Fuerza Aérea de EE.UU. (USAF)

[Vorlon]

A mi lo que me parece es que necesitan poner orden en casa, tienen varias decenas de escuadrones de cisternas en sus tres ramas de la fuerza aérea, algunos doblados compartimento dos escuadrones diferentes los medios.

A toro pasado si hubieran adquirido el KC45 como seleccionaron tendrian un avión que vale por tres Kc135 por lo menos.


saludos

[Orel]

Algo parecido a los entrenadores puede pasar con los cisternas, y es que debido al fiasco del KC-46 podrían alquilar algunas unidades:

Suena desde hace un tiempo. Desde luego, nosotros encantados de que sean algunos MRTT jeje.

[Orel]

La USAF empieza a buscar el remplazo de los E-4B, los aviones del juicio final:
http://alert5.com/2020/03/30/usaf-start ... -for-e-4b/

[evol]

¿Y con qué pueden cambiar un Boeing 747 que al final es lo que es un E4B?, porque creo recordar que la linea del 747 estaba a punto de cerrar, si no lo ha hecho ya.....

[ruso]

¿Y con qué pueden cambiar un Boeing 747 que al final es lo que es un E4B?, porque creo recordar que la linea del 747 estaba a punto de cerrar, si no lo ha hecho ya.....

Con un 777, o un 767... cualquiera en el que quepa lo que le quieran meter, y que sea estadounidense, claro.

[champi]

Parece que la USAF está consiguiendo de nuevo un nivel aceptable en su "stock" de municiones inteligentes: https://www.airforcemag.com/article/usa ... tockpiles/

By John A. Tirpak
April 1, 2020
...
After an intense period of restocking, Air Force precision weapon inventories are almost back to acceptable levels, Air Force leaders say. Now they are throttling back planned purchases for fiscal 2021.
...
During Operation Inherent Resolve, the Air Force was using up Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) so quickly that they were being loaded onto combat aircraft in the Middle East a scant 24 hours after being crated up and shipped from Boeing’s St. Louis factory. This rapid usage was exacerbated by allied air forces “borrowing” munitions from the U.S. because their own limited stocks were depleted from action in Afghanistan and Libya.
...

...
In planning the fiscal 2021 budget, Bunch said, the Air Force had to “focus on the high-end fight,” reducing its appetite for JDAMs. The Air Force bought 30,872 JDAMs in fiscal 2019, which was its high water- mark. It requested 37,000 in fiscal 2020, but Congress only approved 25,000. The request for fiscal 2021 is only for 10,000 JDAMs, including both “base budget” and Overseas Contingency Operations accounts.

Production of the SDB 1 increased from 5,743 units in fiscal 2019 to 7,078 in fiscal 2020; USAF is seeking only 2,462 in fiscal 2021.
...
The longest-range conventional weapon the Air Force is buying is the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Munition (JASSM), which is on its fourth variant. The JASSM-ER (for Extended Range) has maintained a steady production rate, with buys of 360 in 2019, 390 in ’20, and a request for 400 in ’21. Beginning in 2021, the Air Force would also acquire five Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles, or LRASMs, the counter-maritime version of the weapon.
...

[Orel]

El Jefe del Mando de Ataque Global de la USAF quiere tener al menos un escuadrón de B-1B que puedan llevar externamente el misil hipersónico AGM-183. Ese bombardero tenía 8 puntos duros externos para llevar AGM-86B ALCM, que fueron tapados menos uno para el pod Sniper. Proponen usar esos, que también sirven para JASSM. Además dijo que en la base aérea Edwards va a incrementar la flota de pruebas de dos a ocho bombarderos B-1B para quitarle algo de carga de pruebas de misiles hipersónicos al B-52.
http://alert5.com/2020/04/09/usaf-wants ... ardpoints/

[Vorlon]

La mitad de los que planean retirar.

No andan muy sobrados, la verdad es que estarán locos por recibir los Raider.



saludos

[Orel]

Modernización de aviónica y ordenador de misión de los venerables U-2. Aún no todo son drones...:
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing ... 67.article

[Chorbis]

Modernización de aviónica y ordenador de misión de los venerables U-2. Aún no todo son drones...:
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing ... 67.article

Me llama la atención lo de "nuevas pantallas en el cockpit"............cuando en la última MLU relevante ya se le pusieron 3 buenos pantallotes en formato vertical que dejaron la cabina de muy buen ver..


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... t_USAF.jpg

[champi]

La USAF quiere echarle un ojo a los "coches voladores": https://www.airforcemag.com/usaf-to-lau ... his-month/

Por aquí el pdf del programa "Agility Prime", y los define como ORB (Organic Resupply Bus): https://www.afwerx.af.mil/resources/Agi ... me-AOI.pdf

...
These vehicles, referred to as ORBs, are not drones, cars, helicopters, trucks, airplanes, motorcycles, or SUVs, but might support similar missions. Given their flexibility, an ORB could act as an organic resupply bus for disaster relief teams, an operational readiness bus for improved aircraft availability, and an open requirements bus for a growing diversity of missions. ORBs could enable distributed logistics, sustainment, and maneuver, with particular utility in medical evacuation, firefighting, civil and military disaster relief, installation and border security, search and rescue, and humanitarian operations.
...
Specifications:
Payload: 3-8 personnel
Range: Greater than 100 miles
Speed: Greater than 100 mph
Endurance: Greater than 60 minutes
First Full-Scale Flight: Prior to 17 December 2020
...

Si sigue adelante, el objetivo es que alcancen la madurez en 2023.

[Kique]

https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status ... 26464?s=20

In a message to China, North Korea and maybe Russia, U.S. Air Force puts B-52 bombers, tankers and drones on runway in Guam.

[Orel]

The US Air Force (USAF) plans to launch an electric-vertical take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft development effort, called Agility Prime, at an online event on 27 April.

Several US military branches have looked at electric-powered unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) as a means to resupply troops. The UAVs could offer the ability to autonomously and quickly move vital supplies, such as food, ammunition, fuel or medical supplies, to spread out troops without putting a pilot at risk of being shot down.

The USAF believes eVTOLs could provide:
1) Lower maintenance cost and time, through mechanical simplicity.
2) Improved safety and declining personnel demands, using autonomy.
3) Affordable quantity, based on potential mass production.
4) Improved acoustics, employing distributed propulsion.
5) Greater flexibility and reduced infrastructure needs, with runway independence.

Ultimately, it wants an eVTOL achieving operational capability by FY2023. The USAF is looking for a vehicle that can carry three to eight personnel; has a range of greater than 100mi; can fly at a speed greater than 100mph (160kmh); has a flight endurance of more than 60min and will achieve first full-scale flight prior to 17 December 2020.

https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopter ... 97.article

[Vorlon]

Siete Squadrons del A-10, no más. Con lo cual , diría que adiós a Grupos como el 23rd Tigres volantes o el 355th de ambas alas de rescate.

USAF’s 2021 budget request looks to cut 44 A-10s from the fleet, along with dozens of other legacy aircraft. Nahom said the remaining seven combat squadrons of Warthogs is the “right number” to operate in permissive or lightly contested airspace.

“Seven, we think, is the sweet spot: three Active Duty, three [Air National] Guard, one Reserve squadron,” which should be enough for operations, test, and training, he said.

https://www.airforcemag.com/a-10-will-r ... nned-cuts/

saludos

[champi]

Nuevo vídeo de Northrop Grumman sobre la necesidad de bombarderos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIF7k7g ... 2UEJfw6lKs



Y relacionado con el programa "Agility Prime" que nombramos hace nada, Sabrewing desvela su concepto "Rhaegal": https://evtol.com/news/sabrewing-rhaega ... ity-prime/

Sabrewing has secured a two-year contract from the U.S. Air Force to demonstrate the technology in its Rhaegal cargo drone under the Agility Prime program. Sabrewing Image


Sabrewing’s production Rhaegal-B model will be able to carry either two LD-1 containers, or four LD-2 containers, or two LD-3 containers — the types of containers commonly used for air cargo missions. Sabrewing Image

Y primeros vuelos del programa "Skyborg": https://www.edwards.af.mil/News/Article ... ght-tests/

The 412th Test Wing’s Emerging Technology Combined Test Force team pose for a photo with their Bob Violett Models “Renegade” aircraft following a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base, California, March 4. (Air Force photo by Chris Dyer)

Lo que se pretende es desarrollar software para adquirir ciertas capacidades autónomas.

Por cierto, el avión que emplean, visto de frente, me recuerda a uno que tenemos por aquí:

A Bob Violett Models ‘Renegade’ commercial, off-the-shelf, turbine-powered jet aircraft, is parked at a dry lake bed prior to a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base, March 4. The aircraft will be used as an autonomous software test bed by the 412th Test Wing's Emerging Technology Combined Test Force. (Air Force photo by Chris Dyer)