Commentary: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will change the rules of the air power game
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will provide sharper sensing for other advanced weaponry in the Singapore Armed Force’s arsenal if it is selected, says one observer.
(Updated: )
F35Bs fit in very well to our RSAF operational readiness and can adapt to many strategic deployment.
In addition, the following capabilities are game changers :-
(1) F35 need a vast array of sophisticated VHF (very high frequency) radar to discover it --- which only show up as a blip - and then fall off the radar.
Even with such detection, it can't be locked by radar and track by missiles not to mention to shoot it down. This mean other fighter planes can't lock their radar on F35s to shoot it down in a dogfight.
(Only Russia and China can operate such sophisticated arrays of radar - but cannot lock missiles to shoot it down. As it blip off and on due to its stealth nature). Such radar cannot be mounted in a fighter plane - thus impossible to detect a F35 in the air for a dogfight - unless come face to face.
Any radar trying to track F35s will appear prominently on F35s sensor - and will get shoot down easily.
(2) F35B can operate anywhere if runways are damaged - and this suit Singapore's constraint very well.
(3) F35 can aggregate battlefield information and can direct other SAF assets to launch precise accurate attack even if F35s run out of ammo - whereby F35 are virtual sensors deep into the enemy territory.
Having say so, we need to ensure F35 are combat ready ----- and the best indicators of combat readiness is the "Full Rate Production Order" issued by USAF.
Else we commit heavy investment to buy the F35s - and turn out very heavy upgrade needed later to patch vulnerabilites or faults.
If combat ready - F35s are a very good investment for our RSAF !
In addition, the following capabilities are game changers :-
(1) F35 need a vast array of sophisticated VHF (very high frequency) radar to discover it --- which only show up as a blip - and then fall off the radar.
Even with such detection, it can't be locked by radar and track by missiles not to mention to shoot it down. This mean other fighter planes can't lock their radar on F35s to shoot it down in a dogfight.
(Only Russia and China can operate such sophisticated arrays of radar - but cannot lock missiles to shoot it down. As it blip off and on due to its stealth nature). Such radar cannot be mounted in a fighter plane - thus impossible to detect a F35 in the air for a dogfight - unless come face to face.
Any radar trying to track F35s will appear prominently on F35s sensor - and will get shoot down easily.
(2) F35B can operate anywhere if runways are damaged - and this suit Singapore's constraint very well.
(3) F35 can aggregate battlefield information and can direct other SAF assets to launch precise accurate attack even if F35s run out of ammo - whereby F35 are virtual sensors deep into the enemy territory.
Having say so, we need to ensure F35 are combat ready ----- and the best indicators of combat readiness is the "Full Rate Production Order" issued by USAF.
Else we commit heavy investment to buy the F35s - and turn out very heavy upgrade needed later to patch vulnerabilites or faults.
If combat ready - F35s are a very good investment for our RSAF !
That means :-
(1) Non stealth fighter plane when meet F35 - cannot shoot it down with air-to-air missile because radar cannot detect and lock its missile on it - then how to do dogfight.
Only when see face-to-face - then have to use automatic machine gun to shoot it down.
But before reaching such a situation, F35 will have detected the non-stealth plane with radar - and will have fire the air-to-air missile and shoot it down - no need to dogfight.
(2) F35 with sensor can detect, track and lock its missiles at non-stealth fighter plane with its radar and sensor - and can shoot it down with air-to-air missile.
(3) Air defense cannot track and lock its missile on F35 being a stealth plane.
On the contrary when air defense try to illuminate its radar to track the F35 - F35 will have detected the radar while the ground radar cannot detect F35 - and F35 will have destroyed the ground radar and the air defense system.
So F35 indeed is a game changer.
(1) Non stealth fighter plane when meet F35 - cannot shoot it down with air-to-air missile because radar cannot detect and lock its missile on it - then how to do dogfight.
Only when see face-to-face - then have to use automatic machine gun to shoot it down.
But before reaching such a situation, F35 will have detected the non-stealth plane with radar - and will have fire the air-to-air missile and shoot it down - no need to dogfight.
(2) F35 with sensor can detect, track and lock its missiles at non-stealth fighter plane with its radar and sensor - and can shoot it down with air-to-air missile.
(3) Air defense cannot track and lock its missile on F35 being a stealth plane.
On the contrary when air defense try to illuminate its radar to track the F35 - F35 will have detected the radar while the ground radar cannot detect F35 - and F35 will have destroyed the ground radar and the air defense system.
So F35 indeed is a game changer.
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