There was this big video recently posted of a pilot basically saying that in the old days, you’d measure aircraft performance by sustained turns, speed, etc
but these days, information is the most important variable and the fighter that is best networked and can collect and process the most information will win.
so what fighters are there that excel in this?
we know the Gripen has been touting this ability for some time
as well as the Rafale and F-35
haven’t heard much from the Chinese side
By: FBW - 26th September 2016 at 22:37
At the moment the F35 isn’t even able to fuse the data from its own sensors. So much for being net-centric. Maybe in a distant future.
F22 can’t even share data, if I’m not mistaken it can only receive, unless it’s been updated. So much for being net-centric.
Nic
Talon HATE development is wrapping up and in flight test.
Part of the price you pay for not announcing your position with Link 16. The available bandwidth on the current NATO data links is too limited for the sheer amount of information shared between F-22’s, or a flight or -35’s via IDFL or MADL. A flight of four F-35’s networked will share the combined information of all thier sensors. With that type of complexity, is it really suprising that there have been bugs? Pilots have been reporting fewer false returns, better software stability.
By: SpudmanWP - 26th September 2016 at 22:15
The F-35 has “some” issues with data fusion which are related to Block 2B/3i (to a lesser degree) in very specific instances. Re:”distant future”, dream on, try in testing now. Even with the limitations it has now, it’s still better than anything else.
If you are going to discount the F-35 due to it still being in SDD, then GripenE can’t be on the list either since the 1st one has not even flown, let alone achieved IOC.
The F-22 can share it’s data with other non-F-22 platforms with a gateway like BACN (now), 5th-to-4th, etc (later).
By: Nicolas10 - 26th September 2016 at 22:05
At the moment the F35 isn’t even able to fuse the data from its own sensors. So much for being net-centric. Maybe in a distant future.
F22 can’t even share data, if I’m not mistaken it can only receive, unless it’s been updated. So much for being net-centric.
Nic
By: Marcellogo - 26th September 2016 at 21:54
I would reformulate the question: how to measure the point in which a relative superiority in it would really turn into a tactical advantage?
Let’s say (as I did in another thread) that one system give your plane a complete tactical situation of the battlespace in 5 second and another one in 10 , it’s the double of time but in the end it’s just five second advantage.
Also because air operation doesn’t happen in a vacuum: one things is being one plane against the other, another a squadron trying to penetrate a networked enemy AD system.
By: SpudmanWP - 26th September 2016 at 21:43
arent f-18 & rafale using standard link 16 like everyone else ?
I was speaking more to their ability to use/fuse/share data within their own avionics suite. Saying that, there is a reason they are on the bottom of the list.
By: obligatory - 26th September 2016 at 19:47
IMHO, I would say:
F-35
F-22
Gripen (directional datalinks, but only with a small number) Not sure of the new Gripen yet.
Rafale
F-18 SH Block2
arent f-18 & rafale using standard link 16 like everyone else ?
By: MSphere - 26th September 2016 at 19:10
In this case it’s a no brainer.. The newest ones..
By: SpudmanWP - 26th September 2016 at 18:59
IMHO, I would say:
F-35
F-22
Gripen (directional datalinks, but only with a small number) Not sure of the new Gripen yet.
Rafale
F-18 SH Block2
By: obligatory - 26th September 2016 at 18:54
gripen E & F-35
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September 26, 2016 at 5:40 pm