AIR SUPERIORITY
M
AINTAINING CONTROL
OF the skies is
quite rightly at the
forefront of any air
force commander’s
requirement list. At
the Farnborough International Air
Show in July the UK demonstrated
its commitment to this need,
revealing a concept for a new sixth-
generation ghter. While this is an
ambitious project, and one that
will require collaboration across
Europe and probably further a eld, it
demonstrated a clear intent and a sea
change away from a world that, just
a few years ago, predicted that the
F-35 would be the last manned ghter
in the west.
With regard to manned air combat
tactics and techniques, look no further
than TOPGUN, the topic of our special
24-page supplement in this issue.The instructors there dedicate their
lives to retaining the high-end skills
required to defend the eet from any
range of threats that could be met.
Interestingly, as the UK aims for a
50:50 blend of live versus synthetic
training in this environment, the likes
of TOPGUN place a huge emphasis on
live ying and the physiological e ects
of fast jet operations.
Pilots of today’s high-end ghters,
such as the F-15C pictured here, are
only getting the rst taste of the
kind of capabilities likely to be found
in future platforms. BAE Systems
says it wants to move away from
traditional cockpit arrangements, to
increased use of helmet-mounted
displays and synthetics, and software
rather than hardware-driven piloting
environments — the ‘virtual’ cockpit.
This approach may assist with the
drive to make upgrades seamless, andto embrace the need for rapid updates
and recon gurations.
The air superiority ghter world is
on the verge of a revolution. Never
has there been a more exciting time
of change and innovation, all geared
towards maintaining control of the air,
as fundamental now as it was at the
dawn of military air power.To keep track of the latest breaking
news and analysis in the world of
military air power you can visit our
social media sites and our website:
http://www.combataircraft.net.
You can also sign up for our free
e-mail newsletter by going to
http://www.combataircraft.net to register.An F-15C Eagle of the
493rd Fighter Squadron
‘Grim Reapers’ on its way
to the Royal International
Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford
in July. Rich CooperJamie Hunter,
Editor
E-mail: [email protected]04 September 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
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