DOCSLIB.ORG

The Incredible Versatility of the F-35 Lightning II

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Incredible Versatility of the F-35 Lightning II Kuo 1 Isaac Kuo WRIT 340 Dr. Elisa Warford December 2, 2013 The Incredible Versatility of the F-35 Lightning II By Isaac Kuo The F-35 Lightning II fighter is a fifth generation multi-role jet currently being developed by Lockheed Martin. Together with the F-22 Raptor, also designed by Lockheed, these two planes will become the primary fighter jets used in the United States military. The F-35 will match or outperform all of the current and previous generation fighters in combat, stealth, payloads, and speed, but the true genius of the F-35 is its versatility. The F-35 will have three variants, for the Army, Marines, and Navy, which will share 80% of the parts, dramatically driving down costs. In addition, the F-35B, the Marines variant, will have STOVL capabilities, the first supersonic aircraft with STOVL capabilities. These new developments make the F-35 the most advanced and incredible fighter America has built, and paves the way for even more exciting new developments. Introduction The United States military is currently in the middle of replacing and upgrading its fighter jet fleet. The two main planes at the forefront of this program are the F-22 Raptor, currently in service, and the F-35 Lightning II, currently in development and production. The F- 35 is a fifth-generation multi-role fighter jet, taking the state of the art technology from the F-22, and adding the versatility of the previous generations of fighter jets to create a new fleet of fighter jets that can be used in the major branches of military, all from the same design for the Kuo 2 plane. One of these variants of the plane, the F-35B, is designed for the United States Marine Corps and has revolutionary STOVL capabilities. STOVL stands for short take-off and vertical landing, and refers to planes that have the unique ability to take off vertically, or at least from significantly shorter than conventional aircraft, and land vertically as well. While some modern fighter jets have STOVL capabilities, the F-35B is the first fighter jet that can fly at supersonic speeds as well. The real advantages of the F-35 are in its versatility, including the STOVL F- 35B, giving the F-35 a large array of applications; the ability of the F-35 to take on virtually every mission makes it an extremely cost efficient and effective weapon for the military. History Before looking at what makes the F-35 Lightning different from other planes with STOVL, or even VTOL (vertical take-off and landing), capabilities, it is important to examine the developments in STOVL that makes the F-35 possible. The US military began exploring VTOL aircraft as early as 1951, when tailsitter aircraft were designed; tailsitter aircraft are, as the name suggests, aircraft that take-off and land on its tail, very similar to space shuttles. However, with the dozens of designs that were developed between 1950-1980, only two aircraft ever made it to production, with one of the planes being withdrawn after the fall of the Soviet Union. Also, in this timeframe, Boeing studied many ways to create a supersonic aircraft that also had STOVL or VTOL capabilities. Unfortunately, all of these designs never reached production. To date, the only supersonic aircraft with VTOL or STOVL capabilities is the X-35 (the experimental aircraft that led to the F-35), and eventually, the F-35[1]. Variants In order to bring down production costs without sacrificing functionality and versatility in the aircraft, Lockheed Martin developed three variants of the F-35, the F-35A, the F-35B, and Kuo 3 the F-35C; all three variants share eighty percent of their parts. The F-35 is the conventional take-off and landing variant[2], the F-35B is the short take-off and vertical landing variant[3], and the F-35C is the carrier based, or CATOBAR (catapult assisted take-off but arrested recovery) variant[4]. This allows the F-35 to meet the diverse needs of the different branches of the military with one design. All three variants and their key specifications are shown in Figure 1 below. The conventional F-35A, to be introduced in December 2016, is intended for use in the United States Air Force and will eventually replace the F-16. The F-35A variant is designed to meet or exceed all the capabilities of the F-16 fighter[5]. The F-35B STOVL variant is to be used by the United States Marine Corps, and is to be formally introduced on December 2015. The exhaust of the F- 35B includes a three-bearing swivel nozzle which turns and directs the nozzle towards the ground on take-off. The jet nozzle is oval-shaped instead of the typical circular shaped nozzle in order to limit the heat damage on the ground during take-off[6]. The F-35C variant is modified to suit storage and operation on an aircraft carrier. The F-35C carrier variant features larger wings and tails for take-off on the extremely short runway on aircraft carriers, folding wings to optimize storage, and stronger landing gear and tail hook for CATOBAR landing. The F-35C, to be formally introduced in February of 2019, is designed for use by the United States Navy, eventually replacing the F/A-18 Hornet fleet[4]. Kuo 4 Figure 1[7] Features Aside from the wing and payload changes between the variants of the F-35, the main features of the F-35 remain the same and represent the latest advancements in aerospace and weapons engineering. The F-35 is a smaller, single-engine sibling of the F-22 Raptor, and it includes many of the same technological advancements. The USAF plans to use the F-35 as the primary fighter jet for combat missions because of its advanced radar, target recognition, and data processing power[8]. Lockheed Martin claims the air-to-air combat abilities of the F-35 are second only to the F-22 Raptor; however, the F-35 is superior to the F-22 in “basing flexibility and advanced sensors and information fusion[9].” Kuo 5 Specifically, the F-35 has durable, low-maintenance stealth technology, using a more cost efficient structural fiber rather than the high-maintenance coating on the F-22 Raptor. The F-35 is powered by the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, which brings the plane to a maximum speed of over Mach 1.6[2]. The F135 engine can produce a maximum thrust of over 50,000 lbf (220kN), the most powerful engine in a fighter jet as of 2010[10]. The F-35 has two internal weapons bays, and additional external missile storage for up to four underwing missiles and two more near the wingtip pylons. These weapon bays allow for a diverse array of weapons that make the F-35 extremely versatile because it can carry many different weapons that allow the F-35 to be very effective in both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. Very similar to the F-22 Raptor, the F-35 also has extremely effective stealth technology. The F-35 has a low radar cross-section due to its shape and its stealthy materials, including the fiber mat[11]; in addition, the F-35 was designed to have a low radar profile, something current and previous generations of fighter jets lack. The F- 35 flies most missions without the large external fuel tanks to minimize its profile and add to its stealth. STOVL on the F-35 However, what truly sets the F-35 apart is its STOVL capabilities. While the F-22 has a smaller radar cross-section than the F-35, the F-35 is much more versatile in its applications because of its STOVL capabilities. The F-35B gets its STOVL capabilities from the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem. The main components of the LiftSystem are the lift fan and the Three Bearing Swivel Module, also known as a 3BSM[12]. The 3BSM is swiveling nozzle that deflects the main engine exhaust towards the ground in order to take-off vertically. In addition, the Lift System consists of a lift fan near the front of the fighter and provides a counterbalance thrust with two counter-rotating blisks, or fans[13]. The engineering marvel that is the LiftSystem, combined with Kuo 6 the other breakthrough technologies on the F-35, puts the F-35 far ahead of all current and previous fighter jets. The operation and functions of the LiftSystem are shown in Figure 2 below. Figure 2[14] Nevertheless, despite the technological breakthroughs present in the F-35, there is still room for improvement for future designs, particularly in the STOVL technology. Fighter jets with STOVL capabilities are most useful on aircraft carriers, where the runways are very short, and even fighter jets designed specifically for these conditions, such as the F-35C, need catapults and hooks in order to take-off and land properly. Because of the extremely take-off field length limitation on aircraft carriers, it would be ideal to use fighter jets with STOVL capabilities, eliminating the need for catapults and hooks. However, this is not yet possible, because the heat generated from the exhaust would seriously damage the hull on aircraft carriers. Even the Marine Corps, the primary users of the F-35B, can only utilize the STOVL on specifically designed concrete built to withstand the intense heat; the F-35B cannot use its short take-off system on a regular runway.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • China's Aircraft Carrier Ambitions
    CHINA’S AIRCRAFT CARRIER AMBITIONS An Update Nan Li and Christopher Weuve his article will address two major analytical questions. First, what are the T necessary and suffi cient conditions for China to acquire aircraft carriers? Second, what are the major implications if China does acquire aircraft carriers? Existing analyses on China’s aircraft carrier ambitions are quite insightful but also somewhat inadequate and must therefore be updated. Some, for instance, argue that with the advent of the Taiwan issue as China’s top threat priority by late 1996 and the retirement of Liu Huaqing as vice chair of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) in 1997, aircraft carriers are no longer considered vital.1 In that view, China does not require aircraft carriers to capture sea and air superiority in a war over Taiwan, and China’s most powerful carrier proponent (Liu) can no longer infl uence relevant decision making. Other scholars suggest that China may well acquire small-deck aviation platforms, such as helicopter carriers, to fulfi ll secondary security missions. These missions include naval di- plomacy, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and antisubmarine warfare.2 The present authors conclude, however, that China’s aircraft carrier ambitions may be larger than the current literature has predicted. Moreover, the major implications of China’s acquiring aircraft carriers may need to be explored more carefully in order to inform appropriate reactions on the part of the United States and other Asia-Pacifi c naval powers. This article updates major changes in the four major conditions that are necessary and would be largely suffi cient for China to acquire aircraft carriers: leadership endorsement, fi nancial affordability, a relatively concise naval strat- egy that defi nes the missions of carrier operations, and availability of requisite 14 NAVAL WAR COLLEGE REVIEW technologies.
    [Show full text]
  • A Brief Review on Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System
    International Journal of Mechanical And Production Engineering, ISSN: 2320-2092, Volume- 5, Issue-6, Jun.-2017 http://iraj.in A BRIEF REVIEW ON ELECTROMAGNETIC AIRCRAFT LAUNCH SYSTEM 1AZEEM SINGH KAHLON, 2TAAVISHE GUPTA, 3POOJA DAHIYA, 4SUDHIR KUMAR CHATURVEDI Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, India E-mail: [email protected] Abstract - This paper describes the basic design, advantages and disadvantages of an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) for aircraft carriers of the future along with a brief comparison with traditional launch mechanisms. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the feasibility of EMALS for the next generation indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vishal. I. INTRODUCTION maneuvering. Depending on the thrust produced by the engines and weight of aircraft the length of the India has a central and strategic location in the Indian runway varies widely for different aircraft. Normal Ocean. It shares the longest coastline of 7500 runways are designed so as to accommodate the kilometers amongst other nations sharing the Indian launch for such deviation in takeoff lengths, but the Ocean. India's 80% trade is via sea routes passing scenario is different when it comes to aircraft carriers. through the Indian Ocean and 85% of its oil and gas Launch of an aircraft from a mobile platform always are imported through sea routes. Indian Ocean also requires additional systems and methods to assist the serves as the locus of important international Sea launch because the runway has to be scaled down, Lines Of Communication (SLOCs) . Development of which is only about 300 feet as compared to 5,000- India’s political structure, industrial and commercial 6,000 feet required for normal aircraft to takeoff from growth has no meaning until its shores are protected.
    [Show full text]
  • SKI-JUMP LIMITATIONS and PLAN's SOLUTIONS
    CAPS In Focus 25 July 2017 www.capsindia.org 61/17 SKI-JUMP LIMITATIONS AND PLAN’s SOLUTIONS Arjun Subramanian P Reports on Chinese naval aviation have been in the news lately and Chinese media is abuzz with photographs of the J-15 fighters operating from the PLAN’s first carrier – the Liaoning. The carrier was en-route to Hong Kong1 along with two escort warships when the flight operations were conducted. The PLAN even released a long video of the operations which gives some insights into the J-15 fighter and the role it will play. There is also some news on China building a carrier borne AEW aircraft to be operated from its CV-001 type vessels.2 China’s lone carrier, the refurbished old Soviet vessel – Varyag – is PLAN’s first experience with an aircraft carrier which it is so actively and boastfully projecting. China is steadily improving and adding up to its naval power projection capability. The released video was of very good resolution where every minute detail was visible and which enables inference of certain information.3 The video primarily contains take-offs and landings of the J- 15 fighter with and without load-outs. In several take-offs, the J-15 can be seen carrying the PL-12 medium range and PL-8 short range air-to-air missile in the middle and outer hard-points respectively. The PL-12 is an active radar-guided BVR missile and is similar to the Russian R-77 Adder and it is widely claimed that its seeker head is the same design as that of the R-77.4 The PL-8, on the other hand, is an IR guided missile and is believed to be based on the Israeli Python-3.5 In few other launches the aircraft can be seen taking off and landing with two YJ-83K anti-ship missiles slung under the centre-wing hard-point on each wing.
    [Show full text]
  • China's Logistics Capabilities for Expeditionary Operations
    China’s Logistics Capabilities for Expeditionary Operations The modular transfer system between a Type 054A frigate and a COSCO container ship during China’s first military-civil UNREP. Source: “重大突破！民船为海军水面舰艇实施干货补给 [Breakthrough! Civil Ships Implement Dry Cargo Supply for Naval Surface Ships],” Guancha, November 15, 2019 Primary author: Chad Peltier Supporting analysts: Tate Nurkin and Sean O’Connor Disclaimer: This research report was prepared at the request of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission to support its deliberations. Posting of the report to the Commission's website is intended to promote greater public understanding of the issues addressed by the Commission in its ongoing assessment of U.S.-China economic relations and their implications for U.S. security, as mandated by Public Law 106-398 and Public Law 113-291. However, it does not necessarily imply an endorsement by the Commission or any individual Commissioner of the views or conclusions expressed in this commissioned research report. 1 Contents Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Methodology, Scope, and Study Limitations ........................................................................................................ 6 1. China’s Expeditionary Operations
    [Show full text]
  • THE ART of FLIGHT INSPIRING AEROSPACE THROUGH the PAINTBRUSH TRANSITIONING Leased Engines Or Aircraft? Keep Your Asset Prepared, Protected, and Ready to Fly
    June 2020 RUSSIA’S GREEN GOALS GREEN RUSSIA’S PRESERVING AVIATION HISTORY TRACKING PILOT INTERVENTIONS THE ART OF FLIGHT INSPIRING AEROSPACE THROUGH THE PAINTBRUSH www.aerosociety.com AEROSPACE June 2020 Volume 47 Number 6 Royal Aeronautical Society TRANSITIONING leased engines or aircraft? Keep your asset prepared, protected, and ready to fly. Willis Asset Management provides global engine and aircraft transition management solutions to meet your unique needs. Our award-winning, independent consultancy is focused on providing remote solutions to help mitigate against the risks of planned – and unplanned – asset transitions. OUR REMOTE CAPABILITIES INCLUDE: • Technical records management • Aircraft & engine lease return support • Periodic records inspections • Back-to-birth trace reviews on LLPs • Records systems maintenance • CAMO & shadow CAMO services • Part 145 maintenance services Willis Engine Repair Center (UK & US locations) Ask about our aircraft disassembly and aircraft maintenance & storage solutions at Teesside International Airport in the UK! [email protected] | +44 (0) 1656.754.777 | www.willisasset.com Volume 47 Number 6 June 2020 EDITORIAL Contents Aviation heritage hanging Regulars 4 Radome 12 Transmission by a thread The latest aviation and Your letters, emails, tweets aeronautical intelligence, and social media feedback. analysis and comment. At around this time of year, the summer air show season would be swinging 58 The Last Word into gear – with weekends of aerobatics, flypasts and the like. But today, 11 Pushing the Envelope Keith Hayward considers yet another part of aviation is currently grounded due to the worldwide Rob Coppinger analyses the the effects of the Covid-19 challenges of designing a air transport shutdown on Coronavirus pandemic, with air shows cancelled and museums shuttered.
    [Show full text]
  • Carrier Deck Launching of Adapted Land-Based Airplanes
    DOI: 10.13009/EUCASS2017-275 7TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE FOR AERONAUTICS AND SPACE SCIENCES (EUCASS) Carrier deck launching of adapted land-based airplanes HERNANDO, José-Luis and MARTINEZ-VAL, Rodrigo Department of Aircraft and Spacecraft School of Aerospace Engineering Universidad Politécnica de Madrid 28040Madrid, Spain [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract Harrier VTOL is the basic combat airplane for many Navies, but it will soon be retired from service. Three main alternatives appear: to incorporate another, already existing or under development airplane; to design a completely new aircraft; or to modify an existing land-based airplane for carrier suitability. The present paper is part of a study to assess the feasibility of the third option. In former papers the authors have addressed the compatibility of land-based airplanes with aircraft carriers and the details of the carrier approach guidance and recovery; and showed some major modifications required in wing structure and landing gear. The research proposed here studies the airplane performance during the launching manoeuvre, formed by a take-off run on the flat deck followed by a ski-jump. 1. Introduction Along its 100 years of existence naval aviation has progressed astonishingly, but it is still one of the most demanding environments for airplane operations: extremely short, moving runways; flight in rough air generated by the vessel’s superstructure wake and from the sea surface; etc [1-3]. Modern aircraft carriers are classified into three categories: vessels designed to operate only with thrust vectoring airplanes; ships designed for short take-off and arrested recovery (STOBAR); and carriers equipped with catapults and arresting devices (CATOBAR).
    [Show full text]
  • Pierre Vallée
    JUILLET 2020 Les alternatives au porte- avions Une analyse du débat stratégique français Pierre Vallée NOTE DE RECHERCHE Photographie : USS Makin en patrouille au large de la Californie NOTE DE RECHERCHE JUILLET 2020 L’Institut d’études de stratégie et de défense (IESD) est une structure de recherche universitaire créée en 2018 et spécialisée dans le champ des études stratégiques. Soutenu par l’Université de Lyon (UdL), l’IESD appartient à la faculté de droit de l’université Jean Moulin – Lyon III. L’institut accueille une équipe multidis- ciplinaire de chercheurs lyonnais et extérieurs (droit, science politique, gestion, économie, sociologie, histoire), et fédère autour d’elle un réseau d’experts, de chercheurs, de doctorants et d’étudiants spécialisés dans l’étude des interactions conflictuelles contemporaines. L’IESD est actuellement partie prenante de la candidature à la labellisation « Centres nationaux d’excellence défense » de la DGRIS (Ministère des armées), dans le cadre d’un programme de recherche intitulé « L’interconnexion des fonctions stratégiques hautes (puissance aérienne, espace, nucléaire, défense anti-missiles) : conséquences politiques et opérationnelles des couplages capacitaires de haute intensité dans les espaces homogènes et les Contested Commons ». Directeur de l’IESD : Olivier Zajec ; maître de conférences en science politique, faculté de droit, Université Jean Moulin-Lyon 3 (Université de Lyon) Site web : https://iesd.univ-lyon3.fr/ Contact : [email protected] IESD – Faculté de droit Université Jean Moulin – Lyon III 1C avenue des Frères Lumière – CS 78242 69372 LYON CEDEX 08 2 Pierre Vallée, « Les alternatives au porte-avions : une analyse du débat stratégique français », Note de recherche de l’IESD, coll.
    [Show full text]
  • Electro Magnetic Aircraft Launch System
    CAPS In-Focus 05 May 2015 http://www.capsindia.org ELECTRO MAGNETIC AIRCRAFT LAUNCH SYSTEM Captain HPS Sodhi Senior Fellow, CAPS Introduction Keeping abreast of the latest technologies in the field of maritime warfare has become inescapable for any Navy of the world. Indian Navy too is always looking to adopt latest state of the art systems towards modernization of its ships and aircraft. In this endeavor, IN is likely to take a technological leap in the field of aircraft carrier operation. A beginning has been made during the visit of US President Obama, to acquire a path breaking technology of Electro Magnetic Aircraft Launch System for the new carrier (Indigenous Aircraft Carrier-II- INS Vishal) , which is at the initial stage of design and development. Unlike ground based air operations, where a fixed wing aircraft uses required length of runway for takeoff/ landings, the same cannot be replicated on board a ship. Due to the space restrictions, various types of assisted take off/ landings are resorted to. The history of assisted take offs is as old as the invention of aircraft. In 1904, the Wright Brothers used a weight and derrick styled catapult system to assist launch of their early aircraft. The credit of first catapult launch goes to Lt. Ellyson who, in 1912, took off in a naval aircraft from a coal barge. Assisted Take off Systems: CATOBAR & STOBAR Aircraft Carriers, all over the world, generally use two types of technologies for launch of its aircraft. These are CATOBAR (catapult assisted take-off but arrested recovery) and STOBAR (short take-off but arrested recovery) systems.
    [Show full text]
  • These Graphics Show the Crucial Differences Between the World's 3 Types of Aircraft Carrier
    These graphics show the crucial differences between the world's 3 types of Aircraft Carrier By Jeremy (REUTERS/Adnan Abidi ) Aircraft carriers are the ultimate symbol of a country©s military power and prestige. These floating islands of military power take years to build, and they do not come cheap. The first of the US©s new Ford-class of supercarrier has a $13 billion price tag. Still, despite the cost, a number of countries have succeeded in building or acquiring a carrier. Although the US has the largest number of carriers with the most advanced technology and the largest flight decks, a variety of carriers of various sizes and sophistication are in use around the world. The following graphics, created by US Naval Institute member Jeff Head at World-Wide Aircraft Carriers, breaks down the various carrier classes in use around the world today. The first class, Catapult Assisted Take-Off, Barrier Assisted Recovery (CATOBAR), are the largest and most complex carriers currently in use.View gallery . (Jeff Head/World-Wide Aircraft Carriers) The catapult-based launch system allows the carriers to fly a greater variety of heavy and lightweight planes and at a greater takeoff rate and velocity, compared to noncatapult systems. The majority of CATOBAR carriers are nuclear-powered. Short Take-Off, Barrier Assisted Recovery (STOBAR) carriers differ from CATOBARs in more than just their launch technology. The carriers are equipped with "ski-jump" ramps that allow for aircraft to take off from the carriers. They are technologically simpler and thus easier to operate than CATOBAR carriers, although aircraft must be lighter to successfully take off from their decks.
    [Show full text]
  • China's Aircraft Carrier Ambitions
    Naval War College Review Volume 63 Article 3 Number 1 Winter 2010 China’s Aircraft aC rrier Ambitions Nan Li Christopher Weuve Follow this and additional works at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review Recommended Citation Li, Nan and Weuve, Christopher (2010) "China’s Aircraft aC rrier Ambitions," Naval War College Review: Vol. 63 : No. 1 , Article 3. Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol63/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Naval War College Review by an authorized editor of U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Li and Weuve: China’s Aircraft Carrier Ambitions CHINA’S AIRCRAFT CARRIER AMBITIONS An Update Nan Li and Christopher Weuve his article will address two major analytical questions. First, what are the T necessary and suffi cient conditions for China to acquire aircraft carriers? Second, what are the major implications if China does acquire aircraft carriers? Existing analyses on China’s aircraft carrier ambitions are quite insightful but also somewhat inadequate and must therefore be updated. Some, for instance, argue that with the advent of the Taiwan issue as China’s top threat priority by late 1996 and the retirement of Liu Huaqing as vice chair of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) in 1997, aircraft carriers are no longer considered vital.1 In that view, China does not require aircraft carriers to capture sea and air superiority in a war over Taiwan, and China’s most powerful carrier proponent (Liu) can no longer infl uence relevant decision making.
    [Show full text]
  • Airshow News
    DAY 3 February 13, 2020 SINGAPORE PUBLICATIONS Airshow News « Dedicated followers of the daily flying display gathered at show central to witness the power and might of the military aircraft that took to the skies over the Singapore Airshow. While not as full of participants as past shows, the displays nevertheless managed to delight and please those who made the effort to attend. INTOSH c DAVID M DAVID Engines Defense dominates daily display Big fans are a Rolls- by David Donald Royce first › page 4 While major announcements have been capability that allows it to operate from Airbus A330 MRTT that is based at Changi. Training scarce, in terms of aircraft it is the defense short strips and from vessels at sea. The sizeable U.S. Department of Defense sector that has dominated the static display While it waits for the F-35, the RSAF contingent includes a C-17A airlifter from Chinook simulator at the 2020 Singapore Airshow, as well as relies on the F-15 and F-16 for tactical air- Hawaii, Air Force MQ-9A Reaper drone, and gets upgrade › page 7 thrilling crowds in the daily flying displays. power, both types being equipped to a very a Navy P-8A Poseidon. A rich abundance of the latest high-tech high standard, and on show to the public as Malaysia brought an A400M transport machinery is on show, including a noisy and part of the RSAF’s impressive presence. The and Sukhoi Su-30MKM multi-role fighter MRO impressive demonstration by the U.S. Air F-15’s power is also displayed to the maxi- to the show, the latter with a rarely seen Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor, the mum in an energetic flying routine.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction by 2035, What Is the PLA's Force Projection Capability
    Testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission Hearing on China’s Military Power Projection and U.S. National Interests 20 February 2020 By Chad Peltier, Senior Analyst-Consulting, Jane’s Introduction Co-Chairs Wortzel and Fiedler, and all commissioners, thank you very much for the opportunity to testify today on China’s evolving expeditionary capabilities. This is an important topic with deep ramifications for U.S. force posture, procurement and research & development investment decisions, and diplomatic relations both with China and our allies. It is also an area of rapid change. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is introducing new primary surface combatants and amphibious assault ships, the PLAN Marine Corps (PLANMC) has tripled in size, the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) is rapidly producing strategic airlift assets, and China established its first permanent overseas military base in Djibouti. Further, this list of achievements does not include either China’s civilian and dual-use assets that may be mobilized for power projection or vast research into emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, electromagnetic capabilities, and directed energy weapons. I have been asked to focus my testimony on the “nuts and bolts” of China’s expeditionary capabilities. I will structure my comments to answer the following questions: By 2035, what is the PLA’s force projection capability likely to encompass? How quickly can China deploy forces overseas? At what distance from its littoral waters can forces operate?
    [Show full text]