USAF Wants a 'Penetrating Counter-Air' System Within 14 years

a reply to: spy66

No, they can't. You can't just take an existing airframe and slap a bunch of more advanced technology into it, and get it to work. AWACS would last about 30 seconds if it tried to go anywhere near where PCA will go. There aren't enough B-2s or F-22s, even if they could add the technology on them. They're going to be doing other missions, where they're needed. Additionally, fighter sized platforms as they are now don't fit the PCA plan.

The plan is to buy 1763 F-35s for the Air Force. Even if they get all of them, and it appears they won't, they are still going to have some older aircraft in inventory until 2040. Those are going to be important for any mission.

a reply to: gpols

They're almost going to be suffering from information overload between what the F-22, F-35, and PCA will be gathering and passing around.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: gpols

It won't. They've already said it will probably have a fighter designation, but will be bigger and less maneuverable than traditional fighters. They're after range and loiter time now.

I would rather say that they US need better AA missiles to cope With the potential of their New sensor techonlogy.

The AA missiles are lacking range compared to their potential Counter parts. WOuldnt that be cheeper also?

a reply to: Zaphod58

They have something close to flying or flying now? They probably have a smorgasbord of things to choose from just have to pick what they want how and to make it all work together from what I would imagine.

a reply to: spy66

That's why I've been saying that PCA is more than just an aircraft.

a reply to: gpols

I've heard rumors that they're looking at a couple airframes, but until they settle on what the requirements are they can't really settle on an airframe.

What speed will be needing for a PCA Platform ? a mach 2 range of speed like a f-22? Supercruise capacity .

a reply to: darksidius

They haven't decided any of the details yet. That's what the study they're doing will decide.

a reply to: Zaphod58
For sure PCA will be surely inovative concept something we don't have seen yet for the air combat.

a reply to: darksidius

It depends on what they finally decide the requirements are.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: spy66

Yes. Because the F-35 can't send all the information that it gathers to other aircraft. The existing network used by other aircraft, including AWACS and BACN has been compared to having a dial up modem, with the F-35 having huge packets of data to send. One of the things PCA will do is allow more information to be spread wider.

This is where I think some of the off the shelf technology sits, we used commercially available video compression to send data, this is an example where the commercial world is possibly ahead and will stay ahead, as we become more cloud based in the real world, large amounts of data have to move faster over older technologies, unless they get into laser comms I've read about on here which will probably be through military?

a reply to: Zaphod58
Surely Air force Combat Command have some idea now for the PCA , and some tech must exist in the Black world who can give new capacity for a futur PCA Platform and giving advantage for the futur air combat. For now I have some idea may be what it will be , a sort of supersonic flying wing for long range , a derivative of the AETP program for engine, new stealth tech not real dogfight capacity because it will not need it, High altitude capacity and a lot of new toys ( just my opinion ).