Comments on: JSF Has Eyes Only for Enemy

By: Cole

Cole — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:53:17 +0000

I strongly doubt this radar can differentiate between civilians, insurgents, friendly dismounts, or enemy dismounts.

JSTARS used to only differentiate between wheeled and tracked and could not differentiate between friendly and enemy forces. Longbow radar cannot differentiate between friendly and enemy forces either, I believe. If they are developing radar databases that are useful that will be outstanding.

If the radar can cue the DAS for a clear EO/IR picture that would be great. But it still probably will not help much against targets in urban clutter or near Afghan houses where targeting with even a small diameter bomb could cause collateral damage.

But the combination of radar and EO/IR/laser designation on the F-35 is still a major advantage over the F-22.

By: Charles Phillips, LtCol USAF Ret

Charles Phillips, LtCol USAF Ret — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:39:03 +0000

For Alex: trying to cut thru some of the low S/N ratio here!

Some good healthy skepticism is beneficial to any program. You make an excellent point that what matters is how the information is presented to the pilot. Too many of our systems overwhelm the crew with information (many managers get that also!) leading to lack of situational awareness. It would be great to have the JSF provide 20/20 awareness all around the aircraft — as long as the crew isn’t forced to examine clouds and birds and all that. Hopefully the system will screen out friendlies and will highlight unknowns, in a usable manner. And will highlight unknowns and not bias the crew towards considering them hostile. We have already shot down too many Blackhawk helicopters — who were squawking known IFF frequencies.

My point was more that a two crew aircraft has huge advantages in situational awareness (though a bit of a disavantage in budgetary awareness) where the GIB provides much of what software could have provided.

By: Sgt Oblat

Sgt Oblat — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:19:32 +0000

Any buzz of when the DoD will be building the clone army Bryant ?

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:54:00 +0000

Beating IFF isn’t as simple as “spoofing” the radar. You’d have to crack encryption keys so complex that it would take modern supercomputers thousands of years to brute force them. For all intensive purposes, it can’t be done.

By: richardb

richardb — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:28:47 +0000

Radar spoofing is as old as WWII chaff. Some smart Chinese, Russian, Iranian lad will figure out how to fake the software into thinking their forces are friendlies to the JSF’s mind. Presto a thousand Chinese warriors simply disappear only to reappear in the rear of American infantry.

By: John the civi

John the civi — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:21:15 +0000

I mean pitch.

By: John the civi

John the civi — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:20:31 +0000

Their selling a plane…the F-22 already took the invincibility route.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:05:55 +0000

This is something that is promised all the time but it NEVER works in an actual war.
Thier are several reasons why but it never does work.
I agree with charles. I think the money spent on this we be better spent on a red flag exercise or other forms of training.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:02:34 +0000

Charles, don’t underestimate this technology. The amount of information that these jet’s computers are processing is irrelevant — what matters and what makes it useful is how the data is presented to the pilot. “Looking out the window” doesn’t help you in BVR engagements or when you are dropping a bomb from 15,000′+.

I think some credit is due to software for making war safer, lest we forget that the F-117 was nothing more than a pointy rock without it, or that we can put a 2000lb bomb through a bedroom window at 30,000 feet in bad weather because of it. Software can never fully replace the human brain, but it sure as hell can make things easier for us.

By: mike j

mike j — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:41:33 +0000

it’s an old joke, jimbo. pretty good old joke.

By: jimbo

jimbo — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:36:45 +0000

i dont think war and safe belong in the same sentence.…

By: psece

psece — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:15:47 +0000

Technology and software will make war safe one day!

By: Charles Phillips, LtCol USAF Ret

Charles Phillips, LtCol USAF Ret — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:11:35 +0000

Why is it that my skepticism of all things software driven is off scale high while reading this? Sure, some software is gonna replace good training, good rules of engagement, and good common sense.
We are still gonna have fighters shooting down friendly helicopters — due to rushed flight preparation, over eager pilots, touchy IFF systems, etc.
We are still gonna have bombs dropped on friendlies — due to tired people who make input mistakes, moving targets, etc.
Software can contribute to a solution but more often it contributes to the problem. The pilot has to still look out the window and not be distracted by too much information.
And a two person aircraft, such as the F-15E, gives you one guy who is flying while the other guy can stare at targets.
But the F-35 will only have a single person on board!