On June 12, according to a report by the US “Defense World”, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) President Thamel Kothier said that Turkey is stepping up the development of the fifth-generation stealth fighter TF-X. The current development of this fighter Work is going very smoothly, and the first prototype will fly for the first time in 2023. After the United States kicked Turkey out of the F-35 project, Turkey has increased the research and development of the TF-X project and invited many international companies to participate in the research and development, and Pakistan is also interested in partnering with Turkey.

Previously, Turkey’s insistence on purchasing Russia’s S-400 air defense system led to extreme deterioration in its relations with the United States. Therefore, the United States seized the F-35 fighter jets ordered by Turkey and refused to return the deposit paid by Turkey. The United States also imposed sanctions on Turkey and stopped paying Turkey sells various military equipment. In addition, in order to retaliate against Turkey, the United States also intends to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey’s opponent Greece, so that Turkey will lose air supremacy in the Aegean Sea. Greece has already ordered French Rafale fighters. If the Turkish Air Force is not equipped with new fighters, it will soon fall into a disadvantage.

Turkey claims that the TF-X fighter jet is composed of approximately 20,000 parts. The production of most of the parts will be completed by the end of 2022. Among them, the most difficult to process is the titanium alloy parts for the engine. However, the Turkish Aerospace Industry Corporation has produced a large number of F- 16 fighter jets, with rich manufacturing experience in such parts. In addition, Turkey is also preparing to cooperate with a Ukrainian company to produce hydraulic transmission mechanisms that control the wing surfaces. The Turkish company Aselsan will be responsible for the avionics equipment of the TF-X fighter, and Havelsan will be responsible for the development of flight control software.

However, if Turkey’s TF-X fighter wants to be successfully developed, it is still facing engine problems. If there is no available engine, the first flight of the TF-X fighter will be impossible to talk about. Previously, Turkey’s T-129 gunship used the American CTS800 turboshaft engine. After the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey, the production of the T-129 gunship encountered serious problems and has not been able to be delivered to other customers. Now that Turkey wants to develop a fifth-generation stealth fighter, the engine is still Turkey’s old problem. It will take at least 10 years for any country to develop a reliable turbofan engine from scratch. Therefore, Turkey will temporarily choose to find a temporary engine. “Guest”, Russia’s RD33 engine is one of the potential targets.

For a medium-sized fighter, the 160 kN thrust provided by the two RD33 engines is completely sufficient, and the FC-31 uses a similar engine. However, if TF-X fighters want to achieve supersonic cruise, they need more powerful engines. The current turbofan engines suitable for medium-sized fighters, only the European EJ200 and the American F414 meet the indicators, but Turkey obviously cannot obtain these two models. The engine can only rely on self-developed.

Pakistan has tasted the sweetness of cooperative research and development on the JF-17 fighter, so it is very willing to join Turkey’s TF-X fighter program. Compared with India’s AMCA fighter, Turkey’s TF-X fighter is making faster progress, which means that Pakistan has It may be equipped with fifth-generation fighter jets ahead of India, and for the first time in nearly 50 years, it has achieved an advantage in air force equipment performance.

On June 12, according to a report by the US “Defense World”, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) President Thamel Kothier said that Turkey is stepping up the development of the fifth-generation stealth fighter TF-X. The current development of this fighter Work is going very smoothly, and the first prototype will fly for the first time in 2023. After the United States kicked Turkey out of the F-35 project, Turkey has increased the research and development of the TF-X project and invited many international companies to participate in the research and development, and Pakistan is also interested in partnering with Turkey.

Previously, Turkey’s insistence on purchasing Russia’s S-400 air defense system led to extreme deterioration in its relations with the United States. Therefore, the United States seized the F-35 fighter jets ordered by Turkey and refused to return the deposit paid by Turkey. The United States also imposed sanctions on Turkey and stopped paying Turkey sells various military equipment. In addition, in order to retaliate against Turkey, the United States also intends to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey’s opponent Greece, so that Turkey will lose air supremacy in the Aegean Sea. Greece has already ordered French Rafale fighters. If the Turkish Air Force is not equipped with new fighters, it will soon fall into a disadvantage.

Turkey claims that the TF-X fighter jet is composed of approximately 20,000 parts. The production of most of the parts will be completed by the end of 2022. Among them, the most difficult to process is the titanium alloy parts for the engine. However, the Turkish Aerospace Industry Corporation has produced a large number of F- 16 fighter jets, with rich manufacturing experience in such parts. In addition, Turkey is also preparing to cooperate with a Ukrainian company to produce hydraulic transmission mechanisms that control the wing surfaces. The Turkish company Aselsan will be responsible for the avionics equipment of the TF-X fighter, and Havelsan will be responsible for the development of flight control software.

However, if Turkey’s TF-X fighter wants to be successfully developed, it is still facing engine problems. If there is no available engine, the first flight of the TF-X fighter will be impossible to talk about. Previously, Turkey’s T-129 gunship used the American CTS800 turboshaft engine. After the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey, the production of the T-129 gunship encountered serious problems and has not been able to be delivered to other customers. Now that Turkey wants to develop a fifth-generation stealth fighter, the engine is still Turkey’s old problem. It will take at least 10 years for any country to develop a reliable turbofan engine from scratch. Therefore, Turkey will temporarily choose to find a temporary engine. “Guest”, Russia’s RD33 engine is one of the potential targets.

For a medium-sized fighter, the 160 kN thrust provided by the two RD33 engines is completely sufficient, and the FC-31 uses a similar engine. However, if TF-X fighters want to achieve supersonic cruise, they need more powerful engines. The current turbofan engines suitable for medium-sized fighters, only the European EJ200 and the American F414 meet the indicators, but Turkey obviously cannot obtain these two models. The engine can only rely on self-developed.

Pakistan has tasted the sweetness of cooperative research and development on the JF-17 fighter, so it is very willing to join Turkey’s TF-X fighter program. Compared with India’s AMCA fighter, Turkey’s TF-X fighter is making faster progress, which means that Pakistan has It may be equipped with fifth-generation fighter jets ahead of India, and for the first time in nearly 50 years, it has achieved an advantage in air force equipment performance.

“As early as Soviet times, this concept was formed when our armed forces simultaneously used front-line fighters of both heavy and light.” “If in the fourth generation, the MiG-29 plays the role of a twin-engine light fighter and the corresponding heavy is the Su-27, in the fifth generation we have the same twin-engine Su-57. for expensive”. “Until recently we did not have an aircraft of another light weight class,” said AviaPort’s head of analysis, expert Oleg Panteleev. At the same time, light and heavy fighters are designed to solve different problems. “Heavy fighters are needed to cover large areas, which means they have to fly a long enough distance before completing the mission,” the expert explained. “For light fighters, aircraft with fuel reserves and a smaller combat range, another mission has been determined. Figuratively speaking, it would fight over a protected object and tackle an equivalent range of missions in terms of versatility, including aerial combat and assault against ground and water targets, but at a shorter distance from its base,” added Panteleev. Concept graphics of a new generation of Russian single-engine light fighter This expert considers the idea of ​​​​building a single-engine fighter to be right. “Common sense, a single-engine aircraft will always be cheaper than a two-engine aircraft if we consider comparable performance,” he said. “However, in the event of one engine failure, the plane is likely to crash, while a twin-engine aircraft can continue to fly thanks to the other engine.” “But with the progress being made in improving the engines and increasing their reliability, situations where engine failure leads to the loss of an aircraft are quite rare. Second, rescue work has developed well enough to ensure guarantee the rescue of the pilot,” Panteleev said. The expert also pointed out that at the test stage, Al-31FN series 3 and 4 engines can be used. In addition, during aircraft construction, flight tests can be performed on existing engines to check the operation of systems independent of the dynamometer. Of course it does not match the full range of engine characteristics that are the target of the aircraft. “We also know that the AL-31 and its modifications are a well-run and mass-produced engine with high reliability due to the modernization carried out. So at the experimental stage, its use proved to be quite reasonable,” said Panteleev. At the same time, the expert noted that the construction of engines that can be used in the light version of the fifth-generation aircraft has been taking place in Russia for a long time. “We remember that the new engine for the Su-57 was used and the T-50 prototype of the Su-57 fighter even flew with this engine. So there will certainly be no delay in creating a new engine,” Panteleev said. As for the difficulties that need to be solved when building a fifth-generation light fighter, the expert notes a large number of requirements for it. Often these requirements conflict – “compact, low reflectivity and high payload, long flight time and, if possible, supersonic cruise; deployment of concealed weapons and an increase in the range of weapons carried, including relatively large long-range missiles”. “So the main difficulty is how to achieve the optimal combination of requirements, and at the same time to compete on price so that the aircraft does not burden the Russian budget and is attractive for export.” Mr. Panteleev concluded.

Sukhoi’s Su-57 fighter Associated TASS May 26, citing a source in the Russian military aircraft industry, said the above information Sukhoi is a well-known company in the military aircraft manufacturing industry, especially the Su-family fighters and fighters such as Su-27, Su-30, Su-35 and the latest is the Su-57 stealth fighter. . These aircraft are all 2-engine, similar to the MiG family fighters in the Russian air force such as MiG-29, MiG-35… Source of TASS “The Sukhoi company is developing the first single-engine light tactical aircraft in modern Russian history with a take-off weight of up to 18 tons,” said the statement. According to him, the aircraft can reach a maximum flight speed of more than Mach 2. The fighter is distinguished by its super-maneuverability and improved take-off and landing characteristics due to the impact of the propulsion engine. push vector. In early April, it was reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense had approved the final exterior design of a new type of stealth bomber, also known as the “advanced long-range aviation complex” (PAK DA). ). The PAK DA aircraft is being developed by the Tupolev company with the priority of reducing radar reflections and equipping long-range weapons. Sheet Izvestia news: Several features of the PAK DA have been approved after a series of tests to determine the level of radar signal reflection, aerodynamic test results. “Work on the development of the PAK DA program is at the detailed design stage, construction of several prototypes of a promising bomber is underway,” RIA Novosti quoted a source in the Russian military-industrial complex as saying. The source said that the new bomber will be built according to the “flying wing” aerodynamic scheme, with subsonic speed and long flight time. In addition, it will only use internal weapons, including hypersonic missiles. “It is said that this bomber will be able to control groups of unmanned aerial vehicles and therefore be able to use almost any type of air-to-air missile,” the source said. The new bomber is expected to enter service in 2027. It is expected to replace the Tu-95MS turboprop bombers in the Russian Aerospace Forces. Earlier, it was reported that the Russian Defense Ministry was working on a project to build a special unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a control system for it to be able to engage in anti-submarine warfare. Potential platforms for creating such an apparatus are currently being studied, sources in the Russian Defense Ministry told. Izvestia . In the future, there are plans to use heavy drones equipped with anti-submarine weapons. Several devices combine to form a network that can coordinate the search for the enemy. The drones can be launched from airports or from land. They will be controlled from both aboard and in the air, aided by automation capabilities and artificial intelligence elements. These devices can attack the target independently or in combination with the weapons of other anti-submarine weapons.

55ZH6M Nebo-M radar station of the Russian military. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense Yan Noviko, General Director of Almaz-Antey, said at a forum on new technology in Moscow on May 23: “The Nebo-M radar system is the ‘killer’ of stealth technology. Radar can detect F-22, F-35 relatively easily. Mr. Niviko also said that Almaz-Antey is capable of producing about 30 types of mobile multi-purpose radar, thanks to proper investment in research projects as well as new technology. 55ZH6M Nebo-M is the latest Russian radar, designed and manufactured by the Nizhny Novgorod Radio Engineering Research Institute (NNIIRT) of Almaz-Antey. Along with the Container radar, the Nebo-M surveillance station is considered the backbone of the battlefield radar network on Russia’s land borders. So far, 55ZH6M Nebo-M has been deployed in all the most important directions in Russia. The first Nebo-M complex was delivered to the Western Military District in 2017, followed by combat units stationed in Transbaikalia, Khabarovsk and Primorye. A year later, this advanced radar network was deployed in an air defense unit based in Crimea. The portable Nebo-M system can be rapidly redeployed to other locations by land or air. The new Nebo-M series is capable of detecting aircraft and ballistic missiles at a distance of up to 1,000 km, a big step up from the early Nebo radar systems developed under the Soviet Union. This radar station operates on the principle of active electronic scanning, making the 55ZH6M Nebo-M capable of resisting enemy jamming. When specifically installed to track targets at medium altitudes, Nebo-M radios are sometimes equipped with low-altitude radar systems like the Podlet-E. Is it really something to worry about with US stealth fighters? TASS news agency (Russia) quoted Noviko as saying that stealth technology does not cause difficulties for Russia’s new radar complexes. In theory, this is true, because VHF high-frequency radars like the 55ZH6M Nebo-M can identify an F-35 or F-22 in flight. American stealth fighter F-35. Photo: Reuters American experts say that there are many things to confirm in the Russian statement. Identifying a new target is the first step and part of the process of catching and killing the target with many stages. After locating the target, for example the F-35, the requirement for the radar station is to fix the target, track, and “catch” successfully before transferring the parameters to the unit tasked with destroying the target. target. According to General Dan Flattley, a former F-35 pilot of the US Air Force, in order to destroy the F-35, Russia must build a chain of target destruction. This task is usually performed by Russian anti-aircraft missiles, such as the Russian S-400 defense system. Until now, whether the S-400 is capable of destroying the F-35 or F-22 stealth fighters is still a subject of debate. Technically, it is clear that the 55ZH6M Nebo-M watchdog can identify the US 5th generation fighter. But that’s only part of the battle sequence. Locating is one thing, but whether Russian air defense systems can destroy the F-35 and F-22 is another story, because many factors are involved. If “detect” but not have the ability to “precise attack”, the radar’s performance does not make much sense. US stealth technology only needs to overcome the “destroy” limit of Russian missiles to be considered successful.

The US Air Force recently conducted a test for the F-15E multi-role fighter when it carried five long-range air-to-surface missiles to attack outside the AGM-158 JASSM air defense point. These 1-ton stealth missiles will give the Strike Eagle the ability to hit land and sea targets equivalent to a bomber, while the air combat capability remains the same. To mount the AGM-158 JASSM to the F-15E’s external fuel tank mount requires a specially designed mechanism. At the same time, the aircraft still carries 2 short-range air-to-air missiles and 2 medium-range missiles, a total of 9 missiles. Despite being born for a long time, the power of the “Attack Eagle” F-15E is said to be still superior to many opponents in the world, now with a large number of AGM-158 JASSM missiles, Strike Eagle has become more and more multiple. dangerous part. AGM-158 JASSM is an upgrade from AGM-154 JSOW, officially put into service with the US Army in the mid-1990s, this is essentially a stealthy cruise missile equipped with a jet engine with Super long range, enough to overcome all the most advanced air defense systems. The AGM-158 JASSM missile is equipped with a Teledyne CAE J402 jet engine that allows to operate over a large area for a longer time. The missile’s body is designed with stealth capabilities and infrared shielding measures that make it very difficult to detect from a distance by radar systems. The AGM-158 is equipped with a very sophisticated navigation system that combines updated INS inertial guidance from the GPS global positioning system with an infrared sensor for finding and locking the target at the end. . The missile is also equipped with a data link that updates the operational status during the flight to change the target at the last moment if necessary. Significant improvements in the engine and aerodynamics give the AGM-158 JASSM a range of up to 370 km and up to 1,000 km in the JASSM-ER variant. The AGM-158 JASSM operates as an air-launched ground-attack cruise missile, not a clever glide bomb like the AGM-154. The range of the AGM-158 missile has exceeded the reach of most modern air defense systems today, helping the aircraft carrying it not have to enter the danger zone. Stealth capabilities and a new generation of quieter jet engines, which can operate at low altitudes below the range of radars, allow the missile to launch a surprise attack that makes the enemy unable to react. The AGM-158 JASSM has a variant of the AGM-158C LRASM super-long-range anti-ship cruise missile, which will be the main attack weapon of the US Navy fleet in the not too distant future. With the AGM-158 family of attack missiles, the US Army wants to convey the message that speed is not the core factor that gives a weapon’s power, this direction of theirs is completely different from that of Russia.

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