For those of you who pay attention to these things, a long era of American technological superiority in air-combat systems appears to be at an end with the deployment of the Russian Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA. This aircraft’s raison d’etre is to match or exceed the capabilities of our own F-22 Raptor, and early assessment seems to be that it does in fact exceed them. It certainly would make mincemeat of our cheaper and less-impressive F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which has been favored for production over the (currently unfunded) F-22.
I’m still getting up to speed on the strategic ramifications of this — just what they will be is the subject of lively debate in certain corners of the Web — but if you are curious about this formidable new weapon, you can learn more here.
5 Comments
This loss of air superiority happened once before and Clint Eastwood took care of it for us.
I’m personally uncertain as to whether the JSF F-35 will ultimately be “much cheaper” as opposed to the $100 million per unit cost projected for the T-50. R&D costs for the F-35 (which don’t seem to be included in the per unit price) are skyrocketing.
As for the current per unit cost? Pick a number between $50.2 million (2002 projection) and $137 million (2010 estimate).
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2010/03/11/jsf-costs-rocket-50-percent/
One minor observation where per unit costs are concerned – and this is from memory in case I get challenged – without the costs of R&D the F-22 came in around the high side of $135 million, while with R&D costs figured in, a single F-22 came in at around $360 million.
While I’m not certain (corruption in mind) I believe the Russians will be far more likely to hold down the cost overruns US Defense Contractors are notorious for. Mind, because of the manner in which program fulfillment is achieved under our (US) system, the Congress is complicit in that notoriety.
I sure wish that US F-117 hadn’t crashed in Serbia.
What I meant was that the JSF was cheaper than the F-22.
As I understand it the T-50 was the product of an “evolutionary” development process that built on existing designs, and the F-22 was a “big bang” job designed from scratch. Also, of course the F-22’s per-unit cost depends on the number of units produced, which is currently capped at 187, down from an original plan of 750.
The JSF looks more and more pointless.
As you know, the importance of this may have more to do with conflicts involving Russia’s clients and proxies than with the U.S.’s relationship with Russia herself.
Agreed on the first two points. Although on the second it would appear that while the Su-35 was the major component test-bed, similarities jump out in comparing both of the US competitors for what was formally introduced into US Forces. Those aircraft being the YF-22 and the YF-23.
As to the “zones of possible conflict” where the F-35 might be called upon and to possibly engage the T-50, unless a re-invasion of Grenada occurs, those zones would be precisely where you project. And of course, precisely in the neighborhood current US Strategic interests and plans would have it deployed.
I consider we are in agreement as to what this development should do. Prod Congress toward cancelling immediately all funding for the JSF and divert those funds toward a reinvigorated F-22 Raptor production line. “Farmed out contracts” be damned.
And hope like hell the Skunk Works has something hidden in a hangar.
Yes, JK, we are in complete agreement here.