Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

information Figure: U.S. F-35 fighter planes

F-35B fighter Why become a “meat and potatoes”?

Recently, the United States an F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft completed the first vertical landing test machine, and converted back to conventional flight, step towards the ultimate goal important step. Subsequently, the F-35B testbed aircraft to act as the “Wasp” was amphibious assault ship began to support aircraft modification work test. At the same time, in order to counter China’s recently unveiled J-20 fighters, Japan, South Korea and the United States have been negotiating to buy the F-35 issues. Then, F-35B fighter development work Why concern? What are its operational performance? Asia-Pacific countries, once the aircraft is equipped with balance of power in affected areas?

□ newspaper Zhuangao where appropriate

the first to achieve initial operational capability

According to the United States, “Marine Corps Times “recently reported that number BF-2 of the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing aircraft on January 6, successfully completed its first vertical landing, and converted back to conventional flight. U.S. Marine Corps aircraft of the future for the facelift project, towards the ultimate goal of this test is an important step.

U.S. F-35 “Lightning 2″ with “the world fighter,” said the development of models including the Air Force’s conventional takeoff and landing F-35A, the Marine Corps to use short/vertical up drop type F-35B and carrier-based F-35C. In these three fighters in, F-35B is the future of air combat as the main killer is the most difficult design, best performance models. F-35B is one of the characteristics of the aircraft have previously never had a combination of performance, that is, stealth, supersonic and STOVL-based flexibility.

plan in accordance with the U.S. Marine Corps, the aircraft will be in 2012-2013 with initial operational capability in 2020 received a total of 420 F-35B, the main implementation of close-to-ground support, battlefield support and attack missions beach. F-18 fighters with active compared, F-35B more payload, combat radius of more; and similar to AV-8B, F-35B in the Marine Corps expeditionary combat specific battlefield environment under normal use; In addition, F -35B will eventually have a similar and EA-6B electronic warfare capabilities.

combat killer

Western military defense experts believe that, F-35B aircraft in U.S. military operations in the future to play an indispensable role of killer. U.S. national security strategy and defense consultant Craig Huobo explained that the United States currently has 11 large aircraft carriers, if future reductions in defense spending, the number may drop to 7 or 8. This means that U.S. naval aviation forces can only take off from seventy-eight platform. Although these expeditions aircraft carrier battle group is still sufficient to demonstrate U.S. power, but in the future large-scale war, aircraft carriers and other large ships can easily be anti-ship missiles to sink. This is precisely what the F-35B fighter value: get rid of the aircraft from the fundamentally dependent on the major airports, the shortest just tens of meters long runway to take off or landing. If the roll or short-range vertical takeoff and landing, aircraft entirely in the 30,000 tons of the light aircraft carrier and amphibious landing ship, even the people on board can also be modified to use.

F-35B’s performance benefited from the powerful F-136 engine and two pairs of transfer lift fan. F-136 not only can provide equal “Harrier” type of VTOL aircraft 1.9 times the strong force, 178 kN of lift, and easy maintenance. The machine can feel the fault before the fault occurred, and can automatically compensate for damage to electronic components, the engine continues to work.

two pairs of switch F-35B lift fan is an important part of power system. It is installed in the rear cockpit, provide additional thrust of 44.5 kN, the main engine can be smaller at lower temperatures to the load operation, thereby increasing reliability and service life, but also reduces the aircraft in the ultra- flight speed of sound generated by the resistance.

F-35B can be said that the great variety of high-tech convergence. For example, a new 3M polymer film is cleverly placed in the skin on the F-35B, F-35B aircraft for each save 300 kg of expensive paint; the invisible materials used in high temperature materials can be overcome in the past stealth case to produce high temperature degradation defects. In addition, F-35B’s radar cross section is very small, and can carry a number of advanced weapons to attack ground and sea combat and so on.

to lead Asia-Pacific air new model

as well buy from the United States to prepare F-35B fighter, a large number of Asia-Pacific region has begun construction or purchase of various types of deck platform. South Korea ROKS “Dokdo” in Australia, “Canberra” level, Japan’s “22DDH” destroyer “on the” class ships, may be equipped with F-35B aircraft. In addition, India’s domestic carrier with the rapid progress of the project, F-35B aircraft on board the possibility of India is also growing. Asia-Pacific defense planners have begun to develop combat aircraft around the idea.

U.S. Wall Street Journal analysis of 18 said China’s “fifth generation” J-20 fighter appeared to further stimulate the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter F-35 sales, Japan, Korea and Singapore to accelerate talks with the United States buy F-35 fighter issues.

analysis said, F-35B fighter, once deployed, they can play a significant role as allies of the United States and the Pacific interoperability between air assets. F-35B not only for the United States and its allies to provide a strong performance in the AV-8 aircraft, but also to dominate the 21st century may be small-scale naval operations by the relatively low cost of implementation of small aircraft carrier.

Although considered F-35B fighter project will affect the Asia-Pacific security issues posed too early, but for the United States in the next many years, this aircraft can help to strengthen the United States and the strategic importance of the relationship between Asia-Pacific countries. With the expansion of Chinese influence in Asia-Pacific region has become increasingly important security cooperation, and standardization of aircraft to achieve regional security cooperation is an important component.