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Air Force in talks to fast track PCA

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posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 06:35 PM
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The Air Force is in talks with Congress about fast tracking the Penetrating Counter Air platform. Instead of running an extended EMD program, and looking at almost 20 years of development, the AF is willing to accept reduced capabilities initially, and upgrade the fleet as time goes on.

Under a normal EMD program, the aircraft would start with top of the line technology and mature it as the program went on. Under the plan that is under discussion, there would be a mix of technologies. They may have a cutting edge sensor suite, but use engines that are currently flying, or are close to flying. Then after a few years of the aircraft being in service, they would replace the engine with a new type that would fit in the same engine bay. This would knock at least 10 years off development most likely.

www.flightglobal.com...



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 06:39 PM
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Hey zaph what kinda aircraft are they or have they in the past used for the PCA roll?



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 06:42 PM
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a reply to: BASSPLYR

They've used multiple aircraft to do the mission. They spread it out over several aircraft because they could. They'll release more details next year, but this will be on the order of a Raven/Weasel/Eagle all rolled into one airframe.



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 07:07 PM
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Seriously with the tech thats in the pool at the moment it would be a wet dream for customers to pretty much ask what they want..From fasttracked design and manufacture to lessons learnt in aerodynamics in 100 plus years of flight.



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 07:40 PM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

FA-XX?



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 07:46 PM
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a reply to: Crumbles

Probably not (but F-XX is the AF). It's one of those F-XX can do PCA but PCA isn't F-XX word problems.



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 07:55 PM
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PCA is along lines of F105 or F111 Wild Weasel type platforms..FXX is F16,Eurofighter Typhoon type platform..



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 07:57 PM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

So they will be building multiple 6th gen at once? A lot off topic, but is the b-21 considered 6th
edit on 29-3-2017 by Crumbles because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 08:04 PM
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a reply to: Crumbles

They haven't settled on if PCA will be an airframe, or multiple weapon systems.

No, it's a fifth gen bomber.



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 11:08 PM
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Ah, PCA.

"Working on PCA" - a parody of an old Lynyrd Skynyrd song

Seven years of hard work, comin' down on us
Fixing or designing crap we mostly can't discuss.
We worked for every intel branch, mister, every service too
and along came Mr Air Force colonel sayin' "Boys, I sure want you!"

Want you to sign the contract
want you to sign today
Gonna give you lots of money
working on the PCA

Said "Ninety thousand dollars, on a phase I you will win
Lay us out some concepts!" with a big car salesman grin.
They're going to feed us fast designs
and we'd be the only source
which they'll hide by triple bidding
with some vendors they'll pick for us

Want you to sign the contract
want you to sign today
Gonna give you lots of money
working on the PCA

Freed from component tracking, from projected life times too,
And anything that beat the specs, that's a thing that you can do.
We just might sign that contract, give this current job a pass
doing stupid power points for some constipated brass

Want you to sign the contract
want you to sign today
Gonna give you lots of money
working on the PCA



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 11:11 PM
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Penetrating Counter Air platform

Fill up some F117s with some Sidewinders and go a hunting?



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 11:46 PM
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a reply to: Zaphod58



Says it will be an aircraft to replace the f-22



posted on Mar, 29 2017 @ 11:48 PM
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Boeing pca concept
edit on 29-3-2017 by Crumbles because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 30 2017 @ 04:17 AM
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a reply to: Crumbles

And they aren't sure PCA will be an aircraft. They're also looking at a family of weapons that can complement each other.



posted on Mar, 30 2017 @ 09:18 AM
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a reply to: Zaphod58
Surely it will be a airframe, the F-22 are not in a enough number and they will be tired in decade to come, to go with new weapon , you need new airframe no ? The F-35 can't assume the role of a long range air dominance Platform, so not enough F-22 and can't use F-35 for it ,go straight to a new airframe. And its good news for USAF and a lot of good job for the futur.




posted on Mar, 30 2017 @ 10:38 AM
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a reply to: darksidius

If they develop a small, very long range missile, or several of them, as well as the capability to destroy an airfield without entering their airspace, that is going to radically multiply those numbers.



posted on Mar, 31 2017 @ 02:56 PM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

Remember the argument you had with muzzleflash about missiles, and satelites? Seems a bit foolhardy.



posted on Mar, 31 2017 @ 03:09 PM
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a reply to: Crumbles

Yes, but I'm talking about air to air missiles and something like JASSM-ER. I'm not talking about declaring all our aircraft obsolete and replacing them with cruise missiles. A VLRAAM is incredibly useful against support aircraft, which is why potential opponents are developing them to go with their LO aircraft.



posted on Mar, 31 2017 @ 06:03 PM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

If only the US armed forces weren't so snooty about sharing missiles between branches. A B-21 carrying a dozen or so standards that could be cued up remotely via datalink by an F-35 using its AESA as a flying AEGIS system to kill fighters and radar installations from over the horizon would be a hell of a penetrating counter-air system.

I like to think that someone in the USAF has also thought of using a B-21 as a sort of silent stalking counter-air asset. That's a system that would make the Chinese sh!t themselves with fear.



posted on Mar, 31 2017 @ 06:31 PM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

Suppose they used the B-21 airframe as the base. Reasonable for the mission?

If the job is ECM, detection and flinging missiles....why not?
edit on 31-3-2017 by mbkennel because: (no reason given)



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