Lockheed's stealth C-130 successor revealed

[shrivatsa]

Forty years ago, the US Air Force tried to replace the Lockheed Martin C-130 with a super short take-off and landing (STOL) airlifter, with the Boeing YC-14 and McDonnell YC-15 as the candidates. Then, things got weird. Budgets grew, funding shrank and eventually the requirement transformed into something much larger. Thus, the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III was borne to replace the Lockheed C-141B Starlifter and the Lockheed C-130 continues into its seventh decade of active production.

What goes around always seems to come around in this business, and so it is with the YC-14 and YC-15.

Meet the Speed Agile. If the USAF is allowed to spend big money on a super-STOL C-130 replacement after 2020, this is Lockheed's idea for what it should look like. Boeing is also working on an alternative concept. The Air Force Research Laboratory has been funding both Lockheed and Boeing to work on wind tunnel models. Last month, the AFRL released these front and rear images of a 23%-scale model of the four-engine Lockheed Speed Agile concept. The wind tunnel model includes two Williams FJ44 engines. The Secret Projects forum found the images earlier today on AFRL's web site.
IMAGES: Lockheed's stealth C-130 successor revealed - The DEW Line

---------- Post added at 10:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 AM ----------

 

[Lankan Ranger]

That has GOT to be the nice design for C-130

 

[no_name]

This is an interesting project.

 

[vikrams]

This looks like,the father of j 20

 

[gambit]

Try this older article...

Fast STOL - Lockheed's Speed Agile

 

[cybertron]

This looks like,the father of j 20

false flagger!!!!

 

[no_name]

This looks like,the father of j 20

Just because it's black.

Actually the front looks a bit like B-2

 

[SQ8]

Stealth against what??
Insurgents and third rate armies armed with Mig-23's or F-5s?
Waste of money and resources..
Even if its aimed at an adversary like China.. why would you want to risk landing in anything else other than a secure safe zone..
and if you intend to bring a 500 million dollar transport into a Dusty, rough FOB.. your LO coating wont last that long.

The C-130's best replacement.. is the A400.. and its not lockheed or US building it.
The only possible thing it may replace is the gunship version of the C-130..

 

[untitled]

The C-130's best replacement.. is the A400.. and its not lockheed or US building it.

Your going to make a lot of people at Boeing very angry

 

[gambit]

Stealth against what??

Err...Radar?

why would you want to risk landing in anything else other than a secure safe zone..

There are plenty of C-130 missions that does not require landings.

The only possible thing it may replace is the gunship version of the C-130..

That version too.

 

[SQ8]

Err...Radar?


There are plenty of C-130 missions that does not require landings.


That version too.

If you intend to pull off another Geronimo perhaps then radar might be a consideration.
Paratrooping SF into hostile land.
But as a fleet wide C-130 replacement?

Even for a relatively better equipped nation like Pakistan.. US EW assets are enough to blind radars.
How many times would the US need to drop a whole battalion in stealth mode behind enemy lines, with ADA and fighter assets still active?
A small SF force makes sense.. and yes in that case such a platform may be ideal..
Or perhaps even to take over EC-130 missions..
But fleetwide.. it sounds like overkill.. just as those 700+ F-22's would have been.. and the 1500+ F-35's will be.
The threat simply doesn't exist.
If push comes to shove .. even current US mil-AF assets can provide dominating ability over planned Chinese assets.

 

[Jango]

Santro has a very good point. What is the point of having a huge fleet of stealth aircraft?

Waste of money if you ask me. But i looks cool.

The future for nations which cannot afford Stealth and want new is definitely the A400M

 

[gambit]

The Russians spent billions on equipment trying to compete with you guys in harsh economic times...and we all know what happened there.. The US is much better off today compared to the USSR back then.. still.. doesnt the current WORLDWIDE economic crisis demand a little frugality?

These programs predate the current economic downturn, at home and abroad. Their monies already allocated and in a way spent and the results are what we are seeing today. The knowledge gained and processes advanced can be shelved and resurrect at a later time.

 

[gambit]

If you intend to pull off another Geronimo perhaps then radar might be a consideration.
Paratrooping SF into hostile land.
But as a fleet wide C-130 replacement?

Even for a relatively better equipped nation like Pakistan.. US EW assets are enough to blind radars.
How many times would the US need to drop a whole battalion in stealth mode behind enemy lines, with ADA and fighter assets still active?
A small SF force makes sense.. and yes in that case such a platform may be ideal..
Or perhaps even to take over EC-130 missions..
But fleetwide.. it sounds like overkill.. just as those 700+ F-22's would have been.. and the 1500+ F-35's will be.
The threat simply doesn't exist.
If push comes to shove .. even current US mil-AF assets can provide dominating ability over planned Chinese assets.

EW may blind but also reveal in other ways. Being 'low radar observable' does not reveal but actually descends deeper into the clutter rejection threshold. The analogy is the difference between a shield versus camouflage. We may not be able to identify the shield holder but we can see the shield and its movement. In contrast, a well camouflaged soldier is usually ignored by any searcher.

Overkill? Yes. That is the goal. No threat? That is the goal as well. One's offense and defense capabilities are such that no threat can arise or decreases in severity. Why is that bad?

---------- Post added at 11:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:20 AM ----------

Waste of money if you ask me.

Thanks for your concern. But you do understand that it is our money, correct?

The future for nations which cannot afford Stealth and want new is definitely the A400M

Then talk to those nations.

 

[gambit]

Methinks there is a bug in the forum's software that is throwing posts out of response orders.