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| Expanding the F-1117 Nighthawk mission: JDAMS, daylight flights |
| 2004-02-17 |
| Lots of acronyms, but check out the boldfaced comment re: 24 hr stealth presence over battlefields Lockheed Martin F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighters of the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) 49th Fighter Wing (FW) at Holloman Air Force Base (AFB), New Mexico, are gearing up to take on new roles with new capabilities. Following the well-publicised involvement of the 8th Fighter Squadron (’Black Sheep’) in Operation ’Iraqi Freedom’ in 2003, the USAF has started to implement new upgrade programmes for the type. The USAF F-117 Combined Test Force (CTF) successfully released the first Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) from a YF-117A during a weapons test mission on 21 January at the Precision Impact Range Area at Edwards AFB, California. The 410th Flight Test Squadron (FLTS), F-117 CTF, released two types of JDAM 2,000 lb GPS-guided bombs. This is understood to be part of a $30.3 million Block II upgrade to give the F-117 the capability to employ standard US inertial navigation system/GPS-guided weapons, which started in April 2001. Block II is a software programme that updates the F-117 Operational Flight Program to integrate advanced weapons, including the Enhanced GBU-27 (EGBU-27), JDAM and Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD). Hardware upgrades, including a MIL-STD-1760-compatible Stores Management Processor, are also being introduced. Lt Col Jim Bierstine, 410th FLTS commander and test pilot for the mission, said: "It is good to see the test force’s hard work and preparations pay off during a test mission. This is just the first step; we will be testing these kinds of weapons through 2005. We are upgrading the F-117 to carry JDAMs and other similar weapons currently used in the USAF inventory. This test will eventually allow the warfighter far greater flexibility during deployed operations." The GPS-guided JDAM has become the weapon of choice for many of the USAF’s attack platforms; and the F-117 is looking to benefit from the same technology. The variants used on the first test were the GBU-31(v)1/B and the GBU-31(v)3/B. The GBU-31(v)1/B, based on the Mk 84 bomb, is used for its large blast and explosive force. The GBU-31(v)3/B is a BLU-109 variant used to penetrate hardened targets. Capt Ted Conklin, F-117A weapons flight commander, said: "There’s really nothing new about these particular JDAMs. They are separation test vehicles, or STVs, used purely to test the separation characteristics of the weapon from different platforms." This first JDAM trial for the F-117 served to validate and provide data for upgrading the F-117 CTF’s JDAM separation model and is the first in a series of planned JDAM separation tests. Capt Conklin added: "We have three more single-release separations planned for each variant [of JDAM]. On completion of this testing, we will proceed with dual-release separation testing. By September, we should have fully defined the operational JDAM envelopes for the F-117A. Coupled with the aircraft’s Block II software upgrade, this capability means significantly increased flexibility and lethality for the F-117A." Efforts are under way to accelerate this programme; JDAM integration for the F-117 has been on the drawing board for some time. The USAF initially commenced the Mid-Life Improvement Study (MIPS) for the F-117 in early 1995 to analyse weapons, signature reduction and other upgrades. The planned improvements also included a MIL-STD-1760 databus to allow the F-117A to employ the GPS-guided weapons. The USAF has modified around 24 of its F-117s to use the EGBU-27 precision-guided bomb: a version of the standard Lockheed Martin GBU-27 laser-guided bomb, designed to penetrate hardened targets. The Block II software upgrade is set to begin testing in May 2004, continuing until August 2005. The 49th FW at Holloman AFB expects to receive the upgraded capability in two phases, with initial operational capability in early 2005 and full capability in early 2006. Further upgrades are planned under the F-117 Combat Capability Sustainment Program (CCSP), which is gearing up for initial developmental activity, according to the F-117 System Program Office at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. This programme focuses on avionics components that will pose support problems in the years ahead and replaces or refurbishes those components. Systems targeted include the data transfer system, the colour multi-function displays and the infra-red acquisition and designation system. In parallel, the USAF is also involved in trials that could see the F-117 taking on a daylight attack role JDW 24 December 2003). The 53rd Test and Evaluation Group Detachment 1 (Det 1) at Holloman AFB has painted one F-117A in a new two-tone scheme for the trial. The aircraft, nicknamed ’The Dragon’, is due to participate in tests as part of a programme called Global Strike Task Force, with the F-117 flying alongside the F/A-22 Raptor in several tests. ups the ante significantly Lt Col Buck Rogers, Det 1 operations officer, said: "The chief of staff wants to have a 24-hour stealth presence over future battlefields. We know our current black paint scheme wouldn’t be a good colour for daytime operations." He added: "Air force leaders will approve additional jets for the grey scheme only if the test results show the change is warranted." Maj Tre Urso said: "We use the F-117 for everything from new tactics development to the evaluation of new software or hardware. Det 1 has been involved in all the F-117 modifications and upgrades over the years. This trial provides a great opportunity for us to learn about our daytime capabilities and limitations." |
| Posted by:rkb |
| #20 Shipman, I believe testing daylight stealth capability is preparation for long duration loiter UAVs that can stay on station for 24 hours plus. Just hang around waiting for a target of opportunity to drop a JDAM on. This will severely curtail out door activities for the likes of Kimmy and Osammy. No dictator will feel safe when he knows there is an aircraft up there he cant see, carrying a bomb with his name on it. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2004-2-17 7:45:41 PM |
| #19 U.S. Air Force museum at Wright-Patterson AFB,Ohio has an F-117 stealth fighter and a B-2 stealth bomber on display. That's an awesome museum for anyone interested in aviation history. |
| Posted by: GK 2004-2-17 6:19:19 PM |
| #18 Hear! Hear! Matt. What's the fun of having all this cool stuff if you can't use it because the frogs and the krauts won't go along with the plan? For me, there is only one issue in this election -- who will kill more of America's enemies (before they kill us)? The answer is obviously GWB, especially now that Lieberman, the only Donk candidate serious about the WoT, is out of the race. |
| Posted by: Tibor 2004-2-17 5:29:18 PM |
| #17 Now all we need is to make sure we have political leadership with the stones to use the hardware where it's needed the most. |
| Posted by: Matt 2004-2-17 5:14:53 PM |
| #16 Invisible airplanes overhead 24/7 . . . armed with a 1,000-pound bomb that can literally be put into a pickle barrel from 30,000 feet. You could take down any target before they even knew you were there. Any target--or any person. I love this. Feeling safe, Mr. Kim? Mr. Arafat? M. Chirac? |
| Posted by: Mike 2004-2-17 5:05:05 PM |
| #15 I like the sound of that. I like the sound of that very, very much. ;-) Thx. |
| Posted by: Evert Visser 2004-2-17 4:55:10 PM |
| #14 re: fighter vs. bomber, it is true that the Nighthawk does not carry a cannon and is not believed to be capable of firing air to air missiles. It can carry 2 Mark 2 nuclear weapons if desired. It also has been retrofitted with the ability to disperse smaller munitions charges over an area, so it can serve to suppress ground to air attack on itself or B-2s, which Nighthawks sometimes accompany. Re: paranoid, well you just got my cull of interesting articles from Janes (smile) but yes, by a year from now there will be replenished stockpiles, lessons-learned that are integrated into new training and tactics and some reorg of forces. |
| Posted by: rkb 2004-2-17 4:51:41 PM |
| #13 Am i paranoid, or could there be more reasons to the fact that the three most interesting articles (J-dam, increase in spec ops and this) from today, all speak of things that come into service in 2005-2006? |
| Posted by: Evert Visser 2004-2-17 4:45:50 PM |
| #12 Zhang Fei: I seem to recall watching a History Channel show that claimed that the F-117 was classified as a fighter in order to get the pilots excited about testing it. IIRC, it has no air-to-air capability. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-2-17 4:33:53 PM |
| #11 yeah good point about old jasper, a very clever guy he was, interesting if rather worrying is there was nothing about the future intergration of the Small diamiter bomb on the NightHawk, a weapon like that would be a huge force multipler. |
| Posted by: Jon Shep U.K 2004-2-17 3:54:44 PM |
| #10 Actually, Shep, we owe most of this to your country. The majority of work done to render a plane optically invisible (or at least extremely difficult to see) by playing tricks with light was done by that famous Brit magician Jasper Maskelyne. The man actually made the Suez Canal impossible to see! (Granted, you knew where it was, but when you went there, you couldn't find it with ENOUGH accuracy to hit it with the bombs of the time...) Hats off to one of your very best, Shep. Ed. |
| Posted by: Ed Becerra 2004-2-17 3:44:40 PM |
| #9 on deployment timing, Jane's is now saying "an initial JDAM capability for the Nighthawk fleet in early 2005, while the fleet is due to be fully capable to operate the munition in early 2006". Assuming Bush is re-elected, expect an interesting next few years. 24-hr stealth presence over battlefields with UAVs doing armed escort as well as surveillance / reconnaisance, JDAM stocks replenished by the end of this year and Special Ops guys beefing up. |
| Posted by: rkb 2004-2-17 3:44:23 PM |
| #8 Lt Col Buck Rogers It took a while but the Captain finally got his promotion. |
| Posted by: domingo 2004-2-17 3:35:28 PM |
| #7 i think the Nighthawk would be up so high and with a very low sunlight reflective paint job, apparently its scientifly proven that grey is the best colour for low visibility and a large plane can be rendered almost invisible to the human eye.There was also a method once tryed successfully a few decades ago that involved fighters being equiped with some sort of real bright lamp or lamps that when switched on would make the aircraft 'inviable' to the human eye or at least very difficult to see, think the tests were by either Lockheed or the USAF. |
| Posted by: Jon Shep U.K 2004-2-17 3:35:16 PM |
| #6 You can see some photos of the Nighthawk here |
| Posted by: rkb 2004-2-17 3:34:43 PM |
| #5 The F-117 is stealthed with regard to its electromagnetic and radar signatures. It is also "low observable" visually, with black paint for night runs. The Nighthawk is a fighter-bomber, not an ace-to-ace shoot-out fighter. A handful of them dropped a significant proportion of the bombs in Gulf 1 without suffering any losses. |
| Posted by: rkb 2004-2-17 3:33:06 PM |
| #4 trials that could see the F-117 taking on a daylight attack role That's plain nutz or disinformation. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-2-17 3:30:35 PM |
| #3 I don't get the bit about daylight missions - stealth warplanes are invisible to radar, not to eyes of enemy fighter pilots. I've also never understood how the F-117 is described as a fighter - stealth warplanes do not seem to have the performance characteristics of fighters - rapid climb rate, rapid acceleration, maneuverability, high top speeds, etc. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-2-17 3:24:40 PM |
| #2 imagine that say F-117s, Raptors, JSF's, B-2's, Global Hawks, Locass, and god knows what other high tech shit hidden in the black world America could well prove utterly invincible in the air by say 2015, Also consider say 8 b-2 bombers and say 24 F-22's as a quick reaction force. you wouldn't want to be thier enamy |
| Posted by: Jon Shep U.K 2004-2-17 3:20:13 PM |
| #1 Cool, now they won't have to hang around painting the target with a laser. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-2-17 3:19:25 PM |