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FEATURES
Date Posted: 12-Jul-2010
Jane's Defence Weekly
Briefing: Fighter club
An overview of all the world's current production fighter aircraft, including those now in development. By Robert Hewson
The worldwide industrial base for combat aircraft is a small one. Only a handful of countries - France, Russia, the United States and perhaps now China - produce every component required for a complete platform. Other nations - such as Germany, Sweden and the UK - have very high levels of design and manufacturing skills, but have opted to join collaborative programmes or to buy in vital equipment because to do otherwise is simply too costly.
To these well-established names should be added a third list of countries who want to join the party. Nations like Brazil, Japan, India, Pakistan and South Korea are looking to get into the fighter business either by developing new versions of other people's aircraft, or by building their own. For some the task will prove too expensive or beyond their national technical means, but it is clear that today's 'old boys club' of fighter manufacturers could start to look different as the century progresses.
United States of America
Boeing F-15
Once seen as a programme that had run its course, Boeing's F-15 Eagle has experienced a complete renaissance. Two critical orders from South Korea and Singapore injected a new lease of life into the F-15, revitalising the veteran design with a wave of new technology.
In April 2002 Boeing won South Korea's hard-fought F-X competition and with it an order for 40 F-15Ks. In 2008 a follow-on order for 21 F-15Ks was awarded under the second phase of the F-X programme. A third F-X procurement for 40-60 advanced fighter aircraft is expected next year and, while South Korea is considering the Lockheed Martin F-35 for some or all of this acquisition, Boeing is heavily promoting its F-15SE Silent Eagle.
The F-15K, derived from the F-15E Strike Eagle, has been re-named the Slam Eagle. It is powered by General Electric's F110-GE-129, selected in preference to Pratt & Whitney's F100 engines that powered every earlier F-15E and derivative. The F-15K has a tailored systems fit that includes a Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)1 radar and Lockheed Martin's Tiger Eyes targeting system: an advanced Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting InfraRed for Night (LANTIRN) derivative. The F-15K also has the AWW-13K datalink to support the Boeing AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) weapon, for which Seoul is the first export customer.
Singapore's selection of the F-15SG was just as significant as South Korea's. Although the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) purchased fewer aircraft, it showed the South Korean win was not a one-off. The acquisition of 12 aircraft was announced in December 2005, rising to 24 in 2007. Deliveries to the first RSAF training unit began in May 2009.
The F-15SG is the most advanced F-15 platform to emerge from the St Louis production line. It is equipped with Raytheon's APG-63(V)3 active electronically scanning array (AESA) radar, making the RSAF one of just four air forces with an operational AESA capability. Other systems include Lockheed Martin's AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pod and a new infra-red search and track system (IRST). Like the F-15K, the F-15G is powered by twin F110-GE-129A engines.
In March 2009 Boeing unveiled a conceptual prototype for the F-15SE Silent Eagle, a 'stealthy' enhancement to the F-15E with several key airframe changes including modified conformal bays to allow internal weapons carriage. The F-15SE adopts the AESA, IRST, the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) helmet and other sensors proven in the F-15SG in a fused, networked mission system. Boeing has inferred that the Silent Eagle's radar cross-section matches the same low levels the US government has authorised for F-35 export customers. Export permissions for South Korea have been obtained and the F-15SE is likely to be offered to other potential customers including Israel, Japan and perhaps Saudi Arabia. The Silent Eagle will make its first flight and conduct initial weapons tests later this year.
Lockheed Martin F-16
Overshadowed by the F-35 programme, it is easy to forget that Lockheed Martin's F-16 remains in production and is still the world's most successful modern combat aircraft by almost any measure. Indeed, were it not required to do otherwise by the demands of the F-35, Lockheed Martin would be continuing to develop and sell the F-16 at a greater rate than is now possible. Having delivered 4,454 aircraft to 25 customers since the first F-16A was handed over to the US Air Force (USAF) in 1978, the F-16 currently has an order backlog of around 100. This ensures production will continue to mid-2013. Between now and then Lockheed Martin is looking to India for a crucial order that would secure a longer-term future for the F-16.
Over the past 10 years the F-16 gained continuous and respectable sales from Chile (10 delivered in 2006), Greece (30 delivered 2009-10), Oman (12 delivered 2005-06) and Poland (48 delivered 2006-09). Orders have also been received from Morocco, Pakistan and Turkey and deliveries to these countries are ongoing. Most recently in March 2010, 20 Block 52 F-16C/Ds were approved for Egypt. The last of these aircraft will be delivered in 2013 and so, under existing plans, it could be the final production F-16.
Deliveries are now under way to Pakistan - previously a blacklisted country to which F-16 sales were explicitly prohibited - as Islamabad is now a key US regional ally. The first three of 18 new-build Block 52 F-16C/Ds ordered in 2006 were inducted at Shahbaz Air Force Base (AFB) in June. From 2012 the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) will also take re-delivery of 45 F-16A/Bs (the latest number issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad), refurbished and upgraded by Turkey's TAI. The PAF still holds options for another 18 Block 52 aircraft.
Later this year deliveries will begin to Morocco of the 24 Block 52 F-16C/Ds Rabat ordered in 2007. This year and next Turkey will start to receive the first of 30 aircraft ordered in 2007.
Meanwhile, Taiwan's planned purchase of 66 F-16s has been stalled by intense political pressure from China, which has succeeded in halting the US export process for these jets.
With few other significant sales prospects on the horizon, India's MMRCA competition has immense importance for the F-16. The F-16IN variant offered to India is developed from the Block 60 F-16E/F produced for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and underlines just how much potential lay in the original YF-16 design. Billed by Lockheed Martin as "the world's most advanced fourth-generation fighter" (so as not to tread on any F-35 toes) the F-16IN is powered by a 32,000-lb thrust General Electric F110-132A engine and is equipped with Northrop Grumman's APG-80 AESA radar. The heavyweight airframe can be fitted with conformal fuel tanks and will be equipped with an advanced electronic warfare system. The F-16IN is a fully datalinked and networked aircraft capable of carrying a very wide range of air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons.
The F-16IN, along with the Gripen NG, occupies the lighter end of the spectrum of MMRCA competitors. It would seem to be one of the options that best meets the Indian Air Force's primary requirement for an affordable aircraft that can be acquired and operated in significant numbers. A win in India, if and when an MMRCA selection is ever made, would ensure the F-16 remains in production to the end of this decade and perhaps beyond. However, without that MMRCA victory the curtain is falling on this fighter from Ft Worth.
Boeing F/A-18E/F
Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and associated EA-18G Growler are the company's 'mainstream' fighter products today. For the US Navy (USN) the Super Hornet occupies an increasingly important place in the inventory, filling a critical space between ageing 'legacy' Hornets and the uncertain future of the F-35C. To date, Boeing has delivered more than 460 Super Hornets to the USN, with production proceeding at a rate of one per week. The 2008 arrival into service of the Block II Super Hornet saw the aircraft reach its full potential. This standard incorporates Raytheon's APG-79 AESA radar with full Link 16 Multiple Information and Distribution System (MIDS) and AN/ASQ-228 Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) integration plus the JHMCS helmet. The Block II aircraft also provides the baseline for the EA-18G Growler.
Under earlier plans US procurement of the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G should have ended with the current multi-year procurement plan (MYP2) which ends in 2011. This would have given the navy a total of 505 aircraft. Concerns over the delayed development of the F-35, plus a consistent fall in the year-on-year cost of aircraft, made the navy amenable to a Boeing offer for a further MYP buy (MYP3) of 124 aircraft. This will result in deliveries continuing to 2015 at least, bringing the total US fleet up to 629 aircraft. The company believes that a contract will be signed before the end of this year and says that it expects US production to continue beyond these 124 jets and at least until 2020. A secure future for the domestic production line will allow Boeing to redouble its export efforts.
There is currently one export customer for the Super Hornet. In March 2007 Australia selected the F/A-18F as an interim aircraft for the transition from the F-111 to the F-35A. In March 2010 the Royal Australian Air Force took delivery of the first of 24 aircraft on order. Twelve of these will be built to the so-called F/A-18F+ standard because they have been fitted for (but not with) the wiring and other airframe modifications needed for conversion to EA-18G standard at a later date.
The EA-18G Growler was developed to be the USN's successor airborne electronic attack (EA) aircraft, replacing the EA-6B Prowler in the defence suppression role. The navy has two operationally ready Growler squadrons (plus a training unit), with a third front-line unit now in transition. Each squadron operates five aircraft. Future capability upgrades to the Growler's AESA (which is still many years off) will allow it to function as an active electronic warfare system, alongside the aircraft's dedicated ALQ-218 jamming suite. The Growler retains the full air-to-air capabilities of the Super Hornet plus the Prowler's hard-kill capability with the AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) missile. This full spectrum of 'hard' and 'soft' EA capabilities will become increasingly important in future air warfare and the Growler now finds itself uniquely positioned to take advantage of that upcoming market.
Lockheed Martin F-22
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor will be the most advanced air superiority fighter in the US - and probably the world - for decades to come and yet it is an aircraft with no future. This seeming contradiction is due to the 2009 decision to halt F-22 production at just 187 operational aircraft. When the USAF conceived the Advanced Tactical Fighter programme in the 1980s the service expected to acquire 750 F-22 fighters. In the years that followed this number was repeatedly cut back until only enough F-22s remained to equip seven front-line squadrons.
The F-22 offers unparalleled levels of radio frequency (RF) 'stealth'. It is equipped with a Northrop Grumman APG-77 AESA radar and the BAE Systems AN/ALR-94 radar warning receiver: a highly sophisticated passive detector system that is a key element in the F-22's stealthy concept of operations. The F-22 is somewhat limited by its ageing suite of air-to-air weapons that includes the AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) and AIM-9X Sidewinder. However, the delayed introduction of the long-range, advanced-seeker AIM-120D AMRAAM should give the F-22 the beyond-visual range air combat reach it deserves.
The F-22 has frequently been sold as a versatile air-to-ground combat aircraft. While the aircraft has attack capabilities this is not part of its primary mission and a multi-billion dollar series of upgrades is required to give the F-22 its full set of teeth.
The US refusal to export the F-22 and the technologies contained therein, effectively doomed it when domestic budget cuts forced a premature end to production. The US was both unwilling and unable to build an affordably exportable F-22. After years of argument the programme was terminated in October 2009, with Defense Secretary Robert Gates noting that the F-35 was more modern, more affordable and, in many respects, more capable than the F-22. It will be some years before he can be sure he was right.
Lockheed Martin F-35
Better known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II should be the combat aircraft that dominates the 21st century from a sales and performance perspective. However, the programme has fallen significantly behind in its planned development schedule, making it impossible to claim much technical achievement for the aircraft so far. The F-35 is also mired in an intractable argument over cost, with the manufacturer and its customer - the US Department of Defense (DoD) - using figures and estimates that bear no resemblance to each other.
The goal of affordable JSF pricing relies entirely on a planned production number that many observers believe to be unattainable. Earlier this year Lockheed Martin stated a belief that 7,500 F-35s would be built over the lifecycle of the programme. This seems unlikely. The latest edition of the partner nations' memorandum of understanding for F-35 Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development (the PSF MoU) shows an estimate of 3,173 aircraft comprising orders from the US (2,443), the UK (138), Italy (131), Australia (100), Turkey (100), the Netherlands (85), Canada (80), Norway (48) and Denmark (48). These official numbers have remained steady for several years but all of them are now in serious doubt. Budgetary reality is forcing several customers to reduce their planned acquisitions (in the UK and Italy for example), while other nations such as Denmark and the Netherlands could drop out of the programme entirely.
The US DoD has already cut its low-rate initial production (LRIP) numbers, removing 211 aircraft from the 2011-15 delivery schedule to reinvest that money in F-35 development. Lockheed Martin and the DoD are now negotiating a price for 32 aircraft in the fourth LRIP batch (LRIP4), which the company says will be 20 per cent lower than government estimates.
This year has seen some notable firsts in the F-35 flight-test schedule, although all of these events have happened much later than originally planned. In March the short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35B reached a key milestone when an aircraft was flown into a hover for the first time and, on a subsequent flight, performed a vertical landing. An F-35B was flown supersonically in June. The first carrier-capable F-35C also made its maiden flight in June. That same month the first test aircraft to be equipped with actual mission systems was delivered to NAS Patuxent River, on what was the 107th test flight for the project in 2010. Two F-35As have been active with USAF test units at Edwards AFB since May, while four F-35Bs are flying with the USN/US Marine Corps. A fifth F-35B and two F-35Cs should also be flying by the end of the year. Lockheed Martin has a target of 395 test sorties in 2010.
FA/XX NGAD
The USN has a conceptual requirement for a notional 'sixth-generation' aircraft that might overtake the F-35C to introduce an entirely new level of capability around 2025. Introduced as the FA/XX but now referred to as next-generation air dominance (NGAD), the navy is looking for a strike fighter with a combat radius of around 1,500 n miles and Mach 2 performance. It is also considering a design that can be optionally manned. Boeing has self-funded several preliminary NGAD studies and other manufacturers are likely to have done the same.
Europe
Dassault Rafale
Dassault's elegant Rafale is now firmly established as France's fighter for the coming decades. Following several deployments to Afghanistan by the navy and air force, it also has the distinction of being combat proven, which sets it apart from its other European rivals. However, unlike those other aircraft, the Rafale has so far failed to win any export orders and has instead suffered several high-profile defeats in countries like Morocco, Singapore and South Korea. That may be about to change, however, as the Rafale is a serious contender in Brazil and India. The French government, through the personal intervention of President Nicolas Sarkozy, has attempted to negotiate several government-to-government deals for the aircraft, the most significant of which may be an agreement with the UAE to develop and supply an enhanced Rafale F4 version.
France has ordered 180 Rafales (134 for the air force and 46 for the navy) from a total requirement of 286 aircraft (228 and 58). A progressive series of upgrades has introduced new capabilities across the fleet. The initial entry into service F1 standard (for naval Rafale Ms) was superseded by the F2, which was introduced by the air force in 2004. These aircraft had a full multirole capability with Mica air-to-air missiles and Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) or GBU-12 guided weapons. The F3 standard was adopted in 2008 and introduced full AM39 Exocet anti-ship missile compatibility, the Reco NG reconnaissance pod and the ASMP-A stand-off nuclear missile. Further enhancements for 2010 include the Damocles targeting pod and the GBU-24 Paveway III. France's FY10 defence budget also included provision to buy 200 Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missiles (BVRAAMs).
A full AESA version of the Rafale's RBE2 radar has been developed by Thales and will be fitted to the 60 aircraft ordered in December 2009. These aircraft will still be known as Rafale F3s. The AESA will also be at the core of the so-called 'F4' standard being driven by the UAE's requirements. These aircraft will be powered by improved Snecma M88-3 engines and will have a weapons suite that includes the Meteor and the ability to carry up to three Black Shaheen (Scalp-EG) stand-off weapons. Deliveries of about 60 Rafales to the UAE are expected to begin around 2015, although officially no contract for these aircraft has been signed yet. As part of the deal France has agreed to take back the UAE's almost brand-new fleet of Mirage 2000-9s.
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Typhoon programme exists today in a steady state. Typhoon fighters are operating with 12 different units in six air forces, providing operational air defence for five nations (Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK). The sixth customer, Saudi Arabia, is working up its national training capability having qualified an initial cadre of instructors in the UK. These air force aircraft had chalked up more than 83,000 operational flying hours.
Although the Typhoon is still not capable of delivering the full range of operational capabilities touted for it, these delays are due mostly to the cumbersome decision-making process among the partner nations. However, some doubts surround the very slow pace at which meaningful ground-attack and heavy weapons capabilities have been introduced.
By late May, Eurofighter had handed over 221 production aircraft. This included deliveries to the UK (70), Germany (50), Italy (45), Spain (31), Austria (15) and Saudi Arabia (10). The Tranche 2 (T2) production standard is now firmly established, with 73 aircraft delivered on top of the initial batch of 148 Tranche 1s (T1s).
All T1 aircraft delivered before Block 5 (B5, the final capability standard for early aircraft) are being brought to B5 status through the R2 upgrade. By May this year 57 of these enhanced aircraft had been redelivered. All Typhoons produced in Tranche 2 and the future Tranche 3 will be designated Block 8 and Block 9. The previous sequence of Block designations proposed for T2 and T3 (Block 10 and so on) has been deleted. Under existing plans there will be no major configuration changes between the T2 and T3 (Block 8 and Block 9) aircraft. Saudi Arabia's Typhoons have the ancillary designation Block 8/9C.
Questions still surround the planned final production batch of aircraft, known as Tranche 3B. In a move to secure orders and maintain production line continuity, in 2009 Tranche 3 was split in two with only T3A placed under contract. While the Eurofighter consortium maintains that its members' procurement plans remain unchanged, several Typhoon partner countries are looking to divert some or all of these late-production aircraft to export customers.
All T2 aircraft will undergo the Phase 1 Enhancement (P1E) (the contract was signed in March 2007), which will become available in two releases (2011, 2012) and should finally deliver a full swing-role capability. The P1E plan includes: new software architecture; enhanced multirole man-machine interface; full digital IRIS-T air-to-air missile capability; expanded and completed laser-designation pod integration; enhancements of the MIDS datalink, Praetorian defensive aids sub-systems (DASS), communications, network centricity; and expanded dual-mode precision munitions capability (Paveway IV, Enhanced Paveway).
The next batch of enhancements is projected to be available after 2014. This will add further new weapons including: MBDA Storm Shadow and Taurus KEPD-350 cruise missiles; Meteor BVRAAM; a supersonic Paveway IV release capability; MBDA Brimstone precision missile; Boeing GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb; the option for an AESA radar and further enhanced DASS.
Saab Gripen
Saab's Gripen was the first of Europe's next-generation fighters to become operational and the first to win export orders. Sweden procured a force of 204 aircraft, split between the initial production JAS 39A/B and the current standard JAS 39C/D. Since the Gripen entered Swedish Air Force (SAF) service relentless budget cuts have reduced the number of operational aircraft to 100 flown by the SAF's three surviving wings (F7, F17 and F21). This fleet comprises all Gripen C/D aircraft and Saab is currently redelivering 31 early model aircraft that have been rebuilt to the latest standard.
In 2010 the Swedish government committed, in principle, to acquire an advanced Gripen fleet, equivalent to the latest Gripen NG standard, from 2015 onwards. This move would effectively see the manufacture of 100 new-build 'Gripen E/Fs' for Sweden. The Swedish government has also pledged to accelerate its own introduction of a next-generation Gripen if an export customer selects the aircraft in the near future.
Currently Gripen exports include the Czech Republic (14 aircraft), Hungary (14), South Africa (26) and Thailand (six, plus six options). All of these aircraft are Gripen C/Ds powered by the Volvo Aero RM12 engine (a license-built GE F404), with a full-colour three-screen cockpit, national and NATO-compatible datalinks and the Saab Microwave PS-05/A mechanically scanned radar.
In 2007 Sweden committed to develop a next-generation Gripen, called the Gripen NG. In April 2008 a prototype aircraft, the Gripen Demo, was rolled out to test and develop the new aircraft features. These include: a more powerful GE F414G engine; a re-designed airframe increasing internal fuel load and maximum take-off weight; a Selex-Galileo ES-05 Raven AESA radar; missile approach and laser warning system; enhanced EWS-39 active/passive electronic warfare system plus a towed decoy; close air support video datalink; advanced cockpit with touch screens; direct voice input and full sensor fusion; Satcom and multiple networked datalinks.
The Gripen Demo aircraft started its Phase 1 flights trials in May 2008, demonstrating speeds of up to Mach 1.8 and supercruising at over Mach 1.2. Phase 2 flight trials began in October 2009 and the single prototype aircraft has now flown about 160 sorties. In May 2010 the Demo flew to India for its MMRCA trials. The single aircraft undertook all required missions with a support team of six personnel before flying back to Sweden.
Saab has proposed a further development of the Gripen NG under the Sea Gripen programme. Aimed at potential NG customers India and Brazil, the Sea Gripen would be a complete development programme for the national industries in either of those two countries. It would allow India or Brazil to use their national (air force) Gripen NG production lines as the basis for an entirely new sovereign variant, which would also be exportable.
Russia
Russia's once mighty military aircraft industry has been reduced to a shadow of its former self after years of dwindling investment and a lack of coherent industrial policy. Throughout the 1990s and into this decade Russian designers continued to wring impressive performances from aircraft that were essentially designs from the 1970s and 1980s. The emergence of Sukhoi's T-50 (perspektivnnyi aviatsionnyi kompleks frontovoi aviatsyi: Prospective Aviation Complex for Frontal Aviation - PAK-FA) at last gives Russia a fighter that looks toward the rest of the 21st century. However, the level of investment and mature technology required to complete the PAK-FA means its future is far from clear.
Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG, one of the most famous names in aviation, is now a one-customer company with all its hopes pinned on sales to India. Although rebuilt MiG-29SMTs were transferred to Yemen in recent years, the rejection in 2008 of similar aircraft by Algeria was an embarrassing setback for the company. MiG has successfully developed a new version of the MiG-29K carrier-borne fighter to the IAF and about 30 of these aircraft will equip the air wing aboard the INS Vikramaditya (the former Russian carrier Admiral Gorshkov ).
It is hoped that the positive experience of the MiG-29K programme and MiG's long-standing relationship with India will boost the MiG-35's bid for the IAF's MMRCA fighter requirement.
The MiG-35 design is powered by thrust-vectoring RD-33K engines and is fitted with Phazotron's Zhuk-AEh AESA radar. The aircraft can be fitted with an intriguing mix of Russian and Western-sourced equipment, including the Elettronica ELT/568(V)2 self-protection jammer and OLS-UEhM electro-optical system with TV, IR and laser channels.
Sukhoi is Russia's combat aircraft 'heavy hitter', particularly in the export market. Successive enhancements to the original Su-27 'Flanker' gave birth to today's family of Su-30MK heavyweight strike fighters. Built in two different versions (thrust-vectoring and conventional engines) by two different plants within the Sukhoi group (Irkut and KnAAPO, respectively) the two-seat multirole Su-30MK has been sold in significant numbers to Algeria, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Venezuela and Vietnam. About 309 Su-30MK variants are in service with these seven nations, with another 198 earlier-model Su-27SK/UBK fighters delivered to China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Su-30MK production continues for Algeria, Vietnam and India which, between them, have a further 178 aircraft on order.
India stands out as the major customer, with HAL undertaking licensed production of the Su-30MKI variant. In June India's cabinet approved a further follow-on purchase of 42 Su-30MKIs that will take the IAF's fleet to 272 aircraft by around 2018. China was once expected to be a major Su-30 customer and, although the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and navy did acquire 100 Su-30MKK and Su-30MK2 aircraft, purchases from Russia were halted as China's attention shifted elsewhere.
As a replacement for the Su-24 'Fencer' Sukhoi also builds the Su-34 bomber and attack aircraft. Not strictly a fighter (as it does not have a primary air-to-air role) the Su-34 is now entering Russian service in very modest numbers after an extremely long development period. In a reflection of how long it has taken to get the Su-34 into service, a weapons and engine upgrade for Russia's (brand-new) aircraft is now under way.
Sukhoi has developed the Su-35S (previously Su-35BM) to bridge the gap between ageing Su-27 air superiority fighters and the next-generation T-50. Not to be confused with the earlier canard-equipped Su-35 (Su-27M) project, the Su-35S is powered by an uprated version of the AL-31F thrust-vectoring engine known as -117S. The aircraft is equipped with a Tikhomirov-NIIP Irbis-E passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar. The first Su-35S flew in February 2008 and to date Sukhoi has built three prototypes, one of which was lost in a crash in April 2009.
In August 2009 the Russian Air Force announced that 48 aircraft would be acquired to modernise three fighter regiments. By the end of last year manufacturing of the first Su-35S had begun. In Russian service the Su-35S will be an important stepping stone towards the T-50/PAK-FA. Many of the T-50's initial systems, including its entry into service Saturn 117S engines, will first be proven on the Su-35S. Russia is also seeking to export the Su-35S, although there would appear to be few potential customers. Early approaches to China were rebuffed and attention has since moved on to Venezuela.
Sukhoi's T-50 advanced fighter is Russia's PAK-FA. Developed in great secrecy, the T-50 burst into the spotlight following its first flight in January 2010. As with any new fighter programme there is huge gulf between what the T-50 may be capable of when it finally reaches full operational capability and what the aircraft can achieve today. Experience also shows that the path from the present to that projected future is unlikely to be a smooth one. The T-50 is a sophisticated design, with several novel features and an intriguing approach to 'stealth' and low observability. When fitted with its planned Tikhomirov-NIIP AESA radar, EW systems, new engines and new weapons the T-50 has the potential to be a dominant air combat system. Russia's aerospace industry must now prove that it can deliver that package.
People's Republic of China
China's military aviation industry is pursuing an astonishing number of new designs. In the fighter arena alone there are several strands of work taking place. The first of these - China's 'legacy' aircraft - includes aircraft like the Chengdu J-7 and Shenyang J-8. The last J-7Gs (China's MiG-21 copy) were delivered to the PLAAF in 2009, some 33 years after the first J-7 flew in China. Another veteran from the 1960s - the twin-engined J-8 programme - continues to produce new variants and provide reliable employment for those involved with it. Two new modernised fighter versions appeared in the 1990s, the J-8H (an upgraded J-8B/D) and J-8F. These aircraft are fitted with uprated WP-13BII/WP-14 engines, improved Type 1492 radars and a glass cockpit. The J-8H can fire the semi-active radar-homing PL-11 missile, while the air-combat optimised J-8F has the active-seeker PL-12 (SD-10). Shenyang has also developed a defence-suppression variant - the J-8G armed with YJ-91 (Kh-31) missiles - and the JZ-8F reconnaissance aircraft.
The next strand in China's military aircraft are those types acquired from Russia during the 1990s and then built under licence, or completely without a licence depending on which Russian version of events you are listening to.
In 1991 China began to acquire 81 single-seat Su-27SKs and Su-27UBK trainers from Sukhoi. A deal was struck allowing Shenyang to build 200 Su-27SKs in China under the designation J-11, but this agreement was suspended by China in 2004 after 105 aircraft had been built. A dispute appears to have arisen over Chinese demands to upgrade the limited capabilities of the Su-27SK. Without official Russian assistance China moved forward with its own multirole J-11A, adding new Chinese weapons, systems and finally even new engines in the shape of the WS-10A Taihang. China has not yet produced a reliable fighter-class engine of its own and so Russia retains some much-resented control over most Chinese aircraft programmes as a result.
China also acquired 100 advanced Su-30MKK and MK2 strike fighters from Russia (buying far fewer than Sukhoi once hoped for).
Shenyang has now produced its own two-seat J-11 variant, although it is not clear if it has the capability level of the Su-30MKK/MK2. A prototype two-seat aircraft, the J-11BS was first noted in 2007 but little is known about this programme. Even more recently a possible Chinese shipboard J-11 derivative - the J-15 'Flying Shark'- has appeared. Based on Sukhoi's Su-33 carrier fighter, the first J-15 is understood to have flown last year. It is an option to equip the future air wing aboard China's carrier, the former-Russian vessel Varyag , which is now being readied for PLA Navy service.
Chengdu's J-10 stands apart from all previous projects as the first 'real' Chinese fighter. With a design that was heavily influenced by inputs from several other nations and a Russian-supplied AL-31FN engine, the J-10 is far from being the indigenous design China claims it to be. It is, however, a distinctive and unique synthesis of these various elements in a package that is now a fully functional Chinese product.
The first J-10 flew in 1998 and development since has been rapid. It was introduced to PLAAF service in 2004 but not shown to the rest of the world until 2008. The J-10 has a locally produced multi-mode pulse-Doppler radar (Type 1473/KLJ-3) and flies with a Type 634 quadruplex digital fly-by-wire system. The modern cockpit has a wide-angle head-up display (HUD) with three large multifunction displays (MFDs). The aircraft can carry air-to-air weapons (including the PL-12) and precision-guided munitions for the attack role. The combat-capable trainer version is designated J-10S (Shuangzuo, two-seats). Enhanced versions of these baseline aircraft have been introduced as the J-10A and J-10SA.
In 2009 an entirely new J-10 variant was seen for the first time. This J-10B has several improved design features including a fixed, diverter-less supersonic inlet replacing the flawed inlet design of the original aircraft. The J-10B is fitted with an infra-red search-and-track sensor ahead of the cockpit and has a redesigned radome that may house an AESA radar.
The J-10B is a pointer to the speed at which China is developing its combat aircraft and yet this latest version may already be obsolete. In November 2009 PLAAF Deputy Commander General He Weirong gave a surprising interview where he stated that China's 'fifth-generation' aircraft would be flying "soon" and entering service between 2017 and 2019. While nothing is yet known of this programme, both Chengdu and Shenyang have been working on a variety of next-generation projects and so the era of true Chinese air dominance may not be far away.
China's other major fighter programme is the Chengdu FC-1, which currently exists as an export-only collaborative effort with Pakistan. Powered by a Russian RD-93 engine (and based largely on a Russian design) the FC-1 lacks the complexity of the J-10 or J-11. The first prototype flew in 2003 and, despite some problems during flight-testing, which forced a redesign, the first two Chinese-built JF-17s were handed over to the PAF in March 2007. The first locally assembled aircraft was delivered in November 2009.
Pakistan
Although the programme is ultimately controlled by China, the JF-17 Thunder lightweight fighter still holds great significance for Pakistan. The final assembly line at Kamra is a major step forward for the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the national aerospace industry as a whole. For the PAF, the JF-17 will provide a quantative edge not easily or affordably acquired from any other source. The first PAF Thunder squadron, No. 26 Squadron, was stood up at Kamra-Minhas in February 2010 and PAF commanders have set out a requirement for up to 250 JF-17s, all of which will be locally assembled. Pakistan will provide a shop window for other potential customers interested in an aircraft that could become the MiG-21 for the 21st Century.
India
In India the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) continues to make gentle progress towards entering service, nearly 30 years after it was conceived. Led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the programme was launched in 1983 after several years of study but the first LCA only flew in 2001. Since then the LCA has made halting progress as various aircraft, systems and engine development issues have been dealt with.
A 2006 order called for 20 aircraft (plus 20 options) to be powered by General Electric's F404 in place of the intended indigenous Kaveri turbofan. The first production aircraft flew in June 2008 and the first Tejas unit was expected to declare initial operating capability this year. The F404 is now competing with Eurojet's EJ200 for a future LCA engine contract.
India has a co-operative agreement with Russia to work on the PAK-FA programme with a view to adopting that aircraft as its next-generation fighter. At the same time the DRDO is working on a separate future fighter concept under the stealthy Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA) programme.
South Korea
Korea has drawn up plans for its own 'stealthy' fifth-generation fighter under the secretive KF-X programme. Work on the design began around 2001 and Seoul has been assisted in its development by Saab and others. The KF-X design was produced to meet the pending third phase of the Republic of Korea Air Force's FX programme for which aircraft like the F-15SE Silent Eagle and F-35 JSF are also under consideration. Building the KF-X would be a tremendous leap forward for South Korea's fast-expanding aerospace industry, but the cost of development (estimated at a very conservative-sounding USD10 billion in 2007) has stopped any progress beyond the concept development phase.
Japan
Additionally, Japan has a new fighter requirement (also dubbed F-X) with a pressing need to replace its elderly F-4EJ Kai Phantoms. Denied access to the F-22 and still pondering an F-35 buy, Japan has been offered collaborative development programmes by Boeing, Eurofighter and others. This would allow Japan to buy an existing design off-the-shelf, or to go forward with an indigenous version of that aircraft modified and produced in Japan to meet specific national needs. If the second option were chosen, the aircraft that emerges could be adopted for a next-generation fighter requirement (known as F-XX) expected to be funded in Japan for entry into service in the next decade and beyond.
Robert Hewson is the Editor of Jane's Air-Launched Weapons
INTERNATIONAL FIGHTER COMPETITIONS
The fighter market is at something of a high-water mark, with several major procurement efforts under way. Although the global financial crisis has halted some planned purchases, particularly in Eastern Europe, many other air forces are maintaining their momentum. These include:
The Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Initial buy of 126 aircraft to replace MiG-21 and others. Follow-on licensed production expected to take that number to 200-300 platforms. Competitors: Boeing Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-16IN, Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG MiG-35, Saab Gripen NG. IAF has completed aircraft evaluations. Possible down-select to shortlist of three expected this year. Possible type selection in 2011.
The F-X2 programme for Brazilian Air Force (FAB). Initial buy of about 36 aircraft, but up to 100 required to replace front-line combat fleet. Competitors: Boeing Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Saab Gripen NG. FAB has submitted its recommendations, type selection now overdue. Decision delayed by heavy politicisation of the process following French pressure on the Brazilian government. National elections likely to cause further postponement.
Switzerland's Tiger Partial Replacement (TTE) project. Approximately 22-24 aircraft needed to start replacing 54 F-5E Tigers. Initial request was for a specific number of aircraft, bidders also asked to meet procurement budget of CHF2.2 billion (USD1.9 billion). Competitors: Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen NG. There is also speculation that Switzerland may redraw requirement with a view to replacing older F-18C Hornets. This move is likely to attract protest from Boeing, which withdrew its Super Hornet bid due to original requirement. After fears of postponement or cancellation due to lack of funds, expectations now high that Swiss decision will be announced by September at the latest.
Other countries with planned fighter buys at either the request for information (RfI) or request for proposals (RfP) stage include: Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand and Turkey.
There is also turbulence in the international group of F-35 partner nations with both Denmark and the Netherlands now backing away from their planned acquisition schedule.
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FEATURES
Date Posted: 12-Jul-2010
Jane's Defence Weekly
Briefing: Fighter club
An overview of all the world's current production fighter aircraft, including those now in development. By Robert Hewson
The worldwide industrial base for combat aircraft is a small one. Only a handful of countries - France, Russia, the United States and perhaps now China - produce every component required for a complete platform. Other nations - such as Germany, Sweden and the UK - have very high levels of design and manufacturing skills, but have opted to join collaborative programmes or to buy in vital equipment because to do otherwise is simply too costly.
To these well-established names should be added a third list of countries who want to join the party. Nations like Brazil, Japan, India, Pakistan and South Korea are looking to get into the fighter business either by developing new versions of other people's aircraft, or by building their own. For some the task will prove too expensive or beyond their national technical means, but it is clear that today's 'old boys club' of fighter manufacturers could start to look different as the century progresses.
United States of America
Boeing F-15
Once seen as a programme that had run its course, Boeing's F-15 Eagle has experienced a complete renaissance. Two critical orders from South Korea and Singapore injected a new lease of life into the F-15, revitalising the veteran design with a wave of new technology.
In April 2002 Boeing won South Korea's hard-fought F-X competition and with it an order for 40 F-15Ks. In 2008 a follow-on order for 21 F-15Ks was awarded under the second phase of the F-X programme. A third F-X procurement for 40-60 advanced fighter aircraft is expected next year and, while South Korea is considering the Lockheed Martin F-35 for some or all of this acquisition, Boeing is heavily promoting its F-15SE Silent Eagle.
The F-15K, derived from the F-15E Strike Eagle, has been re-named the Slam Eagle. It is powered by General Electric's F110-GE-129, selected in preference to Pratt & Whitney's F100 engines that powered every earlier F-15E and derivative. The F-15K has a tailored systems fit that includes a Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)1 radar and Lockheed Martin's Tiger Eyes targeting system: an advanced Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting InfraRed for Night (LANTIRN) derivative. The F-15K also has the AWW-13K datalink to support the Boeing AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) weapon, for which Seoul is the first export customer.
Singapore's selection of the F-15SG was just as significant as South Korea's. Although the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) purchased fewer aircraft, it showed the South Korean win was not a one-off. The acquisition of 12 aircraft was announced in December 2005, rising to 24 in 2007. Deliveries to the first RSAF training unit began in May 2009.
The F-15SG is the most advanced F-15 platform to emerge from the St Louis production line. It is equipped with Raytheon's APG-63(V)3 active electronically scanning array (AESA) radar, making the RSAF one of just four air forces with an operational AESA capability. Other systems include Lockheed Martin's AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pod and a new infra-red search and track system (IRST). Like the F-15K, the F-15G is powered by twin F110-GE-129A engines.
In March 2009 Boeing unveiled a conceptual prototype for the F-15SE Silent Eagle, a 'stealthy' enhancement to the F-15E with several key airframe changes including modified conformal bays to allow internal weapons carriage. The F-15SE adopts the AESA, IRST, the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) helmet and other sensors proven in the F-15SG in a fused, networked mission system. Boeing has inferred that the Silent Eagle's radar cross-section matches the same low levels the US government has authorised for F-35 export customers. Export permissions for South Korea have been obtained and the F-15SE is likely to be offered to other potential customers including Israel, Japan and perhaps Saudi Arabia. The Silent Eagle will make its first flight and conduct initial weapons tests later this year.
Lockheed Martin F-16
Overshadowed by the F-35 programme, it is easy to forget that Lockheed Martin's F-16 remains in production and is still the world's most successful modern combat aircraft by almost any measure. Indeed, were it not required to do otherwise by the demands of the F-35, Lockheed Martin would be continuing to develop and sell the F-16 at a greater rate than is now possible. Having delivered 4,454 aircraft to 25 customers since the first F-16A was handed over to the US Air Force (USAF) in 1978, the F-16 currently has an order backlog of around 100. This ensures production will continue to mid-2013. Between now and then Lockheed Martin is looking to India for a crucial order that would secure a longer-term future for the F-16.
Over the past 10 years the F-16 gained continuous and respectable sales from Chile (10 delivered in 2006), Greece (30 delivered 2009-10), Oman (12 delivered 2005-06) and Poland (48 delivered 2006-09). Orders have also been received from Morocco, Pakistan and Turkey and deliveries to these countries are ongoing. Most recently in March 2010, 20 Block 52 F-16C/Ds were approved for Egypt. The last of these aircraft will be delivered in 2013 and so, under existing plans, it could be the final production F-16.
Deliveries are now under way to Pakistan - previously a blacklisted country to which F-16 sales were explicitly prohibited - as Islamabad is now a key US regional ally. The first three of 18 new-build Block 52 F-16C/Ds ordered in 2006 were inducted at Shahbaz Air Force Base (AFB) in June. From 2012 the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) will also take re-delivery of 45 F-16A/Bs (the latest number issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad), refurbished and upgraded by Turkey's TAI. The PAF still holds options for another 18 Block 52 aircraft.
Later this year deliveries will begin to Morocco of the 24 Block 52 F-16C/Ds Rabat ordered in 2007. This year and next Turkey will start to receive the first of 30 aircraft ordered in 2007.
Meanwhile, Taiwan's planned purchase of 66 F-16s has been stalled by intense political pressure from China, which has succeeded in halting the US export process for these jets.
With few other significant sales prospects on the horizon, India's MMRCA competition has immense importance for the F-16. The F-16IN variant offered to India is developed from the Block 60 F-16E/F produced for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and underlines just how much potential lay in the original YF-16 design. Billed by Lockheed Martin as "the world's most advanced fourth-generation fighter" (so as not to tread on any F-35 toes) the F-16IN is powered by a 32,000-lb thrust General Electric F110-132A engine and is equipped with Northrop Grumman's APG-80 AESA radar. The heavyweight airframe can be fitted with conformal fuel tanks and will be equipped with an advanced electronic warfare system. The F-16IN is a fully datalinked and networked aircraft capable of carrying a very wide range of air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons.
The F-16IN, along with the Gripen NG, occupies the lighter end of the spectrum of MMRCA competitors. It would seem to be one of the options that best meets the Indian Air Force's primary requirement for an affordable aircraft that can be acquired and operated in significant numbers. A win in India, if and when an MMRCA selection is ever made, would ensure the F-16 remains in production to the end of this decade and perhaps beyond. However, without that MMRCA victory the curtain is falling on this fighter from Ft Worth.
Boeing F/A-18E/F
Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and associated EA-18G Growler are the company's 'mainstream' fighter products today. For the US Navy (USN) the Super Hornet occupies an increasingly important place in the inventory, filling a critical space between ageing 'legacy' Hornets and the uncertain future of the F-35C. To date, Boeing has delivered more than 460 Super Hornets to the USN, with production proceeding at a rate of one per week. The 2008 arrival into service of the Block II Super Hornet saw the aircraft reach its full potential. This standard incorporates Raytheon's APG-79 AESA radar with full Link 16 Multiple Information and Distribution System (MIDS) and AN/ASQ-228 Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) integration plus the JHMCS helmet. The Block II aircraft also provides the baseline for the EA-18G Growler.
Under earlier plans US procurement of the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G should have ended with the current multi-year procurement plan (MYP2) which ends in 2011. This would have given the navy a total of 505 aircraft. Concerns over the delayed development of the F-35, plus a consistent fall in the year-on-year cost of aircraft, made the navy amenable to a Boeing offer for a further MYP buy (MYP3) of 124 aircraft. This will result in deliveries continuing to 2015 at least, bringing the total US fleet up to 629 aircraft. The company believes that a contract will be signed before the end of this year and says that it expects US production to continue beyond these 124 jets and at least until 2020. A secure future for the domestic production line will allow Boeing to redouble its export efforts.
There is currently one export customer for the Super Hornet. In March 2007 Australia selected the F/A-18F as an interim aircraft for the transition from the F-111 to the F-35A. In March 2010 the Royal Australian Air Force took delivery of the first of 24 aircraft on order. Twelve of these will be built to the so-called F/A-18F+ standard because they have been fitted for (but not with) the wiring and other airframe modifications needed for conversion to EA-18G standard at a later date.
The EA-18G Growler was developed to be the USN's successor airborne electronic attack (EA) aircraft, replacing the EA-6B Prowler in the defence suppression role. The navy has two operationally ready Growler squadrons (plus a training unit), with a third front-line unit now in transition. Each squadron operates five aircraft. Future capability upgrades to the Growler's AESA (which is still many years off) will allow it to function as an active electronic warfare system, alongside the aircraft's dedicated ALQ-218 jamming suite. The Growler retains the full air-to-air capabilities of the Super Hornet plus the Prowler's hard-kill capability with the AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) missile. This full spectrum of 'hard' and 'soft' EA capabilities will become increasingly important in future air warfare and the Growler now finds itself uniquely positioned to take advantage of that upcoming market.
Lockheed Martin F-22
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor will be the most advanced air superiority fighter in the US - and probably the world - for decades to come and yet it is an aircraft with no future. This seeming contradiction is due to the 2009 decision to halt F-22 production at just 187 operational aircraft. When the USAF conceived the Advanced Tactical Fighter programme in the 1980s the service expected to acquire 750 F-22 fighters. In the years that followed this number was repeatedly cut back until only enough F-22s remained to equip seven front-line squadrons.
The F-22 offers unparalleled levels of radio frequency (RF) 'stealth'. It is equipped with a Northrop Grumman APG-77 AESA radar and the BAE Systems AN/ALR-94 radar warning receiver: a highly sophisticated passive detector system that is a key element in the F-22's stealthy concept of operations. The F-22 is somewhat limited by its ageing suite of air-to-air weapons that includes the AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) and AIM-9X Sidewinder. However, the delayed introduction of the long-range, advanced-seeker AIM-120D AMRAAM should give the F-22 the beyond-visual range air combat reach it deserves.
The F-22 has frequently been sold as a versatile air-to-ground combat aircraft. While the aircraft has attack capabilities this is not part of its primary mission and a multi-billion dollar series of upgrades is required to give the F-22 its full set of teeth.
The US refusal to export the F-22 and the technologies contained therein, effectively doomed it when domestic budget cuts forced a premature end to production. The US was both unwilling and unable to build an affordably exportable F-22. After years of argument the programme was terminated in October 2009, with Defense Secretary Robert Gates noting that the F-35 was more modern, more affordable and, in many respects, more capable than the F-22. It will be some years before he can be sure he was right.
Lockheed Martin F-35
Better known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II should be the combat aircraft that dominates the 21st century from a sales and performance perspective. However, the programme has fallen significantly behind in its planned development schedule, making it impossible to claim much technical achievement for the aircraft so far. The F-35 is also mired in an intractable argument over cost, with the manufacturer and its customer - the US Department of Defense (DoD) - using figures and estimates that bear no resemblance to each other.
The goal of affordable JSF pricing relies entirely on a planned production number that many observers believe to be unattainable. Earlier this year Lockheed Martin stated a belief that 7,500 F-35s would be built over the lifecycle of the programme. This seems unlikely. The latest edition of the partner nations' memorandum of understanding for F-35 Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development (the PSF MoU) shows an estimate of 3,173 aircraft comprising orders from the US (2,443), the UK (138), Italy (131), Australia (100), Turkey (100), the Netherlands (85), Canada (80), Norway (48) and Denmark (48). These official numbers have remained steady for several years but all of them are now in serious doubt. Budgetary reality is forcing several customers to reduce their planned acquisitions (in the UK and Italy for example), while other nations such as Denmark and the Netherlands could drop out of the programme entirely.
The US DoD has already cut its low-rate initial production (LRIP) numbers, removing 211 aircraft from the 2011-15 delivery schedule to reinvest that money in F-35 development. Lockheed Martin and the DoD are now negotiating a price for 32 aircraft in the fourth LRIP batch (LRIP4), which the company says will be 20 per cent lower than government estimates.
This year has seen some notable firsts in the F-35 flight-test schedule, although all of these events have happened much later than originally planned. In March the short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35B reached a key milestone when an aircraft was flown into a hover for the first time and, on a subsequent flight, performed a vertical landing. An F-35B was flown supersonically in June. The first carrier-capable F-35C also made its maiden flight in June. That same month the first test aircraft to be equipped with actual mission systems was delivered to NAS Patuxent River, on what was the 107th test flight for the project in 2010. Two F-35As have been active with USAF test units at Edwards AFB since May, while four F-35Bs are flying with the USN/US Marine Corps. A fifth F-35B and two F-35Cs should also be flying by the end of the year. Lockheed Martin has a target of 395 test sorties in 2010.
FA/XX NGAD
The USN has a conceptual requirement for a notional 'sixth-generation' aircraft that might overtake the F-35C to introduce an entirely new level of capability around 2025. Introduced as the FA/XX but now referred to as next-generation air dominance (NGAD), the navy is looking for a strike fighter with a combat radius of around 1,500 n miles and Mach 2 performance. It is also considering a design that can be optionally manned. Boeing has self-funded several preliminary NGAD studies and other manufacturers are likely to have done the same.
Europe
Dassault Rafale
Dassault's elegant Rafale is now firmly established as France's fighter for the coming decades. Following several deployments to Afghanistan by the navy and air force, it also has the distinction of being combat proven, which sets it apart from its other European rivals. However, unlike those other aircraft, the Rafale has so far failed to win any export orders and has instead suffered several high-profile defeats in countries like Morocco, Singapore and South Korea. That may be about to change, however, as the Rafale is a serious contender in Brazil and India. The French government, through the personal intervention of President Nicolas Sarkozy, has attempted to negotiate several government-to-government deals for the aircraft, the most significant of which may be an agreement with the UAE to develop and supply an enhanced Rafale F4 version.
France has ordered 180 Rafales (134 for the air force and 46 for the navy) from a total requirement of 286 aircraft (228 and 58). A progressive series of upgrades has introduced new capabilities across the fleet. The initial entry into service F1 standard (for naval Rafale Ms) was superseded by the F2, which was introduced by the air force in 2004. These aircraft had a full multirole capability with Mica air-to-air missiles and Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) or GBU-12 guided weapons. The F3 standard was adopted in 2008 and introduced full AM39 Exocet anti-ship missile compatibility, the Reco NG reconnaissance pod and the ASMP-A stand-off nuclear missile. Further enhancements for 2010 include the Damocles targeting pod and the GBU-24 Paveway III. France's FY10 defence budget also included provision to buy 200 Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missiles (BVRAAMs).
A full AESA version of the Rafale's RBE2 radar has been developed by Thales and will be fitted to the 60 aircraft ordered in December 2009. These aircraft will still be known as Rafale F3s. The AESA will also be at the core of the so-called 'F4' standard being driven by the UAE's requirements. These aircraft will be powered by improved Snecma M88-3 engines and will have a weapons suite that includes the Meteor and the ability to carry up to three Black Shaheen (Scalp-EG) stand-off weapons. Deliveries of about 60 Rafales to the UAE are expected to begin around 2015, although officially no contract for these aircraft has been signed yet. As part of the deal France has agreed to take back the UAE's almost brand-new fleet of Mirage 2000-9s.
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Typhoon programme exists today in a steady state. Typhoon fighters are operating with 12 different units in six air forces, providing operational air defence for five nations (Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK). The sixth customer, Saudi Arabia, is working up its national training capability having qualified an initial cadre of instructors in the UK. These air force aircraft had chalked up more than 83,000 operational flying hours.
Although the Typhoon is still not capable of delivering the full range of operational capabilities touted for it, these delays are due mostly to the cumbersome decision-making process among the partner nations. However, some doubts surround the very slow pace at which meaningful ground-attack and heavy weapons capabilities have been introduced.
By late May, Eurofighter had handed over 221 production aircraft. This included deliveries to the UK (70), Germany (50), Italy (45), Spain (31), Austria (15) and Saudi Arabia (10). The Tranche 2 (T2) production standard is now firmly established, with 73 aircraft delivered on top of the initial batch of 148 Tranche 1s (T1s).
All T1 aircraft delivered before Block 5 (B5, the final capability standard for early aircraft) are being brought to B5 status through the R2 upgrade. By May this year 57 of these enhanced aircraft had been redelivered. All Typhoons produced in Tranche 2 and the future Tranche 3 will be designated Block 8 and Block 9. The previous sequence of Block designations proposed for T2 and T3 (Block 10 and so on) has been deleted. Under existing plans there will be no major configuration changes between the T2 and T3 (Block 8 and Block 9) aircraft. Saudi Arabia's Typhoons have the ancillary designation Block 8/9C.
Questions still surround the planned final production batch of aircraft, known as Tranche 3B. In a move to secure orders and maintain production line continuity, in 2009 Tranche 3 was split in two with only T3A placed under contract. While the Eurofighter consortium maintains that its members' procurement plans remain unchanged, several Typhoon partner countries are looking to divert some or all of these late-production aircraft to export customers.
All T2 aircraft will undergo the Phase 1 Enhancement (P1E) (the contract was signed in March 2007), which will become available in two releases (2011, 2012) and should finally deliver a full swing-role capability. The P1E plan includes: new software architecture; enhanced multirole man-machine interface; full digital IRIS-T air-to-air missile capability; expanded and completed laser-designation pod integration; enhancements of the MIDS datalink, Praetorian defensive aids sub-systems (DASS), communications, network centricity; and expanded dual-mode precision munitions capability (Paveway IV, Enhanced Paveway).
The next batch of enhancements is projected to be available after 2014. This will add further new weapons including: MBDA Storm Shadow and Taurus KEPD-350 cruise missiles; Meteor BVRAAM; a supersonic Paveway IV release capability; MBDA Brimstone precision missile; Boeing GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb; the option for an AESA radar and further enhanced DASS.
Saab Gripen
Saab's Gripen was the first of Europe's next-generation fighters to become operational and the first to win export orders. Sweden procured a force of 204 aircraft, split between the initial production JAS 39A/B and the current standard JAS 39C/D. Since the Gripen entered Swedish Air Force (SAF) service relentless budget cuts have reduced the number of operational aircraft to 100 flown by the SAF's three surviving wings (F7, F17 and F21). This fleet comprises all Gripen C/D aircraft and Saab is currently redelivering 31 early model aircraft that have been rebuilt to the latest standard.
In 2010 the Swedish government committed, in principle, to acquire an advanced Gripen fleet, equivalent to the latest Gripen NG standard, from 2015 onwards. This move would effectively see the manufacture of 100 new-build 'Gripen E/Fs' for Sweden. The Swedish government has also pledged to accelerate its own introduction of a next-generation Gripen if an export customer selects the aircraft in the near future.
Currently Gripen exports include the Czech Republic (14 aircraft), Hungary (14), South Africa (26) and Thailand (six, plus six options). All of these aircraft are Gripen C/Ds powered by the Volvo Aero RM12 engine (a license-built GE F404), with a full-colour three-screen cockpit, national and NATO-compatible datalinks and the Saab Microwave PS-05/A mechanically scanned radar.
In 2007 Sweden committed to develop a next-generation Gripen, called the Gripen NG. In April 2008 a prototype aircraft, the Gripen Demo, was rolled out to test and develop the new aircraft features. These include: a more powerful GE F414G engine; a re-designed airframe increasing internal fuel load and maximum take-off weight; a Selex-Galileo ES-05 Raven AESA radar; missile approach and laser warning system; enhanced EWS-39 active/passive electronic warfare system plus a towed decoy; close air support video datalink; advanced cockpit with touch screens; direct voice input and full sensor fusion; Satcom and multiple networked datalinks.
The Gripen Demo aircraft started its Phase 1 flights trials in May 2008, demonstrating speeds of up to Mach 1.8 and supercruising at over Mach 1.2. Phase 2 flight trials began in October 2009 and the single prototype aircraft has now flown about 160 sorties. In May 2010 the Demo flew to India for its MMRCA trials. The single aircraft undertook all required missions with a support team of six personnel before flying back to Sweden.
Saab has proposed a further development of the Gripen NG under the Sea Gripen programme. Aimed at potential NG customers India and Brazil, the Sea Gripen would be a complete development programme for the national industries in either of those two countries. It would allow India or Brazil to use their national (air force) Gripen NG production lines as the basis for an entirely new sovereign variant, which would also be exportable.
Russia
Russia's once mighty military aircraft industry has been reduced to a shadow of its former self after years of dwindling investment and a lack of coherent industrial policy. Throughout the 1990s and into this decade Russian designers continued to wring impressive performances from aircraft that were essentially designs from the 1970s and 1980s. The emergence of Sukhoi's T-50 (perspektivnnyi aviatsionnyi kompleks frontovoi aviatsyi: Prospective Aviation Complex for Frontal Aviation - PAK-FA) at last gives Russia a fighter that looks toward the rest of the 21st century. However, the level of investment and mature technology required to complete the PAK-FA means its future is far from clear.
Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG, one of the most famous names in aviation, is now a one-customer company with all its hopes pinned on sales to India. Although rebuilt MiG-29SMTs were transferred to Yemen in recent years, the rejection in 2008 of similar aircraft by Algeria was an embarrassing setback for the company. MiG has successfully developed a new version of the MiG-29K carrier-borne fighter to the IAF and about 30 of these aircraft will equip the air wing aboard the INS Vikramaditya (the former Russian carrier Admiral Gorshkov ).
It is hoped that the positive experience of the MiG-29K programme and MiG's long-standing relationship with India will boost the MiG-35's bid for the IAF's MMRCA fighter requirement.
The MiG-35 design is powered by thrust-vectoring RD-33K engines and is fitted with Phazotron's Zhuk-AEh AESA radar. The aircraft can be fitted with an intriguing mix of Russian and Western-sourced equipment, including the Elettronica ELT/568(V)2 self-protection jammer and OLS-UEhM electro-optical system with TV, IR and laser channels.
Sukhoi is Russia's combat aircraft 'heavy hitter', particularly in the export market. Successive enhancements to the original Su-27 'Flanker' gave birth to today's family of Su-30MK heavyweight strike fighters. Built in two different versions (thrust-vectoring and conventional engines) by two different plants within the Sukhoi group (Irkut and KnAAPO, respectively) the two-seat multirole Su-30MK has been sold in significant numbers to Algeria, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Venezuela and Vietnam. About 309 Su-30MK variants are in service with these seven nations, with another 198 earlier-model Su-27SK/UBK fighters delivered to China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Su-30MK production continues for Algeria, Vietnam and India which, between them, have a further 178 aircraft on order.
India stands out as the major customer, with HAL undertaking licensed production of the Su-30MKI variant. In June India's cabinet approved a further follow-on purchase of 42 Su-30MKIs that will take the IAF's fleet to 272 aircraft by around 2018. China was once expected to be a major Su-30 customer and, although the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and navy did acquire 100 Su-30MKK and Su-30MK2 aircraft, purchases from Russia were halted as China's attention shifted elsewhere.
As a replacement for the Su-24 'Fencer' Sukhoi also builds the Su-34 bomber and attack aircraft. Not strictly a fighter (as it does not have a primary air-to-air role) the Su-34 is now entering Russian service in very modest numbers after an extremely long development period. In a reflection of how long it has taken to get the Su-34 into service, a weapons and engine upgrade for Russia's (brand-new) aircraft is now under way.
Sukhoi has developed the Su-35S (previously Su-35BM) to bridge the gap between ageing Su-27 air superiority fighters and the next-generation T-50. Not to be confused with the earlier canard-equipped Su-35 (Su-27M) project, the Su-35S is powered by an uprated version of the AL-31F thrust-vectoring engine known as -117S. The aircraft is equipped with a Tikhomirov-NIIP Irbis-E passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar. The first Su-35S flew in February 2008 and to date Sukhoi has built three prototypes, one of which was lost in a crash in April 2009.
In August 2009 the Russian Air Force announced that 48 aircraft would be acquired to modernise three fighter regiments. By the end of last year manufacturing of the first Su-35S had begun. In Russian service the Su-35S will be an important stepping stone towards the T-50/PAK-FA. Many of the T-50's initial systems, including its entry into service Saturn 117S engines, will first be proven on the Su-35S. Russia is also seeking to export the Su-35S, although there would appear to be few potential customers. Early approaches to China were rebuffed and attention has since moved on to Venezuela.
Sukhoi's T-50 advanced fighter is Russia's PAK-FA. Developed in great secrecy, the T-50 burst into the spotlight following its first flight in January 2010. As with any new fighter programme there is huge gulf between what the T-50 may be capable of when it finally reaches full operational capability and what the aircraft can achieve today. Experience also shows that the path from the present to that projected future is unlikely to be a smooth one. The T-50 is a sophisticated design, with several novel features and an intriguing approach to 'stealth' and low observability. When fitted with its planned Tikhomirov-NIIP AESA radar, EW systems, new engines and new weapons the T-50 has the potential to be a dominant air combat system. Russia's aerospace industry must now prove that it can deliver that package.
People's Republic of China
China's military aviation industry is pursuing an astonishing number of new designs. In the fighter arena alone there are several strands of work taking place. The first of these - China's 'legacy' aircraft - includes aircraft like the Chengdu J-7 and Shenyang J-8. The last J-7Gs (China's MiG-21 copy) were delivered to the PLAAF in 2009, some 33 years after the first J-7 flew in China. Another veteran from the 1960s - the twin-engined J-8 programme - continues to produce new variants and provide reliable employment for those involved with it. Two new modernised fighter versions appeared in the 1990s, the J-8H (an upgraded J-8B/D) and J-8F. These aircraft are fitted with uprated WP-13BII/WP-14 engines, improved Type 1492 radars and a glass cockpit. The J-8H can fire the semi-active radar-homing PL-11 missile, while the air-combat optimised J-8F has the active-seeker PL-12 (SD-10). Shenyang has also developed a defence-suppression variant - the J-8G armed with YJ-91 (Kh-31) missiles - and the JZ-8F reconnaissance aircraft.
The next strand in China's military aircraft are those types acquired from Russia during the 1990s and then built under licence, or completely without a licence depending on which Russian version of events you are listening to.
In 1991 China began to acquire 81 single-seat Su-27SKs and Su-27UBK trainers from Sukhoi. A deal was struck allowing Shenyang to build 200 Su-27SKs in China under the designation J-11, but this agreement was suspended by China in 2004 after 105 aircraft had been built. A dispute appears to have arisen over Chinese demands to upgrade the limited capabilities of the Su-27SK. Without official Russian assistance China moved forward with its own multirole J-11A, adding new Chinese weapons, systems and finally even new engines in the shape of the WS-10A Taihang. China has not yet produced a reliable fighter-class engine of its own and so Russia retains some much-resented control over most Chinese aircraft programmes as a result.
China also acquired 100 advanced Su-30MKK and MK2 strike fighters from Russia (buying far fewer than Sukhoi once hoped for).
Shenyang has now produced its own two-seat J-11 variant, although it is not clear if it has the capability level of the Su-30MKK/MK2. A prototype two-seat aircraft, the J-11BS was first noted in 2007 but little is known about this programme. Even more recently a possible Chinese shipboard J-11 derivative - the J-15 'Flying Shark'- has appeared. Based on Sukhoi's Su-33 carrier fighter, the first J-15 is understood to have flown last year. It is an option to equip the future air wing aboard China's carrier, the former-Russian vessel Varyag , which is now being readied for PLA Navy service.
Chengdu's J-10 stands apart from all previous projects as the first 'real' Chinese fighter. With a design that was heavily influenced by inputs from several other nations and a Russian-supplied AL-31FN engine, the J-10 is far from being the indigenous design China claims it to be. It is, however, a distinctive and unique synthesis of these various elements in a package that is now a fully functional Chinese product.
The first J-10 flew in 1998 and development since has been rapid. It was introduced to PLAAF service in 2004 but not shown to the rest of the world until 2008. The J-10 has a locally produced multi-mode pulse-Doppler radar (Type 1473/KLJ-3) and flies with a Type 634 quadruplex digital fly-by-wire system. The modern cockpit has a wide-angle head-up display (HUD) with three large multifunction displays (MFDs). The aircraft can carry air-to-air weapons (including the PL-12) and precision-guided munitions for the attack role. The combat-capable trainer version is designated J-10S (Shuangzuo, two-seats). Enhanced versions of these baseline aircraft have been introduced as the J-10A and J-10SA.
In 2009 an entirely new J-10 variant was seen for the first time. This J-10B has several improved design features including a fixed, diverter-less supersonic inlet replacing the flawed inlet design of the original aircraft. The J-10B is fitted with an infra-red search-and-track sensor ahead of the cockpit and has a redesigned radome that may house an AESA radar.
The J-10B is a pointer to the speed at which China is developing its combat aircraft and yet this latest version may already be obsolete. In November 2009 PLAAF Deputy Commander General He Weirong gave a surprising interview where he stated that China's 'fifth-generation' aircraft would be flying "soon" and entering service between 2017 and 2019. While nothing is yet known of this programme, both Chengdu and Shenyang have been working on a variety of next-generation projects and so the era of true Chinese air dominance may not be far away.
China's other major fighter programme is the Chengdu FC-1, which currently exists as an export-only collaborative effort with Pakistan. Powered by a Russian RD-93 engine (and based largely on a Russian design) the FC-1 lacks the complexity of the J-10 or J-11. The first prototype flew in 2003 and, despite some problems during flight-testing, which forced a redesign, the first two Chinese-built JF-17s were handed over to the PAF in March 2007. The first locally assembled aircraft was delivered in November 2009.
Pakistan
Although the programme is ultimately controlled by China, the JF-17 Thunder lightweight fighter still holds great significance for Pakistan. The final assembly line at Kamra is a major step forward for the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the national aerospace industry as a whole. For the PAF, the JF-17 will provide a quantative edge not easily or affordably acquired from any other source. The first PAF Thunder squadron, No. 26 Squadron, was stood up at Kamra-Minhas in February 2010 and PAF commanders have set out a requirement for up to 250 JF-17s, all of which will be locally assembled. Pakistan will provide a shop window for other potential customers interested in an aircraft that could become the MiG-21 for the 21st Century.
India
In India the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) continues to make gentle progress towards entering service, nearly 30 years after it was conceived. Led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the programme was launched in 1983 after several years of study but the first LCA only flew in 2001. Since then the LCA has made halting progress as various aircraft, systems and engine development issues have been dealt with.
A 2006 order called for 20 aircraft (plus 20 options) to be powered by General Electric's F404 in place of the intended indigenous Kaveri turbofan. The first production aircraft flew in June 2008 and the first Tejas unit was expected to declare initial operating capability this year. The F404 is now competing with Eurojet's EJ200 for a future LCA engine contract.
India has a co-operative agreement with Russia to work on the PAK-FA programme with a view to adopting that aircraft as its next-generation fighter. At the same time the DRDO is working on a separate future fighter concept under the stealthy Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA) programme.
South Korea
Korea has drawn up plans for its own 'stealthy' fifth-generation fighter under the secretive KF-X programme. Work on the design began around 2001 and Seoul has been assisted in its development by Saab and others. The KF-X design was produced to meet the pending third phase of the Republic of Korea Air Force's FX programme for which aircraft like the F-15SE Silent Eagle and F-35 JSF are also under consideration. Building the KF-X would be a tremendous leap forward for South Korea's fast-expanding aerospace industry, but the cost of development (estimated at a very conservative-sounding USD10 billion in 2007) has stopped any progress beyond the concept development phase.
Japan
Additionally, Japan has a new fighter requirement (also dubbed F-X) with a pressing need to replace its elderly F-4EJ Kai Phantoms. Denied access to the F-22 and still pondering an F-35 buy, Japan has been offered collaborative development programmes by Boeing, Eurofighter and others. This would allow Japan to buy an existing design off-the-shelf, or to go forward with an indigenous version of that aircraft modified and produced in Japan to meet specific national needs. If the second option were chosen, the aircraft that emerges could be adopted for a next-generation fighter requirement (known as F-XX) expected to be funded in Japan for entry into service in the next decade and beyond.
Robert Hewson is the Editor of Jane's Air-Launched Weapons
INTERNATIONAL FIGHTER COMPETITIONS
The fighter market is at something of a high-water mark, with several major procurement efforts under way. Although the global financial crisis has halted some planned purchases, particularly in Eastern Europe, many other air forces are maintaining their momentum. These include:
The Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Initial buy of 126 aircraft to replace MiG-21 and others. Follow-on licensed production expected to take that number to 200-300 platforms. Competitors: Boeing Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-16IN, Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG MiG-35, Saab Gripen NG. IAF has completed aircraft evaluations. Possible down-select to shortlist of three expected this year. Possible type selection in 2011.
The F-X2 programme for Brazilian Air Force (FAB). Initial buy of about 36 aircraft, but up to 100 required to replace front-line combat fleet. Competitors: Boeing Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Saab Gripen NG. FAB has submitted its recommendations, type selection now overdue. Decision delayed by heavy politicisation of the process following French pressure on the Brazilian government. National elections likely to cause further postponement.
Switzerland's Tiger Partial Replacement (TTE) project. Approximately 22-24 aircraft needed to start replacing 54 F-5E Tigers. Initial request was for a specific number of aircraft, bidders also asked to meet procurement budget of CHF2.2 billion (USD1.9 billion). Competitors: Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen NG. There is also speculation that Switzerland may redraw requirement with a view to replacing older F-18C Hornets. This move is likely to attract protest from Boeing, which withdrew its Super Hornet bid due to original requirement. After fears of postponement or cancellation due to lack of funds, expectations now high that Swiss decision will be announced by September at the latest.
Other countries with planned fighter buys at either the request for information (RfI) or request for proposals (RfP) stage include: Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand and Turkey.
There is also turbulence in the international group of F-35 partner nations with both Denmark and the Netherlands now backing away from their planned acquisition schedule.
why don't you check all of the countries that have purchased Russian aircraft in recent years, and don't forget the Russian airforce itself purchases these aircraft. BTW still waiting for that source.
