Stealth Saga #43

MQ-XX/MQ-25 Stringray (CBARS):

The US Navy expects more progress this year on the tanker drone.

Taranis:

The test flight program of the European stealthy UCAV was outlined.

Neuron:

France has started letting its Navy test their Neuron UCAV demonstrator. The tests will include their aircraft carrier.

KF-X:

South Korea is set to select a foreign engine for its stealth fighter.

J-31:

Pakistan is interested in buying the J-31 to replace its F-16s.

B-21:

The US Air Force believes the B-21 will fill a gap on long range strike.

The US Air Force will announce the B-21's name in September at AFA.

The US allies will not participate in the B-21 development.

F-22:

Some argue NOT to revive F-22 production.

The F-22s have returned from Europe.

The intent of the visit was to bolster European visits

The F-22s have started sporting kill markings.

SecDef Carter is against the restart of the F-22 production line.

The Fesler brothers have taken over two different F-22 wings.

F-35:

Source.

The Thunderbirds & F-35s over Florida in pictures.  Do those pictures actually mean something?

The F-35 gets a bit of press.

Israel is testing weapons for its F-35I.  The F-35I will be unique.

The F-35 vs A-10 tests get rapped again.

The latest F-35 avionics software (3i) is declared ready.

The F-35 seems to be struggling still with its testing schedule.

Here's a day in the life of an F-35 test pilot.

USAF F-35s have started combat training.  Some of it virtual.

The F-35B has had its 1,000th vertical landing.

The 3rd Marine Air Wing is preparing to deploy the F-35B abroad, but is struggling with its legacy aircraft maintenance.

WiB goes off on the F-35 again, specifically that it is really three separate aircraft.

Denmark has selected the F-35 over the F/A-18E and Typhoon for an order of 27 aircraft.  This is likely to cause a political bun fight.  WiB is calling the decision stupid.  Boeing is challenging the selection.

Here are the pros and cons of the F-35A from the pilots and aircrews.

The F-35A has been conducting tail hook landing tests at Edwards AFB.

 Japan's fighter pilots will be getting to fly the F-35A at Luke AFB.

The Dutch F-35As are going back to the Netherlands.

Britain is funding the Spear 3 missile for its F-35s.

The Brits have also sent their tanker to test refueling F-35Bs. 

The Brits also highlight the problems of training with the F-35.

McCain is attempting to kill the F-35 joint program office.  SASC voted to do so.  Is this the first move to destroy the F-35 program?

Here's an update on the ALIS software for the F-35.

Meta:

Some are questioning whether stealth is right direction for the USAF's aircraft.

Stealth Saga #32

ATD-X/X-2/F-3:

The X-2 is conducting taxi tests and will have its first flight in March (paywall link).

PAK-FA:

The Russians are claiming a climb rate record for the PAK-FA.  They are also saying an export version of the PAK-FA will be ready in 2020.

For the moment, I will be keeping the PAK-FA here.  However, its becoming increasingly said the PAK-FA is a 4.5 or 4th++ generation fighter comparable to the Rafale rather than the F-22, even Jane's called it a 'FINO' (fifth-gen in name only).

CBARS/UCLASS:

Also the CBARS tanker seems to be back under review by OSD.  The US Navy is stating the CBARS effort will be leaner than the UCLASS one.

Sixth Generation Fighter:

 The Pentagon is dropping more hints about the 6th gen: more fuel capacity, longer range, more weapons, lasers and stealth.

Aviation Week warns (paywall) about defining the next fighter as a fighter.

Long Range Strike Bomber:

There is a campaign to kill off the needed nuclear bomber.

B-2:

Here's an impressive flyby by the B-2 at an airshow.

F-35:

The test deployment of the F-35A to Mountain Home AFB is to demo the ability to deploy to foreign bases.

FACO approaches for the first Japanese Fp35A.

Israel's Rafael is looking for opportunities to add its current sensors to or develop new ones for the F-35.

Canada will not be excluding the F-35 from its CF-18 fighter replacement competition.

Counterstealth:

The Chinese are claiming to be able to track the F-22 over the South China Sea.

Here's 'how to kill an F-35' but really how it might be possible to track stealthy aircraft.

Patents:

Who invented stealth technology?  A 1984 patent dispute is in the appeals court stage.

Budget:

Russia is cutting back its defense procurement budget by around 5%.  Others are casting doubt on the idea though.

Stupidity:

Some idiot claims to have flown a drone into Area 51.

Stealth Saga #31

KF-X:

The KF-X project is having turbulence because of technology issues.

PAK-FA:

Russia is having problems exporting the PAK-FA due to the perception it is not really a 5th generation fighter.

Avenger UCAV:

India has expressed interest in acquiring the General Atomics Avenger.

Taranis/FCAS:

BAe and Dassault are waiting on the Paris and London about the direction for the stealthy UCAV project.

UCLASS/CBARS:

 Here's some of the reasoning why the US Navy backed away from a stealthy aircraft for the tanker.

Sixth Generation Fighter:

Forbes discusses Northrop's 6th gen fighter but Boeing has started hinting at its own fighter concept.

Some are wondering what the 6th generation fighter will be.

The US Air Force is starting work on the electronic warfare equipment needed for the 6th generation fighter.

Long Range Strike Bomber:

Northrop has resumed work after the GAO denied Boeing's protest.  A bit more here.

It ought to be said the phrasing Boeing used in their initial response to the GAO protest denial was very, very similar to when they lost the contract and brought their protest.  I'd suspect that means there's a lawsuit coming.

The US Air Force has stated they will be releasing more details about the LRS-B in March.

F-22:

F-22s did a show of force in South Korea as a reaction to North Korea's missile launch.  Here's a little more still.  And one last one.

Is this photo from a Chinese airfield real?  Its a model most likely, but...

In a first, two F-22 made an appearance at the Singapore airshow.  

F-35:

The F-35 still has 400 flaws that need addressing.  Most are software.

Ten F-35B will be deployed to Japan by the end of the year.

Stealth Saga #30: GAO to Boeing, Protest DENIED

TFX:

Turkey is seeking advanced stealth technologies to be included in their TFX fighter.

PAK-FA:

There is a report the Russians are cutting their order for the initial production run of the PAK-FA/T-50 from 17 to 12.  The way the article is written, the whole program sounds in jeopardy.

J-20:

The Chinese are expected to produce at least 6 LRIP J-20s as part of their gear up to full production.

RAQ-25 UCLASS/CBARS:

The US Navy wants this tanker/strike/recon drone asap.  

Sixth Generation Fighters:

The US Air Force and US Navy Sixth Generation Fighers (F-X and FA-XX respectively) will be separate aircraft, unlike the F-35, due to very different requirements.

Long Range Strike Bomber:

The GAO has denied Boeing's contract award protest.  Northrop and the USAF are clear to move forward.  I wonder when we will get to see the bird now?

Here's a bit more on the subject including the actual release by the GAO.

A top US Air Force acquisition official has been moved to a new job after he disclosed his wife had a retirement account with Northrop. There was some thought this might have muddied the contract award to Northrop protested by Boeing.  Obviously not.

F-22:

Here are some gorgeous pictures of the F-22 during Red Flag.

F-35:

The F-35 has crossed 50,000 flight hours.

The F-35 program will build 20 less fighters between FY17 and FY21.

Cutting the F-35 is an easy financial target for budgets.  OTOH, international partners are pushing the US to do a block buy of the F-35 over three years for financial reasons as well.

The F-35 is a strong contender for the replacement of Belgium's F-16s.

The F-35's simulator is profiled.

The F-35 Atlantic crossing was done with purely Italian assets.

Lockheed sees a demand for another 100 F-35 fighters in Asia.

The US Air Force will start using contractors to do maintenance for its 4th generation fighters due to the short fall of personnel for the F-35.

Here's more on the six F-35As sent to Mountain Home AFB as a simulated overseas deployment.

Mitsubishi is getting close to finishing assembly of AX-1, the first Japanese assembled F-35.