2013
JF-Expert Member
- Aug 2, 2011
- 11,360
- 6,066
Explanation of designations:
F is for Fighter, designed for air interception and air superiority.
A is for Attack, designed for air interdiction or air support
Missions
F-14 and F/A-18 are USN aircraft. They can land on carriers. Their main role is the goal of the US Navy: to attain and maintain air superiority over any naval or amphibious combat zone, and to provide air support for other branches of the US Armed Forces, mainly the US Marines.
F-15 and F-16 are USAF aircraft. They cannot land on carriers *. Their main role is the goal of the US Air Force: to attain and maintain air superiority over any land combat zone, and to provide air support for other branches of the US Armed Forces, mainly the US Army.
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The F/A-18 and F-35, firstly, are both multirole aircraft. Multirole means compromise. They're not designed out-and-out as air superiority craft but also can perform ground attack missions (hence the 'A' in 'F/A-18').
The F/A-18 is a 4th gen fighter so comes without the newer technology in the F-22.
The F-35 is 5th gen but compromises have been made so that it can be used by Air Force, Marines and Navy.
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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN F-23 RAPTOR AND LOCKHEED MARTIN F - 35:
The primary difference is the rules that the Radar Cross Secrion (RCS). The RCS determines how big the radar reflection is from the aircraft. Less is better.
The speed of the aircraft also differs. In this case, speed enables the aircraft to evade theats.
Radar reflection in this case means radar waves reflected back to the transmitter. Stealth is based on scattering these waves as much as possible in other directions than the transmitter. Although some will be reflected back.
The secondary factor is the radar absorbing coating. If you know what sort of coating the aircraft have, you can estimate its RCS with reasonabley accuracy if there are enough images available.
A low RCS means that more power is needed to detect the aircraft at longer distances. However reducing the RCS by an order of magnitude (1/10) only reduces the detection range by around 45%.
The F-22 is designed as an air dominance fighter which is capable of wresting control of the skies from other aircraft.
The F-22 design rule set tries to have a low RCS at all angles from various radars. That means that it is hard to discover from long range by even radars that work in the VHF range.
The F-35 is designed as a strike fighter designed to attack ground targets. E.g. its primary infra red imaging system looks down and forward.
The F-35 design rule set tries to have a low RCS primarily from the front. The assumption is that the strongest threat will be in the direction of flight. The design rules is optimised against X- and Q-band radars which have short wavelengths. These are the radars mostly used by engagement radars which are those that are used to guide the weapons.
Since the Russians seems to go with long wavelength radars, the F-35 will be easier to detect and does not have the speed to evade missiles in a attack on a S-300/S-400 complex. The F-22 can rely on speed to evade missiles.
The F-22 can carry Sidewinders while being stealthy. This is very useful if there is a situation where aircraft is very close. The only problem is that the setup is a cludge. The US should have IR missiles that can be dropped like the AMRAAM can. That would help the F-35 as well.
The F-22 is better designed and is can carry more ordnance inside. e.g. it can carry 8 Small Diameter bombs while the F-35 can only carry two. This can be critical when one is trying to overload enemy defensive systems which are protected by close in defences. So each F-22 can do the job of 4 F-35 fighters. That makes the F-22 cheap although it is more expensive.
Endemic electronic warfare reduces the range of all radars and also reduces the stealth advantage because they have to be fairly close in other to detect other aircraft.
CONCLUSION:
Too early to tell. Tactics are changing - as required. One can argue that the Typhoon, JSF-35, F-22 and F/A-18 series have not met in combat under realistic conditions. (most modern fighter's won't, including those manufactured by SAAB, Dassault, etc.)
If the balloon pops between Russian, Chinese and American forces in direct combat, you will find out. Might happen in Central Europe or the South China sea between 2020 and 2025. Until then, analysis and answers will all be based on theory.
F is for Fighter, designed for air interception and air superiority.
A is for Attack, designed for air interdiction or air support
Missions
F-14 and F/A-18 are USN aircraft. They can land on carriers. Their main role is the goal of the US Navy: to attain and maintain air superiority over any naval or amphibious combat zone, and to provide air support for other branches of the US Armed Forces, mainly the US Marines.
F-15 and F-16 are USAF aircraft. They cannot land on carriers *. Their main role is the goal of the US Air Force: to attain and maintain air superiority over any land combat zone, and to provide air support for other branches of the US Armed Forces, mainly the US Army.
---------
The F/A-18 and F-35, firstly, are both multirole aircraft. Multirole means compromise. They're not designed out-and-out as air superiority craft but also can perform ground attack missions (hence the 'A' in 'F/A-18').
The F/A-18 is a 4th gen fighter so comes without the newer technology in the F-22.
The F-35 is 5th gen but compromises have been made so that it can be used by Air Force, Marines and Navy.
--------
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN F-23 RAPTOR AND LOCKHEED MARTIN F - 35:
The primary difference is the rules that the Radar Cross Secrion (RCS). The RCS determines how big the radar reflection is from the aircraft. Less is better.
The speed of the aircraft also differs. In this case, speed enables the aircraft to evade theats.
Radar reflection in this case means radar waves reflected back to the transmitter. Stealth is based on scattering these waves as much as possible in other directions than the transmitter. Although some will be reflected back.
The secondary factor is the radar absorbing coating. If you know what sort of coating the aircraft have, you can estimate its RCS with reasonabley accuracy if there are enough images available.
A low RCS means that more power is needed to detect the aircraft at longer distances. However reducing the RCS by an order of magnitude (1/10) only reduces the detection range by around 45%.
The F-22 is designed as an air dominance fighter which is capable of wresting control of the skies from other aircraft.
The F-22 design rule set tries to have a low RCS at all angles from various radars. That means that it is hard to discover from long range by even radars that work in the VHF range.
The F-35 is designed as a strike fighter designed to attack ground targets. E.g. its primary infra red imaging system looks down and forward.
The F-35 design rule set tries to have a low RCS primarily from the front. The assumption is that the strongest threat will be in the direction of flight. The design rules is optimised against X- and Q-band radars which have short wavelengths. These are the radars mostly used by engagement radars which are those that are used to guide the weapons.
Since the Russians seems to go with long wavelength radars, the F-35 will be easier to detect and does not have the speed to evade missiles in a attack on a S-300/S-400 complex. The F-22 can rely on speed to evade missiles.
The F-22 can carry Sidewinders while being stealthy. This is very useful if there is a situation where aircraft is very close. The only problem is that the setup is a cludge. The US should have IR missiles that can be dropped like the AMRAAM can. That would help the F-35 as well.
The F-22 is better designed and is can carry more ordnance inside. e.g. it can carry 8 Small Diameter bombs while the F-35 can only carry two. This can be critical when one is trying to overload enemy defensive systems which are protected by close in defences. So each F-22 can do the job of 4 F-35 fighters. That makes the F-22 cheap although it is more expensive.
Endemic electronic warfare reduces the range of all radars and also reduces the stealth advantage because they have to be fairly close in other to detect other aircraft.
CONCLUSION:
Too early to tell. Tactics are changing - as required. One can argue that the Typhoon, JSF-35, F-22 and F/A-18 series have not met in combat under realistic conditions. (most modern fighter's won't, including those manufactured by SAAB, Dassault, etc.)
If the balloon pops between Russian, Chinese and American forces in direct combat, you will find out. Might happen in Central Europe or the South China sea between 2020 and 2025. Until then, analysis and answers will all be based on theory.
