Page 25 - Tron Warfare.pages

area. With the low observability of the F-35 combined with the organic EW capability of the air-
craft, the aircraft expands my capabilities for both air-to-air and CAS.

With respect to different but similar pilot cultures Major Suma captures that US way of war and
the training for combat:

Working with the other service pilots provides an important window on where we want to go
with the concepts of operations of the aircraft.

We have different backgrounds — Harrier, F-18s, F-16s, F-22s and F-15s — but we understand
that, given the commonality of the aircraft, these different backgrounds suggest common ways
ahead. We are all able to contribute to the way ahead for a common aircraft.

Operating on the Z Axis

The F-35 is known as a 5th generation player in the state-of-the-art for both the Air-to-
Air Fighter, and Air-to-Air Attack combat roles. It also adds an “electronic” or “tron”
warfare component to the fight–the Z Axis and the “Fusion Engine”

This is the beginning of a combat aircraft design that is building along a new axis-the
“Z-axis.” The “Z axis” is a core discriminator.

The F-35 aircraft is not a linear performance enhancement from F/A-18 4th Gen; it has a
third performance axis “Z.”

The “Z” axis is the pilot’s cockpit C4ISR-D (for decision) loop axis.

Starting at the beginning air fleet Command and Control from WWI on it has morphed
into C5ISR (useful but getting silly) – Command, Control, Communications, Comput-
ers, Combat Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance

Second Line of Defense December 2014

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