UK Changes JSF ASRAAM Configuration

[BUFF]

UK changes JSF configuration for ASRAAM

By Robert Hewson

04 March 2008

 

The UK has made a significant change to its weapons fit plans for the

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

The original UK intention was to clear four MBDA Advanced Short-Range

Air-to-Air Missiles (ASRAAMs) for internal carriage but this has been

revised to include two internal and two external weapons instead.

The configuration change was agreed with the JSF Program Office in the

United States late last year and was shown in public for the first time

during the Singapore Airshow in February. The external ASRAAM fit will be

common across all three JSF variants and could therefore attract interest

from other international customers, who will otherwise be tied to Raytheon's

AIM-9X Sidewinder.

The new ASRAAM plan is a 'work swap' that does away with the requirement to

clear the ASRAAM on the F-35's two internal air-to-ground weapon stations.

The integration team now has the more straightforward task of providing

underwing carriage on stations 1 and 11. The ASRAAM is a rail-launched

missile and internal weapons must be carried on a trapeze that swings down

clear of the F-35's weapon bay before they can be launched.

It has always been a credo of the JSF programme that external weapons

carriage fundamentally compromises the aircraft's very low observable (VLO)

design. Speaking at the Singapore Airshow, George Stanridge, Lockheed

Martin's vice president of F-35 Business Development, noted that, in

general, "if you see something hanging on the aircraft it means you are not

a VLO airplane". A new 'stealthy' pylon has been developed for the external

ASRAAM and MBDA notes that the finless missile already has a tiny radar

cross-section.

Carrying the ASRAAM outside the weapons bay brings several advantages,

primarily in allowing passive long-range - beyond-visual-range (BVR) -

engagements cued by the missile's seeker or the F-35's infrared search and

track sensor.

[MigBuster]

Ahh we dont need stealth - just buy a stealth plane and make sure its not stealthy - sounds good. Cant wait till we stick in a more powerful engine that reduces the top end to M0.8

[+Brainless]

UK changes JSF configuration for ASRAAM

 

Carrying the ASRAAM outside the weapons bay brings several advantages,

primarily in allowing passive long-range - beyond-visual-range (BVR) -

engagements cued by the missile's seeker or the F-35's infrared search and

track sensor.

 

Will be interesting to see how this works in practice. Has it been tested yet I wonder?

[+76.IAP-Blackbird]

I would prefer the Super Phantom insted of a F-35 it`s just lke a playstation with wings... now less stealthy than before

[JediMaster]

Wait, they're talking about using an ASRAAM seeker for BVR???

[EricJ]

Carrying the ASRAAM outside the weapons bay brings several advantages,

primarily in allowing passive long-range - beyond-visual-range (BVR) -

engagements cued by the missile's seeker or the F-35's infrared search and

track sensor.

[JediMaster]

So we can use the seeker for a WVR missile for BVR...we just can't use that missile for BVR.

[MigBuster]

So we can use the seeker for a WVR missile for BVR...we just can't use that missile for BVR.

 

Thought it had the PIRATE IRST for that - and since when can a passive IR seeker give enough information for a BVR shot - thought you needed a laser range finder or something - and a very clear day.

[+SkippyBing]

I thought PIRATE was a Typhoon thing?

 

Obviously you can get bearing from an IR seeker, if you track something for long enough you'll get a range of bearings due to the relative motion between the two. Once you have enough data you can generate a position course and speed for the other unit, like passive ASW, with the processing power in modern fighters it should be possible to do this fairly quickly. Alternatively, once you've ID'd the contact, you know how big it is and then it's just a question of how big it appears in the sensor and some simple maths.

[MigBuster]

I thought PIRATE was a Typhoon thing?

 

Obviously you can get bearing from an IR seeker, if you track something for long enough you'll get a range of bearings due to the relative motion between the two. Once you have enough data you can generate a position course and speed for the other unit, like passive ASW, with the processing power in modern fighters it should be possible to do this fairly quickly. Alternatively, once you've ID'd the contact, you know how big it is and then it's just a question of how big it appears in the sensor and some simple maths.

 

 

It is - me posting without thinking again

[Russkie Raider]

Have they learned nothing in uing the Harrier?

[+littlesmoke]

"...'stealthy' pylon..."

 

oh yeah!

[+76.IAP-Blackbird]

I would build a Harrier from scratch, put a better engine in it and call it Super Harrier!

[BUFF]

I give you P.1154 ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Siddeley_P.1154

[+76.IAP-Blackbird]

The Brits are capable to build very good planes, most of them look more complete than a prototype, but what do they do?!

 

http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http...3DE263%26sa%3DN

Buying american mainstream fighter. Maybe the want to use the technologie and build their own stealth fighter later ....

[BUFF]

partly politics & partly economics - a modern system is so expensive that very few nations can afford to go it alone (hence Jaguar, Tornado, Eurofighter etc.).

Rafale is supposedly likely to be the last all-French fighter.