The latest generation of fighters is not only coming to Asia-Pacific, but is being also developed within the region.
In April 1991 the Lockheed Martin F-22 was declared the winner of the United States Air Force (USAF) Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) programme for a stealthy multirole combat aircraft. Incorporating low observables technology and supersonic cruise without afterburning, the F-22 Raptor which gained full operational capability (FOC) in December 2007, was the world’s first fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
In October 2001 Lockheed Martin’s X-35 beat Boeing’s X-32 and was selected as the winner of the USAF/US Navy Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) competition and five years later the F-35A Lightning II completed its first flight. Claimed by Lockheed Martin to be the only fifth-generation supersonic multirole fighter in production, it combines advanced stealth capabilities with fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced logistics and sustainment. It is also the fighter of choice for many Asia-Pacific air forces.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is taking delivery of 72 F-35A Lightning IIs to equip three operational squadrons and an operational conversion unit (OCU), and it has a requirement for up to 100 aircraft.
Japan has ordered an initial 45 F-35As for the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) for its F-X programme to replace the F-4EJ Phantom fleet. In 2018 an additional 105 Lightning IIs were ordered, 42 of which will be the short take-off and landing (STOVL) F-35B variant although the planned licence assembly by Mitsubishi has been dropped.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2019 من Asian Military Review.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2019 من Asian Military Review.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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