Stealth Saga #60

J-20:

The J-20 is being characterized as an interceptor and strike aircraft, not an air superiority fighter like the American 5th gens.

KF-X:

The South Korean military made a promotional video for its KF-X stealth fighter, but in so doing ripped off known bideo games.

PAK-FA:

The Russians and Indians have reiterated they are working on the PAK-FA derivative FGFA together, but a bone of contention is that India wants to be able to export the new fighter.

Russia claims to have developed a special IFF for the PAK-FA.

Russia also claims to have developed a new, g suit for PAK-FA pilots.

Sixth Generation Fighters:

Russia claims it is considering automatic ejection seats for its 6th gen fighters.

B-2:

B-2 bombers flew 30 hours to pound on Daesh in Libya.  Talk about overkill.

F-22:

British Aerospace is being tapped to replace the HUD on the F-22.

The F-22 does have some shortcomings.

F-35:

A general update on the F-35 program.

Trump is teasing the possibility of recompeting the F-35 against the F/A-18.  SecDef Mattis is sounding support for the F-35 though.

Lockheed and the F-35 JPO are supposedly close to signing the next deal for 90 F-35s.  I suspect Trump's election has something to do with that.

Lockheed has delivered the 200th F-35.

The F-35 program has hundreds of deficiencies.

The F-35 could be outfitted with nuclear weapons before 2020.

Lockheed is reporting progress on the F-35 ejection seat issue.

Some are stating the F-35 is not too big to fail.

The F-35A will be dropping the GBU-12 for the first time.

Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, will be the first Reserve base to host the F-35A.

The USMC has deployed F-35Bs to Japan.

The F-35B fire was unrelated to previous problems.

The first F-35Cs will be coming to the West Coast.

Israel has started night sorties with its F-35Is.

META:

How to counter stealth aircraft.

The future of air superiority part II, part III and part IV.