ALOT OF MOVING PARTS!!!!!
Watch the X-35B (Marine version of the F-35) as it became the world's
first plane to have a short take-off, fly super sonic, and then land
vertically - all in one flight!
http://images.military.com/Video/061201_f35.wmv
Here's some great data from the Austrailians who are helping with the projsct....
http://www.aph.gov.au/LIBRARY/pubs/r...-06/06rn32.htm
How much stealth will it provide?
In short, ‘stealth’ is not a fungible concept. The stealth capacity of the JSF has been marketed as one of its major drawcards, but it is worth remembering that the Australian JSF will have only a ‘third tier’ stealth capability. The American F-22 Raptor has the highest stealth configuration, followed by the US version of the JSF, and then the JSF version sold to countries such as the UK and Australia.(8)
Technical commentary indicates that the JSF stealth design appears to be optimised against a narrow set of radar types. These are known as narrowband X-band and Ku/K/Ka-band. These radars are found in other fighter aircraft and battlefield air defence weapon systems. However, the JSF stealth design may be less capable against so-called L-band and S-band radars, which are used in static or semi-mobile early warning radars, as well as on Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft similar to the Wedgetail aircraft currently being acquired by Australia. (9)These capabilities are widespread in the region where, for example, both India and China operate A-50 Mainstay AEW&C aircraft. Air power analyst Dr Carlo Kopp notes that, given the availability of Russian beyond–visual-range missiles with advanced infrared seekers:
If an Su-30 can be positioned close enough, [through, for example, vectoring by an AWEW&C aircraft (ed.)] it can engage the JSF regardless of stealth, and with a kinematic and missile performance advantage the odds are unlikely to favour the JSF.(10)
Although the limited stealth capability of the Australian JSF is worth something, its value may be confined to circumstances where the adversary air defence capabilities are not supported by AEW&C aircraft or equivalent ground-based installations.(11) However, such capabilities are already widespread in the region and will be even more so by the time the JSF enters service with the RAAF sometime after 2012.
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