BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

After more than 50 years, the USAF's aging T-38 is finally getting a replacement. On September 27, Boeing was announced as the winner of the T-X trainer competition .  Being the only real clean sheet design entered, many saw it as Boeing's to lose. Victory was no assured, however.  Submitting a clean-sheet design was a risky proposition when it comes to affordability and risk.  So much so that Northrop Grumman (maker of the T-38) abandoned the competition after going so far as to building a prototype . As the competition came to a close, Boeing faced the Leonardo T-100 and Lockheed Martin/KAI T-50 Golden Eagle.  Both of these aircraft had the advantage of being mature, proven designs.   The T-50 had the extra advantage of being represented by the juggernaut that is Lockheed Martin.  Without a Stateside sponsor, the T-100 was certainly a political dark horse. While other designs, like the Textron AirLand Scorpion were submitted, none of them rea...

We finally know what all the contenders to replace the venerable T-38 Talon will look like. After teasing us for months , Boeing finally unveiled its entry into the T-X competition with much pomp and fanfare.  This follows a less ceremonial unveiling of Northrop-Grumman's clean sheet design.  The two other contenders, proposed by Lockheed and Raytheon, are modifications to existing designs. The goal of the T-X program is to provide a "lead in" jet trainer for high performance aircraft found in the USAF.  This includes (but is not limited to) aircraft like the F-22, F-35, and B-21.  As military aircraft become more advanced, there has emerged a need for a trainer that mirrors these advances.  The venerable T-38 is no longer a suitable aircraft for this, being a 50-year-old design. The requirements for the T-X dictate an aerial refueling receptacle and give preference for high maneuverability .   The ability to make a sustained 6.5 g turn is ...

"That's it?" Saab and Boeing have been pretty tight-lipped about their collaborative bid for the USAF's T-X program.  While other bidders have a preference for existing designs , Saab and Boeing have decided on a clean-sheet design that will most definitely not be a variant of the Gripen . I have speculated on the Saab/Boeing T-X in the past.  So far, nothing seems to confirm or deny my guesstimates. Saab and Boeing have been tight-lipped about about their upcoming trainer.  So much so that a recent conference display was by invitation only .  Its only release to the general public is the vague shot of the aircraft's nose that you see above. While all this secrecy is infuriating to aviation buffs, its not entirely unexpected.  Saab and Boeing are taking the T-X competition very seriously and it does not want to give away too much to their competition.  Saab's CEO seems quite confident in the design however, and looks forward to cooperating with ...

T-38 in "Aggressor" paint. The USAF has yet to declare an open competition to replace its venerable T-38 Talon trainer.  Despite this all signs point to this one as "one-to-watch".  Competitors would very much like to prove that they still have the chops to build a fighter-type aircraft.  At its current pace, this could very well turn into another " Battle of the X-Planes ". As the USAF finalizes the capabilities it wants for the T-X, more manufacturers are deciding to forego license-building proven designs and will offer "clean sheet" designs instead. Boeing, which has partnered up with Swedish-based Saab, was the first to do this .  This despite the initial rumors of a "downgraded" Gripen being used as the basis. Northrop Grumman, soon after taking the lead over from its partner, BAE, has decided that it will also develop a clean sheet design instead of offering a version of BAE's Hawk .  While some were rather surpr...

"A few more rolls of duct tape and she'll be good as new!" It looks like Canada will not be getting new fighter aircraft anytime soon. RCAF CF-18s are getting another life-extension, this time to keep the aircraft flying until 2025 .  This comes with news that Canada has invested another  $25-30 million into the Joint Strike Fighter in order to "buy the plane at a slight discount if it chooses" and, more importantly, remain eligible to bid on JSF related contracts. The message here is very clear, the Canadian government still sort of wants to buy the F-35...  Just not right now. This places it in a difficult position, however.  Aging CF-18s are already stationed in the Baltic region and now there is talk they may participate in airstrikes against ISIS/ISIL .  Meanwhile, an election is scheduled for fall of next year.  The "strong on defense" Conservative party will have a lot of pressure on them for sending Canadian military personnel into c...

Boeing T-X concept (pre-Saab partnership) Saab and Boeing dropped a bombshell late last year when they announced that they would be joining forces to submit a bid for the upcoming T-X program.  The T-X program intends to replace the venerable T-38 Talon in use by the USAF as a high performance jet trainer.   What will this collaboration look like?  Early reports on a "decontented" Saab Gripen have been dispelled.  This will be an "all new" aircraft .  Given the context of the T-X program, it is very likely that much of the project will be off-the-shelf in order to keep risk and costs down.   Designing an all new aircraft does give put the Saab/Boeing T-X bid in a riskier position than the other T-X contenders.  All the other bidders are proposing existing aircraft in order to keep risks to a minimum.  Lockheed Martin is partnering up with Korean KAI in offering the T-50 Golden Eagle, Northrop Grumman is partnering with BAE in offeri...

The RAH-66 Comanche With the all-or-nothing attitude toward the F-35A , combined with the insistence that the A-10 is no longer a useful platform , one wonders if the USAF still has its head on right.  Surely, with all the JSF's issues and controversy, not to mention the threat of budget cuts, they would at least be considering a "plan C", wouldn't they? Well, thankfully for the USAF, it would appear as though someone  is questioning General Mark Welsh's insistence that "there is no other choice" for the USAF but to acquire over 1,700 F-35As in order to replace the bulk of its fighter fleet. Colonel Micheal W. Pietrucha of the USAF has written a well thought out piece on the F-35, some of its more glaring tactical issues, as well as proposals for viable alternatives. The piece can be read in its entirety here. Pietrucha compares the JSF to another ill-fated stealth aircraft program, the RAH-66 Comanche .  The result of the Light Helicopter E...

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Imagine a military combat aircraft that first flew in 1954 and is still flying today.  No, it's not the B-52 .  This aircraft has played major roles in the air over Vietnam, the Falklands, and the Yom Kippur War.  It replaced the F-4 Phantom as the jet of choice for the USN's Blue Angels  demonstration team.  This aircraft even played a supporting role in Top Gun . Now...  What if I told you that the first 500 examples of this aircraft cost $7.5 million each, adjusted for inflation? The Douglas (soon to be McDonnell Douglas, then Boeing) A-4 Skyhawk was designed from the outset to be a small, light, simple, inexpensive attack aircraft that could be operated from the USN's aircraft carrier fleet.  It's chief designer, Ed Heinemann , really knocked it out of the park.  The A-4 weighed about half of the USN's desired specs.  Unlike most carrier based aircraft, the A-4 doesn't need folding wings.  The Skyhawk earn...