Many of the F-35’s revolutionary capabilities are embodied in its helmet, which has changed the pilot’s job description. That makes my workload less than was ever was the case in any generation of fighter before.” “The plane’s computer system synthesizes and prioritizes the information and tells me who the good and bad guys are. ![]() Today, “a variety of sensors allow us to see everything around us with great precision,” Flynn said. The pilot had to build a mental picture of what was going on. In my world, that doesn’t happen anymore.”īefore pilots had access to a usable data link, which allows ships and aircraft to share sensor and other data, information about the pilot’s surroundings and other aircraft or ships was ‘talked out’ on the radio or in coded shorthand. With more real-time data than ever before, pilots can locate their targets and know which radar blips are the ‘good guys.’ In older aircraft, any gap in situational awareness was deadly.īillie Flynn, a senior experimental test pilot with Lockheed Martin who has flown 80 different types of aircraft, said previous generation fighter pilots-popularized by Hollywood’s Maverick and Ice Man of “Top Gun”-“spent their dogfighting time trying to evade the adversary. With the jet’s advanced sensor and stealth technologies, today’s pilots can be even more precise, accurate and lethal.Ī major difference in the cockpit of the F-35-a 5th generation fighter jet-is its advanced situational awareness, which provides the pilot with comprehensive data, including enemy position and locational information. Yet more than a half-century later, the fighter pilot remains an essential player in the war theater, even in wildly sophisticated aircraft like the F-35 Lightning II. Back in 1957, Britain reorganized its defense ministry and canceled aircraft development-assuming the next war would be fought with missiles alone, making manned military aircraft obsolete. “Early consideration of maintenance into aircraft designs and improved maintenance practices will continue to lower ownership costs.”įor generations, policymakers have predicted the demise of the manned fighter jet, surmising technological advances would soon eclipse the need for a human operator. “The next steps in stealth advancement will include a focus on cost-effective, higher-performing and reduced maintenance technologies,” said Harold Carter, a senior research science manager at Skunk Works. Paul Poitras, director of survivability at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works® division, expects tighter integration with airframe and mission systems designs to balance stealth “with other aircraft systems and performance attributes, making the whole greater than the sum of the parts.” The F-35 combines unparalleled stealth with 360-degree situational awareness and the ability to conduct attacks electronically, along with sophisticated data capturing and a robust communication suite. ![]() This plane is designed for total mission success, with the most survivable yet lethal cockpit environment to date. ![]() Its external shape, internal carriage of weapons and fuel and embedded sensors are all designed for maximum stealth performance. With advanced stealth and sensors, it can detect enemy craft long before being spotted first. and allied military forces, and officially joined a Marine Corps squadron in July. The F-35 will soon perform ground attack, aerial reconnaissance and air defense missions for U.S. With an easily maintainable 5th generation stealth design, advanced situational awareness and highly integrated mission systems, the F-35 Lightning II is highly survivable and lethal as deployed in today’s advanced air defense threat environments. Since then, stealth technology has expanded exponentially, culminating in the unprecedented capabilities of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. However, it took until the early 1960s for stealth technology to accelerate, when Lockheed Martin developed design techniques for radar cross-section (RCS) reduction and radar-absorbent materials for military aircraft. Stealth is an ancient strategy, dating to humans’ earliest use of vegetation as camouflage in battle and while hunting prey.
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