What are the Pros and Cons of the F-35 Fighter Jet? Technical Specifications of the Aircraft: Part-3

Capabilities Added to F-35s in the Scope of Network Enabled Operations

The increasing lethality of modern weapon platforms is made possible by the shift away from a platform-centric approach to a network-centric approach. In the past, there was an approach focused on a single aircraft or platform. Nowadays, the ability to conduct network-centric operations is sought together with the aircraft. The F-35 uses the real-time operational picture that it obtains by combining information from its sensors and the sensors of other air, land and sea platforms, and can share this operational picture with other platforms in real time. The F-35's advanced sensor fusion contributes to an integrated air operational picture that greatly enhances awareness, survivability and lethality. 

The F-35 has integrated avionics that autonomously fuse and prioritize the aircraft's multiple spectral sensors and off-board data, providing an accurate real-time operational picture for the pilot and the ability to download data for post-mission analysis. This is recognized as the highest level of human-machine interface achieved today. As a result, what the F-35 sees, all friendly forces can see. This makes the F-35 a high-value air platform for network-centric operations.

Network-centricity, which is an integrated structure that brings together the picture seen by every platform in the air to create a common, accurate and highly integrated picture of the battlefield for friendly forces, and can be re-delivered to all users as a common air picture, is among the indispensable elements of today's wars. 

While network-centric operational capability helps to maximize lethality and survivability, it also helps the fighter pilot to follow a more integrated air picture and ultimately to focus on the mission in the air more easily and to make the most accurate decision quickly using more inputs. Especially in complex and layered air operation areas, it is important to ensure that the pilot can operate at the highest level of situational awareness without becoming busy, and to provide this support to the pilot with all kinds of means. This cannot be achieved by the pilot alone. 

The filtering of all available data and its continuous transfer to the pilot adds power to the pilot's hand for decision superiority. Thus, unlike conventional aircraft, instead of, for example, finding and tracking enemy aircraft on the radar, the pilot is able to fight in an architecture in which this information flows to him in sequence, and it is possible for him to see the operational area in real terms, to determine target priorities with accurate and real-time information, and to use firepower in a timely manner without 'struggling' with the systems on the aircraft. Thus, F-35 users are no longer seen as just 'pilots' as they were in the old fourth-generation aircraft. F-35 pilots are also 'mission commanders'. The F-35 pilot is transformed into a mission commander who can utilize the privileges provided by the sensors of his/her aircraft and the sensors of other platforms that support his/her aircraft, and thus use his/her aircraft beyond its capabilities. 

The F-35's operational architecture allows multiple F-35s to share the operational picture among themselves. F-35 pilots can help each other find assigned targets, track each other's targets, fire each other's weapons in a stealth and secure (defensive) environment, and operate as part of a networked weapon system. These capabilities also allow an F-35 pilot to operate with a swarm of UAVs (still in concept) in network-centric operations. This has made it possible for multiple F-35s and their accompanying UAVs as a package to simultaneously attack the enemy while remaining within the stealth envelope, to act as a single weapon family, and to fight according to the swarm warfare concept. Swarm warfare, introduced with the fifth generation, is about to change the face of warfare. The battlefield has become equivalent to waging war under the control of intelligent systems with a large number of 'offensive' capabilities, which are actually controlled by a single person, but which multiply from a single person as we see in the movie Matrix. I believe that this is the biggest difference and tipping point that fifth-generation platforms such as the F-35 have brought, or are about to bring, to the theater of operations.

With the F-35, air operations are about to change. It has become very difficult to overcome the air defense weapon systems of any country with conventional aircraft. The chances of conventional platforms surviving against the Anti-Access and Area-Denial (A2AD) capabilities of the opposing force are now very limited. Every country is seeking to invest heavily in A2AD capabilities. Turkey's recent purchase of the S-400 should be seen and evaluated in this context. Electronic Warfare systems, cyber warfare capabilities and long-range Surface-to-Surface Missiles (SSM) and Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) systems are all parts of A2AD in an integrated structure. To overcome this structure, invisible, fast and highly maneuverable long-range aircraft like the F-35, supported by network-centric operations, are needed. If you have a platform like the F-35, it is more likely to be possible to establish air superiority and prevent the enemy from establishing air superiority, even at the regional level. From this point of view, if the opposing force has the F-35, you will need to redesign and strengthen your air defense architecture to prevent this aircraft from entering your territory. You will have to acquire radar technology and integrated air defense weapons that will make the invisible "visible".

In addition, the F-35s will be able to offer these features as 'added value' when operating alongside conventional fighter jets. This is actually a near-term necessity for many air forces. In the near term, no country will have a large enough number of F-35s to put fourth-generation aircraft aside. Along with the F-35s, fourth-generation fighters will continue to be used for a certain period of time. During this period, fourth-generation fighters will maintain their striking power as the backbone of the air force, while the F-35s will be used primarily for more critical and specialized missions. Again, the F-35 can be sent to the enemy area from the front in mission package protection and defensive pressure (SEAD) missions, taking advantage of its invisibility so that fourth-generation fighter jets can perform missions without being exposed to the impact and fire of enemy air defense elements. 

Avionics Systems

AESA AN/APG-81 Radar

The F-35 is equipped with the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar provides longer range detection, identification, interception and engagement than conventional Doppler radar. In general, it provides information flow to the pilot. The F-35's APG-81 radar is the successor to the APG-77 radar used on the F-22. The 81 radar is a more advanced, more modern version of the 77. 

The AESA radar can change its scanning frequency thousands of times per second, creating a kind of spurious emission that resembles background noise, especially at long distances. This gives AESA radar a "low visibility" characteristic. By the time enemy systems "realize" that these are not random noises, but an enemy radar guiding AMRAAMs, it will probably be too late.

In addition to providing the F-35 with advanced electronic warfare capabilities, the APG-81 radar transforms the aircraft into a more capable fighting machine for air-ground missions. As part of the EW package, the radar provides offensive EW capability to the pilot. It is also deeply integrated with the AN/ALR-94 ESM system and BAE Systems AN/ASQ-239 Barracuda electronic warfare system. These capabilities transform each F-35 into a suitable aircraft for Wild Weasel missions.

The ASQ-239 Barracuda ESM / EW package enables the F-35 to detect enemy radars faster and farther away. It provides pilots with critical time information, giving them more time to decide how they want to act. It allows the use of stand-off munitions (such as JSOW, SDB or JSM) at longer ranges. It also supports the use of longer-range weapons such as the JASSM or Tomahawk by providing long-range targeting information to these missiles.

The AN/APG-81 radar can passively track air targets. APG-81 is capable of automatic target designation. The radar can not only autonomously detect ground targets, but also classify them.

DAS (AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System)

The F-35 is equipped with short-medium range IRST (Infrared Search and Track) capability. In addition, Northrop Grumman/Raytheon-made DAS (Distributed Aperture System) is used on the aircraft. It plays a complementary role to the functions of the radar. This thermal imaging system, known as DAS, consists of six wide-angle thermal cameras that serve as a missile warning system, allowing the aircraft to perform missile (SAM, AAM, BM) detection, infrared search and tracking. 

The DAS sends uninterrupted high-resolution real-time images to the pilot's helmet from six high-resolution infrared cameras mounted around the aircraft, scanning in all directions simultaneously. Small cameras mounted all around the F-35 provide a 360-degree view of the aircraft. The DAS also provides the pilot with situational awareness and can automatically detect, warn and track threats. 

EOTS (AAQ-40 Electro-Optical Targeting System)

Lockheed Martin-made AN/AAQ-40 EOTS is used. The F-35's electro-optical targeting system is designed to perform infrared surveillance and infrared search and track functions. The EOTS is a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) camera with long-range optical zoom and an infrared laser designator under the nose of the F-35. It is the F-35's integrated version of EOTS, which is also used on older generation aircraft. EOTS is a device that fulfills a similar function and task as the old type targeting pod.

The MWIR sensor integrated EOTS helps F-35 pilots to see air/land/sea contacts at long ranges, enables the pilot (and/or on-board computers) to identify unknown contacts, identify and target threats, conduct battle damage assessments, and conduct intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR) activities. EOTS can also autonomously scan the sky as an IRST (long-range infrared search and track) sensor, helping the F-35 passively locate and track threats through heat emissions.

When the F-35 or a friendly aircraft needs to drop a laser-guided weapon such as the GBU-12 Paveway II or GBU-49 Paveway IV on a target, the EOTS can perform the task of laserizing the target in the same way that conventional aircraft do to guide these bombs to fixed or moving targets.

HMD (Helmet Mounted Head-up Display - HUD)

HMDs manufactured by Collins Elbit Vision Systems are an important part of the F-35's human-machine interface. The F-35's advanced HMD (Helmet Mounted Display) provides pilots with unmatched situational awareness in a variety of conditions. As an alternative to a fixed HUD (Head-Up Display), all necessary data is projected onto the helmet. So no matter where the pilot is looking, all the necessary information is displayed in front of their eyes for better situational awareness.

The F-35 family has a comprehensive array of sensors that collect visual-optical and electronic information in a global area surrounding the aircraft. In an integrated structure, this data is transmitted to the F-35 pilots' visor in the form of processed images, operational and flight information sets (including DAS warnings and images) within the head-up display system. Thanks to sensor fusion, information from radio frequency receivers and infrared receivers are combined into a single tactical image and presented to the pilot as an image. Thus, F-35 pilots see the world "with God's eyes" from all angles and directions, and can even "look" through the physical structure of their own aircraft. With a unit cost of 400-500 thousand USD, F-35 helmets are heavier than normal helmet systems. Therefore, in the event of ejection from the aircraft, it is possible that the ejecting pilot may suffer neck injuries. 

The Northrop Grumman AN/ASQ-242 CNI (Communications, Navigation, and Identification) system, whose outputs are integrated into the helmet, provides ease of use for the pilot. In addition, the Harris Corporation-designed data link connection (MADL) system has been deployed on the F-35.

In Part-4, which will be published tomorrow, I will discuss some of the concerns/concerns about the aircraft (US policy on not sharing source code, technology transfer restrictions, stealth issues, etc.).