Just a test. real thread will come soon. I just wrote a 500 word post that got lost in the system because I was auto logged out.
Anyway; this post is just a fairly random collection of thoughts I have had about UCAV design. Im not an aeronautics engineer, nor a civil servant in charge of defence acquisition, so this is purely subjective analysis. Id appreciate comments.
UCAVS will supposedly revolutionise air combat, and represent the largest fundamental advance since airborne radar. Most advantages thus put forward seem to stem from the ability to exceed human acceleration tolerances. Im not really convinced... so here goes
UCAVs remove the pilot from the front line. This takes away the potential loss in terms of cost of training and political/personal cost. I have little doubt that the US military would pay millions just to avoid a single death, and the cost of training must also be factored it. The upshot of this is that airframe survivability becomes less of an issue- airframe replacement cost is almost the only cost of a combat loss.
The advent of very good BVRMs make aerodynamic performance less of an issue as WVR combat becomes less relevant. Stealth and radar performance are about the only inputs that have significant effects against a 'perfect' missile.
Loiter time is the primary measure of air superiority. The Raptor has a nice long range for strike missions, but its loiter time is mediocre.
Top speed is irrelevant excepting where is impacts on missile effectiveness. Cruising speed is not relevant for a defensie-posture air dominance fighter.
Cost spirals endanger the development of every new generation fighter aircraft. The trend set by the F-22 et al cannot be followed and numbers are always going to be able to match ability to some extent. Other national security concerns make spending $400b+ on an air combat fleet seem extravagant, and other fighter systems are going through hell in congress just to get built.
Anyway; here then is a design template for a purely air-superiority fighter UCAV operating without AWACs support.
A slow (subsonic), poor aerodynamicaly (+2g? 10,000f/min), supremely stealthy against fighter radar (raptor without any damn aerodynamic problems), large internal fuel capacity, many BVRM payload UCAV. In BVR engagements the equal of an F-22 on the offensive. Defensively cannot survive even a semi-hit. Could be downed by an SE5 in WVR engagements. The enormous downgrading of engines, survivability and aerodyanmics represent cost savings.
This to me represents the biggest advantages of UCAVs. For a fraction of the price, a weapons system the equal of a Rapor on a platform with a fraction of the ability.
Thoughts?
Anyway; this post is just a fairly random collection of thoughts I have had about UCAV design. Im not an aeronautics engineer, nor a civil servant in charge of defence acquisition, so this is purely subjective analysis. Id appreciate comments.
UCAVS will supposedly revolutionise air combat, and represent the largest fundamental advance since airborne radar. Most advantages thus put forward seem to stem from the ability to exceed human acceleration tolerances. Im not really convinced... so here goes
UCAVs remove the pilot from the front line. This takes away the potential loss in terms of cost of training and political/personal cost. I have little doubt that the US military would pay millions just to avoid a single death, and the cost of training must also be factored it. The upshot of this is that airframe survivability becomes less of an issue- airframe replacement cost is almost the only cost of a combat loss.
The advent of very good BVRMs make aerodynamic performance less of an issue as WVR combat becomes less relevant. Stealth and radar performance are about the only inputs that have significant effects against a 'perfect' missile.
Loiter time is the primary measure of air superiority. The Raptor has a nice long range for strike missions, but its loiter time is mediocre.
Top speed is irrelevant excepting where is impacts on missile effectiveness. Cruising speed is not relevant for a defensie-posture air dominance fighter.
Cost spirals endanger the development of every new generation fighter aircraft. The trend set by the F-22 et al cannot be followed and numbers are always going to be able to match ability to some extent. Other national security concerns make spending $400b+ on an air combat fleet seem extravagant, and other fighter systems are going through hell in congress just to get built.
Anyway; here then is a design template for a purely air-superiority fighter UCAV operating without AWACs support.
A slow (subsonic), poor aerodynamicaly (+2g? 10,000f/min), supremely stealthy against fighter radar (raptor without any damn aerodynamic problems), large internal fuel capacity, many BVRM payload UCAV. In BVR engagements the equal of an F-22 on the offensive. Defensively cannot survive even a semi-hit. Could be downed by an SE5 in WVR engagements. The enormous downgrading of engines, survivability and aerodyanmics represent cost savings.
This to me represents the biggest advantages of UCAVs. For a fraction of the price, a weapons system the equal of a Rapor on a platform with a fraction of the ability.
Thoughts?
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