전투기 NGAD X plane은 보잉이 빨랐다? : What You Can Expect From The F/A-XX Decision

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Podcast: What You Can Expect From The F/A-XX Decision

Aviation Week 온라인의 F/A-XX 관련 카더라(...) 팟캐스트인데, 중간에 NGAD 시제기 언급이 있었습니다.

We know of two X planes that are awarded through the Next Generation Air Dominance Program. One went to Boeing and that first flew in 2019. The other one went to Lockheed Martin and that flew in 2022. We don't know that Northrop has a government-funded operational prototype for their Next Generation Air Dominance aircraft.

출연자는 사견으로, 항속력 25% 향상은 기대에 못 미친다고 아쉬워합니다. 제일 바라던 건, "단일목적-대형-함대방공전투기 = 21세기의 톰캣" (ㄷㄷㄷ)

I was a little disappointed to hear about the 25% range increase. I would think it needs to be in that 33% to 50% increase. Of course, then you've got an issue with trying to get an aircraft with that much internal fuel volume to land on a carrier and to operate from a carrier with the limited geometry and space that you have in that context. That's one of the issues. 

The other is just a philosophical thing, because I think of the 1980s Top Gun, when we think about that height of carrier-based aviation, you had F-14 on the deck doing long range fleet air defense. That was backed up by the classic version of the Hornet doing air superiority, with the 86 doing long range strike and a variant for electronic warfare. Today, fast-forward 40 years, Super Hornet is now doing that long range intercept for fleet defense and air superiority. Then you've got F-35 doing that A-6 role of long range strike, and the EA-18G replacing EA-6B. Those are two multirole fighters, they're almost interchangeable. F-35C can do fleet air defense as well as probably the Super Hornet, if not better. There are some things a Super Hornet can do, it can carry AIM-174 that the F-35C can't, at least internally, that makes it good at that long range intercept role. 

What you don't have and what I thought F/A-XX would give them the opportunity to do, was to go back to that highly specialized, optimized fleet air defense fighter, like the modern version of the F-14. I'm not saying an F-14 itself, but a new aircraft that was designed principally around a single mission of fleet air defense. They chose not to do that. That was one of the things Admiral Donnelly also told me back in November, is that they can't afford to go to those highly specialized single-mission type designs. Everything on the carrier needs to be multirole, needs to do a lot of different jobs. 

PS

F-47에서 GE는 보잉으로부터 수주했는데 PW는 여태 무소식…

Which one is it? So far, GE has released two statements acknowledging that the F-47 contract has been awarded to Boeing and that they're very pleased about this. Pratt Whitney has said nothing. 

50% 값에 80% 성능 F-35? 최소한 무미익 F-35는 아니겠네… -_-

I do wonder how they actually do that, because those capabilities do come with a certain amount of cost. I assume it's not going to be the tailless plane form that we're expecting for F-47, you can't do that with the F-35.

[백선호]

항모도 기종을 1-2개로만 하니 단일 목적 항공기는 어렵겠죠.