USAF approached Boeing about building the F-15X...another sign of the F-35 off ramp!

via The War Zone.

Last week, the aerospace-defense community was overwhelmingly intrigued by a report from Defenseone.com that said Boeing was pitching a new variant of its 45-year-old F-15 Eagle line of fighters to the United States Air Force. Still, next to nothing is known about this initiative, including where it came from and what it entails exactly. Although it has been framed as a Boeing solicitation to the USAF, the opposite is actually true—the USAF began the discussion over a year and a half ago. Since then, ongoing talks have been kept incredibly hush-hush, along with the details of the aircraft involved—until now. 

Story here. 

READ THE WHOLE THING!!!!

As usual the article goes to great lengths to prop up the F-35 but like I said.  Read the damn thing!  It's beyond obvious that this USAF initiative is an off ramp.

Additionally its an effort to put the USAF back into the fighter business in a big way...or more specifically into the "killing the enemy airforce" business!

It also signals that the Missile Truck concept is alive and well.  Check this out from the same article...

With the help of the company's new AMBER missile carrying racks, the F-15X will be able to carry a whopping 22 air-to-air missiles during a single sortie. Alternatively, it could fly with eight air-to-air missiles and 28 Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs), or up to seven 2,000lb bombs and eight air-to-air missiles. We are talking crazy weapons hauling capabilities here. Keep in mind that the F-15C/D Eagle can carry eight air-to-air missiles currently, and the penultimate Eagle variant that is currently being built, the F-15SA, can carry a dozen.

My prediction?

This ain't about the F-15X teaming with the F-35.  This is about the F-15X teaming with the F-22!

The F-22 will quarterback future fights with the F-15X being the bull running back that bowls over the enemy with long distance missile strikes, while the F-22 maps out new targets.

Another prediction?

When the F-15X goes up loaded with 22 air to air missiles it'll still be able to knock down ground targets of interest.  If they can make an SM-6 capable of hitting ships then doing the same with the AIM-120D shouldn't be beyond the realm of possibilities.

It took long to get here but I'm pleased.

Our allies might be screwed with the F-35A.  The USMC and Royal Navy (and others that come on board) might be satisfied with the F-35 operating off LHDs. The US Navy might still be playing nice with the F-35C even though everyone knows they're all in with the Super Hornet.

The fiction wit the F-35 will continue but the truth is finally coming out.

It took too long but the USAF is finally serious about winning the air war again....and that new plan doesn't include the F-35 in any meaningful way... 

Canadian Air Force CH-146 Griffons and CH-147 Chinooks @ Operation Presence, Mali...pics by MCpl Jennifer Kusche

Rheinmetall Group to supply Australian Defense Force with 1000 MAN Trucks...

Major contract extension expected: #Rheinmetall to supply more than 1000 logistic trucks to the Australian Defence Force

Add caption

Blog E-Mail has piled up...give me a few to catch up!

Threats of cuts to the F-35 program must be real...we're seeing a full court press to save it!

via Real Clear Defense.

The JSF has already demonstrated that it has the potential to totally change the balance of air power vis-à-vis potential U.S. adversaries. Although there is a misperception that the JSF is primarily intended for air-to-ground missions, its air-to-air capabilities are superb. In last year’s Red Flag combat exercises, the F-35 scored a stunning 20-1 kill ration. According to one experienced Air Force pilot, the F-35 totally dominates fourth generation aircraft:

The airplane has unbelievable maneuvering characteristics that make it completely undefeatable in an air-to-air environment. So if it's a long-range contact, you'll never see me and you'll die, and if it's within visual-range contact you'll see me and you're gonna die and you're gonna die very quickly.

As exercises and war games have demonstrated, an F-35 force can defeat several times its numbers of fourth-generation aircraft, including our own. In its role as a sensor and electronic warfare platform, the JSF can enhance the effectiveness of those same fourth-generation aircraft. A Norwegian Air Force pilot with much experience in the F-16 flew the F-35 and declared in a report to his government that “this is an airplane that allows me to be more forward and aggressive than I could ever be in an F-16.”

The JSF is much more than just a fighter. The sensors, avionics and other electronic systems on the relatively few F-35s in operation are already radically altering the way militaries around the world, including our own, think about air operations. Simply put, the F-35 makes everything a military does in the air better.

Wow.

Goure is really pouring it on in the above passage isn't he?  Makes you wonder why I would say that we're seeing a full court press to save the F-35 doesn't it?

Well wait till you check out the next part...

 There are reports circulating that the U.S. Air Force is considering major cuts to its planned procurement of 1,760 F-35As. This would be a colossal blunder. The F-35 is too good for the Air Force (as well as the Navy and Marine Corps) to not acquire their full allotment. If anything, the Air Force should increase its annual procurements to more rapidly improve its warfighting capabilities and lower unit costs.

The story is here. 

So why do I say we're seeing the full court press?

This has to be the third story that I've seen that whines about reports of major cuts coming to the F-35 program.

This is becoming goofy.

Trying to look at this logically the proponents of the airplane are painting themselves into a corner.

*  If the plane is so good that its "undefeatable in air to air combat" ... if it has demonstrated a "20-1 kill ratio" then cuts could be justified on efficiency grounds alone!  If you can achieve the same effects with fewer units then that's a win isn't it?

Then we have the contrarian argument.

*  The USAF knows the reality of the F-35, not the advertising but the reality. The fact is that the critics were right...the exercises were staged, the plane is a dog and because its taken so long to get into service it's essentially become obsolete before it enters REAL service (not the bullshit IOC that the USMC and USAF declared).

At the end of the day we'll know one day.  One thing is obvious.  Insiders are nervous about those reports of cuts.  They even have the number of planes on the chopping blocks.

People like Deptula and Thompson are clued in.

They wouldn't be squawking if there wasn't danger to their favorite pet program!

Personally I couldn't be happier!

Open Comment Post. July 25, 2018

Czech air force JAS-39 Gripens...pic by Tech. Sgt. Mindy Bloem

Czech air force JAS-39 Gripen pilots from Čáslav Air Base, Czech Republic, perform air-to-air drills June 25, 2018, during Sky Avenger 2018. 

MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter completes the day’s flight operations...pic by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Clay

An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter completes the day’s flight operations.

U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (July 23, 2018) An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the “Vipers” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 48 completes the day’s flight operations on the guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109). Jason Dunham is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points

AAV Platoon Returns to Oak Hill...Pics by Staff Sgt. Dengrier Baez

Russia's Development of New Ground Effect Vehicle Targets Future Warfare

Thanks to Jonathan for the link! 

via Defense Aerospace.com

The Alekseyev Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau of Russia is developing the next-generation super-heavy airborne transport ground effect vehicle (GEV) named “Rescuer”. After the construction of the vehicle is completed in 2019-20, it will be deployed in the Arctic region, according to Russian media.

A GEV, also known as a wing-in-ground-effect vehicle (WIG), takes advantage of the lift, which is similar to an air cushion formed between the fuselage, the wing and the water surface or the ground. It is a multi-purpose device integrating the advantages of both warships and aircraft as it can fly several meters above the water or ground surface.

According to current data, the design of “Rescuer” is based on the Lun (Harrier) class Ekranoplan, but with better airworthiness and ice combat capability. “Rescuer” is known as the “Arctic Monster” due to its outstanding polar suitability.

“Rescuer” uses wheels as landing gear for take-off and landing on ice surface. The previous GEVs developed by the former Soviet Union could only take off and land on water surface. The aircraft also features a special air cushion to help it slide on the surface of the sea and frozen land. With this, it can help Russia’s Northern Fleet and Pacific Fleet form rescue units and deliver supplies to Russian garrisons in remote regions.

Under the current plan, the construction of “Rescuer” will be completed by 2020. Various flight tests and trials will be carried out during the period of 2020-23 and it will enter Russian military’s battle order in 2025.

Fang Xiaozhi, deputy director of the Center for Foreign Military Research at the college of International Relations of the National University of Defense Technology of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said that the new GEV will play an active role in strengthening Russia’s national defense and improving the overall combat capability of the Russian military once it is commissioned.

It will help the Russian military meet urgent needs for high-speed delivery and strategic penetration in the era of information-based warfare. The GEVs can quickly deliver reinforcements and supplies to polar forces, which will greatly alleviate Russia’s military security pressure due to insufficient delivery capacity, Fang said.

At present, the world’s major military powers, including the US, Russia and Australia, are all actively developing GEVs and have made great progress in this respect. The main reason for the great importance attached to the development of the aircraft is that this kind of vehicle features small resistance, high speed, large load, good invisibility and strong adaptability to “triphibian warfare”.

Fang said, with the continuous advancement of cutting-edge high-tech, the new GEVs will use advanced technologies such as stealth ability and artificial intelligence, and adopt a more advanced integrated electric superconducting propulsion system to eliminate noise and reduce radar, infrared, acousto-optic, electromagnetic and other physical signal features.

It will also be equipped with a variety of anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-ground weapons and equipment for omni-directional fast attacks. As a result, its stealth ability, rapid maneuverability and penetration capabilities will be greatly improved, Fang said.

In the future, the new GEV will become an important weapon for operations at ultra-low-altitude airspace and can help promote profound changes in future combat styles, said Fang.

Hmm.

Ground Effect Vehicle for arctic operations?  I knew hovercraft were considered ideal for the far north but hadn't thought about these vehicles.

Does this actually make sense?  It can fly far, and faster than surface transport but its still victim to rapidly changing weather and can't get above it.

What's worse?  Don't know what plane they're actually talking about.  The A-050 is supposedly being worked on as we speak (below).

While Naval Recognition shows the A-080 as being the combat version discussed in the article above (below).