The problem with flares and newer seekers is that modern seekers no longer just see a hot blob, but a full picture of the target. Even from a distance, the flare’s rapid change in direction is ignored by the missile’s seeker as being obviously not the fighter.

Here is a video of the Aim-9X during live trials. It shows the seeker homing in on the drone dispite dozens of flares being ejected and ignored.

That’s SpudmanWP

If your going to curse me, get the name right. 😉

– good ECM suite is better than stealth (as you can adapt it to the enemy radar frequencies which is out of the question for aircraft skin or shape)
– any fighter, including the F-22 if it was involved in that “uncapacity to lock on in BVR and shoot”, has to be good in dogfighting… (reminds me of F-4s sent to vietnam with missiles only)

Good ECM is only better than stealth when the stealth fighter only has radar to work from. This is the case for the F-22, but not for the F-35. The F-22 was supposed to have AIRST (and I still think they should be installed) and still have the room for them. An IRST will allow the stealth fighter to ID the emitting plane while it still in the BVR range-band and engage it before it gets to WVR range.

Newer weapons will also diminish the effectiveness of ECM. The US’s new JDRADM BVR missile is being designed to have three sensors at the same time. Along with the normal radar, it is also planned to have HARM functions and IIR. The IIR is especially important in a heavy ECM environment because it will allow the launching aircraft to get a BVR missile in the neighborhood of the ECM emitting plane and the IIR can take over.

That’s what I meant, now that 187 is the final number.

you can read their pdf letter in the link above, but here’s the relevant quote

Quote:
. . . clear preference in the draft RFP for a smaller aircraft with a limited multirole capability and its imposition of a structure that places contractual and financial burdens on the company that we simply cannot accept

That is a rather vague statement on NG’s part. I was looking for something more specific as to parts of the RFP.

its not meant to compete against the F-22. I’d like to see the F-22 do all that a Rafale can – ain’t happening – the aircraft wasn’t designed to lug stuff around.

True, but that’s why we (ie the US, UK, AUS, etc) are getting the F-35.

I was referring to DIRCM for “fast movers”. DIRCM units have already flown on US (and others) transports and helicopters.

To operate as a stealth-fighter the F-35/C are limited to a bomb-load of 1,8 tons and the F-35B to half of that. Which is sufficiant in my eyes, but all that has nothing to do with a higher range of a higher attack speed by internal carriage. State of the art fighters are designed with some external loads in mind too. 😉

The F-35C’s internal carriage is 5,200 lbs and the F-35B is 3,500 lbs.

The F-35 has SATCOM, so a loss of MADL or Link-16 is not critical.

Btw, MADL is directional, so good luck detecting or jamming it.