F-117 Nighthawk Replacement - Here's what you need to consider: The Seahawk may already be a viable multi-role strike aircraft, and it would look pretty dazzling, but the Pentagon wants to pursue a more capable next-generation stealth fighter rather than trying to revive an outdated fighter . design
The F-117 Nighthawk made a definite impression on Iraqi air defenses and the American public when it demonstrated its stealth technology capabilities in the 1991 Gulf War. But the iconic jet-black attack aircraft was eventually abandoned for technological upgrades and retired in 2008 in favor of the new F-22 stealth fighter.
F-117 Nighthawk Replacement
But what if the Nighthawk design had evolved into a carrier-based multirole fighter capable of flying farther at higher speeds with a larger weapons load? In fact, Lockheed proposed exactly this "Seahawk" in the early 1990s.
Bombs Over Baghdad > Holloman Air Force Base > Display
The iconic F-117 rifle has limited performance because it is a product of first-generation stealth technology. Although known as a "stealth aircraft", the F-117 is not capable of engaging enemy aircraft. It wasn't particularly fast, could only carry two bombs, relied on in-flight refueling to cover any significant distance, and had no radar of its own. New coats of expensive radar-absorbing paint had to be applied frequently. These aircraft are limited to the role of infiltrating enemy air defenses to attack strategic installations not too far into enemy airspace.
As a result, the Pentagon purchased only 59 operational F-117As and quickly transitioned to newer stealth aircraft that evolved into the B-2 bomber, the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, and eventually the "strike fighter combined" F-35.
But the Gulf War had raised Nighthawk's prestige in the public eye, and more importantly, in the eyes of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Seeing an opportunity, in 1992 Lockheed proposed the F-117N "Seahawk" to the US Navy.
The initial proposal, which was rather unambitious, involved only an automatic carrier landing system (ACLS) and corrosion-resistant coatings for the F-117. But the Navy is in the process of phasing out its pure attack aircraft (A-6 and A-7) in favor of the additional FA-18 Hornet and upgrading the F-14 "Bombcat" multi-role fighter with a significant ground attack. . A single-role stealth attack aircraft was not what the Navy was looking for: it wanted a real fighter with supersonic speeds and air-to-air capability, which led to its pursuit of the Joint Advanced Attack Technology program.
Behold The Most Detailed Photo Taken Of An Airborne F 117 Nighthawk In Over A Decade (updated)
After the initial F-117N was rejected, Lockheed designed a new aircraft that incorporated technology from several F-117B proposals rejected by the US Air Force and the British Royal Air Force.
The last iteration was the A/F-117X Seahawk, which threw everything but the kitchen sink into the fuselage of the Nighthawk. The Seahawk's wings spanned nearly 50% to 64 feet and were adjustable from 48 to 42 degrees of sweep, while additional horizontal ailerons were added to the tail. This was done to improve the Nighthawk's aerodynamics and low-speed handling to enable landing on transport decks. Visibility is improved through the bubble canopy. Of course, the Seahawk is also equipped with reinforced landing gear, ACLS, anchor hook and folding wings as standard for transport operations.
A more powerful F114 engine with afterburner, the same type used in the Navy's current Super Hornet fighter, would increase speed, possibly even allowing supersonic flight. Likewise, the Sea Hawk's range will nearly double to 970 miles.
The Seahawk also includes a multi-mode air-to-air and air-to-ground radar and an infrared search and track (IRST) system and can carry air-to-air missiles inside the bomb bay doors. , including the short-range heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder as well as the long-range radar-guided AIM-120 Scorpion. The Scorpion missile in particular could theoretically allow the underpowered F-117 to become a viable air superiority fighter, firing from a distance at enemy aircraft that cannot detect its presence. A bulge in the Seahawk's bomb bay would allow an increase in internal bomb load to 10,000 pounds (compared to only two 2,000-pound bombs on the F-117A), and there were even provisions for 8,000 pounds additional non-stealth bombs. the underwing hardpoints should be installed after the enemy radars have been removed.
Amazon.com: F 117 Die Cast Pullback 6 Plane Asst In Counter Display
Lockheed's proposal was for 250 upgraded stealth fighters at an estimated unit price of $70 million per airframe. The Seahawk was submitted to the JAST competition, but was rejected because the Navy was looking for a higher performance fighter. The Pentagon warned Lockheed not to continue promoting the plane to its champion on the Armed Services Committee at risk of its contract for the F-22 stealth fighter.
So the F-117 program ran quietly into the night. JAST eventually evolved into the "Joint Strike Fighter", the F-35. The Navy predicts that the F-35C stealth fighter will finally enter service in 2019, twenty-seven years later.
The F-35, touted as a cheaper, mass-produced alternative to the high-performance F-22 stealth fighter, has many detractors not only because it is inferior in performance to the F-22, but because delays and cost overruns infinite have caused it turned out. failed to make it much cheaper. However, the F-35 benefits from much more modern avionics and datalink than the Raptor, and the Pentagon relies on a combination of long-range stealth missiles and network warfare to minimize the deficiencies of the F-35.
The Seahawk may have become a viable multi-role attack aircraft, and that would seem quite surprising, but the Pentagon wants to pursue a more capable next-generation stealth fighter rather than try to revive an antiquated design. Investing for the long term may be the right call to make in a decade when a serious military challenge to US post-Cold War hegemony has yet to materialize.
F 117 Stealth Fighter 70mm Edf Jet. Scratch Build
Sébastien Roblin holds a master's degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and serves as a Peace Corps university instructor in China. He has also worked in education, publishing and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes about security and military history at War Is Boring.
Ruger 556 review, vg6 epsilon 556 review, msar stg 556 review, sinn 556 review, sinn 556 i review, meridian 556 review, eotech 556 review, precor efx 556 elliptical review, benchmade 556 review, surefire sfmb 556 review, precor efx 556 review, sinn 556 anniversary review
0 Comments