The F-35 is about to become a POWERHOUSE
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II, also commonly known as the Joint Strike Fighter, is about to undergo a largely classified facelift that promises to turn the technologically advanced aircraft into a far more capable fighter.
New upgrades include 17 new weapon systems, powerful new radar, expanded electronic warfare capabilities, powerful propulsion upgrades, and more - much of which remains tucked nearly behind the veil of mountains of classified funding.
Here's what we know.
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Further Reading:
F-22/F-35 Hybrid Fighter: www.sandboxx.us/blog/just-how...
F-35 problems: www.sandboxx.us/blog/how-the-...
F-35 Dogfight: www.sandboxx.us/blog/can-the-...
F-35 vs Su-57: www.sandboxx.us/blog/the-most...
Citations:
TR-3: www.af.mil/News/Article-Displ...
L3 Harris: www.l3harris.com/sites/defaul...
Block 15: aviationweek.com/defense-spac...
EW Receivers: www.militaryaerospace.com/com...
AN/APG-85: news.northropgrumman.com/news...
Radar: aviationweek.com/defense-spac...
Pratt & Whitney: www.popularmechanics.com/mili...
XA100: www.sandboxx.us/blog/the-air-...
Chaff: aviationweek.com/defense/docu...
Пікірлер: 3 400
HOLY CRAP GUYS, THE F35 IS GETTING A MITOCHONDRIA!!!
@MrAjmay1
Жыл бұрын
But only from its mom...
@alexlohan2988
Жыл бұрын
@@MrAjmay1 hehe… I see what you did there
@gups4963
Жыл бұрын
But is it Mighty?!
@damianketcham
Жыл бұрын
@@MrAjmay1
@mainiac4pats
Жыл бұрын
Don’t forget the chaff!
The F-35 is less an aircraft than a complex networked computer system. Many of its significant warfighting capabilities are related to its computing capabilities. The fact that these capabilites can be hugely enhanced over time without rebuilding the airframe is a major warfighting advantage.
@AB-or1uz
Жыл бұрын
@Brian Waas Look up "Out Of The Shadows [Dutch F-35s]" by Frank Crebas. F35's are more than capable of competing against 4th gen fighters in dogfights. Here is an excerpt on page 35. "Knight divulged a little more information about flying basic fighter maneuvers (BFM) in an F-35. ‘When our envelope was cleared to practise BFM we got the opportunity to fight some fourth generation fighters. Remember, back then the rumors were that the F-35 was a pig. The first time the opponents showed up [in the training area] they had wing tanks along with a bunch of missiles. I guess they figured that being in a dirty configuration wouldn’t really matter and that they would still easily outmaneuver us. By the end of the week, though, they had dropped their wing tanks, transitioned to a single centerline fuel tank and were still doing everything they could not to get gunned by us. A week later they stripped the jets clean of all external stores, which made the BFM fights interesting, to say the least…"
@thomaswillman4187
Жыл бұрын
@Brian Waas Are you qualified to make this assessment? If so how?
@amistrophy
Жыл бұрын
@Brian Waas the F35 is supermanuverable and can consistently outfight Slick F16s while under combat load. It has the most powerful jet engine in service on a fighter, massive control surfaces, as well as a fly by wire system that allows full exploitation of aerodynamic instability. Never mind the fact that new missiles like the ASRAAM, AIM9X,IRIST etc employ Off boresight targeting capability Allowing the pilot to utilize the F35's 360 sensor coverage to aquire lock, link that info to the missile, and send it off the rail burning whatever fucking direction they want, including directly backwards. Oh yeah and with the new helmet integrated displays that can see through the plane itself, the process is simple.
@amistrophy
Жыл бұрын
@Brian Waas EA6 prowler is also retired btw. Old old platform that served well for it's time. F35 currently utilizes growler (EA18) EWAR tech integrated into it's airframe organically.
@techtical7079
Жыл бұрын
@@amistrophy "the F35 is supermanuverable and can consistently outfight Slick F16s while under combat load." No. It's not "supermanuverable" not even close, the aircraft was never designed for dogfighting, it's also not expected to really see any dogfights. An F16 outclasses the F35 in maneuverability, speed and engine power. The F35 is stealth and extremely advanced, however it does not compare to 4th generation fighters in maneuverability.
My whole family appreciates and watches all of your content. As a retired Navy man, I would love it if you consider doing an episode on what a future Carrier air wing will look like with both manned and unmanned aircraft. It seems like the F-35's capabilities will make this possible sooner rather than later.
5:38 - 5:47 A change from 5 to 20 is described as "a 75% increase", but that is not a 75% increase; it is a 300% increase (an increase to 400% of its previous version). (A 75% increase would be 5+.75x5 = 8.75.)
@wkgurr
2 ай бұрын
Hahaha, the increase is exactly what the purveyors of this scrap heap claim it to be. Even if it is minus 100% the dealers trying desperately to selll this lemon will serenade about its steller performance. The F35 is and always was dead on arrival.
@jamesedwards6173
2 ай бұрын
wkgurr, I guess it's nice you proudly parade around your ignorance?? 🤷♂️
@newhailman
12 күн бұрын
The math police strike again 🙄
@jamesedwards6173
12 күн бұрын
@@newhailman Percentages mean very specific things. Use them correctly. The error in this was BAD.
@newhailman
12 күн бұрын
@@jamesedwards6173 oh come on, a decimal here, a decimal there what's the difference 🙄
Looks like we are going to get the Block 4 version here in Finland, yay!
@LRRPFco52
Жыл бұрын
There is a tiny window of time where Putin has to invade before Finland’s F-35A Block 4 orders start delivering and get into operational status with the Finnish Air Force. Once Finland has enough of its order, any Russian invasion will be curb-stomped with blistering losses to their force structure in the Saint Petersburg Military District and any additional forces allocated for the invasion of Finland. The problem is that Russia has intelligence based on what it wants to see regarding Finland, not what the reality is. They don’t even understand or accept the events of the Winter War and Continuation War history, but instead have created their own version of the Russo-Finnish wars from 1939-1944 that have very little relationship to reality. Either way, they see Finland as belonging to them, created by the Czar in 1809. Due to Finland’s tiny population, they assume it’s just a pushover to take, far less of a challenge than Ukraine. What they don’t understand is the Karelian Isthmus and how it channelizes any ground combat elements into a kill zone. There are no basing footprints from which to stage and successfully invade north of there, because there’s nothing but forest and lakes along most of the border, uninhabited on both sides. Putin appears to be leaning on NATO members like Turkey and Hungary to delay Finland’s accession to NATO, in preparation for the invasion so that Article 5 can’t be implemented.
@BaldHeadedManc
Жыл бұрын
You gone get some kid's r' us f-35's
@MeanLaQueefa
Жыл бұрын
👍 nice
@bevpotter9938
Жыл бұрын
Canada as well. Nice.
@mike4769
Жыл бұрын
Putin gave this comment a thumbs down
If they're already doing this for the F35, just imagine the B21 and NGAD...
@classicgalactica5879
Жыл бұрын
@@sporkconsumingsoup The USAF announced approximately two years ago that it had already flown a 6th generation fighter jet, and that it had broken records. What precisely that means is anyone's guess, and it has been crickets since.
@twixxtro
Жыл бұрын
@@classicgalactica5879 tr3b black manta
@Noisy_Cricket
Жыл бұрын
@@classicgalactica5879 I think what will make the NGAD 6th gen will be very high speed, long range, huge (for a fighter) stealth weapons bay capacity (6-8 AMRAAMs + 2 Sidewinders), extreme A2A radar and infrared tracking distances, the ability to command and mange drones + manned F15EX missile trucks, and a 2 seat configuration (1 pilot + 1"RIO"/drone manager). As great as the F35 is, I imagine there's a need for a "RIO" type to help sort through all the information to actually take full control of a very large air battle. And the F35 needs more range and speed for very high threat environments. I think the NGAD will serve that purpose.
@ssssooooooooooooo
Жыл бұрын
@@sporkconsumingsoup The secretary of air force said just a couple of days ago that they are planning to have 200 NGAD-fighters and about 1000 drones.
@jamesturner9651
Жыл бұрын
@@Noisy_Cricket for better or worse I imagine the role of “RIO” is going to be filled by AI.
I'm test pilot for B.A.E,,and I've been lucky enough to fly this aircraft, amongst others,,this is by far the best of integration, weapons delivery,multi targeting and stealth, although it can only be flown supersonic,for a limited time,but man,,it's awesome.
@chrisroach5821
8 ай бұрын
How long can it be flown supersonic?
@michaelmckinney401
8 ай бұрын
@peterarmsrtong6928 i hate a phone warrior whos sat at home on a PlayStation thinking that makes him an expert on real aircraft don't you?
@ZimZam131
8 ай бұрын
@@michaelmckinney401Why do you think it is not possible for an actual pilot to comment on a KZread video? I work for a defense contractor and I’ve met plenty of pilots, including F-35 pilots. They’re people just like the rest of us.
@nemiw4429
7 ай бұрын
@@ZimZam131because there are more liars then pilots. So chance to meet a liar.liar.pants on fire is higher uhhhh rappy mappy.
@ZimZam131
7 ай бұрын
@@nemiw4429 The way he describes the aircraft is enough to convince me. Integration and weapons delivery are key elements a lay person wouldn’t think to contrast against other fighter platforms.
Thanks for the update on this incredible aircraft. Word has it that the top secret add-on is a back seat and separate canopy for a launchable R2-D2. 😊
@Legion-xq8eo
Жыл бұрын
R2 could be my wizzo anytime!! 🤣😂 he’s the OG wizzo imho
The F-35 going to be in service for decades it's worth every penny. The fuel savings of the Adaptive cycle engine will easily outweigh the cost of development and upgrades.
@therealman2016
Жыл бұрын
But it’s crazy how a f-18 is less expensive to fly still
@Kman31ca
Жыл бұрын
That'll probably be the next major upgrade. Probably around 2030ish once the tech has matured.
@user-os6ch5pt7w
Жыл бұрын
@@therealman2016 Not by much, and it depends on what evaluation you go by. They, also, forget to add in the maintenance on all the pods the F/A-18 needs to do its job, too. That come standard on the F-35.
@Eboreg2
Жыл бұрын
Let me let you in on a little secret: upgrades in fuel efficiency on jet fighter engines are not meant to reduce costs but increase range.
@actionjksn
Жыл бұрын
They aren't doing that adaptive cycle GE engine, they are getting the cheap one from Pratt and Whitney with minor improvements.
F-35Bs alone have revolutionized Allied carrier warfare. Japan will soon be operating its first fixed-wing carriers since WWII. Unthinkable without Japanese F-35Bs.
@roninjedi2494
Жыл бұрын
Revolutionized as it the first carrier defense fighter that lacks the range and fuel to intercept long range bombers thus making the carriers completely vulnerable with zero defense to long range anti ship missiles? Yeah sounds revolutionary in the completely wrong direction. That’s why the PACOM defenders are begging for the 15 EX’s to get to Guam and the navy is searching frantically to get a new interceptor with fuel to actually be able to protect the fleet which the f-35’s cannot
@Chuck_Hooks
Жыл бұрын
@RoninJedi If Japan is in combat with China, it won't be alone. It will be Japan and the US. Meaning Japanese F-35Bs will be operating with American F-35Bs operating off Wasp and America-class plus Japanese and US Aegis ships that will have an answer for Chinese bombers.
@user-os6ch5pt7w
Жыл бұрын
@@roninjedi2494 500nm combat radius from a flat top is MORE than enough to intercept threats from China. What are you smoking? The EX has a combat radius of ~600nm.
@marrqi7wini54
Жыл бұрын
@@user-os6ch5pt7w 600nm? I think you mean 600km.
@youtvcdvb
Жыл бұрын
@@marrqi7wini54 Nautical miles. Its a little more than a mile.
I remember everyone complaining about the cost to develop this program about 7-10years ago, but it’s definitely proved it’s value to today
I remember the A-6 TRAM that made the modern upgraded planes totally different from the Vietnam era versions. They were still a Bomb Buggy, but they were much more accurate bomb buggies and in all weather.
Each F35 is an AWACS plane to a group of 4th generation fighters, through Link 16 and soon Link 22. It’s already a truly amazing machine.
@fredwerza3478
Жыл бұрын
It's highly classified, but there are rumors that each F-35 can also control & command 10 Predator drones during combat and recon operations --- mind blowing stuff !!
@Karl-Benny
Жыл бұрын
So is the Gripen and has been for years
@fowlerfreak7420
Жыл бұрын
Link 22 complements Link 16, MADL is compatible with both. Just to clarify in case someone thought they were mutually exclusive.
@garydobbs5159
Жыл бұрын
It’s a inferior knock off of a F22 and won’t stand a chance against Russias 5th Gen or Chinas. Piece of crap. Small wings. Very little maneuverability. It can fight long range but so could the F4 Phantom my dad flew in Vietnam but we know what happened when a face to face dogfight occurred. This is todays F4 Phantom.
@uwannakatana3990
Жыл бұрын
@@garydobbs5159 lmao China doesn’t have true 5th gen aircraft and the Russians don’t even have enough SU-57s to fill an estire squadron
You can tell just from the intro that Alex is VERY excited about this one.
@ffdv7458
Жыл бұрын
I thought he was having a stroke
@carkid7640
Жыл бұрын
@@UnCannyValley67 the only one confused is u who clearly can’t understand sarcasm lmao embarrassing
@mrspaceman2764
Жыл бұрын
Hell yeah, we were told the F35 would be the US multirole workhorse until around 2070. These upgrade percentages make it seem possible now. And we're just getting into adaptive cycle engines. We can kind of imagine where it'll be by 2040, when they'll be deploying the next generation after these upgrades.
@Inertia888
Жыл бұрын
To be fair, this new RADAR is pretty frickin' sweet. And that's not even getting into whatever they have for sensor fusion, (part of 'Kill Web') which I feel like not many people in the world really know the true current capabilities of.
@freedomisnotnegotiable
Жыл бұрын
F-35 is already the laughing joke #1 in this world… absolute ridiculous never in real action, probably cannot even shot a $12 hobby ballon from the sky. The F-35 is the best example of how corrupt, destroyed and useless the American Military industry has become…
I'm imagining high altitude F-15s, loaded to the gills, functioning as missile trucks, and the F-35 as a gun sight of sorts.
F35 is literally definition of jack of all trades who can also fire missiles
@galvinstanley3235
5 ай бұрын
Not just missiles but it can also shoot cruise missiles.
They are doing The Big Rewrite! A point about doubling the range of target acquisitions is the exponential jump in area that represents.
@granatmof
Жыл бұрын
USN is currently outranged by China's truck based anti-ship missiles. If the US lost even one carrier defending Taiwan, the American public may think the cost is too high to defend Taiwan. As Ho Chi Minh demonstrated you don't defeat the American Military, you defeat the American People and Politicians. Without public support, the US military is dramatically limited.
@dgthe3
Жыл бұрын
@@granatmof My guess is that hitting a carrier would solidify the resolve of the American people. Namely because it would almost have to happen as a surprise attack when the carrier is sitting in a vulnerable position. Post day 1 they get way harder to hit.
@Gunni1972
Жыл бұрын
And the SAM sites the Radar will awake.
@brycemedvin8765
Жыл бұрын
@@granatmof Yeah, except that first striking a US aircraft carrier is probably the easiest way to get the American public to 1000% support bombing and counter-attacking you into the stone age...
I understand the issues involved for the engine upgrade. The more advanced engine sounds great, but it is very new. The less capable engine is still a big upgrade in a mature field like jet engine design. My first concern is reliability. The F-35 is a one-engine fighter, so there may be no real option but to go with the most tested and most durable engine we have right now. The more advanced engine design will have its day.
@gagepoynor7997
Жыл бұрын
those jet engines are so advanced that more goes into making one of the turbine blades alone than most entire planes throughout history. They're so advanced, that any nation that somehow got their hands on even a full f35 would have its ability to reverse engineer or analyze other thigns. "These nano coated ceramic alloy turbine blades are kept cool through microscopic tubules throughout the material, but it appears when we touched something uh oh and then tried to soft fire the engine, and it just exploded instead
@thomaswillman4187
Жыл бұрын
Look at how the P51 Mustang Merlin engine developed over a long period of time, and beet Ford's twin cam all aluminum engine that looked great and had all the potential but was too new to bet on!
@Adierit
Жыл бұрын
@@gagepoynor7997 Learning how to apply that coating would take production of infrastructure, and tooling. While they might be able to understand its basic concept, actually reproducing it would take decades of trial and error.
@amazin7006
Жыл бұрын
The point of an upgrade is to learn from the past problems of the same platform and fix reliability issues. More often the new engine is more reliable...
@bushcraft4life964
Жыл бұрын
Be nice to field a few for let's say "testing" of the GE version!
I've always thought that the F-22 was the shiny object to the world while the F-35 was the weapon they should have been worried about. Compared to the way upgrades went back in the '80s during the Tomcat Hay Days, upgrades just seem to be exponential in their advancement and probably leaving others in the world with their head spinning. They're still working on figuring out the original version.
@nelson_rebel3907
11 ай бұрын
The 22 is still the (current) most deadly aircraft in the Air. But yea the 35 is quickly shaping up to be the true threat in a legit war scenario.
@SteepSix
10 ай бұрын
Be good to see the F-35 gain a true super cruise ability and extended range. The F-22 can still out pace the F-35. When your air force must needs protect an area as fast as Australia, high supersonic cruise and extended range capabilities are a potent asset. F-22 cannot be purchased though, so our hopes must lie in the potential for such an upgrade to the F-35. Maybe GE's new engine will deliver in the block 5 upgrade...
@Matthew-rp3jf
9 ай бұрын
F32 were over 200 mil each. F35 are closer to 80 i think
@TheNucMed
9 ай бұрын
@@Matthew-rp3jf Correct, and as we get to full rate, the price is going to drop. The F22 was never or ever will be available outside the USA. The F35 was designed to aid our allies. Sections are manufactured here, in Italy and Japan.
@TheNucMed
9 ай бұрын
@@nelson_rebel3907 Absolutely. The software capabilities and modular capabilities make the F35 a real contender. With that said, the F22 is by far the deadliest aircraft on the planet, which is why it is not available to any country but the USA. While the F35 has a cross-section that of a small bird, the F22 is that of a bumblebee. So yeah, it has air superiority in the bag. Despite what other countries claim...is just BS. They have nothing compared to the USAF.. Full stop.
The background videos are super dope. Really cool formations with different fighters. Love all the LN jets!
At first, I wasn't too crazy for the F-35, but now, I'm stoked about it!
@LRRPFco52
Жыл бұрын
Safety performance alone justifies the JSF program in spades. With the 4th Gen fighters, we lost 515 airframes with 189 fatalities in their first 10 years of operational service alone. F-16 had 143 airframes lost with 71 fatalities in the first 10 years, safest single engine fighter in USAF history up to that point. USAF has only crashed 2 F-35As so far. USMC crashed 2 F-35Bs, UK lost 1 F-35B off QE, USN crashed 1 F-35C. Japanese Air Defense Forces lost 1 F-35A with the only fatality in the entire program’s history so far. All European nations have never crashed or lost an F-35A/B so far. First flight was Dec 2006. That’s just not a thing, and yet here we are.
@frankwainwright7826
Жыл бұрын
@@LRRPFco52 the UK is a European nation 💀 apart from that well said
@STB-jh7od
Жыл бұрын
@LRRPFco52 F-16 issues were caused by faulty gyroscope and USAF knew about it and covered it up for years
@STB-jh7od
Жыл бұрын
@LRRPFco52 F-16 issues were caused by faulty gyroscope and USAF knew about it and covered it up for years
@Jack-it2pe
Жыл бұрын
@@LRRPFco52 Good comment, nice bit of perspective on things.
Finally a good summary of the F35s upgrades.
The F35 is such a gorgeous fighter jet. I'm currently playing Ace Combat 7 and am grinding missions so I can unlock it! That game is so much fun when you are playing with a flightstick and throttle.
This huge program really proves out the wisdom of making one "joint strike fighter" that all services can use. Yes, it resulted in compromises and delays in the design, but so much of modern weaponry is defined by electronics and software that is common to all variants and can be upgraded in sync.
@dirtysilver2841
Жыл бұрын
Yeah, except for the part where the plane is a death trap. The engine has a mechanical flaw where the drive shaft will split in two. When that happens the plane literally flips over and accelerates toward the ground in less than a second. This flaw cannot be predicted, avoided, or even stopped. It's a pray to Jesus it never happens flaw. So much so, ejection is not an option, even at 10,000 feet, because all that will accomplish is putting one self in the path of a crashing air craft. The solution was to design an ejection system that senses when that drive shaft even shimmies. When it does the pilot is ejected by computer fast to avoid getting trapped inside the plane, it often results in serious injury. These injuries are enough to remove pilots from their career fields permanently. Additionally, these engines run so hot, you can see them on thermals 10 miles out. Well before then enter any effective range of combat. In fact the engine noise is so loud it's become common practice to put a minimum flight speed on mission requirements as to behead of the sound at all times. This way targets can't know it is coming. If you nave never heard an F35, then you are in for a surprise. Bring protection, it is the loudest jet you will ever hear. The systems are so complex that when it makes 1 flight, it must enter a 400 hour man maintenance inspection, before it can fly again. All in all the F35 will cost 233 Billion dollars over the lift time of the jet. that is over 20 times the cost of an F15, with a fraction of the capabilities.
@ryanperry7956
Жыл бұрын
That’s a nice argument you got there, mind backing it up with a source. The teething problems of the early F-35s have long been ironed out.
@YommoBarIndustries
Жыл бұрын
@@dirtysilver2841 You've got a vivid imagination bro.
@wallyw4965
Жыл бұрын
@Dirty Silver yea its called innovation and research and development...all things have problems, they were worked out already...your the exact type of person the video referred to, a hater from past perception that doesn't speak to today...I saw all those videos from back then too, did you know we have only lost a grand total of 2 f35s? Russia has built a handful of wannabe stealth su57s and they routinely crash and burn during test flights...india fully walked away due to lack of stealth not happy with what they were seeing with its radar signature...gonna hate on a stealth plane, thats the one
@jamescarter8311
Жыл бұрын
@@dirtysilver2841 So, it's never happened.
Alex, apologies if I've misunderstood what you were saying, but going from five to twenty-five EW receivers is a 400% increase, not a 75% increase.
@Sarah-vp4sl
Жыл бұрын
I noticed that as well. But to clarify a jump from 5 to 20 is a 300% increase 400% would be 25.
Going from 5 receivers to 20 isn't a 75% increase, it's a 300% increase.
Canada is upgrading some of its CF-188's with new radar and other very advanced equipment. These likely will be from the Australian airframes she purchased. While also placing the order for the first 16 of 88 CF-35a's. The vastly upgraded Hornets will serve in the north where it is good to have the second engine and also serve as a base line to judge the advanced CF-35's performance. Canada may also choose to designate her F-35's as the CF-355a's.
@niweshlekhak9646
Жыл бұрын
Canada has no airbase in north, they are stationed either at Halifax or Vancouver. And for the single engine comment, Gripen and F-16 are both single engine and have been operating in the artic nicely.
@andrewolejarz5293
11 ай бұрын
@Niwesh Lekhak stop spewing garbage. The f35s won't be in Halifax OR Vancouver
@JollyOldCanuck
9 ай бұрын
@@niweshlekhak9646 Are you confusing the navy with the air force? The RCAF's primary bases are in Cold Lake Alberta and Bagotsville Quebec.
@niweshlekhak9646
9 ай бұрын
@@JollyOldCanuck yeah I think I kinda did.
@mandtgrant
8 ай бұрын
Canada is buying them for the airframe: they were given upgraded electronics at the same time Australia did. They just needed some lower time airframes to keep them in service longer
some things are worth paying for, and the biggest price tag is for the science behind this airframe. i come from the more traditional mindset of designing an airframe for its role, but i've been taught the lesson our adversaries would be wise to consider - knowledge IS power. and nothing knows airspace like the F 35
@bekeneel
Жыл бұрын
Yes over that time like a decade, that's peanuts for the US & their defense budget. On top of that many other countries joined & invested in the F35 program.
@saquist
8 ай бұрын
This was not worth paying for at all compared what we should have received. The F35 should never ever have been produced as 3 fighters in one. It should never have been designed concurrent with mass production, It should never have designed mass production stealth along side with sensor fusion. That should have been the next platform once the software was understood. It should have been 3 separate fighters at least. One should have been stealth, the other should have been a VTOL and the other a Navy fighter. The sensor fusion should have been given to the Navy fighter. The Airforce should have gotten the Stealth (as usual). That would leave the NGAD for the NAVY. Instead the Airforce will now spend double the money on the F35 and the NGAD. It makes zero sense.
I have flown many types of aircraft and when a pilot tells you he likes the one he is flying the best, it makes sense to believe him. F-16, F-15, F-18, F-4, and many pilots from other countries have all said that the F-35 was the best most awesome plane they had ever flown and they didn't want to go back. Having been in many friendly dog fights, knowledge is king followed by speed. It can be visual or electronic but that is the edge every fighter pilot wants. This plane coupled with all of its sensors offers so much info that it might lead to an overload of the pilot. I understand that they now have a threat analysis computer that prioritizes the threats and can actually engage them in the correct order of danger. The new off-boresight helmet also makes getting on the 6 o: clock unnecessary and makes them even more deadly. At the Red Flag exercise, the kill ratio was one F-35 to 15 F-15s. I was a head-on Sparrow guy and a tail-end AIM-9 guy but those days are over with this plane. In a 4th gen fighter, I would not want to go against one.
@cameronkrause4712
Жыл бұрын
you make some good points. I am not a pilot, but since my country, Canada, now is going with the f-35 instead of the Gripen, I am wondering if the f-35 is always the best choice. What happens if NATO gets loaded up with F-35's and then Russia comes up with satellite tracking, and ground based radar systems and planes with radar systems that make the stealth ability of the f-35 far less effective than it is right now? Seems like it might be wise to have a variety of planes that have different abilities. I don't like all the eggs in one basket when it comes to weaponry.
@Tommy-sn2dm
Жыл бұрын
Tracking planes with satellite? Satellite is way to fast
@De_cool_dude
Жыл бұрын
@@cameronkrause4712 have you seen Russia's excuse for a stealth fighter? And they do have radars that can track the F-35 (those are Russia's words, so take it with a grain of salt), but to track the F-35 the radar needs to turn on in the first place. When it does, itll eat a AARG-ER.
@kwkfortythree39
Жыл бұрын
@@cameronkrause4712 if F35B can be detected at practical distances, imagine how hopeless would be the non stealth planes. They could not even take off.
@drake101987
Жыл бұрын
@@De_cool_dude The radars that Russia can detect it with are long-wave radars that have no useful accuracy for attempting to shoot it down. The stealth is only from the short-wave radars. Those are the radars are used for targeting missiles. So, yes, Russia can see them coming but they can't do anything about it.
I am concerned that the F35 has been delayed and costly, but now it seems to be a usable warcraft. But the fact that is can be greatly upgraded without developing a whole new platform is outstanding. Being able to add major improvements is a huge advantage.
@niweshlekhak9646
Жыл бұрын
that was one of the purpose's of F-35, to be able to incorporate new tech.
@Rhaspun
11 ай бұрын
I remember when some members of Congress had complained about the F-15. It has its own issues when it was brought out.
@paul123ggggggggg
11 ай бұрын
thats because youre a sheep that listens to nay sayers to anything new.
@ARICKROSSPRODUCTION
11 ай бұрын
@@Rhaspun this TIME is different than 1975. things are really bad.
@nelson_rebel3907
11 ай бұрын
Yea this is actually one of the main reasons the F35 wasnt specifically designed as a pure air-to-air fighter because of how technology has largely made that idea irrelevant in a real combat scenario.
The new Electronic Warfare upgrades are insane. One of the biggest criticisms was how the air frame and software was specifically designed to upgrade without significant redesigns to the fighter. Critics took this as an ASSEMBLY LINE idea. Not the case. Just wait until AI starts chipping in. Scary
@TheNucMed
9 ай бұрын
Exactly.
The GE variable cycle engine should be utilized to save fuel, give longer range and overall performance.
@Chironex_Fleckeri
Жыл бұрын
For the Pacific, yes. Especially when tankers may be targeted by enemies at enormous ranges.
@granatmof
Жыл бұрын
@@mcs699 or just the block 5 or 6 or 7 revision. F35s are sticking around for a while even with the NGADs. The US is going to start sustaining a very diverse fleet of aircraft, though possibly the NGADs won't be available for export so NATO allies will have to rely on future upgrade revisions.
@RohanSingh-zc4bm
Жыл бұрын
We still don't really know for sure that block 4 upgrades include which engine.Earlier they were saying that block 4 will have adaptive cycle engines there are still some chances of it getting GE engines
@Gunni1972
Жыл бұрын
IF the frame can handle it, it also carries more load now, and wings do not just grow.
@Gunni1972
Жыл бұрын
@@mcs699 can you define "Soon"? i am not so certain after the F-35 program, any airframe will stay the way they were actually designed long enough, to actually create enough standardized spare parts. NGAD might become bigger than F-22, and probably not cheaper either. As for the B-21 Raider, Will it be that Modular Lego-plane that does everything, a subsonic Airplane does, if you switch out modules? Bomber, AWACS, Tanker, Drone control center. You'll need a lot of them, if things have to be done simultaneously.
Together with the Boeing fuel tanker drone and things like the loyal Wingman it can safely be said, we are working hand in hand with machines already.
@deltavee2
Жыл бұрын
Trust well placed. Properly prepared they will be able to carry out manoeuvres no human could, or want to, attempt, like missile-level G forces that would turn a pilot into strawberry jam very evenly distributed all over the cockpit. No human inside simplifies a lot of the equation. Add to that it will be semi-intelligent or better and will be perfectly happy to die to protect you. Russia simply isn't a contender and China won't have anything even approaching the high-level chip tech required. Best they can do on their own is cell phones and talking fridges. woo
@JoshDownin
Жыл бұрын
We've been doing that since the invention of machines; I'm not sure what your point is
Honestly, I think the GE XA-100 is the way to go. The more of that design manufactured, the more cost effective it will be to benefit the NGAD as well.
@alpacaofthemountain8760
9 ай бұрын
What’s that?
Thanks for your videos. I would love to see one about how the synergy of m16 armed soldiers and air superiority worked in combat. I'm referring to the role planned for an auto rifle using 223 ammo was meant to handle opponents with ak47s.
I remember when, as part of the YF-22 program, a special anti-overload cover with a tilting backrest of up to 75 degrees was planned. This was to help the pilot endure extreme g. It would be nice to add this to the next generation of fighters so the AI can outmaneuver the AA missile on its own. It was also then that the advanced GE F120 was created, which worked in a changed double-pass cycle, and now everyone is raving about what a super-hyper 5000 is, etc.
@srinitaaigaura
Жыл бұрын
Why bother dodging missiles if you could shoot them down with AI automatic defense? With sensors this capable the F-35 can do it easily.
@steveperreira5850
Жыл бұрын
Better yet, ground the useless pilots. They have not been needed for decades. Long ago digital computers replaced them. The military keeps them because the military is run by dimwit pilots, with no real vision, except for the desire to pick up chicks. Being a fighter pilot, helps a lot. I know all this stuff, I was in the military, I am a pilot but not a military pilot, And I’m an engineer who worked on big-time military projects including fat pig fighter called the F 35. Also the F 22. About a tremendous waste of money when drones is the real solution…
@steveperreira5850
Жыл бұрын
After all you have said it is clear that the pilot retards mission capability. Can’t you see????…….?????
@oliverherzog7702
Жыл бұрын
@@steveperreira5850 It depends on what mission you do with the plane. Most hot war mission could be tackled with drones, but some mission military jet aircraft do, can't be done by drones. Peace time air policing for one should and needs to be done by humans. But there is a slick T-7 with 1 - 2 AIM120/AIM9 would be more than sufficient. So there is not much of a point in having a cockpit in forward deployed F-/B-/(A)-planes.
@kingdomofvinland8827
8 ай бұрын
Why was the seat not included in the final design?
I'm quite sure when they designed to F-35, it was to be able to upgrade it continuously. There were a lot of critics out there saying that it was a turkey. But the more they fly this thing and learn how it operates, the more it's changing people's minds.
@trajhenkhet02
Жыл бұрын
Going forward building new fighters are going to take more than one nation to stay ahead. I think the F-22 is going to be the last single nation built/designed fighter for a few years. It takes more time money and effort to build one of these craft then any one nation, even the US of A can muster.
@thorwaldjohanson2526
Жыл бұрын
The f35 has been a huge success due to economy of scale. Nobody can compete with it. It is cheaper now than 4th fen fighters were, because they build so many of them and sell them to allies.
@Gunni1972
Жыл бұрын
@@thorwaldjohanson2526 Why do you think, it became cheaper? When the Idea for the F-35 was pitched to congress, they said it would cost about 35 mio$. So the Government ordered 2600 pieces. with the current price, no more than 1200 will be ordered.
@thorwaldjohanson2526
Жыл бұрын
@@Gunni1972 the cost is around 70 million right now. That is not that much compared to other fighter jets. A Saab gripen, usually considered a cost effective alternative is 85m, a Eurofighter is around 124m
@termitreter6545
Жыл бұрын
@@thorwaldjohanson2526 The 70m cost figure is nonsense. One of the few reliable numbers we hace is the predicted lifetime cost at purchase, which according to Germany, UK or Denmark is closer to 250 million dollar or even higher. The F-35 is an extremely expensive plane, and the cost estimates are constantly increassing. Look how this vid is praising the next costly upgrades, despite the aircraft not even being fully introduced. I thought its sensors and networking was amazing, so why do we need yet another radar upgrade? Mind, the Eurofighter, while not having full stealth, is designed as an expensive high end fighter. Only an F22 can compete with that planes flight capabilities. The F-35 was supposed to be a replacement for lower cost, less capable but more multirole workhorse aircraft, especially F16 and F18. Its was never supposed to be this expensive, thats why they made so many compromises, eg with its single engine and comparatively low flight speed. And thats a really big problem, the aircraft cant really fulfill the role that it was supposed to take. Its a fine aircraft probably now, but its taking away too much budget while delivering too little capability. Stuff like the hyped modern networking (which we had since the 80s) is trying to find a purpose for the plane.
So if I'm understanding this correctly, the TR-3 upgrade package includes a new CPU, probably upgrading from PCiE-3 to PCiE-5 for the extra data bandwidth in the process, new RAM, and an M.2 drive or three for not only more data storage but quicker access to that data, plus software updates that actually let the aircraft take advantage of all that new capacity, unlike Windows or iOS. Given the change in hardware, probably a new motherboard as well. Neat!
I love these, but as a software engineer I can not imagine how bad the CPUs were if they can lift power by 37x. 37x is the difference between Core2Duo P8600 and AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X, 2008 vs 2019. So not that big compared to commercially available growth.
@Pushing_Pixels
8 ай бұрын
I was thinking about that. The biggest change since then is the very large expansion in the number of cores modern processors use. I wonder if this kind of system leans on a smaller number of very fast "cores" or lots of parallel processing, or both? It's likely they are shifting from one to the other and have something like a big.LITTLE design ready to go (but a custom architecture). That kind of change would require a lot of re-writing of software to optimize. There's a lot of sub-systems feeding in data they need to co-ordinate and synthesize, and billions of lines of code already in this aircraft.
@tothphu
8 ай бұрын
I'm pretty sure each subsystem has its own process, which lends itself for parallel processing. As well as signal processing for individual sensors. The fusion part might actually turn out to be simpler than you think (or it might be more difficult). But I think those are pretty nicely parallelisable nonetheless.
@tothphu
8 ай бұрын
The billions of lines of code statement I think is so much more than reality. A few million lines of code can already do a lot. Billions is VERY hard to manage, plus not needed.
I never realized that the F-35 was actually smaller than an F-15
@srinitaaigaura
Жыл бұрын
It's tiny by jet standards. But it carries an incredible amount of stuff and fuel for that size.
@hehe-jg8zz
Жыл бұрын
It's stealth remember? It had to be smaller for lower radar signature. Also f-15 is incredibly huge! Maybe as big as mig25/31?
@Schnittertm1
Жыл бұрын
@@hehe-jg8zz It does not have to be smaller to have a lower radar signature. Shape, material, coating, engine intakes, vertical stablizers (or lack thereof in the case of flying wings), flight profile and a few more factors determine the overall stealth. Depending on who you ask and who does the estimates (real data is highly classified), either the F-22 or the B-2 or both can beat out the F-35 in stealth capability or are at least equal. The F-22 is roughly the size of the F-15 and the B-2, well, it is a bomber and therefore much larger, yet still maintains a very low RCS. In the case of the B-2, its successor, the B-21, should leverage a lot of new knowledge gained in the last decades to reduce the RCS even more and push it into a region of a smaller RCS than the F-35.
@ramesseum3188
Жыл бұрын
lol its obvious.. F15 length 19,7 meters its the biggest fighter in U.S Arsenal The Lightning is 15,7 meters while the Raptor is 18,9
@chrisg9080
Жыл бұрын
F-15's are huge. Everything is smaller.
I remember MacOS 7.6 waaaaay back in the late 90s right when Steve Jobs was coming back. No *apparent* change from 7.5 - you’d never know there was an upgrade from looking at it - but they’d picked through the entire OS and cleaned it up in preparation for MacOS 8.0. Which *was* a dramatic shift. In 7.6 my Mac was a hell of a lot more stable. And “virtual memory” was so good my Mac acted like it had twice the RAM. So I know TR 3 all by itself might turn out a dramatically improved machine.
So much better than the shorts. I shouldn't know what Alex looks like.
Not surprised, as a older PC Builder/enthusiasts CPU/GPU power has more than quadrupled in power/efficiency over the last 7 years. A couple modern $4000 CPU server could replace an entire $100,000+ server rack from 7 years ago. It's like the 80's/90's all over again how fast cpu/gpu power/performance is accelerating, even moresor now since AI is being integrated.
Terrific update Alex...keep it.up...you're killing it on air power!!!
Excited that we in Canada are getting the block 4
I would like to see more F35B model type aircraft. When carriers are sunk and runways are cratered, it just makes so much more sense for everyone to be using a supersonic VTOL. The British taught us how to land the F4U Corsair on carriers during WW2 and they are at it again with the F35B. They have developed the SRVL (Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing) which doesn't require fuel or ammo to be dumped to reduce weight like the VTOL landing. The SRVL could be used on land as well if needed. Now I do understand F35B carries less fuel and ammo than the other variants, but those are the deficiencies that need more work. I support thrust vectoring for all aircraft and missiles. Not for the fun airshow manuevers that bleed energy, but for turning an aircraft as tight as the human body will allow and for short take offs and landings.
@machtschnell7452
Жыл бұрын
The F35B can only go supersonic for a couple of minutes because of thrust vectoring nozzle.
@srinitaaigaura
Жыл бұрын
No point in making the aircraft more and more agile while the same old missiles get used. Why not put thrust vectoring on the missiles and let the plane fire them 360 degrees in any direction. That tech already exists but a lot can be upgraded.
@Nightsight971
Жыл бұрын
@@srinitaaigaura check out the mutant missile in development.
@wstavis3135
11 ай бұрын
@@srinitaaigaurathrust vectoring is already on missiles. Both Russian and American missiles have it and when the Soviet Union fell, it was one of the surprises that our defense industry learned as they gained samples of missiles to test and reverse engineer.
Alex, this was really exciting! I have a question. Are those pending orders from countries going to be filled by the pre-upgrade model or the new model or are those countries given the choice of which?
Love your content, nice to hear someone speak about our military with such enthusiasm & knowledge. Thanks for sharing bro.
@TheNucMed
9 ай бұрын
Refreshing for sure.
First video I've seen of yours. Not that knowledgeable about what a block chain or any of the seriously technical stuff you mentioned, but when you put it in simple terms I understood it. I think as I watch more of your videos I'll start to understand more. Really enjoyed this. Subscribed!! 😍
That GE Dual Cycle engine has been under development for over a decade and is now READY. That engine could be an on-going replacement for the P&W in legacy F-35s and original in the new block versions (except the vertical take-off models). The F-35 JSF will need that extra Dual Cycle range in the Pacific Theater. GIVE PACIFIC THEATER F-35s THE DUAL CYCLE GE ENGINE! If we're so interested in saving money and dulling the tip of the spear then give other theater F35s the upgraded P&W engine. OR... save the GE Dual Cycle engine for the GEN. 6 fighter.
I’m loving the excitement over the F-35. I really want this aircraft to succeed.
The thing I find bizarre is that Britain with the new Tempest fighter programme, supposedly with Japan, Italy and now Saudi Arabia, thinks it can deliver a fighter to compete with the F-35 in the mid 2030s. As the major driver of the F-35 I cannot see the US tolerating that considering the scale of their investment.
I love SANDBOXX
@blitskreegdeantioch5851
Жыл бұрын
Propose then
@biancaortegaa
Жыл бұрын
@@blitskreegdeantioch5851 We do, by watching
@BungieStudios
Жыл бұрын
Send a letter through Sandboxx confessing your love.
@buckeyesfan4700
Жыл бұрын
Your not the only one
@samdenham1181
Жыл бұрын
Same
Upgrades. Reminds me of a project I worked on for the MoD where the platform ran on Windows XP and EOL hardware. This was in the middle of the last decade. Good show Alex - very informative as usual!
@ravener96
Жыл бұрын
Its absurdly difficult to certify software for these stringent requirements. Its almost never worth the effort to replace something that works.
@granatmof
Жыл бұрын
@@ravener96 not just in defense, but anything where software certification and validation means the difference of billion dollar budgets. Corporations, labs, infrastructure. You name it, and it's been around for a while, there's old software running in the background.
@br0k3nman
Жыл бұрын
@@granatmof you said it. I’ve worked with cancer treatment radiotherapy systems. The front end had high end cpu and GPU computation suites. But the robots and controllers still ran on a pentium 2 era motherboard and Linux v1 kernel. But that was good enough because they were hardened for radiation and to keep the actuators and motors running with commands from the complex system. One of the most advanced robotics corporations in the world was using and sourcing ancient computer hardware because the certification procedure wasn’t worth it when the old stuff worked fine and was plentiful, and they even had it in the plan to buy from eBay and surplus govt/corp sales then certify in house to continue the life of their existing robotics systems. Crazy, but real and makes sense.
@Bobby-fj8mk
11 ай бұрын
@@ravener96 _ I know how difficult it is to certify new firmware for commercial airliners. They must be cutting corners in the military to make such major changes so fast.
@ravener96
11 ай бұрын
@@Bobby-fj8mk in the f35? its been flying for close to twenty years, i dont think there's any corner cutting on that ship.
the new chaff system is designed, developed and built in Australia. Australia's EA 18G growlers being the first aircraft fitted with this new system.
Great job AF! The modular design of the F35 allows the enhancements without developing a new air frame. Steps beyond Tesla's over-the-air updates and superior to older platforms!
@russelljohnson6243
5 ай бұрын
Tesla?
I saw both the F-35 and the F-22 fly recently at the Avalon Air Show. For airshow performance doing crazy maneuvers F-22 definitely still wins, and it looks better, but this thing is still pretty cool to watch. I dont think the enemy (Russia/China) has much of anything that will compete in the real world if we can get decent numbers of F-35, but it seems the higher generation of aircraft we build the less of them we get, can 1 F-35 defeat 10 of whatever the opponent sends up? I dont know, but I dont think it's impossible.
@Nightsight971
Жыл бұрын
That reminds me of a great quote a WW2 German Tanker made "One of our Tiger's was as good as 10 Sherman's. The problem was there was always 11 Sherman's".
@gikigill788
Жыл бұрын
The F22 is a surgeons scalpel, expensive and maintenance hungry but you won't see it coming and it will bleed you silently. The F35 is a much cheaper sledgehammer, not as refined or sophisticated but will gladly smash anything that has the misfortune to encounter it.
@jaggerpirtle3766
Жыл бұрын
We’ve already built a thousand F-35s, with orders of about 2,000 total F-35s in the US alone. The US has 700 already. I estimate ~3000 total F-35s fielded by the US and it’s Allies. That’s about triple the total of F-15s. Not a small amount of planes at all. For comparison, Russia has 78 fifth gen fighters in order with ~20 built, and China has built ~200 J-20s. Not sure how many they have ordered, but nonetheless they will be greatly outnumbered by the US and Allies.
@legallyfree2955
Жыл бұрын
@@jaggerpirtle3766 Your correct for the USA, when I said "we" i meant us here in Australia, I think we are going from about 150 frontline fighter type aircraft with the F18 and F111 together down to 75 ish for the F35, however in googling numbers to reply to you I discovered we also have 24 Super Hornets and 12 growlers that are probably not going to get retired soon so that will give us over 100 fighting aircraft so not as bad as I thought, thought still a little less than I think we used to have. But yeah, long story short I was wrong i should have googled that before typing it, I thought we were going from 150 to 75 aircraft for some reason but that is not the case.
@IrishCaesar
Жыл бұрын
1 F-35 and 10 F-16 beat the fuck out of 20 F-16s
Thanks Alex. Awesome info, editing and pace.
In depth reporting....nice...much appreciated ! The TEAM there is awesome.
I work in the IT department at the Lockheed Martin facility in Fort Worth, Texas, the main production plant for the F-35. Most of these upgrades are being integrated into the initial manufacture right off the line. If you were a country that's been waiting for your, say.....2021 order of F-35s to be delivered, would you rather receive your jets NOW without the upgrades and upgrade later or would you rather wait longer and get the latest and greatest?
With such upgrades I can’t imagine what kind of already integrated, endogenous systems exist on the B21 or what capabilities the NGAD/FXX can casually promise. Side note, I like the shorts but of course they can’t replace the long-form videos
@jonaboy3
Жыл бұрын
it's basically an F35 with no dog fighting and more payload. probably much of the same software & capabilities.
I’m always left wordless and left with little to comment upon. So a thank you for the efforts in time and production of these vids. Tom.
@accountantthe3394
Жыл бұрын
damn...low bar there
I think this was always in the works and they just designed the best platform for the technology that comes with time passing
Ok distributed aperture/distributed aperture on fighter planes is kind of cool… Same stuff as SARSat and imaging black holes. That’s just a massive win.
Here is hoping they go with the GE Adaptive Cycle Engine. It's capabilities pretty much put it on track as the engine of choice for the near future. I have also heard (cannot confirm nor deny) that one of the last parts of Block 4 will be directed energy weapons. There is a required caveat for this, which is the GE ACE.; This is the only engine that produces enough extra power to make directed energy weapons feasible. If all of these upgrades come to pass, the F-35 will almost certainly be a 5+ gen, or even _5++,_ fighter, closer to 6 gen than 5.
@skyhorseprice6591
Жыл бұрын
@@Kris-ib8sn Depends how the technology is implemented and how much experience is gained in the testing stage. Refresh my memory if I'm wrong, but wasn't the Ford class carrier problem mostly due to the implementation of EMALS launch technology before it was properly tested?
@skyhorseprice6591
11 ай бұрын
Yeah, that was one of the major issues. I believe there may have been a few more but EMALS was definitely a _big_ issue. I would hope that the Adaptive Cycle Engine program learns from such mistakes and is allowed to develop more fully.
great video, love the series! But 5 to 20 is a 300% increase, not 75% ((20-5) / 5)
@mendo1522
Жыл бұрын
Noticed that too. 75% decrease, 300% increase. 5:38
@boodebamboo
8 ай бұрын
I was looking for that comment! 👍
Going with GE's engine would have a major impact on logistic pipelines with two separate and very different engine. Compatibility for the F-22's IFDL with the F-35's MADL would be a smart force upgrade.
thanks, does it pass the sound speed w/o afterburner?
I saw somewhere recently that the newest F35s had enough spare power capacity to power the newest generation of 50 kilowatt lasers. I doubt they're miniaturized enough to fit into a pod yet, but if that is the case then I wonder if a short range smaller kilowatt laser anti-missile Point Defense pod may find its way onto the F35 soon.
@Valen-vl5ds
Жыл бұрын
Look up Lockheeds LANCE system. its laser weapon Pod that they delivered to the airforce last year
@defective6811
Жыл бұрын
@@Valen-vl5ds well there ya go. Geeze, if it works as it seems like it should, that is a seismic shift in how air warfare is conducted. I dare say it might feel like a dreadnought moment for air combat.
@thuydoan7496
Жыл бұрын
No, I highly doubt that. The F-35 was originally not built with laser weapons in mind. I believe the NGAD fighter jet will have a 1st Gen laser weapon onboard because I heard that it will be bigger than the F-35. The lasers will probably be used to take out enemy missiles.
@dpwellman
Жыл бұрын
If not, we'll always have Ill-tempered sea bass to fall back on....
@defective6811
Жыл бұрын
@@dpwellman are they at least _particularly_ ill tempered?
Great report Alex, thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise.
These AESA radars are just a bunch of little transmitters and receivers or transceivers that use beamforming to “scan” and “focus” the “beam”. My wireless router has beamforming too.
Your math is wrong on the 75% increase in radar detectors. Logic check, if you start with 5 and add 5 more, that is a 100% increase. So if you added 15 more that is a 300% increase because you are adding 3 times more the original amount.
Oh hell yes! I have been hoping for this. I hope we get the shiny finish too, provided it's viable. May as well go big or go home!
Increasing the internal weapons storage is crucial, otherwise nothing else matters Glad to see it.
@DinoNucci
Жыл бұрын
Wrong
@MrGriff305
Жыл бұрын
@@DinoNucci Right
The 'modularity' capacity of the 35 has been undervalued from Day 1. Also the powerplant was always just good not great.
Can’t wait for the f35 to arrive in my country, Belgium. Normally this year the first few should arrive, finally. Hopefully they will also have some of these upgrades although I doubt it.
When the F-35 was in testing and it got whooped by an F-16, everyone lost their minds (including me) but it was a very deceptive test. The software was so conservative in the F-35 that it was almost unfightable. But that was intentional. We just didn't know that's part of the test and eval program. The pilots even told the press and they still ran with it. It was a false narrative. Once they opened up the limits and made it like it was supposed to be, it would blow the doors off an F-16. So now we're really seeing the true teeth of the beast.
I can't wait for this beast!!! it really does need that extra cooling offered by GE's engine. Can Pratt provide the extra cooling?
@armchairgeneral7557
Жыл бұрын
I don’t think they can with current engine. They also have an engine similar to GE that is under development has third stream the pentagon designated xa101 that is competing with GE xa100. I understand the third stream is key to cooling. So yes they can provide it, but it is a brand new engine. I think GE has the edge if it came to engine replacement because they have already stated that their engine fits in all three f-35 variants. The marines would absolutely love that with the b model.
@twistedneck
Жыл бұрын
@@armchairgeneral7557 I think they key to this program is still the F35B, that's the special sauce that makes this program so great and to give that a massive boost via the GE A100 would be a multiplier for the other variants. F35B with the A100 would be frightening to the PLAA. string a bunch of Stingray's and watch this thing sink half the CCP fleet.
@DAAllan82
Жыл бұрын
Range improvements are even more important. 35% is MASSIVE, especially when we are looking at China as the real threat.
@twistedneck
Жыл бұрын
@@DAAllan82 i wonder if its going to be looked at as worth the extra 4.3 Billion and almost a year delay? I'd say yes because it gives you access to range and directed energy weapons these two things are the most important when it comes to China.
There is also the 'economy of scale' , if all F35s will receive this electronic upgrade, it is bound to become cheaper. And even more so *if* it can easily be adapted to other aircraft (which would probably not be possible though).
The software on the 35 is so voluminous and so complex that the inability to perform standard regression testing to identify bugs could have been chiefly responsible for many of the program cost overruns and "may" have led the mothership to buy two quantum computers to aid in the required throughput. Which could have been beneficial in achieving Program Readiness Review Combat Ready status. That is all.
Man, i hope they get those new engines they sound amazing, but if not, I hope the ngad platforms will get them, at least. But in all reality, the f35 needs them for range and power to run everything they want to run. So I hope they don't cheapen out on it. And can I say it's about time that f35 will be able to get the meteor on board iv been waiting a while to see that happen and with all their new and upcoming missiles their going to be something serious to deal with? I can't wait to see what this new rendition of the f35 can do sounds awesome though.
@invertedv12powerhouse77
Жыл бұрын
Theyll be getting one of them tbats pretty much certain
THANK YOU,Alex 😉😊. A terrific job. I really enjoyed this thorough review. 😁
Hard to not be impressed with the platform… it’s an amazing piece of technology (essentially a an airborne armed computer 😎)
Agile development is expensive initially but the benefit of using this way to manage fighter manufacture provides so much data and future ability to produce far faster and far more effective systems. The knowledge and capability increases not just for the f-35 but any future fighter jets that can far faster develop in the future rather than starting from scratch. People just do not realise this. The cost of future fighters are already going to be cheaper because of the data gathered from the f-35 programme. Many existing jets will also utilise the benefits developed with the f-35 programme (e.g stealth coating being one) GE sounds amazing 20-25% increase in thrust and distance thats impressive! When your hear about new tech like fluidic thrust vectoring on the NGAD and self repairing systems & wings that are modular and adaptable with multiple system built into the wing (sensors, Stealth, Comms, Energy weapons, scanning, Optical data recognition, Laser weapons internal weapons systems with AI able to take control of the fighter or a person remotely its feels like star trek technology!
I am not a fan of the 35. I was at Edwards Air Force Base during the testing. I'm glad to see the 35 finally gets it's just. With block 4, the 35 will be closer it what it was originally designed.
@chaosXP3RT
Жыл бұрын
It's American Propaganda. Su-57 is far superior
@granatmof
Жыл бұрын
@@chaosXP3RT hilarious either way
I want to see a video dedicated to explaining adaptive cycle engines.
Damn the F-35 getting cpu, ram, gpu and storage upgrades. If only my computer was an F-35 XD
I see these flying over Ft. Worth Texas frequently. I just hope they prove to be worth their price tag.
Under the rather unfortunate "build while designing" notion, block 4 is essentially what would normally be considered the completed "version 1". TR-3 and anything beyond block 4.0 are ideas and upgrades which go beyond the preproduction design expectation. Based on how the plane is designed to work, the EOTS upgrade is likely _more_ important than the radar upgrade. LPI radar is nice, but EOTS is the bread & butter of the F-35 in hostile airspace. In hostile airspace the radar upgrade will likely be more about it's passive array, ELINT, and EW capability (which granted, IS a huge part of the F-35's mind-boggling toolset). Worth pointing out the XA-100 doesn't actually offer +25% thrust. It would give 45,000 lbs of max thrust, while "current" production engines for the F-35 already offer 44,000 (with some tweaks looking at 48,000). But the GE engine does open up supercruise, because it's a 3-step engine instead of a 2-step. In stage 2 (out of 3) the adaptive cycle engine would allow for sustained supercruise (a feature which fell by the wayside with weight-bloat). The +25% range isn't "free" it comes at the cost of cruising speed. But it is very useful for situations where range is valued over speed. Basically its stage 1 for +25% range, stage 2 for supercruise at present range, or stage 3 for max thrust which is on par with the current production version of the P&W f135 engine. I don't know if the XA-100 has growth potential like the PW F135 did (going from 38,000 to 44,000 max thrust, and potential for up to 48,000). It may actually have slightly less max thrust. But the promise of supercruise without afterburner, or 25% greater range, is 'very' interesting. Engines are an ongoing & recurring cost though. Not a 'one & done' upgrade cost. They figure prominently in the "per flight hour" expense. I'm curious what GE can get the price down to.
@piotrd.4850
8 ай бұрын
Still, GE engine - if meets stated specs - will offer FAR MORE FLEXIBILITY in mission planning.
@kathrynck
8 ай бұрын
@@piotrd.4850 Oh, very much so. It's easily more desirable than (possibly) slightly more max thrust from the PW F135 engine. Assuming it can be made cost effective, and extremely reliable. PW F135 does have great reliability (apart from a few snafus where they were tinkering to eek more thrust out of it). I don't think the F-35 _needs_ all that much max thrust though. It's really designed to deconstruct the whole "dogfighting" dynamic. Being within 40km of an F-35 is a deeply unsafe place to be, even if you're behind it (assuming it still has AIM-120's left). 360 degrees of EOTS... the operative letter most don't appreciate is the "T", targeting. HMDS+HOBS+EOTS+30G missiles with high hit probability = dogfights will never look the same. And it's thrust to weight ratio or wing loading is not nearly as bad as it looks on paper, when you consider that it basically has the fuel capacity equivalent of "drop tanks", but on the _inside_ instead of added on like other planes do. If you look at thrust to weight with say 300nm worth of fuel on board, it stops looking overweight. I work for "the other guys", and the F-22 being picked over the YF-23 was bs. But they hit a home run with the F-35. The X-32 just wasn't on par.
Awesome content sir! You deliver!
I know how difficult it is to certify new firmware for commercial airliners. They must be cutting corners in the military to make such major changes so fast.
I'm all for the new engine, but the frame probably wouldn't sustain it. There were already problems with stress fractures with the existing engine, so 20% more power would almost certainly cause damage unless throttled. On the other hand, the extended range and durability would be great. I'd love to see the engines in the F-22 but the engines on that are dual thrust rather than single engine. But the cost savings from the durability increase of the P&W might be worth it even if it can't use the full power.
@john6234528
7 ай бұрын
I heard they are reinforcing the airframe with vibranium
I have been a bit slow to jump on the F-35 band wagon, but I think I might be ready to do that now. The main drawbacks I see are propulsion and weapons loadout. I believe it should have been designed for two engines and twice as many weapon systems. Surely there is a way to make external weapons stealthy, surely.
@thuydoan7496
Жыл бұрын
The F-35 serves as a multi role fighter jet and not for air dominance. Therefore, it does not require two engines which will take up more fuel and less space for inner weapons bay. It is after all, a stealth fighter jet.
@thuydoan7496
Жыл бұрын
I believe that the F-15ex that has recently been purchased, will fill the role as extra weapons carrier and they will use that to remotely shoot from an F-22 or even an F-35 fighter jet. Also, there is not much room for extra fuel on board the F-22 and F-35.
@spackle9999
Жыл бұрын
We have no enemy that will challenge us in the skies after a few days of war. They will be completely outclassed and refuse to fly against us, at which point we could hang coconuts on the outside of the plane if we wanted to.
@TheNucMed
9 ай бұрын
@@thuydoan7496 True. The F35 is already a flying fuel tank. From FS270 aft. Fuel in every nook and cranny.
@galvinstanley3235
5 ай бұрын
It's most likely going to have directed energy weapons of some sort in the future.
8:28 “Today’s F-35s fly with a maximum capacity of just 4 weapons stored internally...” It’s actually 10 internal weapons total currently and will remain that way when looking at 2x AIM-120 + 8x SDBs. Sidekick will increase the internal AAM count to 6x AIM-120/BVRAAM class missiles for an A2A focused load/mission profile.
@karlkobler218
Жыл бұрын
Imagine how many Peregrine missiles it’ll be able to carry. 8-12 with the same range as the aim -120?
@Ilyak1986
Жыл бұрын
@@karlkobler218 so what's the tradeoff on the peregrines? How are they so small? Are they not armed with an actual warhead and need to physically impact the target?
@LRRPFco52
Жыл бұрын
@@karlkobler218 Has Peregrine been funded? I've only seen funding and type classification of AIM-260.
@LRRPFco52
Жыл бұрын
@@Ilyak1986 If you look at the legacy guidance section architecture of an AIM-120, the boards were placed longitudinally taking up a lot of space behind the battery and seeker. This alone took up several feet just for the battery and guidance electronics. The current guidance board is a disk that takes up a fraction of the space, and modern batteries have gotten smaller. We also have had advancements in rocket motor propellant energy density. That's how you could build a HalfRAAM with the same WEZ as an AIM-120C5.
@Ilyak1986
Жыл бұрын
@@LRRPFco52 Oh. Oh my. That is *filthy*. An F-22 carrying 12 of these things or an F-35 with 8 almost screams "Ace in a Day". (I just feel like the current Ukrainian conflict would be a wonderful testing ground for these things.)
It seems to me that the engine option proposed by GE makes much more sense in both the near and longer term. Pay the freight and get 'er done rather than nickel-and-diming the issue until the platform is obsolete or as reached the end of its service life.
@Albertkallal
Жыл бұрын
The problem is that engine is VERY expensive. It would increase the cost of the F35 from 77.8 million each to about 100 million each. There is a big reason why the F16 (and now the F35) sold so well. Simple: The F35 like the F16 is a lower end priced fighter. Most nations can't afford a F15 at 125 million, or a Eurofighter Typhoon (also 120 million each). So, they buy a lower end priced fighter with "good" features. So, they go with a F35. Eurofighter/Typhoon: 120 million each Rafale: 94 million each F15: 88 million, but with combat package, 125 million each. Gripen: JAS 39 E/F: 85 million each F35: 77.8 million. So, the F35 is racking up big sales numbers - just like the F16 did, and as noted the reason is nations are more willing to buy a lower priced fighter like the F35 now (or f16 in the past). There is a big reason the F35 is the best selling fighter in 40 years. (and the answer is simple!). The F35 is selling much like the lower priced F16 did. So, most nations can't afford those more expensive higher priced fighters like F15's or Eurofighters, so they choose a lower priced single engine fighter like the F35.
@bobstovall9570
Жыл бұрын
@@Albertkallal Thank you for that analysis. I was unaware of the actual cost of alternatives. You reply puts all of that into sharp relief.
We finally got the bugs out of it, it's now time to appreciate and love this masterpiece!
I wonder... Why not make stealth missiles that could be carried under wing or perhaps partially submerged into the wing or just smaller missiles that could fit in the wing. Anyway I'm sure it isn't easy to do but adding firepower is paramount.
@bighands69
Жыл бұрын
It is possible that they have but it is more about how the missile sits on the underbody or wing rather than the actual shape of the missile.
@ChucksSEADnDEAD
Жыл бұрын
Stealth is based on absorbing and redirecting energy. Reflecting radar into the big nothing prevents the signal from being picked up. If a stealth missile reflects radar to the aircraft, and the aircraft reflects towards the missile, more energy bounces back to the radar receiver.
@danielloustaunau467
Жыл бұрын
they got mini missles but they could use extra rocket engine
@socratesa2536
Жыл бұрын
Simply put, adding anything to the external stores, even if it’s designed with stealth, decreases the stealth performance of the aircraft as it will increase the radar cross-section.
@jonathanpfeffer3716
Жыл бұрын
They actually have. Modifications to the Sidewinder were carried out to make the AIM-9X Block II+ more stealthy when mounted on the wingtips, to the point where it will have a very negligible impact on the F35s frontal RCS, although from side aspects it will increase its RCS by a somewhat appreciable amount.
All I hear is they’re about to pull more money from the personnel side of the military. Instead of waiting 1 month to be seen for a back injury, it’ll take 2 months. Instead of waiting 3 weeks to be paid after a finance error, it’ll be 6 weeks. Maybe they’ll even skim another 10% off retirement? Who knows.
The block 4 f35 is probably not designed to counter 5th gen fighter, but for 6th gen, it’s basically a 5.5 gen fighter that offers decent weigh aganist a 6th gen monster
Will these upgrades be fitted to all 35s currently in service or new jest only?