Obsolete

What fighters have currently sensor fusion similar to F-22 and F-35?

Also we should keep in mind that sensor fusion is just a part of it; the other parts are the quality and quantity of the sensors; the VLO; the MMI etc.

Keep in mind the leaks from the Swiss competition; in terms of avionics even the mythical Rafale and Typhoon were roughly on par with the Hornet, which is presumably a bit behind the SH block II, which is far behind the F-35 and F-22.

As TooCool12F and BA said the Rafale is a good example for a non US 5th generation labelled fighter that offers sensor fusion to a level, that as of now might be as good as or even better than what’s currently found on the F-22 with the later featuring even fewer sensors whose data it could fuse. Likewise the Typhoon offers sensor fusion which might not be to far apart from what the F-22 is capable of in that field. Specifics are classified, so an accurate comparison is difficult, but there is no proof that these European figters are any worse in that field opposed to the F-22. the F-35 may offer a greater level of FS but how far is it developed and how will FS look like on other fighters like the Rafale by the time the F-35 is mauture and delivering what’s promised in todays marketing brochured and customer presentations?

If your country’s combat airplane of choice is not capable of both offensive and defensive operations against a capable adversary, expect to be told to stay home (or provide something useful, such as cargo support).

It always depends on what your combat aircraft to be capable of and what scenarios you are planning for. Of course not everything is predictable so you may have to prepare for the unknowns as well, but most countries don’t plan to play a world policeman and don’t have the ressources to cover everything.

RQ-4 and JSTARS only work in permissive environments against militarily inept adversaries, such as Libya. Try the same against a capable opponent and you’ll find that you are too busy dodging missiles to track their stuff which incorporates sophisticated CCD.

Assuming that the magic 5th gen fighters are invisible as in LM advertisment trailers and are never harmed or threatened at all…

There are sensors and there are SENSORS. After the failure against Serbian CCD, the US has spent a substantial amount of national treasure developing techniques to discriminate between decoys and camouflaged targets. Just because Selex has a new toy doesn’t mean it incorporates the closely held technologies developed by the USG. And unfortunately, much of older kit is incapable of supporting counter-CCD techniques.

Doesn’t mean that others haven’t learned lessons or aren’t working on such technologies. You are assuming this on base of what exactly? The overblown American ego that bigger is always better and that you are bigger in any case?

Beancounters rule the battlefield. Just because a new technology exists, doesn’t assure the capability will pass the beancounters roadblocks.

Lucky for people like you that the F-35 is to big to fail, but the US armed forces will continue to operate legacy types and keep them upgraded to a certain extend as your wonder fighter takes significantly longer to be fielded in the numbers required to replace them.

Is every future conflict going to be as simple as Libya? Or could it be difficult, with sophisticated CCD and IADS? Since you fight with the kit you already have, do you want capable kit? Or kit suited to the 1980s?

So identifying different tanks is more difficult than distinguishing between insurgents and civilists? I assume that everything without a 5th generation label on it is stuck in the 1980s?

Real sensor fusion and some sophisticated processing techniques.EODAS can provide initial cueing, but its the “big sensors” that discriminate targets v decoys, and provide weapons quality targeting.[COLOR=”blue”]

Whatever you consider as “real” sensor fusion… Whether the sensor fusion will be any better than that of other modern types remains to be seen. When everything works as advertised at some point fine, but even then only those sensors which can contribute to the task are of relevance

The “gargantuan logistics tail” is modeled after the commercial business model used by airlines. There is a small set of spare parts stored at the “retail level” (i.e. the airbase) to service immediate needs. A larger set of spares stored at a shared “wholesale level” (i.e.regional center) to replenish retail spares. Regional centers will be in Europe, Australia, and 2 locations in the US. Repair parts are sent to the OEM for repair. Turnaround through the supply system is incentivized with more $ reward for faster turnaround. This is infinitely preferable to the old model where every Air Force had its own (expensive) Intermediate repair and (expensive) depot repair capability. Think of it as a single supply system servicing a 3500 jet fleet instead of 13 supply systems with fleet sizes ranging from 24 to 2400 jets

Such a logistic concept isn’t new and whether it’s really cheaper in the end remains to be seen. Dependence on industry can be a curse or a saint or maybe both.

What is the value of capability to Denmark? If your expectation is fly-bys on national holidays, then buy M-346s

Indeed better than wasting hundreds of millions a pop for a hangar queen that’s first and foremost stealthy because it never gets airborne in the first place.

1) It’s cleared for AMRAAMs
2) haven’t seen any
3) no
4) Still considered for SRP16 onwards, but not funded yet
5) Only scale models, that loadout isn’t cleared afaik

Once a sufficient number of pilots is trained the FTTC at Holloman may be served with 16 ac, this would leave 4 for the TTC at Lechfeld and an average 30 for the four TLGs.

Thus far the ac at Kaufbeuren have been replaced numerous times already. But returning them to flight ready status indeed takes time. Neither of the former ground trainers has resumed flying yet.

Thanks Aurel, that helps a lot!

What’s the plan for ’73?

When training switches to Holloman will 73 become an operational wing, or will it disappear?

Are there dates for the next Eurofighter wing stand-ups?

Correct and all Eurofighter units will become multirole as well, no dedicated air defence and fighter bomber units anymore.

On top of that technical training will be moved from Kaufbeuren to Lechfeld where a new technical training centre will to be established. TSLw1 will be disbanded. It’s currently expected that TLG 73/74/31 will operate around 32 ac, TLG 71 will operate 18 at least with one sqn only, while the technical training centre is likely to receive 4 and the tactical training command probably 20 at least.

No idea about the Italian Tornados. MK83s are in the German inventories afaik. And yes Litening is carried on the left fwd fuselage station.