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| US F-35 Fighter Plane Reportedly Will Be Armed With SiAW / illustration |
International Military - As a superpower, it is common knowledge that the United States has a military fleet to capable weapons. One of the United States' mainstay military fleet is the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter.
The F-35 itself is recognized as the most sophisticated and capable fighter aircraft in the world. In an article published by 19fortyfive.com entitled 'Beware, Russia: The F-35 Will Be Armed With Stand-In Attack Weapons' describes how the F-35 stores deadly weapons. The US Air Force's F-35 is already the most successful multi-role fighter in the world, but its capabilities are constantly being upgraded.
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This month, the Department of Defense (DoD) awarded three new contracts to begin work on the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW), one of the Air Force's next-generation air-to-ground munitions. Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, and Northrop Grumman received a 90-day $2 million contract as part of the first phase of the SiAW program.
Boeing and Raytheon Technologies are also in five competing areas, but it remains unclear whether this work will be competitive or complement the contracts awarded to all companies earlier this year. The United States Air Force has budgeted $1.9 billion for SiAW development, Air Force Magazine reported earlier this week.
The work will be completed as part of next year's defense plan starting in fiscal year 2023 (FY23) and continuing through 2027. FY23 demand is $283.2 million, while development funding is expected to peak in fiscal year 2026 (FY26), with $718 ,2 million.
These stand-in weapons will have a shorter range than standoff guns, which are usually designed to be fired from distances beyond the range of enemy defenses; however, it will allow the F-35 Lightning II to strike enemy targets providing an anti-access, area-denial or rapidly movable environment.
It can target such as integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile launchers, land attack and anti-ship missile launchers, GPS jammers, and anti-satellite systems.
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In addition, stand-in weapons can be faster than other armaments the F-35 can carry, which will allow a better chance of hitting a target before enemy defense systems can intercept it.
The SiAW is being developed to be carried in the F-35's weapons bay, not external mounts to avoid compromising the aircraft's stealth capabilities. However, due to its size, the weapon may not be able to be carried by the F-22 Raptor, as its internal space is not large enough.
First phase SiAW
The first phase of the program will reportedly focus on digital engineering and design. Northrop Grumman has announced that it will leverage its experience from designing and manufacturing the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range, or AARGM-ER, for the US Navy and integrating it on the F-35.
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L3Harris also announced that the Agile Development Group will lead the SIAW effort, while it will leverage the group's digital engineering capabilities. The Agile Development Group includes several thousand engineers, program managers, technicians and operations professionals who are focused on rapidly developing solutions to address emerging threats, Defense News reports.
"L3Harris looks forward to working with the Air Force and industry partners to move quickly and deliver superior firepower and advanced capabilities to fighters," said Dave Duggan, president of the L3Harris Agile Development Group.
Lockheed Martin has also noted that the contract is to do integration work for the SiAW, while it will manufacture the hardware over the next five years, which will then be tested and evaluated by the Air Force for possible production.
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"Our Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) offering is one example of how we are partnering with the US Air Force to transform our approach to digital acquisition." "SiAW leverages proven design elements and internal investment, while combining agile software, model-driven digital environments, and OSA to keep pace with evolving threats. The digital thread continues as we integrate SiAW into the F-35, adding more multi-mission capabilities. -a role to further define the F-35 as the world's most advanced and survivable aircraft," explains Lockheed Martin on its website.
Lockheed Martin's Missile and Fire Control Division used advanced digital engineering methods, pioneered by the Skunk Works unit, to design the SiAW. The F-35 is quoted from Military Watch Magazine as one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world with maneuverability.
The mission of the F-35 fighter jet is to penetrate enemy territory, transfer data from the battlefield and deliver strikes from maximum range. This is because the F-35 fighter jet has a maximum speed of up to 2,000 km / h combined with stealth technology.
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The F-35 is a fifth-generation fighter jet produced by Lockheed Martin. As a fifth generation fighter jet, it is not surprising that the F-35 is equipped with stealth capabilities.
In practice, the F-35 is claimed to be the world's most advanced international multi-role fighter jet. The F-35 is known to be a single-seat fighter jet.