Quote:
Originally Posted by gunnut
Technically, the Typhoon, the Rafale, and the Gripen are all 4.5 generation fighter.
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The greatest thing the F-22 has over these other aircraft is stealth. If the Russians design a new fighter and it is low observable not stealthy (for argument sake), introduced after 2012, would it be considered part of generation 4.5?? The Typhoon has low observability, sensor fusion, supercruise, and super-maneuverability. Its performance envelope is not much smaller than the F-22A's. So once you get away from the hubris of American aircraft, it fits the requirement of fifth generation.
(There are websites on both sides of this argument.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by sundeepmegas
Did the Indian AF get a shot at the F-22.
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No, they have not met, there is a possibility they could when Indian AF sends it Su-30MKI's to the USA for a Red Flag Exercise in 2008.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sundeepmegas
I am under the impression that any good air force with a good plane that has an IRST can bring down a F-22. The thing is supercruise...at that speed, it is bound to have one heck of a heat signature...i bet a MICA-IR could do the trick...
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Read this article;
Raptors wield 'unfair' advantage at Red Flag
Feature - Raptors wield 'unfair' advantage at Red Flag
Quote:
Originally Posted by sundeepmegas
The thing is supercruise...at that speed, it is bound to have one heck of a heat signature...i bet a MICA-IR could do the trick...
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The altitudes at which the F-22A travels at there is little friction. The F-22A is designed to emit heat from friction at wave lengths IR detectors have difficulty detecting.
For a MICA to kill an F-22A, the launch aircraft has to lock it up. The F-22A 'at altitude' has a small window of vulnerability.
The F-22A was designed so the hotspots are covered by the nose being pitched up while supercruising. The F-22 can travel at Mach 1.4, flying level with the nose pitched up at twenty-five degrees! Further the thrust vectoring system is also designed to reduce the IR signature to detection directly behind it.
Lockeed engineers also have done things to make the F-22 very difficult to see! Spotting the F-22A seems to be one of the common complaint when aircraft are engaging the F-22A.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deltacamelately
Many of us may have known this from the very outset that the F-117 was detectable by low band search radars
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The USAF never said it was invisible to radar. It the very first issue of AW&ST, when the F-117 was introduced to the aviation world, there was an article on what it would take to detect the F-117.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deltacamelately
The loss of the F-117 in the Balkans, showed what happens when people get complacent, lazy and arrogant when planning ops.
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It is so true, flying into the same target area at the same time and same course is inviting disaster. Arrogance and poor planning were the primary cause for the loss of the F-117.
When the mobile radar turned on, the AWACS' ESM detected it and warned the pilot but, he thought he could complete his mission. The F-117 flew almost directly over the mobile radar, it doesn't take an improvement in technology to detect a F-117 under these conditions.
The proof that there was no technology improvement is that the F-117 was shot down on day four. No other F-117's, B-1's or, B-2's were shot down. The B-1 was fired on once by a SAM-6 site but, the ECM worked as advertised. The air campaign lasted over seventy days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GGTharos
Pergaps it is news to yout hat the USAF already knew about IRSTs, not to mention the NAVY who had USED them ... the IRST has always been a secondary
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The USAF has tested the F-22A against many IRST systems, so they know the limitations. The USAF also owns MiG-29's, Su-27's, and the F-14D's. So IR detection is nothing new to them.
Adrian