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

data for: the U.S. F-35 fighter unit price quadrupling, is now close to one hundred million U.S. dollars
data for: the design of the Chinese Air Force users fourth-generation fighter Imaginative

Editor’s Note:

according to plan, F-35 Lightning II fighter attack U.S. forces should be the new main, but it fell into financial crisis in. A fighter’s price soared from $ 50 million to 90 million, even rose to 100 million 20 million. The United States is expected to amend its 2400 purchase of F-35 fighter program. This move can tell us the process of military research and development should pay attention to what? Global Times reporter Peter Peng (audio) on how to balance the needs of national defense expenditure and the interview with “World Military” magazine chief editor Chen Hu.

Global Times: F-35 Lightning II fighter attack what is? It is derived from the “Joint Strike Fighter program” (Joint Strike Fighter, called JSF), but what does it mean?

Chen Hu: United States Air Force in 1996 that “the Joint Strike Fighter” concept, which was an amazing program. JSF’s goal is to try to combine the three types of fighter aircraft, conventional aircraft that the Air Force, Navy carrier-based aircraft catapult, Marine Corps VTOL aircraft.

Meanwhile, JSF is also planning a production line with different models, and most of all models and strive to achieve production standards. JSF intend to create a supersonic cruise capability of the stealth fighter, making it the solution of various conflicts and reliable sea and air forces.

Global Times: F-35 fighter of the price suddenly skyrocketed from 50 million to 1 120 million will have any effect?

Chen Hu: prices increased, the Air Force is difficult by so many aircraft are expected to buy F-35, it may soon begin to evaluate alternatives. British army might not expect to buy so much. F-35 is the world’s most advanced fourth generation fighter aircraft, and its production crisis to the United States and elsewhere in the world of the future aircraft development and deployment cast a shadow. This gives us the main lesson is this: to bear the cost of new equipment has become a research and development of new military hardware during the main problem. All research institutions should take this into account.

Global Times: how do we do to ensure that the cost of new equipment can withstand?

Chen Hu: First, you must pre-feasibility of the study. This process should be the development of all major military hardware standards. In other words, in considering how to balance the expenditures and efficiency of the time, should be carefully considered how to use new equipment, more appropriate evaluation criteria adopted. Fourth-generation fighter aircraft in the United States R & D process, they also strictly implement this. But the biggest problem facing the new fighter is supposedly the beginning of the war the U.S. military design environment has changed dramatically.

these aircraft initially designed for the Cold War as the background, that time they will face strong opponents in the air. In the face of such high-risk combat environments, a new generation of fighter must have good strength. This adds a lot of difficulties for the R & D, leading research and development costs, and ultimately threaten the progress of the project.

the development of military equipment because of the possibility of miscalculation lot of unfinished cases, the U.S. second-generation fighter F-104 R & D is a typical example. At that time, they are eager to develop high-speed, climb and strong fighter, and these properties in the real battlefield is not required. Before long, F-104 on the losing, and an advanced research aircraft, a typical failure.

now, F-35 also fall into the same dilemma it faced was not technical issue, but research and development costs. Therefore, accurate understanding of the war changes in the environment and the development of new equipment from the beginning to this factor is key to effectively carry out research and development.

Global Times: why the F-35 has become so expensive? The threshold is too high because of technical, operational or financial problems? Or simply the original design requirements unreasonable?

Chen Hu: these problems exist. Ultimately, the problem is that requires a hardware device can be used to complete multiple tasks, while the armed forces has a different mission requirements. This unified standard for the fourth-generation fighter aircraft made four indicators: to stealth, to supersonic flight, advanced electronic systems, with good air mobility.

pursuit of versatility because the U.S. is often caused by financial losses. Because the U.S. is not state-owned aircraft manufacturer, so they are used to produce cutting-edge technology in order to earn more profits. The best way to profit is the production of new aircraft, rather than the gradual improvement of the old, it is for this reason that manufacturers are aiming to promote the large-scale production of multifunctional integrated weapon system. They initially wanted to fight the F-111 model, “all-around fighter,” only to find fundamentally useless.

Global Times: The United States is not there a tendency, it is unrealistic to attempt to achieve the safety requirements?

Chen Hu : “Safety requirements” the word is not accurate, because the United States does not exist on the safety issue. Which country will go to attack the United States? We can say that the United States is trying to achieve military requirements, safety requirements and not because the U.S. has done far beyond the concept of national defense and security.

United States to take military measures is offensive, which requires their weapons and equipment to achieve high standards. Militarily, the United States want is overweening. U.S. fourth-generation fighter aircraft’s initial design concept is to be able to beat any competitor’s strong. But they give it to bear too heavy a burden, so that the final product turned into a row of useless monster.

Global Times: United States now how to do?

Chen Hu: In order to ensure that the affordable new equipment, research and development began, the focus should turn to the audit work. Audit work in the initial feasibility assessment, development and the troops are important throughout the process. F-35 developed a number of large military hardware such as sea fishing equipment, pre-departure was the first performance of new equipment in the water to try to gain as much as possible groan.

want F-35 originally planned to be maintained at a slightly cheaper price, but failed. R & D companies naturally want to maximize profits, they simply can not put a price setting takes a new aircraft the same as the older generation. F-35 is the original price of $ 50 million. However, the withdrawal of the F-22, F-35′s price rise inevitable, the more the higher up.

Global Times: What China can learn from?

Chen Hu: F-35 makes sense for China in this lesson. Many countries are creating the fourth-generation fighters. We are copying the American model that still follow their own needs? Russia has designed their own fourth-generation fighter T-50, and F-35, F-22 is not exactly the same. The United States asked to produce their own offensive fighter and can be used globally.

China as a developing country, there is no need to follow suit. China’s security environment requirements? This has made China’s military development requirements? China policy to emphasize that homeland defense, military equipment, so we should also reflect this. Our main concern is to defend the country, our strategy can not be completely passive. Therefore, we need to have offensive capabilities, but this offensive capability and the United States is not the same standard. (Du Xin Ni)