Tag: aircraft

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271: Airpower Concepts: Battle for Air Supremacy

 

Had an interesting discussion on the subject with Aadi Achint on Def Talks.

 

 

For selective viewing click on the links below:-

 

1 Introduction.

 

  1. Air Dominance, Command / Control of the air, Air Supremacy, Air Superiority, and Favourable Air Situation.

 

  1. State of Air Domain in Ukraine war.

 

  1. Restrictions on the use of airpower vis-à-vis achievement of objectives.

 

  1. Understanding the potential of airpower and its application.

 

  1. Airpower in India: the ability to deal with present and future challenges.

 

 

Bottom Line(s)

Air Power has tremendous potential and provides numerous options.

Application of airpower should be without restrictions for the speedy achievement of objectives.

Application of airpower is an art as well as a science, that needs to be understood.

 

Question

Have we understood the potential and application of airpower?

 

Suggestions and value additions are most welcome

 

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References and credits

To all the online sites and channels.

 

Disclaimer:

Information and data included in the blog are for educational & non-commercial purposes only and have been carefully adapted, excerpted, or edited from sources deemed reliable and accurate. All copyrighted material belongs to respective owners and is provided only for purposes of wider dissemination.

 

 

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65: Sixth Generation Fighter Aircraft

Categorization of fighter jets in generations is a classification system used around the world. The basic classification into five generations is widely accepted and recognized. Some accounts have subdivided the 4th generation into 4 and 4.5, or 4+ and 4++.

 

Sixth generation Fighter Aircraft

With the fifth generation slowly coming into service, attention is already turning to a replacement sixth generation. The requirements for such a fighter are already under debate in the drawing board stage. The fifth-generation abilities for battlefield survivability, air superiority and ground support will need to be enhanced and adapted to the future threat environment.

Development time and cost are likely to prove major factors in laying out practical roadmaps for 6th generation aircraft. These aircraft may not be available for decades.

These aircraft could have features like hypersonic speed, dual-mode engines, and adaptive shapes.

At this stage it is not clear as to what extent drones and other remote unmanned technologies will be able to participate, either as satellite aircraft under a sixth generation command fighter, or even replacing the pilot in an autonomous or semi-autonomous command aircraft.

Studies such as the US F/A-XX program and UK-led BAE Systems Tempest are ongoing. Projects related to unmanned combat aircraft systems are in progress, such as the joint French- Swedish nEUROn, the UK’s BAE Taranis, Northrop Grumman’s X-47B and the US Navy’s follow-on UCLASS program. Similar unmanned combat aircraft projects are also underway in Russia and China.

References:

https://www.airforce-technology.com/features/top-sixth-generation-fighter-jets/

https://www.sldinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Air-Combat-Seminar-summary-AndrewMcL.pdf

https://www.fighterworld.com.au/az-of-fighter-aircraft/five-generations-of-jets

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives/2005/articles/oct_05/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_generation_fighter

https://www.airforce-technology.com/features/top-sixth-generation-fighter-jets/?utm_source=Army%20Technology&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=Must%20Read&utm_content=Image

https://migflug.com/jetflights/fighter-jet-generations/

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0182.shtml

Comments and value additions are most welcome

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61: FOUR AND A HALF GENERATION AIRCRAFT

Categorization of fighter jets in generations is a classification system used around the world. The basic classification into five generations is widely accepted and recognized. Some accounts have subdivided the 4th generation into 4 and 4.5, or 4+ and 4++.

Four and half generation jet fighters (late 1980s and into the 90s)

The concept of having a half generation increment stemmed from a forced reduction in military spending at the end of the Cold War.

It became more cost-effective to add new improved features to existing platforms. Later variants of 4th gen aircraft progressively enhanced their characteristic technologies and incorporated some of the emerging fifth generation technologies (such as high-capacity digital communications), leading them to be classified as an intermediate generation (4.5 or 4+ or 4++).

So 4.5 generation aircraft are basically fourth generation fighters with basic characteristics of fourth generation planes but with enhanced capabilities provided by more advanced technologies that might be seen in fifth generation fighters. Many of these types are in frontline service in 2021.

These aircraft have advanced digital avionics based on microchip technology and highly integrated systems. They are adapted to operate in high-tech warfare where not only avionic but also super manoeuvrability are the key to success.

Their features include stealth, radar absorbent materials, thrust vector controlled engines, greater weapons carriage capacity and extended range and endurance.

The addition of an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar is a significant enough game-changing feature. The AESA radar allows fighter aircraft to perform a limited Airborne Early Warning and Control function.

Advances in computer technology and data links also allow these  fighter aircraft to be integrated into a network centric battle space where fighter aircraft have much greater scope to conduct multi-role missions.

According to available sources, fighters in this generation include the following:-

Boeing F-18E/F Super Hornet
Sukhoi Su-30
Sukhoi Su-33
Sukhoi Su-35
Eurofighter Typhoon
Saab Gripen
Dassault Rafale

Coming Up: Generation wise description (5th and 6th generation)

References:

https://www.airforce-technology.com/features/top-sixth-generation-fighter-jets/

https://www.sldinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Air-Combat-Seminar-summary-AndrewMcL.pdf

https://www.fighterworld.com.au/az-of-fighter-aircraft/five-generations-of-jets

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives/2005/articles/oct_05/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_generation_fighter

https://www.airforce-technology.com/features/top-sixth-generation-fighter-jets/?utm_source=Army%20Technology&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=Must%20Read&utm_content=Image

https://migflug.com/jetflights/fighter-jet-generations/

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0182.shtml

Comments and value additions are most welcome

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