It is a military showdown that could prove to be very embarrassing.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the world's most expensive weapon, is set to face off in upcoming testing with the Air Force's 40 year old A-10 Thunderbolt II.
The $400bn F-35 has faced massive problems and delays, forcing the Air force to shelve plans to retire it.
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Showdown: the 40 year old A-10 (left) is set to take on the new F-35 (right) in a series of war games.
Now, congress has called for a series of 'war games' will see which is really best.
The move, outlined in the reconciled $618.7 billion defense policy bill for 2017, is a win for A-10 champions on Capitol Hill, who have been sparring with the Air Force for years over the service’s plan to sunset the venerable Warthog to move precious resources and maintainers to the F-35, according to Aviation Week.
It also fuels speculation that the Air Force will give up trying to retire the A-10 for the foreseeable future, a move several top service officials have recently alluded to in interviews with the publication.
The new bill, unveiled Nov. 30, has a provision that would mandate the Pentagon’s top weapons tester complete comparison tests of the F-35 and A-10 performing the Warthog’s primary missions: close-air support (CAS) of soldiers in the heat of battle, combat search and rescue, and airborne forward air control.
The chief weapons tester must report to Congress on the results of this test, as well as the findings of the F-35’s final test period, called initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E), expected to begin in 2018.
This means that the Air Force can’t begin to retire the A-10 until 2019 at the earliest.
| A-10 WARTHOG | F-35 JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Top speed | 439 mph | 1,199 mph | |
| Introduced | March 1977 | TBD | |
| Wingspan | 58′ 0″ | 35′ 0″ | |
| Main weapon | 30mm cannon | Four-barrel 25 mm GAU-12 Equalizer cannon | |
| Unit cost | $11.8mn | $98m | |
| Range: | 800 miles | 1,379 mi | |
| Engine type | General Electric TF34 | Pratt & Whitney F135 |
The battlefield comparison 'makes common sense' said Michael Gilmore, the director of the Defense Department operational test and evaluation office said during Senate testimony earlier this year.
The F-35 is supposed to to take over the A-10's 40 year role of supporting ground forces with its titanium armor and powerful nose cannon.
However, now experts believe that for many missions, the older aircraft may actually perform better - and say the two could even fly together in some missions.
'To me, comparison testing just makes common sense,' Gilmore said.
'If you're spending a lot of money to get improved capability, that's the easiest way to demonstrate it is to do a rigorous comparison test.'
Gilmore said the two aircraft will face off on close air support and combat search and rescue, as well as other missions.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been hailed as the 'most expensive weapon in history.' But despite a price tag of $400 billion for 2,457 planes, the fifth-generation fighter has been plagued with issues. Pictured is a F-35B aircraft prepares for a landing at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona
'We're going to do it under all the circumstances that we see CAS [close air support] conducted, including under high-threat conditions in which we expect F-35 will have an advantage and other conditions requiring loitering on the target, low-altitude operations and so-forth,' Gilmore told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
'There are a lot of arguments that ensue over which aircraft might have the advantage, the A-10 or the F-35, but that is what the comparison test is meant to show us,' Gilmore said.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's record on cost, schedule and performance has been a scandal and a tragedy, Senator John McCain told senior Pentagon officials on Tuesday.
McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued his withering critique of the most expensive weapons program in U.S. military history during the latest oversight hearing.
THE WARTHOG'S ARMOUR
Due to its armor, the slow-moving A-10 can withstand groundfire while loitering for long periods over a battlefield,spraying 30mm armor-piercing, depleted-uranium cannon rounds attanks and other targets.
The A-10 'Tank Killer' munitions include 250 pound iron bombs, ALQ-131 electronic jamming pod, 2.75 inch Zuni rockets, AGM-65D Maverick missiles, and a 30mm cannon mounted in the nose.
He said the aircraft's development schedule has stretched to 15 years, deliveries of the F-35 have been delayed, and costs have skyrocketed.
'It's been a scandal and the cost overruns have been disgraceful,' McCain said.
'And it's a textbook example of why this Committee has placed such a high priority on reforming the broken defense acquisition system.'
In March Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh testified to the Senate committee that the F-35 would not replace the A-10, according to Military.com.
During the hearing Tuesday, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said the general's earlier testimony appeared to contradict statements on the fighter jet program's website and its longtime aim to take over the Warthog responsibilities.
The Pentagon's top weapons buyer denied any contradiction.
'Both statements are correct. We will in fact replace the A-10s with F-35s, that is the plan,' said Frank Kendall, under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.
But Kendall said there should be no expectation that the F-35 will perform in the same way as the A-10 on the battlefield.
'The A-10 was designed to be low and slow and close to the targets it was engaging, relatively speaking,' he said. 'We will not use the F-35 in the same way as the A-10, so it will perform the mission very differently.'
A-10: THE UGLY WARTHOG
It is the ugliest aircraft in the Air Force's arsenal.
The A-10, often called a warthog, was designed to destroy Soviet tanks and troops on the ground.
Officially the Thunderbolt II, it was quickly nicknamed the Warthog for its unusual looks,
It was specifically designed around its main weapon, a 30mm cannon which fires 4,000 rounds a minute.
The plane can fly low and slow, coming down to 50ft to shoot at or drop bombs on enemy positions.
Its top speed is just above 400mph but it can go as slow as 150mph and 'loiter' for hours above targets making it an effective deterrent as well as an attack plane.
The Warthog is covered in 1,200lbs of titanium armor, making it invulnerable to attack from anything but heavy weapons.
Even when hit it is designed to fly home on one engine, with no tailfin and half a wing missing.
On board the single-seater the pilot has at his controls the cannon, which is accurate to 4,000ft, and fires depleted-uranium shells, as well as Maverick air-to-surface missiles, 500lb free fall bombs, and Hydra air-launched rockets.
Despite USAF attempts to retire the fleet, it is expected to remain in service into the 2020s. At one stage when the Air Force suggested retiring its more than 300 A-10s the Army indicated it would take them over as soldiers are so keen on its close support capabilities.
Last month it was revealed the U.S. Air Force is shelving plans to retire the aging A-10 'Warthog' aircraft, a heavily armored tank killer, because of its role in the fight against Islamic State.
The 40-year-old ground attack aircraft is popular with soldiers, Marines - and some U.S. lawmakers.
Defense One quoted the Air Force officials as saying that, while the A-10 would still need to be retired, the service would put aside immediate plans to take it out of service because of the important role it is playing in combating Islamic State.
Sen John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued his withering critique of the most expensive weapons program in U.S. military history during the oversight hearing on Tuesday (pictured)
Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall and Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, the F-35 program manager, said the they are 'making solid progress' with the F-35 and are confident of overcoming the challenges.
'The F-35 is no longer a program that keeps me up at night,' Kendall said.
The Pentagon plans to spend close to $400 billion to buy nearly 2,500 F-35s for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
The budget request for fiscal year 2017 includes $8.3 billion to purchase 63 aircraft.
The F-35, which is being designed to meet the specific requirements of each of the services, cost over $100 million each.
The F-35, designed to meet the specific requirements of each of the services, cost over $100 million each
Bogdan said he anticipates reducing the per-unit cost of the Air Force's version to under $85 million by 2019.
McCain quizzed Bogdan on how many people are needed to oversee the F-35 program.
The general told him there are about 2,600 people and it costs $70 million a year to operate the program office.
'The information that I have is it's nearly 3,000 (people), and the cost is $300 million a year,' McCain said. 'But $70 million a year to run an office is ... pretty disturbing.'
His words come two days after Congress asked Air Force bosses to look at the possibility of restarting the F-22 raptor productions line - five years after it was shut down.
In its review of the 2017 defense authorization bill, the House Armed Services Committee asked service leaders to look into what it would take to build 194 new Raptors, enough to finally meet the Air Force's long-stated requirement of 381 jets.
The request is an attempt to sidestep mounting problems facing the disastrous F-35 programme, which most recently suffered flaws with its electronic 'brain' that could see the fleet grounded.
HASC chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, and others now say the world has changed since 2009, when Defense Secretary Robert Gates halted the F-22 program at 187 aircraft in order to double down on the multirole F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, according to Defense One.
'We've seen both Russia and China develop airplanes faster than was anticipated,' Air Force Lt. Gen. James Holmes, deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, told the Senate Armed Services Committee at a March 8 hearing.
Two highly of the advanced US fighter jets flew to Romania on Monday in a show of strength to deter Russia's intervention in Ukraine.
The F-22 Raptor fighter jets with sophisticated sensors allowing the pilot to track, identify, shoot and kill air-to-air threats before being detected landed at the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base in southeast Romania.
President Barack Obama promised in 2014 to bolster the defenses of NATO's eastern members, unnerved by Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea and the Kremlin's backing for pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
Making more Raptors would be expensive, Defense One says.
'Two years before Lockheed shuttered the F-22's final assembly line, a RAND study calculate that restarting production to build 75 new jets would cost $17 billion. Adjust for inflation and boost production to 194 Raptors, and the total price tag likely approaches $30 billion.'
The new jets would also need improved electronics - although experts agree its design is sound.
Logistically, it would also need a new factory.
There were more than 1,000 F-22 suppliers from firms in 44 states, according to the Congressional Research Service. Lockheed said 25,000 jobs were directly tied to the project.
After the final F-22 was delivered to the Air Force in early 2012, all of the tooling and structures were packed up and sent to the Sierra Army Depot, in northeast California near the Nevada border.
'All in all, if the Air Force study recommends restarting production, and somehow the money is found, the design updated, the supply chain rebuilt, the production spaces reconstituted, and a new workforce trained up, the new Raptors would not arrive until after 2020,' Defense One concluded.
It could become the US Army's new 'superchopper' - able to transport troops, carry heavy goods and be fitted out as a flying gunship.
This futuristic helicopter from Texas firm AVX is the frontrunner to win a $100bn contract from the Pentagon for the next generation of attack helicopter.
It uses two rotors to create lift, while fans propel it forward to reach 230 knots.
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The AVX chopper entry is what¿s called a compound coaxial helicopter. It has a pair of rotors spinning in opposite directions on top of the carbon-fiber fuselage to lift it, and two fans at its rear end to push it.
HOW IT WORKS
The AVX design is made up of counter rotating rotors on top and twin ducted-fans in the rear of the aircraft, which eliminates the necessity for a tail rotor.
The coaxial-rotors creates lift, while the fans provide forward thrust to reach the 230 knots require by the U.S. Army for the Blackhawk replacement.
The concept also has small wings in the front of the aircraft that create additional lift.
'The AVX design offers the capabilities the Army wants for the future fleet of utility and attack aircraft at a very attractive price,' the firm, also called AVX, says.
'The AVX JMR aircraft has entry doors on both sides of the fuselage as well as a large rear ramp for easy cargo handling. 'Additionally it has retractable landing gear and the attack variant (see below) carries all armaments stored inside until needed which provides a “clean” aerodynamic design.
AVX has teamed with a number of experienced aerospace companies for development of the AVX JMR/FVL design.
'The teaming concept has allowed AVX to keep the cost of development and eventual production of the aircraft lower than those of other offerings while maintaining a high level of performance by the aircraft.'
The firm is among four vying for a $100bn contract for the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator, and the firms are expected to begin a 'flyoff' contest in 2017.
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The AVX chopper will come in several configurations, carrying cargo, troops and the injured
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The design will replace the Black Hawk, shown here
With this signing, the Army has taken a large step toward developing a new family of aircraft referred to as.
'This is a critical risk reducing effort for the Future Vertical Lift Family of Systems,' said Maj. Gen. William Crosby, Program Executive Officer for Aviation.
'The operational benefits and changes will depend on the capabilities we can deliver to the war fighter with FVL.
'Improved speed, range, reliability, and survivability are critical goals that we will target.'
The AVX, which could replace the Blackhawk, is what's known as a compact coaxial-rotor/ducted-fan concept.
It is made up of counter rotating rotors on top and twin ducted-fans in the rear of the aircraft, which eliminates the necessity of a tail rotor.
The coaxial-rotors creates lift, while the fans provide forward thrust to reach the 230 knots require by the U.S. Army for the Blackhawk replacement.
The concept also has small wings in the front of the aircraft that create additional lift.
The aircraft will weight 27,000lb (12,000kg), lift 13,000lb (5.900kg), and carry 12 combat troops plus 4 crew members.
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The superchopper can also be fitted with advanced weapons and missile systems
'AVX’s coaxial-rotor/ducted-fan concept increases efficiency in all aspects of flight, while reducing vibration,' it said.
'Out of all JMR concepts presented by the competing parties, none look as complete, practical, futuristic, and ready as AVX’s aircraft.
'It is thrilling to see how new ideas broad by a startup aircraft company, few people ever heard before, will stack-up against the arrogance of the U.S. defense establishment.'
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The research arm of the Pentagon announced a technological breakthrough releasing footage that shows successful tests of self-guided .50 caliber bullets, claimed to be the first of its kind.
According to a news release by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) program recently conducted it's first successful live test of the bullets.
The video released by the agency shows a live test-fire of the bullet, which was shot at a path pointed away from its intended target. In the more recent firing of the bullet, dated April 21, 2014, it is shown curving back towards its target, hitting the mark.
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It remains to be seen whether the emergence of the new US carrier-launched stealth fighter F-35C will allegedly give the US Navy more combat attack flexibility, Russian military expert Vasily Kashin told Sputnik China. In an interview with Sputnik China, Russian military expert Vasily Kashin questioned whether the emergence of the new US carrier-launched stealth fighter F-35C will ostensibly provide the US Navy with any more combat attack flexibility.
Earlier, the National Interest magazine published an article by defense expert Kris Osborn titled “Get Ready, Russia and China: America’s Aircraft Carriers Will Have Stealth Fighters Next Year.” In the article, the author claimed that “the emergence of a first-of-its kind carrier-launched stealth fighter is intended to give the [US] Navy more combat attack flexibility and attack sophisticated enemy air defenses or fortified targets from a sea-based carrier.”
Touching upon the issue, Vasily Kashin said that “to track down and destroy the US aircraft carrier combat groups, the Chinese will mainly rely on a combination of ballistic anti-ship missiles, submarines and land-based attack aircraft equipped with anti-ship missiles.” In addition, China is increasing investments in the development of large “strategic” reconnaissance drones resembling the US-made Global Hawk, as well as maritime reconnaissance satellites, according to Kashin.
He recalled that the Chinese J-20 fifth generation fighters are significantly larger and heavier than the F-35, which is why they are primarily designed for performing over-the-sea missions as attack aircraft carrying anti-ship missiles. Kashin went on to say that the US aircraft carrier battle groups with the F-35C fighters on board will face the threat emanating from the anti-ballistic missiles, the long-range H-6K bombers with heavy anti-ship cruise missiles, as well as the J-20-like stealth attack aircraft and supersonic anti-ship missiles launched from Chinese submarines.
“When the F-35 was being developed, the task of providing an aircraft carrier strike group with air defense was not a priority for this fighter jet which was primarily designed for destroying coastal targets. As a result, this warplane looks like an aircraft which is not suited for today’s possible combat realities the US may face in the Western Pacific,” Kashin said. In this vein, the F-35 will have to deal with enemy fighters which will be equipped with powerful radars, long-range stealth “air-to-air” missiles, and which will be superior to the F-35 in terms of armament, speed, maneuverability and range, according to him.
The F-35 will have to prevent massive missile strikes and carry out permanent patrolling for air defense purposes. Also, the F-35 should itself act as a powerful anti-ship missile launching vehicle, something that may lead to increasing the combat load for the plane,” Kashin added. Touting the F-35 as “an undoubtedly perfect and revolutionary aircraft”, Kashin at the same time pointed out that “it was created in line with deeply erroneous strategic views of the 1990s which claimed that the US superiority at sea and in the air is guaranteed under all conditions.”
“It remains to be seen whether the Americans will manage to succeed with their objectives [with the help of the F-35] in new conditions,” Kashin concluded. The F-35 project, beleaguered from its inception, is expected to cost up to $1.5 trillion over the next 55 years, making it the most expensive defense program in history. According to a memo from Michael Gilmore, the US Defense Department’s director of operational testing and evaluation, while the warplane’s development phase is scheduled to officially end in 2018, the F-35 program is at “substantial risk” of not meeting the requirements.
Runway Damage
In the latest of a series of errors, the US Navy’s F-35C is causing significant damage to runways upon landing — and the Pentagon is touting this as a good thing.
The F-35C variant is designed to take off and land on aircraft carriers, and later this month, the final round of developmental testing will take place aboard the USS George Washington. Until then, pilots are performing practice landings on land.
Unfortunately, these landings are producing noticeable wear and tear on runways. But with the F-35A and F-35B already declared combat-ready, the Navy is getting impatient, and rather than admit that the aircraft is facing yet another problem, it is creatively turning a bug into a feature. “They were landing in the same spot on the runway every time, tearing up where the hook touches down,” said Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, head of Naval Air Forces, according to DoD Buzz. “So we quickly realized, we needed to either fix the runway or adjust, put some variants in the system. So that’s how precise this new system is.” In addition, Shoemaker said that roughly 80% of the landings performed recently onboard the USS George Washington engaged the No. 3 landing wire, what he described as the perfect spot.
“I think that’s going to give us the ability to look at the way we work up and expand the number of sorties. I think it will change the way we operate around the ship…in terms of the number of tankers you have to have up, daytime and nighttime,” he said. “I think that will give us a lot of flexibility in the air wing in the way we use those strike fighters.” The F-35C relies on a pair of systems called Delta Flight Path and MAGIC CARPET to help coordinate landings.
These systems assist the pilot in ensuring that the aircraft captures the carrier’s arresting gear. While destroying runways is certainly a long-term issue that must be addressed, it’s not the only problem facing the F-35C. Earlier this week, the US Navy announced that pilots were experiencing visibility issues due to a “green glow” caused by the state-of-the-art helmet.
“It’s not so bad on a really bright night,” said Tom Briggs, acting chief test engineer for the Navy, according to Defense Tech. “On a dark night it skewers outside light reference for pilots. A pilot cannot pick up the lights on the carrier as well as he’d like to, he doesn’t necessarily pick up non-lighted signals on the ship as he is taxiing around, he has a harder time picking out aircraft that are flying around.” The Navy plans to install a software patch that will solve the issue.
The successful testing of EXACTO was announced by the Pentagon this week
DARPA's prototype model of EXACTO, which will increased the distance away from a target snipers can successful shoot
According to the video, EXACTO is being developed by Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, with funding from DARPA. Teledyne is a research and development firm based in Thousand Oaks, California.
According to DARPA's release, 'EXACTO’s specially designed ammunition and real-time optical guidance system help track and direct projectiles to their targets by compensating for weather, wind, target movement and other factors that could impede successful hits.'
DARPA says that the bullet created by the project will improve the range of snipers, and improve troop safety as they will be able to shoot and neutralize a target from further away. Currently, US Snipers are expected to be able to hit a target 600 meters away, 90 per cent of the time. With the advent of EXACTO, an increased range to 2,000 meters is promised.
Despite DARPA's claim that EXACTO is the first bullet of it's kind, in 2012, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin named Sandia National Laboratories, which does research and development with the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, claimed to be developing their own self-guided bullet.
Snipers will now be able to hit their targets without interference from unfavorable weather conditions
EXACTO is not the only kind of self-guiding bullet in development and funded by the US government. Another company in California is also working on a prototype for a bullet guided by lasers
Sandia's bullet uses lasers for guidance, as opposed to EXACTO's onboard computer system (the specific working of EXACTO are classified.)
According to Sandia's website, additional development is needed before a full prototype or test can be performed. However, unlike EXACTO, Sandia plans to make their bullets available to law enforcement in addition to the military.
According to DARPA, the next phase of the development of EXACTO is to refine the accuracy and performance of the technology.
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Side mirrors have integrated displays showing bike’s speed and range
The uptake of electric vehicles is usually limited by how far they can travel on a single charge, with experts even coining a new term to describe the feeling of uncertainty over whether you have enough power to reach your destination; 'range anxiety'.
Now one Austrian company is hoping to tackle the problem with the introduction of the Johammer J1 - an electric bike that can travel 125 miles (200km) on a single charge.
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One Austrian company is hoping to tackle range anxiety with the introduction of the Johammer J1 - an electric bike that can travel 125 miles on a single charge
Created by Bad Leonfelden-based group Johammer, the electric bike has an almost silent motor integrated into the rear wheel.
The 11 kilowatt hub-mounted motor provides 14 horsepower and a top speed of 74mph (119kph).
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The stiff middle-frame of the electric bike is made from aluminium and has been designed to contain the battery pack
Electric hub-mounted motors contain the electric motor within the wheel hub, or central part of the wheel.
To drive the wheel, the motor contains a coil which generates an electromagnetic field as power flows through it.
The field attracts the outer part of the motor, which attempts to follow its direction, and in doing so turns the connected wheel.
The hub motors eliminates the need for a heavy transmission, gear train, and axles which reduces the weight, making the electric bike far more efficient.
In place of traditional gauges, the side mirrors have high-resolution displays that show information on the bike’s speed and range.
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Electric hub-mounted motors contain the electric motor within the wheel hub, or central part of the wheel. The motor is shown here on the rear wheel
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Created by Bad Leonfelden-based group Johammer, the electric bike has an almost-silent motor integrated into the rear wheel
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A close-up of the front wheel on the bike. The company claims the design provides a safe driving experience. 'Steering and footpeg allow for individual adaptation,' it said
JOHAMMER J1 SPECIFICATIONS
J1.150
Price: £19,000 ($31,600)
Range: 93 miles, speed: 75mph
Battery capacity: 8,3 kWh
Charge time: 80 per cent in 2.5 hours
J1.200
J1.200
Price: £20,600 ($34,500)
Reach: 125 miles, speed: 75mph
Battery capacity: 12.7 kWh
Charging time: 80 per cent in 3.5 hours
‘The extreme torsion stiff middle-frame made from aluminium provides space for spring damper and battery pack,’ the group writes on their website.
‘Perfectly balanced (at 350mm mass centre height) the Johammer offers an unmatched and safe driving experience. Steering and footpeg allow for individual adaptation.’ The bike, which can be purchased from the Johammer, currently comes in silver, white, blue, yellow and green options.
The J1.150 will set you back £19,000 ($31,600) while the J1.200 will hit your wallet a bit harder at £20,600 ($34,500) in exchange for a bigger battery and longer range.
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The bike, which can be purchased from the Johammer, currently comes in silver, white, blue, yellow and green options
To drive the wheel, the motor (shown on the rear wheel) contains a coil which generates an electromagnetic field as power flows through it. The field attracts the outer part of the motor, which attempts to follow its direction, and in doing so turns the connected wheel
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In place of traditional gauges, the side mirrors have high-resolution displays that show information on the bike's speed and range
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