Stealth fighters off to the boneyard.

[Swoop]

Remember when "stealth" was leading edge, secret technology?

Last F-117 Flies Off To The Boneyard.
March 13, 2008: The U.S. Air Force is retiring the last of its F-117 light bombers. Long called the "stealth fighter," the F-117 was designed from the start as a bomber. But the aircraft is now 27 years old. It's really 1970s technology that, after years of effort, was made to work in the 1980s. But better stuff is out there, and the stealth technology of the F-117 is obsolete when it comes to some of the more recent sensor developments. The new F-22 will be a direct, and more effective, replacement for the F-117 as a light bomber. Plus, the F-22 is also a superior fighter.

Earlier attempts to take the F-117 out of service ran up against political opposition. Bases would have to be closed, which means lost jobs. The air force worked out deals to take care of that angle, and the last active duty F-117 will be retired in April, 2008. The last class of F-117 pilots graduated two years ago. A total of 558 pilots were trained to operate the one seater aircraft. Ten aircraft were retired in late 2006, and another 27 in the last 15 months.

The first F-117 flew in 1981, and 59 were eventually built. Six crashed due to non-combat causes, and one was brought down due to the efforts of a clever Serb air defense officer, who exploited the chinks in the F-117s stealth technology. But starting in 1989, when an F-117 participated in the invasion of Panama, the aircraft proved its worth. The usual bomb load for the 24 ton aircraft, was two one-ton laser guided bombs, in an internal bomb bay. The F-117 almost always attacked at night, and took out a disproportionate number of targets compared to non-stealth bombers.

The stealth technology used was such that no two F-117s were the same. As the aircraft were produced, new techniques for applying the RAM (Radar Absorbent Materials) were developed. The first planes had sheets of RAM glued onto the airframe. More than halfway through the run, a new spray-on technique was developed. This technique was changed several times before the 59th F-117 was manufactured. Several different treatments have been used for the wing edges, cockpit rim, access panels, and other areas. As the material degraded or was damaged over time, several different repair techniques were used. Access panels were another variable, as some aircraft had to have the RAM scraped off to open them while others had treatments that provided easier (and less destructive) access. Stealth works in various ways, and stealth aircraft use a combination of techniques. The basic concept, however, is to make the stealth RAM coating one-fourth of a radar wavelength thick. In this way, some of the enemy radar beam is reflected by the surface of the RAM and more by the metal under the RAM later. Because this second element travels a half of a wavelength farther than the first element, it exactly cancels out the radar wave.

The retired F-117s are being put into storage (the "boneyard"). There, for the next decade or so, the bombers can be recalled to service.


Photo caption.
A pair of specially painted F-117 Nighthawks fly off from their last refueling by the Ohio National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing. The F-117s were retired March 11 in a farewell ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Kim Frey)

[Swoop]

Also... remember the B-2 that crashed on Guam?
It is NOT YET back in the air again.

U.S. Air Force Col. Tom Bussiere and Maj. Rich Collins take off in a B-2 Spirit named the Spirit of Florida, April 15, 2008, at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. The flight was the first since a B-2 crashed in Guam in February. Bussiere is the 509th Operations Group commander, and Collins is assigned to the 394th Combat Training Squadron. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Charles Larkin Sr.

[HenryDorsetCase]

thank you for my new desktop wallpaper....

[Tank]

It makes me cringe that countries can retire technology that is many decades beyond what NZ could ever thing of putting in the air.

[Swoop]

It makes me cringe that countries can retire technology that is many decades beyond what NZ could ever thing of putting in the air.
You will love this then...
Gotta hunt down those jetski fuckers! John Banks will be concerned.

New Zealand Lowers Its Sights.
May 19, 2008: New Zealand is upgrading its fleet (two frigates and a coastal patrol boat) to better deal with terrorist attacks. The 20mm Phalanx weapons on the two frigates will be modified so they can attack small boats or jet-skis. Currently, the Phalanx systems can only attack incoming missiles or aircraft. The upgrade will cost about US$20 million.

[Steam]

Also... remember the B-2 that crashed on Guam?
It is now back in the air again.

No, the crashed one is total wreckage.
The Spirit of Florida flight is news because it's the first time any B-2 flew since the crash, they were all grounded for checks.

[Skyryder]

I've heard that the next generation of fighter bombers are so secret the Govt does not even know they exist.:spudbn::spudbn:


Skyyrder

[Swoop]

No, the crashed one is total wreckage.
The Spirit of Florida flight is news because it's the first time any B-2 flew since the crash, they were all grounded for checks.

Doh! My bad.

[Devil]

You will love this then...
Gotta hunt down those jetski fuckers! John Banks will be concerned.

New Zealand Lowers Its Sights.
May 19, 2008: New Zealand is upgrading its fleet (two frigates and a coastal patrol boat) to better deal with terrorist attacks. The 20mm Phalanx weapons on the two frigates will be modified so they can attack small boats or jet-skis. Currently, the Phalanx systems can only attack incoming missiles or aircraft. The upgrade will cost about US$20 million.

Phalanx vs Jetski, oh boy i'd love to see that video! hah

[more_fasterer]

Phew! From the title I thought you were getting rid of your VFR :blink:

[Swoop]

Phew! From the title I thought you were getting rid of your VFR :blink:
Not for a while yet!

[mowgli]

Gotta hunt down those jetski fuckers!

Yep! That'll fuck 'em

[Swoop]

Yep! That'll fuck 'em
Do you realise that the Phalanx has a reputation?
For practice, a fabric "banner" target is towed by an aircraft using a long cable. The Phalanx targets the banner and destroys it... then tracks the cable and works the rounds up the cable.
Pilot's get nervous!

[young1]

Amazing aircraft, I would love to see one flying

[mowgli]

Do you realise that the Phalanx has a reputation?
For practice, a fabric "banner" target is towed by an aircraft using a long cable. The Phalanx targets the banner and destroys it... then tracks the cable and works the rounds up the cable.
Pilot's get nervous!

Yeah maybe, but the target must be closing with the ship in order for the phalanx to engage. The tow aircraft is at the end of a very long cable and well out of danger by the time the target is within the engagement envelope for the phalanx.

[Steam]

Yeah maybe, but the target must be closing with the ship in order for the phalanx to engage. The tow aircraft is at the end of a very long cable and well out of danger by the time the target is within the engagement envelope for the phalanx.

The upgrade they're talking about includes manual and automatic targeting, it's basically a $5000 computer, $100 joystick, and $20,000,000 of software.

[mowgli]

The upgrade they're talking about includes manual and automatic targeting, it's basically a $5000 computer, $100 joystick, and $20,000,000 of software.
Yep. The original was design was intended to take out anti-ship missiles. ASMs are still prolific but a more likely threat today is fast inshore attack craft. Phalanx was never designed to track let alone engage targets travelling so slow, hence the need for the upgrade.

[nudemetalz]

Yeah maybe, but the target must be closing with the ship in order for the phalanx to engage. The tow aircraft is at the end of a very long cable and well out of danger by the time the target is within the engagement envelope for the phalanx.

What's tow-aircraft could NZ use?
A Piper Cub or Tiger Moth.....??:lol:

[mowgli]

What's tow-aircraft could NZ use?
A Piper Cub or Tiger Moth.....??:lol:
Used to be the Aermacchi. Now a learjet.

[MattRSK]

Is America not going to bomb again?

[Coyote]

I've heard that the next generation of fighter bombers are so secret the Govt does not even know they exist.:spudbn::spudbn:


Skyyrder
Aurora Scram Jet. Supposedly, the most publicly well known black project since the original stealth fighter, thanks to the internet. Can't be sure if it's real since it's a 'conspiracy theory' (well not really but that's category all nay sayers chuck things into) but it sure sounds cool :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_aircraft

Believe what you will. It makes for a good story either way :D

I have Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere. When you damage the Aurora, the AI program sends you to the Electrosphere dimension which is the coolest level on any game ever! It'd be awesome if they made an updated graphics version.

[Coyote]

The upgrade they're talking about includes manual and automatic targeting, it's basically a $5000 computer, $100 joystick, and $20,000,000 of software.
Someone is making money somewhere...

[Brett]

My only comment is that our military is a F&CKEN joke. crop dusters with shotguns and row boats with spear guns.

[Timber020]

Yep. The original was design was intended to take out anti-ship missiles. ASMs are still prolific but a more likely threat today is fast inshore attack craft. Phalanx was never designed to track let alone engage targets travelling so slow, hence the need for the upgrade.

you can imagine a 21st century Bismark vs swordfish problem arising couldnt ya?
The Bismark had an awesome anti aircraft defence management system, capable of taking down any of the most (then) modern fighters the enemy may throw at them.
Problem- The british sent swordfish torpedo bombers, aircraft so pitifully slow that the air defence system couldnt track them as it was set up to fight faster modern aircraft. The result was the planes got through, crippled the bismark and set it up for being sunk by british warships.

Look at the aircraft graveyards outside Tucson on google earth, they are MASSIVE. Might see the F117 there real soon.

[Wally Simmonds]

My only comment is that our military is a F&CKEN joke. crop dusters with shotguns and row boats with spear guns.

I'm pretty sure our military is pretty good for what it is designed to do. There doesn't seem to be as much need for weapons that are used in nation vs nation fights anymore.

[Swoop]

F-22 Replaces F-117
May 20, 2008: The U.S. Air Force has reactivated an F-117 "Stealth Fighter" squadron (the 7th Fighter Squadron) and equipped it with F-22 fighters. Because of its extraordinary performance characteristics, and stealthiness, the F-22 now perform bombing missions previously taken care of by the F117. The most dangerous of these involves attacks on enemy air defense systems. Once those defenses are damaged, less stealthy aircraft can go in with less risk of getting shot down. The F-22 is also the most effective air-to-air fighter available.

The 36 ton F-22 has internal bomb bays, to enhance stealthiness. Thus it can carry two half ton smart bombs, or eight 250 pound SDBs (ground penetrating Small Diameter Bombs) internally, in addition to a pair of air-to-air missiles. If fewer bombs are carried, six air-to-air missiles can go in the four internal bomb bays. Using the external hard points, which makes the aircraft more visible on radar, an F-22 can carry about four tons of bombs and missiles.

The F22 has the most advanced radar and electronic warfare gear of any jet fighter. When you include the cost of research and development, each F-22 ends up costing nearly $400 million. But for pilots in combat, it's money well spent.

The F-117 was based on 1970s technology and entered service in 1983. It was actually a 24 ton light bomber. It had two internal bomb bays, and typically carried two laser guided bombs. The F-117 was not a jet fighter, and was not as stealthy as the F-22. Only 59 were built and, taking inflation into account, cost about as much as a F-22. The last F-117s were retired earlier this year.

[Swoop]

Since the very effective wall has been built around Israel which prevents suicide bombers getting through, the mortar/missile threat has increased. A partial solution is the Phalanx.


May 22, 2008: Although Israel is desperate for a weapon that will defend key targets from Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza, last year they turned down the one system known to work. That's because the system is foreign. It's a modified version of the U.S. Phalanx ship defense system. The Israeli government is still under tremendous pressure to do something, and they don't want to invade and take over Gaza.

There are already two Israeli anti-rocket systems in the works, but it will be several years before these are available for service. Meanwhile, Hamas has greatly increased the number of rockets and mortar shells fired into southern Israel. It's up to several hundred a month.

Two years ago, some Israelis noted that the American and British were already using an effective anti-rocket system; C RAM. This is a modified version of the U.S. Navy Phalanx system, which was originally designed to protect warships from anti-ship missiles. As originally designed, you turned Phalanx on whenever the ship was likely to have an anti-ship missile fired at it. The Phalanx radar can spot incoming missiles out to about 5,000 meters, and the 20mm cannon is effective out to about 2,000 meters. With incoming missiles moving a up to several hundred meters a second, you can see why Phalanx is set to automatic. There's not much time for human intervention, which is why the Phalanx has to be turned on and set to automatically detect and shoot at incoming missiles. But weapons engineers discovered that Phalanx could take out incoming 155mm artillery shells as well. This capability is what led to C-RAM. Now Israel is bringing one of these system to Israel, to see how well it performs in actually defending against Palestinian Kassasm rockets.

Since 2003, there have been two major Phalanx mods. In one, the Phalanx was adapted to use on land, to shoot down incoming rockets. This was done by using a larger artillery spotting radar, which directs Phalanx to fire at incoming mortar shells and rockets. Not all the incoming stuff is hit, but nearly 80 percent of it is, and every little bit helps. The second mod is for shipboard use, and changes the software so the Phalanx can be used against small boats, especially those of the suicide bomber variety.

Two years ago, Israel examined C RAM for possible use in defending northern Israel against another Hizbollah rocket attack. That's where Israelis apparently became aware of how C RAM could be used against Palestinian attacks using more primitive rockets. For defending northern Israel, C-RAM lacked the range to cover a long border against a variety of rocket types. But the home made Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza were another matter. Then, about a year ago, Britain bought a C RAM system to protect its air base in southern Iraq. A C-RAM Phalanx system, which can cover about four kilometers of border, costs $8 million.

C-RAM uses high explosive 20mm shells, that detonate near the target, spraying it with fragments. By the time these fragments reach the ground, they are generally too small to injure anyone. At least that's been the experience in Iraq. The original Phalanx used 20mm depleted uranium shells, to slice through incoming missiles. Phalanx fires shells at the rate of 75 per second. Another advantage of C-RAM, is that it makes a distinctive noise when firing, warning people nearby that a mortar or rocket attack is underway, giving people an opportunity to duck inside if they are out and about.

The first C-RAM was sent to Iraq in late 2006, to protect the Green Zone (the large area in Baghdad turned into an American base). It was found that C-RAM could knock down 70-80 percent of the rockets and mortar shells fired within range of its cannon. Not bad, since it only took about a year to develop C-RAM. Meanwhile, another version, using a high-powered laser, instead of the 20mm gun, is in development.

Israel has several small targets it wants to defend in southern Israel. The most frequent target is the town of Sderot. Since 2001, over 2,000 Kassam (homemade) Palestinian rockets have been fired at Sderot. Ten people have been killed, and over fifty injured. The Israeli army has developed a radar system that provides 10-15 seconds warning, which is enough time to duck into a shelter. But Sderot only has 80 bomb shelters, most of them built 20-30 years ago and in need of repair. If you want to reduce the casualties in Sderot (about one dead or wounded per 30-40 rockets fired), you need to reduce the number of rockets landing. One C RAM system can defend an area about four kilometers in diameter. This makes it possible to defend Sderot with one or two Phalanx guns, and one early warning radar. There's also a power plant and air force base in the south that could eventually be within range of larger Kassam rockets. One or two C RAM Phalanx guns at each would greatly reduce the risk of a Kassam doing any damage.

There are nearly 900 Phalanx systems in use, including some on Israeli warships. Most have not gotten these software mods, that enable the cannot to knock down rockets and shells, as well as incoming anti-ship missiles

[avgas]

Yes lets pour 20M into sinking ships.........shit it worked for the america's cup.
But hey at 20 knots we could get to the enemy in about 2 days.........
The day i tore up my air force enrollment was the day Helen put a nail in the strike wings coffin. Something about giving some sailors a VR ship.......give em a damn xbox for all i care.

[jrandom]

... it's basically a $5000 computer, $100 joystick, and $20,000,000 of software.

Not a bad industry to be in, eh?

Of course, products with less of an inherent market monopoly than Phalanx control systems generally suffer from this horrid thing called 'competition' which tends to make licence prices more reasonable.

:weep:

I obviously need to get into the 'killing things' business.

[hazard02]

I have Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere. When you damage the Aurora, the AI program sends you to the Electrosphere dimension which is the coolest level on any game ever! It'd be awesome if they made an updated graphics version.
None of the Ace combat titles after Electrosphere were ever as good as this was, damn that was a great game.

I'm sad to hear they're going. A piece of aviation history they are, and still an impressive feat of engineering nearly thirty years after they first flew.

[Coyote]

None of the Ace combat titles after Electrosphere were ever as good as this was, damn that was a great game.

Haven't played the others. It's a shame to hear that.

Ace Combat 2 was my favourite, though I liked the eerie quality of AC3. I played 2 player on Air Combat once, they should've had 2 player on the later versions

[Swoop]

A piece of aviation history they are, and still an impressive feat of engineering nearly thirty years after they first flew.
An interesting third picture there!
I was looking at Google Earth yesterday, and was surprised to see six F-4's on the ramp at NAS Miramar!
There must be a few still hiding from the boneyard.

An Israeli Kfir and a SAAB Draken also appeared to be visiting.

[marty]

the F4's are used as target drones, and as 'enemy' fighters.

[Morcs]

bah. the yanks should use a proper bomber:

i was fortunate to be at chicksands about 10 years ago to see the last ever one in the air :mobile:

[pete376403]

Does that RAM paint come in kawasaki Green? Shouldn't need too much.

[Swoop]

the F4's are used as target drones, and as 'enemy' fighters.
I know they are used as drones, but these were lined up on the dispersal flight line!

i was fortunate to be at chicksands about 10 years ago to see the last ever one in the air :mobile:
You do know that there is an airworthy one in UK at the moment?
It flew a couple of months ago.
Google "Vulcan to the sky".

[Swoop]

Some extra piccies of a burned out bomber...

Also Ike testing her rudder.

[EJK]

It's covered in white stuff...

[R6_kid]

It's covered in white stuff...

Yeh, thats because it evapourated the firemen out of their suits!

[Morcs]

So when are the US gonna turn all these bombers in Megafortresses.

surely you guys have read dale brown novels :2thumbsup

[chrisso]

So when are the US gonna turn all these bombers in Megafortresses.

surely you guys have read dale brown novels :2thumbsup

im reading ""Storming Heaven '' at the mo........great book. I think Osama Bin Liner read it before 9/11...............( oh no the CIA will be watching me now, better put my tin foil hat on :Police:

[Blackbird]

Sooner or later, someone is going to get a photo of Aurora. There's a photo of the "doughnuts on a rope" con trail at dawn when it left Macrihannish airbase in Scotland under the cover of dark, but that's all at present. I think a British Airways 747 captain is also reputed to have spotted it.

[NighthawkNZ]

You will love this then...
Gotta hunt down those jetski fuckers! John Banks will be concerned.

New Zealand Lowers Its Sights.
May 19, 2008: New Zealand is upgrading its fleet (two frigates and a coastal patrol boat) to better deal with terrorist attacks. The 20mm Phalanx weapons on the two frigates will be modified so they can attack small boats or jet-skis. Currently, the Phalanx systems can only attack incoming missiles or aircraft. The upgrade will cost about US$20 million.

There is more upgrades than just the upgrading the CIWIS . and its slight more than one coastal coastal boat... the 4 inshore IPCs are replaements for the Lake class PC that were decommissioned in 1989(ish) the 2 Off shore PV (OPV) to to take the strain off the ANZACs so that they can be deployed as operational. Instead of having to be deployed as fishery patrols or Search & Rescue... etc

I wouldn't want to be arguing with a Phalanx system firing a full burst at 3000 to 4500 rounds a minute... it would make a total mess of my paintwork :crybaby: