Latest news with #stealthfighter
Bloomberg
14 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Pentagon Wants to Delay Navy's Next-Gen Fighter to Focus on F-47
The Pentagon wants to give priority to the Air Force's F-47 stealth fighter over Navy plans to develop its own next-generation jet, arguing that pursuing the two programs at the same time could delay them both. The Defense Department asked Congress to shift $500 million to the F-47, which was awarded to Boeing Co. in March, from the 'accelerated development' of a to-be-contracted Navy stealth fighter. The House Armed Services Committee had added the money to the defense section of President Donald Trump's signature tax-cut bill.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why Did The U.S. Air Force Cancel The F-22 Raptor?
It is the absolute apex of air-to-air combat. It rules the skies like a bird of prey, from which it takes its name. It's one of the stealthiest fighter jets in the world. The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is the pinnacle of what air dominance can be. So ... it was canceled. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Defense decided to end production of the fighter after only 186 planes were produced, significantly less than the original order of 750. What happened? Airpower is supposed to be one of the pillars of America's military strength, so why take its best piece off the board? The answer comes down to the fact that the nature of America's threats change and evolve over time, meaning that an asset that seemed critical in one era seems less so in another. Plus, put simply, the F-22 is wildly expensive, so if it's not an absolute must-have, the cost-benefit analysis just doesn't shake out. Read more: These Are The Worst American Cars Ever Made The F-22 was a revelation when it first flew in 1997. With a top speed of an incredible Mach 2.25 (1,726 miles per hour), supercruise capability (meaning it could fly for extended periods above the speed of sound), and a coat of radar-absorbent material, it was more advanced than any other fighter in the world at the time. It was a spaceship in a world full of paper planes. Ironically enough, that was part of its problem. Because Russia and China had nothing comparable in the first decade of the 21st century, the F-22 almost seemed like overkill. At a massive per-unit cost of $150 million, did America really need something that far beyond any of its competitors? For that matter, America's main adversaries at the time had no airpower at all. With the U.S. embroiled in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq against low-tech insurgent forces, a high-cost air-dominance fighter just didn't fit the country's needs at the time. Since even the Pentagon doesn't have infinite money (though it sure seems like it sometimes), it had to make some tough choices over where to put resources. For the budget-draining War on Terror, the F-22 just didn't have an argument to make. Not helping matters was the fact that Congress restricted use of the F-22 to just the U.S. Air Force. Translation: There would be no sales to foreign allies, which cut off a major revenue stream that could have offset its costs. Of course, since the end of production in 2009, a lot has changed. Russia and particularly China have upped their military capabilities, including in the air. With the benefit of hindsight, should the U.S. have kept the F-22 rolling off the assembly line? Not necessarily. For one thing, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an even newer fighter jet (though it has problems of its own). While slower and less stealthy than the F-22, it has vastly more advanced sensor capabilities. Not only can it gather a huge amount of information about the battlespace, its true party trick is its ability to disseminate that information to other F-35s and to headquarters. Meanwhile, the Air Force has also moved forward by looking backward. The decades-old F-15 airframe has gotten a major update in the form of the F-15EX. For one thing, it's much cheaper than the F-22 (its unit cost is only $94 million), which is appealing as the Pentagon looks to cut overspending. More importantly, the F-15EX can bring a whopping 12 air-to-air missiles to the fray, compared to the F-22's measly eight. The F-15EX was also designed to carry the newest and most advanced ordnance in the Air Force's arsenal, hypersonic missiles. Given all that, you could argue that the F-22 has lost its crown as the best air dominance fighter ... to a much older, and cheaper, plane. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Meet India's answer to Pakistan's Chinese jets: the AMCA fifth-generation stealth fighter
For decades, India 's most advanced fighter jets have borne the stamp of foreign origin. But the country's quest for military self-reliance took a leap forward last week with the long-awaited go-ahead for its own stealth fighter jet. The Indian government's green light for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is being lauded by analysts as a watershed moment for national security, as the country confronts mounting military pressures from both Pakistan and China New Delhi's Defence Ministry announced on Tuesday that it had approved the 'execution model' for the AMCA – a fifth-generation fighter jet project aimed at enhancing the Indian Air Force's deep-strike capabilities – paving the way for prototype development and eventual production. 'This is an important step towards harnessing the indigenous expertise, capability and capacity to develop the AMCA prototype, which will be a major milestone towards Aatmanirbharta (a self-reliant India) in the aerospace sector,' the defence ministry said in a statement, referring to the government's flagship initiative to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports. The AMCA project is now entering a pivotal, action-oriented phase of development, said Antoine Levesques, senior fellow for South and Central Asian defence, strategy and diplomacy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. A full-scale model of the AMCA aircraft is displayed at the Aero India 2025 air show at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru on February 14. Photo: AFP The approval of an execution model for the fighter 'is a golden opportunity for India to create a new defence industrial template for both its established public and insurgent private industry to work sustainably on a far more equal and efficient footing than any of India's previous large-ticket, multi-decade defence industry projects,' Levesques told This Week in Asia.
Russia Today
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
India clears way for own fifth-generation fighter jet
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the 'execution model' for developing an Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) with an investment of $175 million. The Aeronautical Development Agency will spearhead the program through industry partnerships, according to a government statement on Tuesday. AMCA is the South Asian country's ambitious project to develop a multi-role combat aircraft with stealth capabilities for the Indian Air Force and Navy. In the development of the project, equal opportunities are being offered to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis, according to the Defense Ministry. Participants can bid independently, as joint ventures, or as part of a consortium. This marks a significant departure from the traditional practice of awarding advanced military R&D projects exclusively to state-owned agencies. The AMCA is a single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, multi-role stealth fighter designed to perform a wide array of missions, including achieving air superiority, carrying out ground strikes, suppressing enemy air defenses, and waging electronic warfare. The fighter jet program received in-principle clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, last year. Modi has made indigenous arms production one of his administration's core goals. India's state-backed Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) plans to roll out the first prototype of the AMCA by 2027. The prototypes will then undergo developmental and weapon trials, with mass production expected to start by 2035. The Indian Air Force intends to buy at least 125 AMCAs in two different configurations, officials stated earlier. The announcement comes against the backdrop of a military stand-off between India and Pakistan earlier this month, which tested the Indian military's combat aircraft capabilities. New Delhi used both foreign weapons, including warplanes and other systems of Russian and French origin, as well as domestically developed ones, against Pakistan. India's Air Force has long relied on Russian-designed warplanes, including the Su-30MKI and MiG-29 fighter jets. India has manufactured the Su-30MKI since 2004 under a Russian license. State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has manufactured over 220 of these aircraft, which are considered the backbone of the Indian Air Force's fighter fleet. Earlier this year, Russia also showcased its Sukhoi Su-57 Felon stealth fighter, which made its debut at India's largest defense show, Aero India. The US displayed its F-35 at the same event. Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport suggested that, given the existing collaboration between Moscow and New Delhi, India could quickly upgrade its current production lines of Russian-designed fighter jets to assemble fifth-generation warplanes. Rosoboronexport previously stated that it had offered India the option of manufacturing export versions of the Su-57 domestically, if India agreed to import the jet. Experts, however, believe that India is more likely to pursue development of a fifth-generation fighter indigenously.
Khaleej Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
India approves stealth fighter programme amid tensions with Pakistan
India's defence minister has approved a framework for building the country's most advanced stealth fighter jet, the defence ministry said on Tuesday, amid a new arms race with Pakistan weeks after a military conflict between the neighbours. Indian state-run Aeronautical Development Agency, which is executing the programme, will shortly invite initial interest from defence firms for developing a prototype of the warplane, envisaged as a twin-engine 5th generation fighter, the ministry said. The project is crucial for the Indian Air Force, whose squadrons of mainly Russian and ex-Soviet aircraft have fallen to 31 from an approved strength of 42 at a time when rival China is expanding its air force rapidly. Pakistan has one of China's most advanced warplanes, the J-10, in its arsenal. Militaries of nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan faced-off in four days of fighting this month, which saw use of fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery by both sides before a ceasefire was announced by US President Donald Trump. It was the first time both sides utilised drones at scale and the South Asian powers are now locked in a drones arms race, according to Reuters' interviews with 15 people, including security officials, industry executives and analysts in the two countries. India will partner with a domestic firm for the stealth fighter programme, and companies can bid independently or as a joint venture, the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that the bids would be open for both private and state-owned firms. In March, an Indian defence committee had recommended including the private sector in military aircraft manufacturing to shore up the capabilities of the Indian Air Force and reduce the burden on state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, which makes most of India's military aircraft. Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has previously criticised Hindustan Aeronautics for slow delivery of light combat Tejas aircraft, a 4.5 generation fighter, which the firm blamed on slow delivery of engines from General Electric due to supply chain issues faced by the US firm.
