Not all of the F-35’s planned weaponry will be carried in its internal bays.
Posted on 07/13/2016 9:52:35 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The F-35 is sleek and stealthy, thanks to internally-carried weapons, but that limits the operational payload and the jet’s air-to-ground capability, correct? To some extent, that is true, but here’s an alternative view. “It’s a bomb truck, capable of carrying 14,000 pounds–that’s 3,000 pounds more than my F-18s,” said Lt. General Jon Davis, head of aviation for the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC).
In fact, the F-35 has seven external weapons stations (see diagram). Their use is not part of the initial operating capability (IOC) for either the USMC F-35Bs or the U.S. Air Force F-35As. But a total of nine weapons are being qualified on the Lightning II as part of the system design and development contract that ends next year. More will likely be integrated in a follow-on contract for Block 4 software and capabilities, which has not yet been fully finalized.
Since Raytheon is the premier provider of weapons for the F-35 Lightning II, it’s not surprising to find a graphic display of them on the wall of the company’s pavilion here at the Farnborough Airshow. A half-scale rendering shows an AIM-120 Amraam air-to-air missile on the door of an internal weapons bay. Nestled within the bay are four SDB (small diameter bomb) IIs, the second version of this weapon and the first in the world to offer a tri-mode seeker (GPS, MMW IR, and laser). A GBU-12 laser-guided 500-pound Paveway II bomb, and an AIM-9X air-to-air missile, are shown on external pylons.
Three of these four Raytheon weapons are being qualified now, but SDB II would not come until Block 4—although it is at the top of Lt. Gen. Davis’ wish list. The SDB I made by Boeing and offering only GPS guidance, will be available on F-35As next year. Boeing also provides the GPS-guided GBU-31 and GBU-32 bombs that are already being carried internally by F-35s. The former is a 2,000-pound weapon whereas the latter is 1,000 pounds. The F-35B has smaller internal weapons bays that can only accommodate the GBU-32 (and the GBU-12).
Three other F-35 weapons can be seen in the Raytheon display here. One is Raytheon UK’s Paveway IV dual-mode 500-pound bomb, going onto the UK’s F-35Bs. Another is Raytheon’s Joint Stand Off Weapon (JSOW), slated for the U.S. Navy’s F-35Cs. The third is the Norwegian Joint Strike Missile. The maker Kongsberg is teamed with Raytheon for its integration onto Norway’s F-35As.
Not part of Raytheon’s display is the rival short-range air-to-air missile to the AIM-9X. This is the MBDA Asraam, which is going on to the UK’s F-35Bs. The UK is also looking for integration of the MBDA Meteor BVRAAM and the MBDA Spear smart bomb—but not until Block 4.
Not all of the F-35’s planned weaponry will be carried in its internal bays.
As I understand it, the external hard points and ordnance render the airplane no longer stealthy which kind of defeats the purpose of a stealth fighter.
UK F-35B
This is the plane that won’t have a working gun for several more years, right?
(Can we please get a warplane that works, like the F-22?)
Kinda depends on where you are in the war. Early in a war, when the enemy still has radar-controlled, anti-aircraft defenses, the F-35 would most likely go in "stealthy".
After the enemy's air defenses have been neutralized, or against an enemy without such defenses, the F-35 would likely load up to the max required and go in either very high or very low to avoid visual/IR defenses.
The F-35 was never intended to be a stealth-only aircraft. Stealth is intended for “first day of war” then for non-steath large payload strikes thereafter.
Exactly right. Then its just a non maneuverable, non accelerating, 180 round of ammo moonpig. The people who tell us this is a fantastic plane also tell us women are fine as Marine infantry and trannys are too.
Huge grain of salt.
That is true. Something to consider though is that not all missions require stealth. The A-10 is about as unstealthy as you can get yet, in the current use environment, it is very successful.
there’s a huge difference from first day of war where stealth is needed for the battle of air superiority, and later in the conflict when air superiority has been won and you can operate with relative impunity on the air battle field. F18s and A10s would be sitting ducks to gen 5 fighters on the first day of war. only F22s and 35s are going to win in a modern air battle as door kickers. followed by heavy bombers, penetration B1b, and B52G with heavy ECCM jamming from the wild weasel fleet and multiple decoy drones.
I think CONOPS is that the bird will stay stealthy and only use internal weapons until the most serious air and ground threats have been attrited. Then it can be an air-to-mud bird using the external hard points.
The A-10 really wouldn’t have much of a chance in a contested battlefield environment with a modern foe. It does great against unsophisticated foes, and people keep forgetting about that critical distinction. A China or a Russia or their client states would make life very hazardous for the A-10 guys.
From what I understand, the stuff that the F-35 can do when teamed with F-22s is a game changer. They can give “battlespace management” a whole new definition.
Most new birds entering the inventory have a lot of problems. They called the F-16 a lawn dart during development. The Osprey and other airframes also had big problems. The F-22 guys kept suffering hypoxia because the oxygen system was malfunctioning for their whole fleet. Just goes to show, the greater the complexity, the greater the chance for problems.
And the left has always reflexively criticized every new weapons system. Probably because every dollar spent on defense is a dollar not spent on their pet unconstitutional boondoggles.
The flack here isn't coming from the left. It's coming from the Boeing team that's still sore the "Monica" wasn't chosen, and is now trying to sell old designs, instead.
Stealth is most useful in the early phase of an air campaign and is not needed for most air missions after aerial supremacy is established. Even when air space is disputed, F-35s loaded with long range missiles and bombs can be cued and directed by stealthy F-35s and used as arsenals to take out enemy aircraft and surface targets. Finally, the flexibility to be stealthy or non stealthy and loaded with ordinance depending on combat needs means that a smaller number of aircraft can be used. This in turn permits more rapid deployment with smaller logistical demands.
Lets see,
incoming threat detected,
externals jettisoned,
Lighting II goes all ninja like.
I said this on another thread but it still holds true. By the time it is in general use the 35 will be a great plane, because you can fix anything by strapping enough cash to the hardpoints.
at the point where enemy air defense has been neutralized, might as well use real bomb trucks...
You use what you have.
The Marine Corps is going to be flying the F-35 off LHA's (or whatever they are called now). So that's what they will use.
As far as the other services, they will also use whatever they have in the theater. If it's F-35's, then that's what they'll use.
where ever Marines go, carriers aren't far away and neither are their F/A-18's as for the AF, there will be plenty of F15's in theater to use as bomb trucks also
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.