on their regular duties. Or design a special weapon that would explode at a certain height and temporarily disable the radars which are needed for tracking and targeting our aircraft. That window can then be used to eliminate those threats.
Daniel,
Like the F-35A JSF (and its less capable siblings), the F-15 (even the proposed SE), the Super Hornet and the F-16 capabilities do not even get a placing when confronted with the capabilities of the Su-35S and T-50 PAK-FA. Nor will they survive in a modern day IADS, equipped with later generation S300, S400 and/or S500 SAM systems.
Such aircraft will no longer be strategically relevant and painfully so, because they will no longer be competitive, either in the air or in the market place.
You are witnessing the demise of American Air Power and all who have followed the yellow brick road of the just so flawed JSF Program. Many of these followers have drunk the JSF Kool Aid flavoured with “Excellence is the Enemy of Good Enough” and “. . . .the traditional metrics of air combat, such as T/W, wing loading, wing sweep and energy manoeuvring, no longer apply” and “..with the JSF EO-DAS, manoeuvring is irrelevent”.
BTW, all these ‘flavours’ can be seen repeated in various forms in the briefings by the Director of the Australian DMO New Air Combat Capability (NACC) Office as well as others.
Peter,
Those are some pretty bold claims, how do you reconcile your statements with the fact that neither India nor Brazil have the russian fighters you listed as contenders in their respective competitions?
Daskro – Brazil nor India (nor anyone yet, including VVS) has the Su-35S or Pak-FA for a pretty obvious reason. Pricing on a fully equipped Su-35S isn’t even clear, yet it will probably be an issue (with future customers either getting a sweetheart deal in exchange for nat gas joint venture, etc, or buying in small batches as ‘Quarterbacks’)? Pricing on a well equipped, eventual PAK-FA export mod will be interesting to see, no question.
Torrent – only about 120 F-22s are ‘Combat coded’, not 180, so perhaps some F-16s are overlapped in the total requirement scheme as I’m pretty sure USAF F-15E are not so designated? Regardless, some F-35A will inevitably be tagged ‘Air Superiority’ units by default (through 2030 and beyond), in order to ‘makeshift-plug’ the natural strategic gaps caused from [catastrophically flawed recap plan, via] retired F-15C/F-16 and non-produced F-22.
Peter – I’m with you on DoD’s absolutely flawed and incompetent policy decision to kill the modern, block 35 F-22′s production (beyond the 85 or so jets to be delivered), but with regards to no ‘Super Viper’, Super Hornet, or ‘Super Eagle’ being able to counter balance a future Su-35S, I’m not so convinced as what this seems to imply is that the west in no way can compete with legacy designs/capabilities and systems wise? Sure, a block II Super and the current Golden Eagle, as is, will be mis-matched. But I’m fairly confident that a radicalized F-16Xx ‘block 70+’, a ‘block III Super’ and a further upgraded ‘SE’ variant (with more capable weapons, higher class power and even TVC) could sufficiently counter the Su-35S. I really think if done properly, with an emphasis on evolving the best systems available as well as incorporating new weapon evolvutions from current developments (e.g., AAM developments initiated from even various SA and TBM development programs), that market competitiveness and defense capability could/can be maintained.
P.S., has anyone discussed plausibility yet, of Navalized PAK-FA? I haven’t browsed all the aviation boards to date, but with the heavy, big gear and moving inner wing/inlet LERX, it could be conceivable down the road and perhaps part of the core design requirement?
Looks like the six air superiority wing will composed of the 180 F-22′s and 250 F-15C and F-15E’s
I don’t know if the F-15′s can serve till 2025 and beyond.
If the USAF isn’t willing to restart the F-22 line, and it is clear that the F-35 is only a strike fighter, not really a powerful enough air to air dogfighter, then isn’t the logical conclusion that the USAF should hold a new fighter competition?
The PAK FA should put the last nail in the coffin of the F-16, F-18, and the F-15. While all excellent aircraft in their own right, they will be terrible outclassed by the PAK FA. At least the F-35 has stealth and superior sensors than those teen fighters, so it will have a better chance against the PAK FA.
What should the new fighter look like? Essentially, a modern day stealthy F-14 / F-15E / SH. It should be capable of carrying a large number of AAMs as well as be capable of future modifications into a tactical bomber. Maybe give one general airframe, two radically different models for the two missions.
The USAF should begin, within the first half of this decade, the fighter program to replace the F-15Es and maybe even some of the Cs. This can be done, but doesn’t need to be, with the navy, which will be trying to replace its F/A-18 SHs.
Finally, the Indians are apparently looking at buying around 250 PAK FAs, the Russians will buy roughly the same. That is not the ‘RPG – 7′ of the skies. This is the “guard division” of the sky, elite and in very small numbers. Those two countries are following the USAF model, buying a small number of elite air to air fighters, then a larger number of less capable fighters for other roles. What the 250 PAK FAs mean is that the USAF needs its own elite fighters to counter than, and it will need its other fighters to be good enough to at least deal with the PAK FA, if not counter it as well.
If Su27/30 hasn’t become A/A equivalent of AK47, rest assure that PAK FA most likely won’t.
The only country to be heavily defended by PAK.FA/Su37 and superSAMs is Russia. Unless we want to tangle with the Bear in foreseeable (such notion was hardly entertained during Cold War), i still don’t see the need to reopen F22 production line.
In “rich but obnoxious” states like Iran, DPRK, and even PRC, they will most likely be defended by lesser IADS with limited number of Su30/35/PAK.FA serving as the spearhead. With careful planning and near-flawless execution, a combo of B2, F22 and F35 should be able to dash such IADS to pieces during the first 72hr of an an all-out-war.
PAK.FA will no doubt present itself as a potential threat to US in 10 years or so, but it should be the cause of Cold War era oh-my-gosh-we-are-all-going-to-die hysteria. Su35/PAK.FA/S400/S500 as AK47/RPG/IED? Take it easy, Peter. PAK.FA n’ S500 would be less expensive than US counterparts, but almost certainly NOT that inexpensive.
S-300PMU/SA-20 Gargoyle series SAM system costs roughly US$100 million per battery.
Hardly an IED to be bought/fielded in number, don’t you think?
With F-22s around 120 (+/-) combat coded and really not enough for various contingencies, along with the F-35 in deep trouble (and oh btw designed for an Allied Force-like legacy IADS), the 2020′s and beyond should be pretty interesting. The scenario above comes down to a handful of F-22s, a handful of B-2s and not much else to take on stiff IADS of the future. Useless dirt missions uber alles.
But back to the main topic. Gates and crew are making this all up as they go along. Analysis by PowerPoint.
Hard to Square the QDR direction that says:
“As the Pentagon moves closer to addressing these gaps, it will again shift resources from existing, lower-priority programs, the report adds. “Assessments of future operating environments will continue, with an eye toward refining our understanding of future needs,” it states. “At the same time, the Department will continue to look assiduously for savings in underperforming programs and activities, divestiture, technology substitution, less-pressing mission and program areas, and other accounts so that more resources can be devoted to filling these gaps.” ”
http://www.insidedefense.com/secure/defense_docnum.asp?f=defense_2002.ask&docnum=1312010_jan31a
with the news headline:
JSF To Get Extra $314B Over 5 Years
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4475646&c=AME&s=AIR
So is the new USAF Slogan “Aim Low”?