Mod. Notice Technological advances in weaponry

[Werewolf]

Update on Britain, Japan and Italy working together on a 6th generation fighter plane:

Britain unveils new stealth fighter design

The three nations of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – the UK, Italy, and Japan – have unveiled a new concept model of their next-generation combat aircraft. Set to be in service by 2035, this aircraft will be among the world's most advanced, fighter jets.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

 

[CD Xbow]

Update on Britain, Japan and Italy working together on a 6th generation fighter plane:

Britain unveils new stealth fighter design

The three nations of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – the UK, Italy, and Japan – have unveiled a new concept model of their next-generation combat aircraft. Set to be in service by 2035, this aircraft will be among the world's most advanced, fighter jets.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

Not sure I know what constitutes a 6th gen fighters other than something to do with drones. Nice looking craft with a big, truncated delta wing. Seems they are making better progress than the Euro's and perhaps even better than the USAF NGAD, which seems to have been put on hold.

 

[Mofra]

Not sure I know what constitutes a 6th gen fighters other than something to do with drones. Nice looking craft with a big, truncated delta wing. Seems they are making better progress than the Euro's and perhaps even better than the USAF NGAD, which seems to have been put on hold.

"Self-healing"?

6th Generation Fighter

Sixth Generation Fighters are the currently conceptual new generation of fighter aircraft, which are expected to be operational in the 2030-2050 timeframe, in comparison to the current Fifth Generation Fighters they will be superior in terms of speed, range, stealth and self-healing structures...

aircraft.fandom.com

 

[CD Xbow]

"Self-healing"?

6th Generation Fighter

Sixth Generation Fighters are the currently conceptual new generation of fighter aircraft, which are expected to be operational in the 2030-2050 timeframe, in comparison to the current Fifth Generation Fighters they will be superior in terms of speed, range, stealth and self-healing structures...

aircraft.fandom.com

That's really a wish list thing. There are a number of materials that have that property but none have been used in the difficult environment of a combat jet. They are at the very start of their evolution and still in the lab. Not saying they wont happen, I think they will, but it's going to be a while. Which sort of highlights the problem, what constitutes a 6th gen fighter? No one knows. There is no clear technical/design innovations that have been identified that would make it so, except 'something to do with drones'.

 

[CD Xbow]

More Drones. Article from the Warzone describing the USN 'Silent Swarm' exercise using multiple USV and other platforms for mainly EW attacks by a distributed system.

Silent Swarm Exercise Accelerates Navy's Path To Distributed Electronic Warfare Future

The Navy recently experimented with hundreds of electronic warfare technologies mounted on aerial drones and swarms of uncrewed boats.

www.twz.com

Mick Ryan talks about Ukraine long range strike and lessons for Oz. It also includes drones.

What Australia can learn from Ukraine's long-range strike weapons | Lowy Institute

Ukraine now has multiple options for strike operations at an affordable cost. This is exactly what the Australian Defence Force needs.

www.lowyinstitute.org

 

[rjslcM]

More Drones. Article from the Warzone describing the USN 'Silent Swarm' exercise using multiple USV and other platforms for mainly EW attacks by a distributed system.

Silent Swarm Exercise Accelerates Navy's Path To Distributed Electronic Warfare Future

The Navy recently experimented with hundreds of electronic warfare technologies mounted on aerial drones and swarms of uncrewed boats.

www.twz.com

Mick Ryan talks about Ukraine long range strike and lessons for Oz. It also includes drones.

What Australia can learn from Ukraine's long-range strike weapons | Lowy Institute

Ukraine now has multiple options for strike operations at an affordable cost. This is exactly what the Australian Defence Force needs.

www.lowyinstitute.org

Makes sense to increase strike range. Comparably more time-efficient and cost-efficient than tactical placement of more jets and subs, I would have thought.

 

[CD Xbow]

Hanwha have been flogging their offerings for the RAN's SEA 3000-requirements, the 11 general purpose frigates. They have proposed a modified FFX Batch II-frigate. The design has already been stretched a bit for the Thai Bhumibol Adulyadej-class frigate, first delivered in 2019. This already has a SAAB combat system which the RAN use. The one for the RAN is stretched a bit more and called the Ocean 4300 Frigate and it integrates all the usual kit the RAN use.

Korean pitch for general-purpose frigates | The Australian Naval Institute

navalinstitute.com.au

The Bhumibol Adulyadej-class is pictured below. a pretty standard looking modern frigate. I think the main changes would be those to accommodate a 32 cell Mk41 VLS behind the main gun.

 

[CD Xbow]

Big step up for the RAN, firing it's first SM6 missile. These have been on the to do list for years and finally they appear deployed. A long range anti-air weapon for use by ships, it's effective for combat aircraft and ballistic missiles in the terminal phase. They have intercepted a number of anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea. It has a secondary anti surface capability which includes moving targets.

Royal Australian Navy fires long-range missile in military exercise off Hawaii

In a move the federal government said added to the Royal Australian Navy's "long-range strike capability", HMAS Sydney has fired a Standard Missile 6 in a military exercise near Hawaii.

www.abc.net.au

Just recently. the USN have started strapping them onto Super Hornets and turning it into the US longest range air to air missile. A missile for all occasions, at 4+ million USD a pop I hope it can make a cup of tea and give a decent back rub. Only the US, Japan and the RAN operate them.

 

[finanamat]

Big step up for the RAN, firing it's first SM6 missile. These have been on the to do list for years and finally they appear deployed. A long range anti-air weapon for use by ships, it's effective for combat aircraft and ballistic missiles in the terminal phase. They have intercepted a number of anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea. It has a secondary anti surface capability which includes moving targets.

Royal Australian Navy fires long-range missile in military exercise off Hawaii

In a move the federal government said added to the Royal Australian Navy's "long-range strike capability", HMAS Sydney has fired a Standard Missile 6 in a military exercise near Hawaii.

www.abc.net.au

Just recently. the USN have started strapping them onto Super Hornets and turning it into the US longest range air to air missile. A missile for all occasions, at 4+ million USD a pop I hope it can make a cup of tea and give a decent back rub. Only the US, Japan and the RAN operate them.

"Estimates of the SM-6's range vary; its official published range is 240 km, but it could be anywhere from 370 km to as much as 460 km."

Sheesh.

 

[CD Xbow]

"Estimates of the SM-6's range vary; its official published range is 240 km, but it could be anywhere from 370 km to as much as 460 km."

Sheesh.

Yes, it's certainly a long way. Generally they are pretty cagey about range, like most western systems the quoted figures are often conservative. The range also depends on whether it is launched with a booster from sea/land or from an aircraft. I have seen conflicting claims for which has the greatest range. Range also depends on the type of target, a slow AWAC will be able to be hit greater range because it will be unable to avoid the missile, even with low kinetic energy towards the terminal phase of it's flight. A combat craft in the same circumstance will be able accelerate away and get out of range of the missile whose velocity is dropping.

Added: Reuters has just published an article describing the use of the SM6 as an air to air missile.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-navys-newest-air-to-air-missile-could-tilt-balance-south-china-sea-2024-08-14/

The USAF have been unusually public about it's deployment, I'm sure there is a message for someone.

 

[Werewolf]

Hmmm no wonder the 6th generation fighter planes are going to cost >$300M

 

[CD Xbow]

Hmmm no wonder the 6th generation fighter planes are going to cost >$300M

Perhaps that's the sort of tech a 6th gen fighter needs. I'm not sure the tech is there yet. Add to the fact no one really knows what will constitute a 6th gen other jet than "something to do with drones", it's an area filled with uncertainty. A big leap in material science like the video describes might be the thing. Both USAF and USN seem to have put the breaks on their next gen aircraft, I think it part because of the uncertainty and partly to concentrate of capabilities that can go boom within a couple of years.

Speaking of high tech. Interesting article about the use of AI in Gaza and Ukraine. Both conflicts have used AI more than any other. I can't say the Israeli AI system fills me with any confidence.

Artificial intelligence at war | The Strategist

There’s a global arms race under way to work out how best to use artificial intelligence for military purposes. The Gaza and Ukraine wars are now accelerating this. These conflicts might inform Australia and others ...

www.aspistrategist.org.au

 

[CD Xbow]

ASPI have an article about GCAP, the UK/Japan/Italy designed next generation fighter. This article talks about the craft in more detail including the design decisions that led to a big, fat, stealthy almost delta winged beasty - lots of volume for fuel and weapons combined with a wing designed for lift and low drag gives you a very long range. Just what you need in the Pacific. I expect RAAF will watch this one very closely. Of all the next generation combat jet projects in the West, this one I feel is the most likely to get legs first, this is despite it being multi-national. There are no Germans or French involved in this one, so that helps.

GCAP: a big fighter designed for Pacific (and Australian) distances | The Strategist

BAE Systems and its Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) partners pulled off a coup of technology theatre at the Farnborough air show in July, unveiling a new design for their GCAP figher, in full-scale model ...

www.aspistrategist.org.au

It's worth a read. It points out of the unanticipated problems with the F35, that GCAP will attend to.

'But what was not recognised was that, in a tightly packed and thermally sealed airframe, the limit on increased performance of electronics was not their volume and weight but getting rid of their heat. GCAP’s designers seem to have taken this to heart.'

 

[CD Xbow]

More about the RAN's Ghost Shark UUV, it's arrived in the US for testing. Picture below shows it in a shipping container being loaded on a RAAF C17. Pretty awesome capability being able to airlift a decent sized sub, expands the scope of deployment incredibly. Note - subs can waste a lot of time in transit.

Ghost Shark XL-AUV Arrives in the United States - Naval News

Anduril announced that its advanced Ghost Shark XL-AUV has arrived in the United States for the first time.

www.navalnews.com

Recently, Anduril Australia unveiled the first prototype a year ahead of schedule and on budget. Early production and testing have been crucial for rapid learning and iteration, enabling Anduril to deliver an operationally relevant capability at the speed required to defeat and deter the emergent threats. Anduril is leveraging technology from its proprietary AUV capability and its Lattice AI-powered software platform to develop Ghost Shark.

In 2022, Anduril signed a co-development contract with the Royal Australian Navy and the Defence Science and Technology Group to design and develop three ‘Ghost Shark’ XL-AUVs in three years. This agreement accelerates production and reduces costs compared to traditional large-scale systems and this investment allows Anduril to meet the urgency of the moment at a fraction of the cost of existing undersea capabilities.

“The first prototype was delivered one year early and on budget, and all three will be delivered by June 2025. So, from conception to full realization, less than three years.”

That is a pretty impressive timeframe. Well done RAN and Anduril. It may be a more operationally important capability than the Nukes because of it's rapid timeframe.

 

[CD Xbow]

I knew the CoA was keen to get missiles produced here but I never realised they were going to get Kongsberg to set a production line for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) and the Joint Strike Missile(JSM) in Newcastle. I would guess the production includes missiles for other countries, the USN has adopted the NSM as it's deck launched antiship missile so it may be some it's supplies may come from us. The RAAF had in the past a significant roll in developing the JSM with Kongsberg.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...ng-range-strike-for-australian-defence-force/

Added - looks like it's been the plan all along. Good to see it get up

https://archive.is/dPoDt

 

[CD Xbow]

For those who like aircraft pr0n - RAAF E-7, 2 F-18G, 2 F-35 and 2 B-2 and F-22 all flying in formation, shots of a RAAF tanker refuelling a B2 and others. The B2 still looks otherworldly.

 

[CD Xbow]

Not new tech, but new organisation. John Holmes discusses the USMC force redesign and it's importance should a conflict breakout between USA and the PRC. In some ways it mirrors the PRC sea denial tactics, with the US using small, mobile Marine units armed with precision guided weapons able to deny PLAN use of the seas around China.

Marine Corps Force Design: A Smart U.S. Plan to Counter China

General Eric Smith, the new Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, has reaffirmed his commitment to the "Force Design" initiative, originally launched by his predecessor, General David Berger. This strategy focuses on adapting the Marine Corps for island warfare in the Western Pacific...

nationalinterest.org

The process was started in 2019 by the then Marine Commandant David Berger. It was important for a couple off reasons, firstly it was a realistic strategy and could be implemented quickly, Secondly it showed the US, at least the Marines were taking the PRC challenge seriously. Getting rid of Tanks, towed arty and other platforms crated a huge backlash with many folks calling him a traitor and he should be charged with treason. They were very stupid. Example below.

https://semperfi.quora.com/The-Mari...Of-Retired-Officers-Over-The-Service-s-Future

I think events in Ukraine and the Red sea shows there is significant wisdom in his vision of force redesign.

Added - video in the article from Task and Purpose, Start at 2 minutes, it's ads until then.