Drones are everywhere, even Amazon is getting into the drone business for faster delivery. However, if the US online retailer is considering drones for civil use, some countries are now resenting having them hover over their heads. And that would be understandable since most drones in the skies are military, and some are specifically designed to target and kill. The US have become specialists in this field. And unfortunately, Pakistan and Afghanistan have become the preferred targets. As a result, thousands of people rallied in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore Sunday in protest at continued US drone strikes in the country’s troubled northwest. Around 5,000 protesters chanted anti-US slogans and called for an immediate end to the drone strikes at the rally organized by the Defence of Pakistan Council (DPC), a coalition of around 40 religious groups. DPC chief Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, in a televised address to the rally, said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had come under US pressure and was not expected to play a positive role in getting the drone strikes stopped. He appealed to all political parties, religious scholars and members of civil society to unite against the attacks. Since 2004 the United States has carried out hundreds of drone missile attacks on suspected militants linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. But at the same time, hundreds of civilians have died in the attacks, according to various estimates, prompting outrage in Pakistan and abroad.
And this is in this context that Iran unveiled a missile-equipped drone with a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles), the official IRNA news agency reported. “The Fotros drone has an operational range of 2,000 kilometres and can fly at an altitude of 25,000 feet, with a flight time of 16 to 30 hours,” Defence Minister Mohammad Dehgan was quoted as saying. Dehgan said the new drone could carry out reconnaissance missions or launch air-to-surface missile strikes. This of course will expectantly increase tensions in the Middle East, and Israel will be one step closer to striking Iran on its own. Most will argue that drones are a good thing, as they avoid added casualties and they can be specifically targeted. But interestingly, the pilots are now also starting to complain. The reason mainly is that they don’t feel they are at war, when they are effectively engaging in acts of war. Some pilots in Nevada have complained that they are losing touch with the reality of what they do because they can’t see or feel the results of their actions. It should be known that pilots can fly the drones like going to the office. Some are safe in the US, stopping at Starbucks for coffee before going to work, and then flying the drone, sometimes killing a target, and then going back home at the end of the day, sipping a beer by the pool. Most army men would imagine it to be the perfect way to fight, but these pilots do not, because their job is too virtual. How about that ?
China joins the US, the UK and France in successfully flying a stealth combat drone. Indeed, China has tested its first stealth combat drone, state media said Friday, citing online photos of an aircraft resembling a shrunken US B2 bomber and hailing the advance toward Western-level technology. Lijian, or “sharp sword” in English, aced its first test flight in southwest China, making the People’s Republic of China the fourth nation to successfully fly a stealth unmanned aerial vehicle. The test flight lasted nearly 20 minutes, according to accounts on cjdby.net, a Chinese military forum, and later picked up by the People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency and the South China Morning Post. “The successful flight shows the nation has again narrowed the air-power disparity between itself and Western nations,” the China Daily newspaper said, adding the flight made China the “fourth power… capable of putting a stealth drone into the sky”. The Sharp Sword might be intended for eventual use with the aircraft carrier and for “long endurance” surveillance missions. This demonstrates the enormous investment that China is making toward building a world class level of military power. This type of aircraft “will greatly complicate the defense” of other countries. The drone, which is capable of flying undetected at high altitudes while providing high-resolution video and other intelligence, will let maritime departments keep abreast of developments in the East and South China seas and will help Beijing make accurate decisions when dealing with territorial disputes with its neighbors. This was said by a Chinese official in a newspaper. Well Japan will be thrilled…
Area 51 is real, finally says the CIA. This has been one the most exciting and longest denial in national security, but thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, we finally know. More than 60 declassified documents in an Area 51 file were posted on the Internet by the National Security Archive late last month, compiled and edited by archive senior fellow Jeffrey Richelson. The archive is located at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. From these documents, we understand that Area 51 has been what we’ve always expected it to be – not a UFO hang-out – but a testing facility. The U-2 and SR-71 have been tried and tested at Groom Lake. These two aircrafts, which warranted great secrecy until the 1980s, are now retired. Incidentally, those aircraft flew so high, and the SR-71 so fast, that they prompted many UFO sightings in the Western U.S. Reports of high flying, fast moving UFOs were actually spy planes flying much higher and faster than the public thought possible at the time. It didn’t help that their shapes were unconventional too. Stealth technology, which became public only in the late 1980s, was pioneered there. Today, stealth is becoming commonplace. Drone technology has also been a feature of Area 51.
What is also interesting is that according to released documents, Area 51 has been a benchmarking facility. Indeed, some reports on the the exploitation of covertly acquired Soviet MiG fighter jets. One of those programs was the government’s investigation of the multiple Soviet MiG fighter planes it “secretly acquired” during the Cold War. The first documented acquisition was the MiG-21, originally obtained by Israel in August 1966. From January 1968 to April 1968, Israel loaned the plane to the US air force, which referred to the aircraft as the YF-110. The air force examined the plane’s technical characteristics and evaluated its performance to see how the US government’s weapons and aircraft compared tactically under the Have Doughnut program (pdf). Similar evaluations were conducted in 1969 with the MiG-17 under the not-as-delightfully-named Have Drill and Have Ferry campaigns (pdf). Other MiG examinations took place later, but details of those programs have not been declassified. Today, Area 51 continues to operate, still in secret, despite the publication of many photos and a revelation of its history. It remains a matter of wild speculation to imagine what is developed there today, although the secrecy is much improved by technology.
Around the perimeter, motion sensors detect people approaching on foot. Most of the work, once done on the tarmac, is now done underground in laboratories, often with computers and simulations. Fewer flights are needed now that the blueprint and slide rule have given way to software. Whatever goes on there, we can rest assured of two things. First, it is beyond what we can imagine today, just as stealth technology was beyond the average imagination of the 80’s kid. Second, the projects they develop today will become known in the decades to come, just as we now know what they were really up to during all those years of our youth. But what if they really had aliens ?
Some women have balls. In 1928, an Irish Lady named Mary Heath flew 7000 miles from Cape Town, South Africa, to Goodwood in England. That’s quite a journey. She thought the adventure would take just 3 weeks. In fact, It took her three months, from January to May 1928. She wrote about the experience later in a book Woman and Flying, that she co-wrote with Stella Wolfe Murray. This story has inspired another woman with balls, to do exactly the same to pay tribute to Lady Mary Heath. Ms Curtis Taylor will take off from Cape Town in a vintage Boeing Stearman biplane to reach Goodwood near London. Her plane, Spirit of Artemis, can only fly for 450 miles at a time, meaning it will take her about six weeks and 32 stopovers to make the journey. She will not hit speeds faster than 95mph. The challenge will not only be to fly the aircraft, but to cross countries facing significant political unrest. This means that it will not be easy to get authorizations to land in some countries, or that it might be dangerous to do so. We send our best wishes to Tracy Curtis-Taylor in completing her adventure safe. It will be quite a journey. If you want to follow Tracy, check out the website: http://www.capetowntogoodwood.com/
In essence, this is a bold claim, but that is exactly the statement given by President Aquino of the Philippines regarding the purchase of the FA-50 Korean jet fighter. The country is purchasing 12 brand new aircrafts in a commitment to improve military cooperation with South Korea. The Philippines which is mainly composed of a huge number of islands requires a significant air force to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, the latest jet fighter of the air force is the F-5, which last flew in 2005. The aim with this new deal is to be able to level with other forces in the area, whilst reinforcing ties in the region with allied countries. And the FA-50 is supposed to do just that, capable of carrying up to 4.5 tons of weapons, such as air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, machine guns and precision guided bombers, among others. The aircraft is also equipped with a night vision imaging system with day and night capability. One main advantage of the aircraft noted the Defense secretary is that the Korean-made military aircraft were more affordable than the fighter jets made in other countries and that their maintenance would be easier as the spare parts for them were readily available. And that makes sense.
But more surprisingly, when asked how FA-50s would fare with Chinese fighter jets which fly by the West Philippine Sea, the Defense Secretary responded: We probably can fight now. This is a rare thing to say, especially when arming yourself, but the Philippine Government is just playing ball, rolling up its new found bad boy sleeves. China did not comment, but they surely will not see the purchase of these aircraft as a good thing, in a location that has also many points of potential conflicts relating to territorial claims.
They said it was to be the best, the greatest, the symbol of the US AirForce… Now the F-35 is getting a lot of heat as the entire program is getting louder critics. And it goes from management to performance and of course costs – this last item being a constant point of disappointment. Now, the US military watchdog just reviewed the entire program and came up with 719 problems with the F-35, and especially 363 problems that were serious enough to have an impact on the manufacture and cost of the JSF. For the United States and eight other countries backing the project, the report raises fresh questions about the technology and ultimate price tag of the F-35, which has struggled with production delays and cost overruns. Problems in store: inefficient management, absence of quality assurance practices, software management shortcomings, inadequate product evaluation, flawed production and design…
What the report demonstrates is that management of the entire program seems to have been less than rigorous, from top management to dealing with sub contractors, and this has led to the rise in budget. But now the report suggests as well certain flaws in design and product evaluation which could jeopardize the efficiency of the aircraft itself, and would then certainly lead to another batch of budget rises. Officials have acknowledged the original concept for the F-35 was overly optimistic, as it called for starting production long before thorough flight tests were completed. The F-35 program office called the inspector general’s report “thorough” and “useful,” but played down the findings. In a statement, the office said most of the problems cited had already been identified by managers and that the report did not present “new or critical issues that affect the health of the program.” Out of 343 corrective actions recommended in the report, 269 had been carried out while a remaining 74 were underway, according to the program office. One should remember that the entire fleet of F-22 was grounded due to such flaws in the oxygen system. The conclusion is that all parts must be rigorous in achieving such a fantastic aircraft, else, the baddies will just laugh when they see one in the sky.
It has finally arrived, the first jet fighter flying without a pilot. The weakest link is out of the equation some would say, whilst others would argue that the pilot makes the difference in a mission. We have had this debate many times without being able to decide. But one thing is for sure, technology keeps going, as demonstrated by this first f-16 flight, without pilot.
Last week, the Air Force Association’ Air & Space Conference and Technology exposition highlighted the strategic future of the Air Force, according to what’s needed. And guess what – jet fighters are still in need. One could think that because of the development of drones, jet fighters would be less required for operations, but apparently the Generals in Washington think quite the opposite. The Gen. Mike Hostage noted the critical role combat air forces will continue to play in advancing the nation’s interests. He said that Air Combat Command’s ability to provide relevant combat forces to the combatant commander will hinge on the recapitalization to a robust, fifth generation fleet,” Hostage said in reference to the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. The F-22 fleet, he added, allows for U.S. forces to “kick down the door”. Some argue that drones are better suited because in the end most of the decision locks out the human factor, but according to the Gen. Hostage, it is precisely the human factor that can lead to greater experience on the ground. The keys are jet fighter and advanced technology. While a decision between modernization of a fourth generation aircraft or recapitalization of the fleet with fifth generation fighters is not one he wants to have to make, Hostage said to him the imperative is clear. He added: “If … I must pick one or the other, to me, recapitalization is the only thing that makes sense,” Hostage said, adding that a modernized fourth generation aircraft would be irrelevant against adversaries’ advanced capabilities. Hostage cited Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, who said a fourth generation aircraft meeting a fifth generation aircraft in combat will be more cost efficient, but “it will be dead before it ever knows it’s in a fight.” Indeed. So it’s also quite funny to see the US salesmen push to sell 4th generation aircrafts to third world countries and other allies as they know exactly what they are selling, according to the Gens: junk.
We are back online after a full month off – meaning off the blog as we have been quite busy flying. And we are returning this month with some tech news about Russia – again. Russia has announced they were currently working on the 6th generation of aircraft. But the big news is that this aircraft would be pilotless. They are not talking about drones, but about pure jet fighters. Russia is currently testing its prototype fifth-generation Sukhoi T-50 fighter, a manned aircraft that made its first public appearance two years ago. The US is introducing its F-35, and European powers such as the UK and France have their Typhoon and Rafale fighters in service. All those nations have carried out research into pilotless designs. Russians did not specify which design bureaus were working on pilotless sixth-generation designs, but Russian military aircraft maker MiG said in May it was ready to go ahead with a research and development project for an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) based on its Skat prototype, after signing a deal with the Trade and Industry Ministry earlier that month. Mikhail Pogosyan, president of United Aircraft Corporation, the holding that unites the Russian aerospace industry, said last November that Sukhoi would focus on creating reconnaissance and strike unmanned air vehicles (UAV) in the near future.
What is also interesting is the timing of the announcement as the world struggles to decide whether to intervene in Syria or not. But also at a time when Russia is strengthening its position as one of the biggest arms seller in the world, and especially in emerging countries, including south east Asia. Clearly, pushing forward with this new pilotless combat aircraft would give the edge to Russia both in terms of military power, but also economically with the possibility to sell “old weapons”, such as the Sukhoi 30Mk2 to emerging countries. They have just done this, selling 12 of these jet fighters to Vietnam, given them enough power to destroy their close neighbors. The world is changing rapidly, both in terms of military balance, and technology will be the next key element. The Russians have clearly stated with their announcement that they understood this perfectly.
The news went almost silent – the A-10 Thunderbolt is now inactivated in Europe. This is big news and not so much because the operations are ended in Europe, but this is big for the reasons why the squadrons have been inactivated. For 71 years, the men and women of this fine squadron have ensured America’s security. The 81st Fighter Squadron piloted many of the most iconic and legendary aircraft the world has ever seen. At one time there were six squadrons of A-10s in Europe with over 140 aircraft and tens of thousands of Cold War ground forces preparing for battle. The 1st reason for the inactivation was purely financial. The Air Force proposed to the US Congress to rationalize some operations worldwide in order to fit the budget in times of financial constraints. The crisis has led into the termination of the A-10 Thunderbolt operations in Europe. The second reason is more strategic. The A-10 provides only close-air support to ground forces. The end of the A-10 follows the trends of the conflicts, and things have changed in Europe. Therefore so has the need for such aircraft in Europe. F-16s are better suited now to the situation in Europe. The A-10 however, is a great aircraft. The only United States Air Force aircraft designed solely for close air support of ground forces, the A-10 was built to attack tanks,armored vehicles, and other ground targets with limited air defenses. It also has a secondary mission, where it provides airborne forward air control, guiding other aircraft against ground targets. Aircraft used primarily in this role are designated OA-10. With a variety of upgrades and wing replacements, it should keep service in mainland USA until 2040. The A-10 has superior maneuverability at low speeds and altitude because of its large wing area, high wing aspect ratio, and large ailerons. The high aspect ratio wing also allows for short takeoffs and landings, permitting operations from primitive forward airfields near front lines. The aircraft can loiter for extended periods and operate under 1,000 ft (300 m) ceilings with 1.5 mi (2.4 km) visibility. It typically flies at a relatively slow speed of 300 knots (350 mph; 560 km/h), which makes it a much better platform for the ground-attack role than fast fighter-bombers, which often have difficulty targeting small and slow-moving targets. This is truly a superb aircraft.
Jet Fighter Rides wishes to be a reference for all fighter jet flights around the world. Flying a fighter jet is a once in a lifetime experience, a truly amazing experience.
