Page 10 - AAPT August 19

Feature
Designed to establish and maintain superpower with access to three of operating from a carrier deck with the
air superiority or air dominance, fighter highly capable, fifth-generation combat unmatched fifth-generation capabilities
aircraft have evolved from relatively aircraft. Additionally, the sale of such a of stealth, fused sensors and reliability,
simple wood and canvas airframes capability to China provides avenues making the F-35C the Navy’s future
during the First World War, to the highly for the nation to further develop its local first-day-of-the-war strike fighter. The
manoeuvrable, long-range aircraft that aerospace industry, with opportunities Navy and Marines require an aircraft
dominated the skies of Europe and the for backward engineering. capable of overcoming a variety of
Pacific during the Second World War; threats — surface-to-air missiles, air-
the latest two generations of fighters are The leading edge fifth- to-air missiles and tactical aircraft. By
the pinnacle of these earlier designs. generation force leveraging this potent combination
Fighter aircraft, like every facet of stealth, advanced jamming and
of military technology, are rapidly As the world's leading air power, the threat system destruction, the F-35C
evolving. The current global and US has invested heavily in maintaining enhances survivability and increases
regional transition from fourth- to fifth- its qualitative and quantitative edge mission success rates.
generation fighter aircraft, like the F-22 over potential peer and near-peer Meanwhile, the growing capability
Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter competitors like Russia and China. of the short take-off, vertical landing
platforms, is reshaping the role of Fifth-generation air combat capability (STOVL) F-35B variant – which is
fighter fleets and the balance of power is key to the US regional strategy, the beginning to see the widespread
in Australia's region. US Air Force, Navy and Marines fixed- introduction into service with both the
Fifth-generation fighter aircraft wing aviation forces are currently deep US Marine Corps and both the Royal Air
represent the pinnacle of modern into the transition phase of the fifth- Force and Royal Navy, and is expected
fighter technology. Incorporating all- generation integration cycle. to be introduced by the Japanese Self
aspect stealth even when armed, The US Air Force has led the way Defense Force's Izumo Class warships
low-probability-of-intercept radar, high- for integrating fifth-generation platforms – is providing further fifth-generation
performance airframes, advanced following the introduction of the air capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
avionics and highly integrated computer superiority focused F-22 fleet, which The 'B' variant is the world's first
systems, these aircraft provide was finalised with the final delivery for supersonic, stealth STOVL aircraft
unrivalled air dominance, situational the Raptor in 2012. While the Raptor and is designed to operate from both
awareness, networking, interdiction program only saw a small portion of austere bases and a range of fixed-wing
and strike capabilities for commanders. the planned aircraft acquired due to aircraft capable ships. These include
The formal introduction of the increasing costs, program delays and large deck amphibious warfare ships,
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor in the an apparent lack of potential peer like the US Wasp and America Class
mid-2000s led many nations to begin adversary, the program paved the way Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs), the
to speed up the process of developing for integrating the JSF as the backbone UK's Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft
their own fifth-generation air combat for the US Armed Forces air combat carriers, the Italian Conte di Cavour and
capability to minimise any perceived or capability. Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carriers, and
actual capability gaps in their traditional JSF was designed as part of the future Turkish LHDs, which are based
air and naval aviation forces. US 'high-low' fifth-generation fighter on the Juan Carlos/Canberra Class
Russia began the development of mix as well as serving as the basis LHDs.
its own Su-57 in the mid-2000s with a for the air combat capabilities for US
focus on countering the growing fifth- allies like Australia. The JSF program The underdog fifth-gen
generation capabilities of the US Air has, like its Raptor predecessor, fighter powers
Force, while China brought the J-20 faced development and cost overruns
and carrier-focused FC-31 to the global hindering the introduction of the F-35C China's Air Force has undergone a
stage, designed to counter the both the and F-35B variants. period of modernisation and expansion
F-22 and F-35. Meanwhile, the US and The mission-ready F-35C is the in line with the country's growing
allies extended their fifth-generation latest addition to US Navy’s Carrier ambitions in Indo-Pacific Asia. China's
capability gap through the development Air Wing. With its stealth technology, first fifth-generation fighter aircraft,
of the largest defence project in history, state-of-the-art avionics, advanced and the world's third such aircraft,
the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II sensors, weapons capacity and incorporates radar reducing cross
Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). range, the aircraft carrier-based F-35C sections and materials, high-capacity
These developments have recently provides unprecedented air superiority, sensor integration and advanced
heightened the growing geo-political interdiction, suppression of enemy air engines.
and strategic competition between defences and close-air-support, as well While little is known about the
the US and China, with Russia as advanced command and control specifics of the fifth-generation air
confirming the sale option for its air functions through fused sensors. superiority fighter, designed to counter
superiority specialised Su-57 to China, The joint Navy and Marines use of the the American F-22 Raptor, it has a max
providing the rising global and regional F-35C leverages the unique capability speed of Mach 2.5+ and incorporates a

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