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http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #367 OCTOBER 2018 // 15

Lockheed offers F-22/F-

“hybrid” to US Air Force

LOCKHEED MARTIN

is reportedly pitching a

“hybrid” fighter combining

attributes of its F-22 Raptor

and F-35 Lightning II –

similar to the fighter offered

to Japan – to the US Air

Force (see Comment, p3).

The company has timed

its proposal to coincide

with a USAF review of

force structure that seeks

to tackle future threats

as laid out in the National

Defense Strategy. This

document outlines a

forthcoming requirement

“to strike diverse targets

inside adversary air and

missile defence networks

to destroy mobile power-

projection platforms”.

The F-22/F-35 hybrid

would likely face

competition from a

new version of the F-

Eagle, proposed by

Boeing and known as

the F-15X. This would

add additional weapons

carriage and new avionics

to the existing design.

Officials apparently

view the “upgraded

Raptor” as an interim

step before fielding an

all-new sixth-generation

fighter utilising more exotic

technologies. The air arm

is already studying a future

combat aircraft under

the Next Generation Air

Dominance or Penetrating

Counter Air project.

Lockheed’s Skunk Works

advanced programmes

arm is also looking at

other options, including

adding directed energy

and electronic attack

capabilities to its F-16,

F-22 and F-35, as well as

unspecified “structural

changes” and an

enhanced powerplant

for the Lightning II.

THE USAF is reportedly

moving ahead with efforts

to upgrade the B-

Stratofortress bomber

• potentially paving the
  way for a B-52J variant.
  The air arm is now using
  the J-model designation
  in public and studying
  plans for modernising
  the bomber’s defensive
  systems and avionics
  to sustain the aircraft
  to 2050. Other options
  for a potential upgrade
  include crash-survivable
  flight data recorder, a
  weapons system trainer,

relocated targeting pod

and new ejection seats.

It’s currently unclear

whether the programme to

retrofit the B-52 with a new

powerplant (see GE offers

two powerplants for B-

re-engining, September,

p15) is part of the

proposed B-52J upgrade

or a separate initiative.

The Stratofortress is also

being earmarked for the

USAF’s first-generation

hypervelocity strike

weapons. The Lockheed

Martin AGM -183A Air-

Launched Rapid Response

Weapon (ARRW) and

Hypersonic Conventional

Strike Weapon (HCSW)

demonstrations are both

being accelerated under

the Pentagon’s new Section

804 acquisition policy.

The USAF has announced

that the B-52 will be the

launch platform for both

these weapons in the

2019-20 timeframe. As

a precursor to the AGM-

183A, flight testing of

the Lockheed Martin

Tactical Boost Glide (TBG)

demonstrator is scheduled

to begin next year.

The ARRW is currently

slated for service from

2021 while the HCSW

is expected to join

the inventory in 2022.

Lockheed Martin’s Skunk

Works and Raytheon are

currently competing under

a Defense Advanced

Research Projects Agency

(DARPA) contract to

develop the Hypersonic

Air-breathing Weapon

Concept (HAWC).

Flight tests of the winning

HAWC design on a B-

are expected to begin

before Fiscal Year 2020.

Above: A pair of F-22As from the 95th Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Wing, at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, in formation

with two Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35As during aerial refuelling over Norway on August 15. USAF/Senior Airman Preston Cherry

B-52 upgrade plans gather pace

Above: B-52H 60-0057 ‘BD/340 WPS’, named ‘Hi-Ho Silver’, was one of two examples that arrived at RAF Fairford,

Gloucestershire, on the morning of September 5 to take part in Exercise Ample Strike 2018. This aircraft is assigned to the

340th Weapons Squadron/57th Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. Mark Kwiatkowski

Canada to

buy three

King Airs

for ISR

CANADA’S Department

of National Defence

(DND) has confirmed that

it is planning to acquire

three new Beechcraft

King Air 350ER aircraft

for the Royal Canadian

Air Force (RCAF)

to provide a manned

airborne intelligence,

surveillance and

reconnaissance (MAISR)

capability in support

of Canadian special

operations forces.

The proposal was

confirmed in a statement

by the DND on July

12. The aircraft and
    associated mission
    systems will be
    acquired through the US
    Foreign Military Sales
    programme. Equipment
    fit will include advanced
    military sensors and
    secure communications
    equipment.
    Canada has been
    examining options for the
    requirement since 2013
    and published a request
    for information (RFI)
    on December 1, 2015,
    seeking possible types
    for the MAISR role. After
    industry consultation and
    examination of options,
    the DND announced on
    April 27 this year that it
    had selected the twin-
    turboprop King Air 350ER
    for the requirement.
    From that date the DND
    said that, under Phase 1
    of the programme, it was
    expected to take up to
    12 months to complete
    a formal agreement with
    the US government for
    acquisition of the aircraft,
    mission systems and
    related support. No
    timeframe has yet been
    set for aircraft delivery
    and entry into service.
    Phase 2 will involve
    a competitive tender
    to provide a complete
    system of support
    services to maintain
    the aircraft and
    related equipment
    for up to 20 years.
    An RFI for this
    in-service support
    element of the
    programme was issued
    on April 12, with a formal
    request for proposal
    (RFP) expected to be
    issued next spring.
    Dave Allport

15-18 USNews AFM Oct2018.indd 15 10/09/2018 14:35: