The new Lockeed-Martin F-22A Fighter Plane tactical use issues (never mind F-35, as they are too numerous to warrant discussion) may be:

1) Primary main weapon range / Newton's second law of motion.

2) ECM detection of mid-course update transmission(s) for main weapon.

3) Thermal signature(s) of platform & main weapon.

4) Daylight/Moonlight contrail(s) of platform & main weapon.

5) Super-cruise only at high altitude / Afterburning turbo-jet like engines.

6) Kinematics

7) Detect Radar Resolution Filtration

Reason(s):

1) Primary main weapon range / Newton's second law of motion:

Primary weapon is a medium-range-class missile. That's too short. F-22 proponents recognize this but say Raptor fly's so fast/high it 'pushes' (effectively extending the range of) the AIM-120 missile, into opponents. Issues are: combined closure rate (attacker vs. defender), pilot maneuverability limits because of speed/G-loads (if Raptor still moving +550 knots after "push"), thermal airframe heating due to air friction and hot exhaust exposure (during merge). Effectively F-22 presents itself as a target by hurtling towards an opponent.

This whole this boils down to this. If F-22 press their attack, closure rates are so high and air-to-air weapons malfunctions (missiles fly wide) such a regular occurrence (on both sides) that F-22 aircrews will be in a dogfight (the merge) within moments after calling "fox-3". Against the advanced Sukhoi Su-30, 33, 35 Flanker series fighter, this is truly a nightmare scenario for DoD.

2) ECM detection of mid-course update transmission(s) for main weapon:

Flanker will most certainly be equipped with a Threat Warning System that listens for Raptors AIM-120 mid-course update (data burst/handshake transmission) after F-22 weapon release. From here two (2) things could happen:

First, Threat Warning System triggers automatic release of expendables (chaff/flares).

See reference, pg 41 (a).

Second, Flanker pilot then initiates a defensive 'beaming' / 'beam-turn' / 'Doppler turn' maneuver to defeat the AIM-120 shot.

See reference, pg 36-37 (a) & pg 97 (b).

3) Thermal signature(s) of platform & main weapon via IRST.

[en.wikipedia.org]

Flanker uses IRST as primary system for gun firing solution. Development/advancement cycles for IRST systems languished till the mid 80s. Now these systems have seen resurgence. Improvements now would be orders of magnitude more frequent than possible F-22 airframe changes, combined with IR-versions of the R-77 (R-77T) missile being the first problem. The second is Flanker radar (slaved to IRST). The IRST may see something and then point its radar straight at F-22, (straight to 'track').

4) Daylight/Moonlight contrail(s) of platform & main weapon:

Self-evident (anything that goes supersonic at higher altitudes creates contrails, even smokeless rocket engine of AIM-120). Raptor engines also produce contrails. These can be seen for miles. Plane/pilot/weapon telegraph not only their presents, numbers, tactics, but behaviors(s).

5) Super-cruise only at high altitude / Afterburning engines:

F-22 engines (the key to its high altitude super cruise capability) are low bypass engines. They require more use of reheat (afterburner) at lower maneuvering speed and/or altitudes, more a throw back to the older turbo-JET engine. Turbo-jets are thin air engines. Raptor proponents say it has the best thrust-weight ratio of any current/future fighter. What they fail to mention is only-at-high-altitude (!), otherwise its engine performance is more akin to say a Mig-25 (afterburner behavior). Hence heavy reheat use (and soot) is plainly evident, see:

[www.youtube.com]

6) Kinematics:

The F-22 is described as having superior Kinematics. They may mean it can roll and change flight direction in the (positive-G) pitch axis very quickly. This augment is a bit of a mystery, since kinematics is the study space-time relationship of a given motion without the action of forces; no friction (drag), no gravity. Also F-22 unusual 'speed-brake' control scheme (taxing existing control surfaces with no additional aerodynamic 'pop-out' device) may reveal its true nature. What we are likely dealing with the F-22, is an aircraft more akin to the Lockheed YF-12, than the plane it's said to replace, the F-15.

7) Detect Radar Resolution Filtration:

Radar resolution can be adjusted so every object from a raindrop/hailstone/dragonfly can be seen. Computer power may already be available to filter any objects with non-organic-like-motion, like an aircraft. These should be your F-22s. (or inversely the 'False-Positive'; pointing radar at contrail producing object and NOT getting the expected radar return). Raptor uses something called Top-Coat on its airframe. How long this coating lasts with repeated excursions (sandblasting) through the Mach.understandably they aren't saying.

Lastly:

If Raptor is to be flown at high altitudes/speed verses planes like Flanker a situation similar to what occurred in the early stages of the Falkland conflict could emerge. Argentine Mirages stayed at high altitudes while Royal Navy Harriers remained at medium altitudes (neither side content to give away his advantage) in what is best described as a series of 'non-engagements'.

All Flanker (and Mig-31) really need to do is scare off our AWACS, Joint Stars, and tanker aircraft. Bottom line is the next war will likely start and end during the flight time of say an ultra long range Russian Ks-172 and/or Kh-31.

- Olaf Brescia / Sacramento, CA

Reference(s):

a) Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units In Combat- Cooper, Tom; Bishop, Farzad; Osprey Publishing, 2004.

b) ...And Kill MiGs, Air to Air Combat From Vietnam to the Gulf War (3rd), Squadron/Signal Publications, Lou Drendel.

c) Air War South Atlantic - Ethell, Jeffrey L.; Price, Alfred - New York, NY, USA: MacMillan, 1983.

d) Iranian F-4 Fhantom II Units In Combat- Cooper, Tom; Bishop, Farzad; Osprey Publishing, 2003.

e) Arab Mig-19 and Mig-21 Units In Combat- Cooper, Tom; Nicolle, David; Osprey Publishing, 2004.

f) Wings of the Red Star; Box set, NTSC; Rating: Discovery Channel; VHS Release Date: March 17, 1998. Narration by Sir Peter Ustinov.

g) Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing - Clancy, Tom; Penguin Group, 1995.