F-35, official: "If it does not work, we will be in trouble"
(Franco Iacch)
26/04/16
Source:
http://www.difesaonline.it/mondo-militare/f-35-ufficiale-se-non-dovesse-funzionare-saremo-un-guaio
"If that does not work, we'll be in trouble." And 'what he said a few minutes ago the director of the Department of Defense for the operational assessment of the systems, Michael Gilmore, during a hearing in the Armed Services Committee of the Senate with the subject the F-35.
"In nine years of development, the weapon system which has an average cost of 110 million dollars for example, continues to reveal different problems: among them, has never been tested in a real environment. ALIS - has added Gilmore - is not yet stable. "
The Autonomic Logistics Information System or 'ALIS' is the nerve center of the F-35 system. In intention, it should enable pilots as well as the force on the ground support to take proactive steps to ensure the efficiency of the fighter in any theater of operations. The version of 'ALIS' delivered to the Marine is 2.0.1. This version implements all the improvements made to date as part of an incremental development approach. The missions are loaded on a hard disk. Once on the network, 'ALIS' monitors hunting and suggests to ground staff the maintenance required before and after the mission. Nevertheless, ALIS complains "many critical and complex architecture with likely and largely untested computer deficiencies."
Last August, the Autonomic Logistics Information System noted 80% of false positives. ALIS is designed exclusively in primary form, without any kind of backup. Be noted that the Autonomic Logistics Information System "run" on the ground computer and not on the aircraft. It 'also true, however, that the logistics software manages the entire supply chain of the hunt, as well as the configuration, error diagnostics, mission planning and debriefing.
Both the GAO that Gilmore, continue to reiterate that the current version of ALIS does not behave properly in normal situation and with full logistical support. The Department of Defense states that ALIS constantly receive the "service pack", or individual patches to make corrections. Service packs are developed, tested and deployed on a much faster timeline than the main software. The first service pack is released in January. The second should be ready by the summer. To date, for ALIS it is not expected any backup system.
The F-35's development is a scandal, he thundered the chairman of the committee, Senator John McCain. "The F-35 is a long-term investment - responded the General Christopher Bogdan, program the F-35 - in 30 years we could have a single manager platform that will give us our leadership in the world. The F-35 is still in development. "
(Photo: Lockheed Martin)
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F-22B: the first fighter of fifth generation advanced?
(Franco Iacch)
26/04/16
Source:
http://www.difesaonline.it/mondo-militare/f-22b-il-primo-caccia-di-quinta-generazione-avanzata
F-22B. It might as well be called the new Raptor, potentially in pre-production as early as the end of next year, after the drastic change of route of legislators, with deliveries from 2020.
As is known, in his review to the bill for 2017, the Armed Services Committee has formally requested the cost for the acquisition of 194 new F-22. And 'undeniable a certain predisposition of the Pentagon in the complicated make already more expensive and stratified modernization program in its history. Only for the Air Force, the US find themselves having to finance the same period new tanker, stealth bombers, aircraft radar and search and rescue helicopters. Then there is a new Air Force One, of course, the F-35 and F-22. There is, finally, the AX program for replacing the A-10.
If the F-22B were to go into production, the Pentagon will have to give up some platform is an established fact as inevitable. 194 new Raptor could cost US taxpayers, a figure very approximately, something like $ 30 billion. We speak only of the acquisition costs, which could represent just the lower part of the new Raptor program. If aerodynamically the F-22 is still in line with the current threats (the changes would still minimal) represented by the Russian and Chinese fifth generation, the same can not be said for its software and hardware.
Considering the entry into service in 2005, the Air Force has found itself forced to require additional financing of $ 1.5 billion to standardize software and hardware of all Raptor online. electronics part designed for the Raptor, in fact, no longer exists. Most of the hardware is, therefore, dated, why should be redesigned from the ground in each case. So then you could take the field the idea of Raptor-B program: an F-22 with the F-35 avionics.
The F-35 tactical fighter is not a dogfighter, but implements the best of existing technology. Ability to associate these revised design of pure F-22, could give birth to a new fifth-generation advanced platform. Considering the design still in the making, it would not be wrong to talk even of a generation 5.5. If it took shape, the F-22B program could implement the technology by other programs such as the B-21. The propulsion system designed by Pratt & Whitney is considered a masterpiece of engineering and efficiency, even if the specifications are still covered by military secret.
The only fighter from the planet's air supremacy, the F-22 Raptor, was built in only 186 copies, but only 123 are converted to the fighting. Considering the current threats and the contexts where it is necessary the presence of a fifth-generation platform, the Air Force would need at least 382 Raptor, 300 of whom converted to combat.
If it got the green light, they were the funds as well as structures where to locate the production line, the first F-22B could come out between the end of 2020 and the first six months of 2021.
(Photo: U.S. Air Force)
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Comment:
F-22 flying on F-35 software?
Not a good bang for a buck.
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US defense, other funded programs: the A-10 remains in service, increase Hornet and F-35, three more ships for the Navy, the F-22 studies
(Franco Iacch)
28/04/16
Source:
http://www.difesaonline.it/mondo-militare/difesa-usa-finanziati-altri-programmi-la-10-resta-servizio-aumentano-hornet-ed-f-35
The House Armed Services Committee has decided to finance the programs of the Department of Defense is not included in the financial instrument of the Pentagon, which amounts to 582 billion dollars. The Commission approved its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes the use of a special fund to circumvent the budgetary constraints imposed by the Obama administration.
With the new funds, the US military will add 27,000 active duty and 25,000 reservists. 14 additional F / A-18E / F for the Navy and 11 F-35. A plus of two billion was allocated to shipbuilding program the Navy.
"Each of these investments has been identified as a key requirement for the armed forces, none of them has been fully funded in the budget request of the President."
The NDAA therefore authorized around 524 billion dollars for the basic budget and 58.8 billion for the OCO accounts (Overseas Contingency Operations). In general, the new financial instrument delivered to the Defense Department and the industry a list of victories on programs previously driven out of the budget.
$ 1.4 billion for 14 more F / A-18 E / F Super Hornet for the Navy. $ 1.5 billion for 11 more F-35 divided as follows: five F-35A for the Air Force, two F-35B for the Marine Corps and four F-35C for the U.S.. Navy.
For the third consecutive year, lawmakers rejected the retirement of the A-10 advanced from 'Air Force: will be discussed in 2018. The Air Force claims that A-10s are now too expensive to keep flying, but the legislators categorically reject these arguments, saying that such platforms continue to save lives in battle. The bill requires the Air Force to maintain a minimum of 171 A-10 operational, at least until it will end the comparative tests with the F-35.
Confirmed the study on the financial implications for a restart of the F-22 line of Lockheed Martin.
Several helicopters further supported by the army. $ 440 million for additional UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, 162 million for the AH-64 Apache. $ 150 million for two other V-22 Osprey and 95 million dollars for a further Northrop Grumman-made MQ-4C Triton.
The navy gets more than $ 2.3 billion for two new ships and the full funding of a destroyer partially funded last year.
(Photo: U.S. Air Force)
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http://www.difesaonline.it/industria/india-nuovo-accordo-con-la-russia-acquistati-cinque-battaglioni-s-400
India, the new agreement with Russia: purchased five S-400 battalions
(Franco Iacch)
04/27/16
Russia and India have signed a contract for the supply of S-400 air defense systems. And 'what confirm the Indian Defense Ministry. Deliveries will begin "soon as possible". India has purchased five S-400 battalions.
The 'S-400 Triumph (NATO designation SA-21 Growler) is a Russian anti-aircraft missile system designed to destroy all the modern and advanced aerospace targets at a maximum distance of 400 kilometers (248.5 miles), nearly twice the range MIM -104 American Patriot.
The S-400 Triumph, update the S-300 series, is in service with the Russian Armed Forces in April of 2007, with operational use in August of the same year.
To date, the Russians four armed regiments in line with the S-400 to the national airspace protection in the Moscow region, the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad and the Eastern Military District.
India is the second largest foreign buyer, after China, the most modern Russian anti-aircraft missile system long range (waiting for the S-500).
A standard Russian S-400 battalion has eight launchers with 32 missiles and a mobile command post.
(Photo: MoD Fed. Russian)
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Syria: from 30 September to now, the Russians have carried out 9,500 flight missions and hit 29 thousand ISIS targets
(David Bartoccini)
28/04/16
Source:
http://www.difesaonline.it/mondo-militare/siria-dal-30-settembre-ad-oggi-i-russi-hanno-effettuato-9500-missioni-di-volo-e
In the ISIS war fought from heaven Russia outclasses NATO and its allies. Crossing the data reported by the Department of Defense with those disclosed by the State Russian General, if both reliable, you can see how Russia has hit more targets in less time, counting a number of sorties lower than those of the Coalition.
The Director of the Operations Department of the General Staff Russian, Sergey Rudskoy, reported today that in 7 months after the operation of Russia: the express request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (30 September 2015), the air forces of the VVS (Voenno- vozdušnye sily Rossijskoj Federacii) have completed 9,500 flight missions, 29,000 struck terrorist targets in Syria alone. It should be remembered that some of these objectives, although limited, was hit by the sea by cruise missiles launched from carriers in the Mediterranean and Caspian Sea.
According to a report from the latest documents of the DoD (United States Department of Defense) instead, from 2014 the air forces of the international coalition: composed by USAF, US Navy, RAF, Armée de l'Air, AERONAVAL, RJAF (Royal Jordanian Air Force) and RSAF (Royal Saudi air Force) conducted 10,962 air strikes against ISIS; 7,336 in Iraq and 3,626 in Syria. The objectives were reported as destroyed 22,779.
(Photo: MoD Fed. Russian)
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China, the seventh run tests on the DF-ZF: Beijing could affect every part of the world in less than an hour
(Franco Iacch)
04/27/16
Source:
http://www.difesaonline.it/mondo-militare/cina-eseguito-settimo-test-sul-df-zf-pechino-potrebbe-colpire-ogni-parte-del-mondo
China has successfully carried out, the seventh test sull'Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) dubbed by the DF-ZF Pentagon (WU-14). The new aircraft should be able, when will be produced in series, to travel up to eight times the speed of sound. This means you could easily dodge the current missile defense system the United States and affect every part of the planet within an hour.
The test took place last Friday. The DF-ZF was monitored by US intelligence. Should be launched from a ballistic missile took off from Wuzhai polygon, in central China. The DF-ZF skirting the edge of the atmosphere then returned to hit the oubicato targets in the western part of the country.
This was the seventh test for Hypersonic Glide Chinese Vehicle. To find that the Pentagon has encouraged China to adopt a more transparent investment in the defense and military objectives, in order to "avoid errors of judgment".
The WU-14 is capable of carrying nuclear warheads at a speed higher than Mach 10 (12.359 km / h) and is immune to current anti-ballistic countermeasures for the return to conventional warheads. The descent ballistic trajectory through the atmosphere of independent multiple warheads is easily predictable although there remains the problem related to their high return speed. But the problem partially solved at the end of the 80s, with the start of production of interceptor missiles designed to destroy multiple independent warheads in the recovery phase.
A hypersonic aircraft such as HGV could re-enter the gliding at high speed and approaching the goal with a relatively flat trajectory, thus decreasing the time from enemies identification systems. The ZF-DF can be transported to launch share from various Chinese ballistic missiles, such as the DF-21 (medium-range) and DF-31 and DF-41 (intercontinental), extending to 12,000 km of the output vectors.
The Chinese hypersonic weapons program is considered a priority. Once commissioned, it could enable China to conduct kinetic attacks anywhere in the world. China plans to roll out its new high-speed gliding aircraft by 2020. The Chinese hypersonic scramjet program includes the first aircraft by 2025.
The new frontier of military technology is the hypersonic speed. Hitting a hypersonic aircraft, is currently not possible because of the time needed for defense systems to process a response. The initial detection, tracking and fire solution still requires the time (we always talk of seconds) but may be too much considering the hypersonic regime. If it were launched a combined attack between traditional ballistic missiles and hypersonic, even the best existing anti-missile defense would not escape.
Unlike the United States and China, which have focused on development of thrust as the aircraft Hypersonic Glide Vehicle, Russia and India are planning the so-called hypersonic cruise missiles. While a push-glide aircraft must first reach extreme altitude before heading back into the atmosphere, cruise missiles traveling on a trajectory of non-ballistic share, extremely low to evade early warning radar systems.
(Pictured vehicle US hypersonic HTV-2 - DARPA)
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Do you remember?
India thinks as superpower: hypersonic missiles for fifth-generation platforms
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=43705
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Kuwait fields sixty Patriot missiles against Iran
(Franco Iacch)
04/27/16
Source:
http://www.difesaonline.it/mondo-militare/il-kuwait-schiera-sessanta-missili-patriot-contro-liran
Kuwait wants two more bases interception with Patriot missiles. And 'what emerges from the documents issued by the Federal Business Opportunities in the United States. The OAS has already confirmed that the Army Corps of Engineers has already called for companies wishing to tender for the construction of two new air defense sites at the Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base and the -Salem Ali Air Base. In the contract it is also planned interventions in the operations center in the south of Kuwait city.
Kuwait is already protected by five bases of tactical defense, each of which equipped with a Patriot battalion for a total of 30 missiles based (five of six missile launchers). Two other Patriot battalions will be deployed in the two new bases bringing the line of fire to 210 always ready to launch missiles.
In August 2010, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency signed an agreement for 209 missiles Patriot PAC-2. 60 more missiles in the PAC-3 variant were purchased in 2012 from Kuwait.
The Federal Business Opportunities documents do not specify the details of the new supply. The two new bases will be equipped, in addition to launchers, with all the various support structures such as the radar of discovery / tracking and control station.
The sixty-air missiles will be oriented toward Iran.
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Libyan farce: Italy at the tournament of puppets
(Giampiero Venturi)
03/07/16
Source:
http://www.difesaonline.it/geopolitica/tempi-venturi/farsa-libica-litalietta-nella-giostra-dei-burattini
In early February, we predicted it (article): Italy takes notes and is preparing to carry out orders. "Now the Libyan question is what your". The request to send a large contingent of troops in Libya this time arrives directly by Ambassador John Phillips, now more into the governor clothes than in a diplomat in Rome.
We imagined an intervention around April, the minimum time to allow to ripen two facts:
1) the formation of a national unity government in Libya;
2) the disappearance of Syria from the international headlines.
The first event, as already written in January of this section (see article), did not occur. The fake government institution of Tobruk, in whose credibility Europe seeks his own, only represents himself and economic interests that revolve around the Cyrenaica, Total, Shell and British Petroleum of all. The war of 2011 wanted by the Americans and the French began without even notify served essentially to this: to allow those who were not (or was recently) to take part in the Libyan energy cake.
Italy as well as being forced to give up the special relationship built with Libya in recent years Gaddafi, is in the awkward position of defending the interests ENI right in the toughest region, Tripolitania, namely that where the Islamist gangs have federated as alter ego in Tobruk. No coincidence that the abduction and killing of the Italian hostages took place 60 km from Tripoli.
The second fact is closely linked to the performance of the Syrian war: Assad and most Russians win and reduce the spaces geophysicists of the Islamic State, the less must be spoken. The related problem is that the global jihad is being transferred from Syria to Libya, particularly through the efforts of Turkey, the main sponsors of the Tripoli sign.
Libya therefore, is becoming the terminal of all the errors and junk committed the last 10 years between the Maghreb and the Middle East.
Anyone who still doubts about the good faith of the Arab Spring is served. Especially the flag bearers of freedom, ready to get excited for the fall of a rais but slow to understand that when you remove the lid to a pot, it would be good to ask what and especially those in it for you ...
The truth that everyone pretends not to see is in fact essentially a: the elimination of Gaddafi was an irreparable mistake because it is tantamount to having snatched a dress sewn with difficulty and at the same time removing the cap in a continent full boil.
Get rid of the Colonel although uncomfortable for us Italians it was a triple damage:
to the humiliation we had managed to mend useful to understanding our energy costs coffers; making pendant with privileged relationship with Moscow, Italy until 2010 could count on fruitful bilateral relations on a strategic level but evidently considered inconvenient by France and the USA. The first as competitors, the latter as our predecessors;
We have brought chaos to a step from home in such a situation if possible more complex than the Syrian (return on Libya in this category);
we will then dovercela to hurry, without even the official support of the Government of Tobruk that we labor to consider legitimate.
Libya today is like a table spread that someone has decided to overturn. As hosts, we went first to diners, then even to waiters who were asked to clear the table and put in order.
While the Libyan gold is in London and the accounts are made between Paris and Washington, we will honor the internal debate.
Already playing a medley of the declarations and denials: military intervention yes, no military intervention ... With our already on the ground, the country, eager to split up on something, will split soon between "warmongers" and "peace" without understanding and without realize that the Libyan dilemma rather than "war or non-war", he should only address the legitimate defense of our national interests. We are not used to think so and once again make the figure of a poor fool who with the promise of an egg was removed from a whole chicken coop.
(Photo: الجيش الليبي)
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IZAKOVIC
