Page 16 - Tron Warfare.pages

Along the way survivability shifted from armor, speed, and focusing on a good canopy
into the era of Electronic Warfare and now the incorporation of stealth characteristics
through both design considerations, composite materials and the wonders of chemistry
for paint.

Stealth is a survivability factor and is critically important because it multiplies the effec-
tiveness of the fighter—one doesn’t add stealth but incorporates it into the very exis-
tence of the fighter. Being a multiplying factor means it is sensitive and can really drive
the entire performance of the airframe and system combat performance.

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F-35B arrives with two F-18s. The past escorts the present. Credit Photo: Yuma Sun

So ending the 20th Century the complexities of fielding the best fighter was a much big-
ger challenge because of three synergistic but independent factors — basic airframe per-
formance improvements, internal system R&D and constantly improving weapons.

However, with the very real computer revolution moving with light speed into the 21st
Century there is now a forth design dynamic at work —the man-machine interface.

With the very real capability of three-dimensional sensing and being able to distribute
information to other warfighters (airborne and on the ground or at sea), the relationship
of the individual pilot to knowledge of the bigger air battle is truly revolutionary.

For example, one of the most important capabilities of the F-35 is the distributed infor-
mation capability. The least experienced fighter pilot to the most experience all are fly-

Second Line of Defense December 2014

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