EELightningWhat utter gobsh*te. Sounds like an ‘angry-make-feel-better’ letter.
Distant Frontier was a BFM exercise between the F-22 and German Typhoon, 8 1v1 engagements were performed where the Typhoon(s) scored at least four simulated kills. A number of JG 74 pilots have spoken about their experiences against the F-22 and have also expressed their prase for the F-22’s BVR capabilities, even though they never faced off at BVR.
During Exercise Red Flag Alaska ’12 the German Typhoons and F-22s were on the same side often acting as “sweepers” along side Japanese F-15s.
The author might be a little miffed off to know that that a couple of F-16s posing as Russian fighters managed to get into the merge and kill a couple of F-22s.
EELightningEADS is prepared to offer Switzerland 33 Eurofighter jets built in 2003 with a price tag of 3.2 billion Swiss francs ($3.28 billion) to replace its fleet of ageing Northrop F-5E/F Tiger fighters, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/26/swiss-defense-eurofighter-idUSL5E8JQ5HK20120826
EELightningUnder the Tranche 3A contract signed in 2009, a total of 112 aircraft have been ordered for the four European partner nations, with 40 aircraft bound for the Royal Air Force. Deliveries of Tranche 3 aircraft are expected to start in 2013.
Building on the success of the Typhoons already proven in service, as demonstrated during Libyan Operations, Tranche 3 aircraft will be even more capable.
The Tranche 3 front fuselage, part of the British single seat aircraft number 116, includes over 350 modified parts designed, engineered and assembled ready to incorporate the most advanced capability enhancements.
Those enhancements include provision for conformal fuel tanks and a fuel dump system which will enable Typhoon to fly further and stay on mission longer. Also included are extra electrical power and cooling to cater for an E-Scan radar which will enhance performance, reliability and availability whilst delivering lower support costs for Typhoon customers. Extra computing power and high speed data network systems will give the aircraft capacity for even more capability in the future.
Mark Bowman, BAE Systems’ Chief Test Pilot said: “This represents the next significant milestone in the evolution of this remarkable combat aircraft. The new provisions including for example, conformal tanks and an ESCAN radar capability not only pave the way for more war-winning advantages such as range, detection and persistence, but ensure that the aircraft remains at the forefront of combat aviation for decades to come. I look forward enormously to putting this exciting piece of cutting-edge technology through its paces when it takes to the skies in the near future”
http://www.eurofighter.com/media/news0/news-detail/article/info-typhoon-leads-from-the-front.html
EELightningAs far as I’m aware RAF GR4s (which use ASRAAM now) train for A/A.
Does anyone remember seeing an image taken during Operation Granby in, I’m sure AFM magazine, many moons ago of an RAF Tornado F3 named ‘Envy’? It was quite an striking image of the aircraft on the runway. I’ve been after it for quite some time now.
EELightningAnd a one of the Lightning F2A too, please.
EELightning180 rounds, I believe so, yes. I remember reading John Nichol’s & John Peter’s Tornado Down book and one of them stated that one could select the rate of fire of the Mauser 27mm, 1,000rpm or 1,500rpm.
EELightningTo quote an experienced RAF pilot from a report in AFM(?) about the F-35 a couple & a bit years ago;
“You’ll be stealthy going in, but you sure as hell won’t be stealthy coming out.”
I’d like to read more about the PAK-FA now, please.
EELightningThe problem that I mentioned is mainly for Typhoon’s range when it carries two cruise missiles that will make it lose two out of three wet pylons for carrying external fuel tanks, not mainly for the replacement of ALARM ~ Although I do think a SEAD/DEAD variant of JASSM-ER (or Storm Shadow MLU with increasing range) shall be a uselful tool for an unstealthy Typhoon when facing the long range SAM threats like S-300 PMU2, S-300VM “Antey-2500”, S-400 etc. in the near future regional conflict, until RAF can get enough number of stealthy F-35 or UCAV one day.
If any Typhoon user wants to carry two 2,000lb class weapons, be it cruise missiles or 2,000lb class Paveways, and also need a significant amount of fuel onboard then they will need to integrate Conformal Fuel Tanks, theres no ifs or buts about it. It was a very good call that Eurofighter GmbH in mind for the Tranche 2 & 3’s airframes. A Typhoon would pretty much have the same amount of fuel onboard to that of GR4.
EELightningDo you have a schedule handy of when the UK will be getting their F-35Bs?
ZM137, third UK aircraft, is expected to be handed over in early 2013, ZM138 (fourth) is said to follow around 2015-2016. It is also said the type is to be operated by the RAF and FAA from 2018.
EELightningYou obviously have the painters in. Look up some research when you’ve got over it!
EELightningLord no, there’s hardly any chance they’ll even have an AESA fitted and working in it by that time and if they do it’ll be a limited A-A mode only job.
Says whom? You? :rolleyes:
On the contrary, Captor-E was always going to be simultaneously A/A and A/G capable.
It is ‘understood’ that the intentions are to transfere roles and responsibilities from the Tornado GR4 to Typhoon in the 2015-2017 timeframe, quite a while before the Tonka fleet are retired in 2019. This means Storm Shadow, Brimstone (or possibly even SPEAR 2, Brimstone’s replacement), Paveway III and of course Paveway IV which is due soon. SEAD/DEAD and a more capable Recce capability will be needed too.
In recent years it has been rather sluggish regarding further integrations onto Typhoon, and somewhat very frustrating and certainly badly managed! Indeed, there isn’t a funded, solid future capability roadmap after the Phase 1 Enhancements but theres a strong possibility that we’ll see a lot of capabilities added to the Typhoon fleet, neverless. And with ‘Contract One’ signed, it means that the Typhoon users have much more freedom to add their own enhancements and upgrades – Saudi Arabia is a strong example of this, for example they have the UK Paveway II, Enhanced Paveway II and Paveway II + on their Tranche 2 Typhoons where as the UK will only have these on their Tranche 1 aircraft but will have Paveway IV on Tranche 2 aircraft. It is also expected that the Saudi Tranche 2 units with P1E will use the AASM Hammer in combination with Damocles.
EELightningRegarding the F-35 “replacing” Typhoon in the UK, some people ought to read Swerve’s post – #235 of page 8 of this thread – and do a bit of research instead of jumping to conclusions and doesn’t “clearly imply” anything regarding the RAF’s confidence in Typhoon. If I may quote Swerve:
“Having read the full article in the paper version of JDW, I can now reveal that the possible replacement of Typhoon by F-35 refers to what may happen some time after 2025, when the RAF’s T1 Typhoons (which the article says it has been confirmed are to be kept & upgraded, not sold off) start to reach the end of their lives, unless they have a structural upgrade, & there’s likely to be nothing else in production to replace them.”
Note, it states Tranche 1 Typhoons. Although Tranches are production examples there is a significant difference in capabilities between Tranche 1 and Tranche 2s & 3s. In RAF service at least, Tranche 1s are being upgraded, these are known as ‘Drops’ and are seperate to the likes of P1EA, B and X, I believe I am correct in thinking that their are four ‘Drops’ with strong hint at being a fifth, if I remember correctly Tranche 1s are in the process of the second.
Despite these upgrades they’re most certainly not going to be as capable as the likes of Tranche 2s and 3s with P1 series of Enhancements and of which are also built to be upgraded with the likes of Captor-E and CFTs etc as far as the airframes are concerned and will most probably have a much wider range of weapons available as well as other forms of capabilities.
EELightningI should also add that the F-22 does work, very very well especially in BVR as Typhoon pilots readily admit. And even-Stevens wihilst fighting an F-22 that is handicapped by maneuvering restrictions isn’t all that impressive. Much like fighting a boxer who has one arm tied behind his back.
Indeed it does work, as long as they stay at a certain altitude and close to base, and thats not being b*tchy. But anyway, I don’t believe anyone is questioning the BVR capabilities of the F-22, I’m certainly not as I believe this is it’s ‘Forte’. However, suppossedly, the engagements were WVR only and no BVR engagements took place and since they apparantly didn’t its rather difficult from our point of view to determine how well they would have faired against each other. The closest they (JG74 jocks) would’ve got to know the F-22’s BVR capabilities would’ve been during the Red Flag Alaska exercise, where of course they were on the same side. Other than that its pure speculation, neverless theres a lot of respect coming from both sides about one’s capabilities.
And so what if the F-22 has some handicaps, thats the fault of it’s manufacturers, nobody elses. If the USAF wanted some ROEs to make things more “fair” then why not limit the performance of the Germans.
EELightningJG74 Typhoons didn’t have HEA during Distant Frontier & Red Flag Alaska. From what I can gather the Luftwaffe have only just started flying with the HEA for evaluation.
Other than the RAF, the only Typhoon user that have used HEA during exercises is the Italian Air Force.
EELightningWhich was what I was getting at, I bet LM don’t put those on their bullet points board. And you’re confusing me with someone that is a PR chap. Do pay more attention. :rolleyes:
And if I wanted to be b*tchy, I could say at least the Typhoon works.
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