The MYTH Of The F-35

 

The F-35 Lightning II is one of the most controversial and misunderstood military aircraft in history. Often criticized as a failed and overpriced project that resulted in an inferior fighter jet compared to the F-22 or other competitors, the F-35 is actually a remarkable achievement of engineering and innovation that is transforming the way wars are fought and won. In this blog post, I will challenge the common perception of the F-35 and show why it is not a myth, but a reality that is already changing the face of modern warfare and that will continue to evolve and improve in the future.

The F-35: A Family of Aircraft

One of the main sources of confusion and criticism about the F-35 is the assumption that it is a single aircraft that tries to do everything for everyone. This is not true. The F-35 is actually a family of aircraft that share a common design and technology, but have different variants and capabilities for different missions and environments. The F-35 program is the result of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, which aimed to develop a common fighter platform for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and allied nations.

The F-35 family consists of three main variants: the F-35A, the F-35B, and the F-35C. Each variant has its own strengths and weaknesses, but they all share the same core features and benefits of the F-35 program. Let’s take a closer look at each variant and see what makes them unique and valuable.

The F-35A: The Conventional Fighter

The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of the F-35 family. It is the most common and affordable variant, and it is designed to replace the legacy fighters of the U.S. Air Force and many allied air forces, such as the F-16, F-15, and A-10.

The F-35A has a wingspan of 35 feet, a length of 51 feet, and a height of 14 feet. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 70,000 pounds, and a maximum speed of Mach 1.6. It can carry up to 18,000 pounds of weapons and fuel in its internal and external stations. It has a combat radius of 670 nautical miles, and a range of 1,200 nautical miles. It can operate from conventional runways and bases, and it requires minimal support and maintenance.

The F-35A is the most agile and maneuverable variant of the F-35 family. It has a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.07. It also has a high angle of attack, which means it can point its nose at a target without losing speed or control. It can perform advanced maneuvers such as the Cobra, the Kulbit, and the J-turn, which give it an edge in dogfights and close-range engagements.

The F-35A is also the most versatile and adaptable variant of the F-35 family. It can perform a wide range of missions, such as air superiority, air interdiction, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, and strategic attack. It can also operate in any weather condition, day or night, and in any threat environment. It can seamlessly integrate with other platforms and systems, such as satellites, drones, ships, and ground forces, and share information and situational awareness. It can also be customized and upgraded with new weapons, sensors, and software, to meet the evolving needs and challenges of the future.

The F-35B: The Vertical Fighter

The F-35B is the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 family. It is the most unique and innovative variant, and it is designed to replace the legacy fighters of the U.S. Marine Corps and some allied navies and air forces, such as the AV-8B Harrier and the Sea Harrier.

The F-35B has a wingspan of 35 feet, a length of 51 feet, and a height of 14 feet. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 60,000 pounds, and a maximum speed of Mach 1.6. It can carry up to 15,000 pounds of weapons and fuel in its internal and external stations. It has a combat radius of 450 nautical miles, and a range of 900 nautical miles. It can operate from short and unprepared runways, amphibious ships, and austere bases, and it requires minimal support and maintenance.

The F-35B is the most flexible and deployable variant of the F-35 family. It has a unique lift system that allows it to take off and land vertically, or with a short roll. The lift system consists of a lift fan in the forward fuselage, a roll post nozzle in each wing, and a swiveling main engine nozzle in the rear. The lift system is controlled by a sophisticated computer system that balances the thrust and the weight of the aircraft, and enables smooth and stable transitions between horizontal and vertical flight.

The F-35B is also the most expeditionary and responsive variant of the F-35 family. It can operate from remote and hostile locations, and provide close air support and air defense for ground and naval forces. It can also rapidly relocate and redeploy to new areas, and avoid enemy detection and attack.

The F-35C: The Carrier Fighter

The F-35C is the carrier-based (CV) variant of the F-35 family. It is the most durable and survivable variant, and it is designed to replace the legacy fighters of the U.S. Navy and some allied navies, such as the F/A-18 Hornet and the F/A-18 Super Hornet.

The F-35C has a wingspan of 43 feet, a length of 51 feet, and a height of 15 feet. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 70,000 pounds, and a maximum speed of Mach 1.6. It can carry up to 18,000 pounds of weapons and fuel in its internal and external stations. It has a combat radius of 600 nautical miles, and a range of 1,200 nautical miles. It can operate from aircraft carriers and large amphibious ships, and it requires minimal support and maintenance.

The F-35C is the most powerful and long-range variant of the F-35 family. It has a larger wing and control surfaces, which provide more lift and stability, and enable higher payload and fuel capacity. It also has a stronger landing gear and tailhook, which allow it to withstand the stresses of carrier operations.

The F-35: A Fifth-Generation Fighter

Another source of confusion and criticism about the F-35 is the comparison with other fighter jets, especially the F-22 and the fourth-generation fighters. This is not a fair comparison, because the F-35 is not just another fighter jet, but a fifth-generation fighter that has a fundamentally different approach and philosophy to warfare. The F-35 is not designed to outperform other fighters in specific areas, such as speed, maneuverability, or stealth, but to outsmart and outwit them in every domain, such as air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace. The F-35 is not a single weapon, but a weapon system that can leverage the power of information and network to achieve dominance and victory.

The F-35 has several features and capabilities that make it a fifth-generation fighter, such as stealth, sensor fusion, network-centric warfare, and low observability. Let’s take a closer look at each feature and see what makes them essential and effective.

Stealth

Stealth is the ability to avoid or reduce detection by enemy sensors, such as radar, infrared, or visual. Stealth is not a binary concept, but a relative and dynamic one, that depends on the type, range, and angle of the sensor, the environment, and the countermeasures. Stealth is not a magic cloak, but a combination of design, materials, and tactics, that can reduce the radar cross-section (RCS), the infrared signature, and the visual signature of the aircraft.

The F-35 has a low RCS, which means it reflects very little radar waves back to the source. The F-35 has a RCS of less than 0.005 square meters, which is comparable to a golf ball or a bird. The F-35 also has a low infrared signature, which means it emits very little heat that can be detected by infrared sensors. It has a sophisticated engine design and cooling system that reduce the exhaust temperature and the jet plume. It also has a low visual signature, which means it is hard to see with the naked eye or optical devices. It has a smooth and angular shape, a dark and matte color, and a reduced contrail production.

Stealth gives the F-35 a significant advantage over other fighters, especially the fourth-generation fighters, such as the Su-27, MiG-29, J-10, or Rafale. Stealth allows the F-35 to operate in highly contested and denied airspace, where other fighters would be easily detected and engaged by enemy air defenses. Stealth also allows the F-35 to have a first-look, first-shot, first-kill capability, which means it can see and shoot the enemy before the enemy can see and shoot it. Stealth also enhances the survivability and lethality of the F-35, as it can avoid or evade enemy fire, and deliver precision-guided weapons with minimal collateral damage.

Sensor Fusion

Sensor fusion is the ability to combine and process data from multiple sources, such as sensors, systems, platforms, and networks, to create a comprehensive and accurate picture of the battlespace. Sensor fusion is not a simple aggregation or correlation of data, but a sophisticated integration and analysis of data, that can provide enhanced situational awareness, threat identification, target tracking, and decision making.

The F-35 has a state-of-the-art sensor suite that can collect and fuse data from various domains, such as air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace. The F-35’s sensor suite includes:

• The AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which can scan, track, and engage multiple air and ground targets simultaneously, and perform electronic warfare and stealth functions.
• The electro-optical targeting system (EOTS), which can provide high-resolution infrared and visible imagery, laser designation, and range finding for air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.
• The distributed aperture system (DAS), which consists of six infrared cameras mounted around the aircraft, that can provide 360-degree coverage and situational awareness, missile warning, infrared search and track, and navigation.
• The electronic warfare (EW) system, which can detect, jam, deceive, and counter enemy radar and communications, and protect the F-35 from electronic threats.
• The communications, navigation, and identification (CNI) system, which can provide secure and jam-resistant voice and data links, navigation and positioning, and friend or foe identification.

Sensor fusion gives the F-35 a significant advantage over other fighters, especially the fourth-generation fighters, which rely on single or separate sensors and systems, and have limited or no data sharing capabilities. Sensor fusion allows the F-35 to have a complete and clear picture of the battlespace, and to identify and prioritize the most relevant and critical information. Sensor fusion also allows the F-35 to have a superior situational awareness and threat assessment, and to react and adapt faster and smarter to changing conditions and scenarios. Sensor fusion also enhances the survivability and lethality of the F-35, as it can avoid or counter enemy attacks, and deliver precise and effective weapons with minimal errors and delays.

Network-Centric Warfare

Network-centric warfare is the ability to leverage the power of information and network to achieve dominance and victory in warfare. Network-centric warfare is not a new concept, but a new paradigm, that shifts the focus from platforms and weapons to information and network, and from attrition and mass to effects and speed. Network-centric warfare is based on four principles:

• Information superiority: the ability to collect, process, and disseminate information faster and better than the enemy, and to deny or degrade the enemy’s information capabilities.
• Shared situational awareness: the ability to create a common and accurate picture of the battlespace, and to share it among all the participants and stakeholders, such as commanders, operators, and analysts.
• Self-synchronization: the ability to coordinate and execute actions and effects among the participants and stakeholders, without relying on centralized control or hierarchical command.
• Speed of command: the ability to increase the tempo and quality of decision making and action taking, by reducing the cycle time and the friction of the OODA loop (observe, orient, decide, act).

The F-35 is a network-centric fighter that can leverage the power of information and network to achieve dominance and victory in warfare. The F-35 is not only a sensor, but also a node, that can collect, process, and disseminate information, and connect and communicate with other nodes, such as satellites, drones, ships, and ground forces. The F-35 can also share and receive information and situational awareness with other F-35s, and with other platforms and systems, through secure and jam-resistant data links, such as the multifunction advanced data link (MADL), the link 16, and the advanced tactical data link (ATDL).

Network-centric warfare gives the F-35 a significant advantage over other fighters, especially the fourth-generation fighters, which have limited or no network capabilities, and rely on voice or radio communications, and manual or paper-based information. Network-centric warfare allows the F-35 to have a greater and faster access and exchange of information, and to create and exploit information gaps and asymmetries. Network-centric warfare also allows the F-35 to have a higher and better coordination and collaboration with other participants and stakeholders, and to achieve synergistic and cumulative effects and outcomes. Network-centric warfare also enhances the survivability and lethality of the F-35, as it can avoid or overcome enemy defenses, and deliver coordinated and synchronized attacks with multiple and diverse assets and capabilities.

Low Observability

Low observability is the ability to reduce or minimize the visibility or detectability of the aircraft by enemy sensors, systems, platforms, and networks. Low observability is not a single attribute, but a composite and holistic one, that encompasses multiple aspects and dimensions, such as radar, infrared, visual, acoustic, and electromagnetic. Low observability is not a static or fixed state, but a dynamic and adaptive one, that depends on the environment, the threat, and the mission. Low observability is not an end, but a means, that enables the aircraft to perform its mission more effectively and efficiently.

The F-35 is a low observable fighter that can reduce or minimize its visibility or detectability by enemy sensors, systems, platforms, and networks. The F-35 achieves low observability by combining and balancing various design, materials, and tactics, that can reduce its radar, infrared, visual, acoustic, and electromagnetic signatures. Some of the features and capabilities that contribute to the low observability of the F-35 are:

• The stealth design and materials, which reduce the radar cross-section, the infrared signature, and the visual signature of the aircraft, as discussed earlier.
• The internal weapons bay, which eliminates the drag and the RCS of the external weapons and fuel tanks, and allows the F-35 to carry a full combat load while maintaining its stealth profile.
• The low probability of intercept (LPI) radar and communications, which use frequency hopping, encryption, and directional beams, to avoid or reduce detection and jamming by enemy sensors and systems.
• The spectrum management system, which monitors and controls the emissions and transmissions of the F-35, and optimizes the use of the electromagnetic spectrum, to avoid or reduce interference and detection by enemy sensors and systems.
• The mission data files (MDF), which are databases of information and parameters that enable the F-35 to identify and counter the enemy’s sensors and systems, and to adapt to the changing threat environment. The MDF are updated and validated regularly by the reprogramming center.

Low observability gives the F-35 a significant advantage over other fighters, especially the fourth-generation fighters, which have high or moderate observability, and are easily detected and tracked by enemy sensors, systems, platforms, and networks. Low observability allows the F-35 to operate in highly contested and denied airspace, where other fighters would be vulnerable and ineffective. Low observability also allows the F-35 to have a first-look, first-shot, first-kill capability, which means it can see and shoot the enemy before the enemy can see and shoot it. Low observability also enhances the survivability and lethality of the F-35, as it can avoid or evade enemy fire, and deliver precision-guided weapons with minimal collateral damage.

The F-35: A Reality

The F-35 has already proven its worth and performance in various scenarios and exercises, such as Red Flag, Northern Edge, and Operation Inherent Resolve. In these events, the F-35 demonstrated its interoperability and compatibility with other allied aircraft and systems, its ability to operate in complex and contested environments, and its effectiveness in delivering various weapons and effects. It also showed its resilience and reliability, as it achieved high availability and readiness rates, and low maintenance and support costs.

The F-35 is not a myth, but a reality that is here to stay and to lead. It is not a perfect or a finished product, but a dynamic and a evolving one, that is constantly being tested, evaluated, and improved. The F-35 is not a solo or a selfish player, but a team and a collaborative one, that is working with other partners and stakeholders, to achieve common and shared goals and objectives. The F-35 is not a threat or a challenge, but an opportunity and a solution, that is offering new and better ways to ensure peace and security in the world.