Best Pics of the Month: August 2020

Pics of the Month August 31, 2020

Best Pics of the Month: August 2020

Efran Syah       Comment   

GROTON, Conn. (August 31, 2020) - The Los Angeles-class submarine USS Newport News (SSN 750) arrives at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn. for a scheduled homeport shift August 31, 2020. Newport News and crew, previously homeported in Norfolk, Va., expects to complete a maintenance overhaul period and will join the ranks of Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Tristan Lotz)

A 5th Reconnaissance Squadron U-2 “Dragon Lady” advances down the runway followed by a chase car at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, August 12, 2020. Chase car drivers mobilize at high speeds to safeguard U-2’s and their pilots by radioing altitude and runway alignments during take-offs and landings. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Noah Sudolcan)

A U.S. Marine launches the RQ-20B Puma small unmanned aircraft system at Mount Bundey Training Area, Australia, Aug. 18.

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Aug. 7, 2020) Land Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) 76, assigned to the Assault Craft Unit 5 (ACU 5) and deployed from the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS San Diego (LPD 22), lands on a beach at Camp Pendleton during an amphibious transport training from aboard, Aug. 7. San Diego, homeported in San Diego, is conducting routine operations in the eastern Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Jason Waite)


A U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk from the 55th Rescue Squadron turns on its rotors as part of a pre-flight inspection, Aug. 17, 2020, at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The 55th RQS is participating in Gunfighter Flag 20-1, where it trains with joint and international partners to complete combat and rescue exercises. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Andrew Kobialka)

PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 5, 2020) An F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the Eagles of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115, left, and an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the Royal Maces of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27 prepare to launch from the flight deck of the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Samantha Jetzer)

Capt. Kristin Wolfe, F-35 Demonstration Team pilot and commander, flies during practice prior to the 2020 Ocean City Air Show at Ocean City, Md., Aug. 14, 2020. The air show featured various performers including the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, F-22 Raptor and A-10 Thunderbolt II Demonstration Teams. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kristine Legate)

Matt Chasen, LIFT Aircraft chief executive officer, pilots the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) Hexa over Camp Mabry, Texas, Aug. 20, 2020. During the visit, Col. Nathan Diller, AFWERX director, spoke about Agility Prime, a non-traditional program seeking to accelerate the commercial market for advanced air mobility vehicles. (Air National Guard photo by Staff. Sgt. Sean Kornegay)

A E-3 Sentry assigned to the 962nd Airborne Air Control Squadron takes off from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 5, 2020. The E-3, also known as the Airborne Warning and Control System, is equipped with a rotating radar dome that provides air surveillance over land or water to identify and track friendly and enemy aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Alejandro Peña)

Two B-52 Stratofortress fly over Royal Air Force Station Fairford, United Kingdom, Aug. 22, 2020. Strategic bombers contribute to European theater stability as they are intended to deter conflict and offer a rapid response capability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eugene Oliver)

Soldiers participate in their semi-annual tank platoon live-fire exercise on Aug. 25, 2020 in Smardan, Romania. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Dommnique Washington)

A missile launches from the USS Chung-Hoon during Rim of the Pacific in the Pacific Ocean, Aug. 26, 2020. The multinational exercise is an opportunity to strengthen relationships, build trust and increase interoperability among the participating nations.

The U.S. Air Force and the Qatari air forces fly in formation over Doha, Qatar, Aug. 24, 2020.

Sailors conduct small boat operations in the Mediterranean Sea, Aug. 27, 2020.

The Blue Angels, the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron, fly with the team’s new C-130J Super Hercules over Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., Aug. 17, 2020. The Blue Angels’ previous C-130 “T” model served the team for 17 years and was retired in May 2019.

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B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber

Bomber Aircraft August 19, 2020

B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber

Efran Syah       Comment   

The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low observable stealth technology designed for penetrating dense anti-aircraft defenses; it is a flying wing design with a crew of two.

B-2A Spirit. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III)

The first B-2 was publicly displayed on Nov. 22, 1988, when it was rolled out of its hangar at Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California. Its first flight was July 17, 1989. 

A product of the Cold War, it was originally designed to penetrate Soviet air defenses and carry both conventional and nuclear weapons. But shortly after its first flight, over 30 years ago in 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall ended the Cold War and no B-2 has ever flown inside Russian airspace.

(Northrop Grumman)

The B-52 first introduced the idea of flying a bomber at very high altitudes, to make it harder for anti-aircraft missiles to reach it, while the B-1 tried the opposite: flying so low and fast that radar would have trouble picking it up.

Neither strategy was perfect nor immune to enemy fire, and Cold War tensions were calling for the ultimate nuclear deterrent: a bomber capable of carrying atomic weapons while being virtually undetectable by enemy air defenses.

A B-2 Spirit (Spirit of Missouri) at the Dyess AFB air show 2018. (Balon Greyjoy)

The B-2 is 69 feet long, 17 feet high and has a wingspan of 172 feet, half the length of a football field. The B-2 can reach a high subsonic speed and can also reach an altitude of more 50,000 feet.

The B-2 Spirit, Spirit of Oklahoma, is silhouetted against the sky during the Thunder Over The Boardwalk Air Show, Atlantic City, N.J., Aug. 23, 2006. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Mark C. Olsen/Released)

The aircraft carries all its weapons internally and is fitted with two separate weapons bays in the centre of the aircraft. The B-2 stealth bomber has the capacity to carry up to 40,000lb of weapons, including conventional and nuclear weapons, precision-guided munitions, gravity bombs and a range of maritime weapons.

(Jonathan Cutrer)

The bomber can deploy both conventional and thermonuclear weapons, such as up to eighty 500-pound class (230 kg) Mk 82 JDAM Global Positioning System-guided bombs, or sixteen 2,400-pound (1,100 kg) B83 nuclear bombs. The B-2 is the only acknowledged aircraft that can carry large air-to-surface standoff weapons in a stealth configuration.

A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit "Stealth" bomber flies over the Pacific Ocean after a recent aerial refueling mission, May 2, 2005. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

The aircraft is powered by four General Electric F118-GE-100 turbofan engines internally mounted in the body of the wings.

The engines have an exhaust temperature control system to minimise thermal signature.

The engines, rated at 77kN, provide a high subsonic speed and a maximum gross take-off weight of 336,500lb. In-flight refuelling gear is installed in the top centre line of the aircraft behind the cockpit.

(Northrop Grumman)

The B-2 is capable of all-altitude attack missions up to 50,000 feet (15,000 m), with a range of more than 6,000 nautical miles (6,900 mi; 11,000 km) on internal fuel and over 10,000 nautical miles (12,000 mi; 19,000 km) with one midair refueling.

A KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a B-2 Spirit over the Pacific Ocean May 12 near Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, 12 May 2009. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christopher Bush)

With its "flying wing" design that makes it almost invisible to radar, the B-2 Spirit bomber is truly a standout among military planes -- and also the world's most expensive, at over $2 billion per aircraft.

The B-2 is one of three strategic bombers currently in service in the US Air Force, along with the agile Rockwell B-1 Lancer, which first flew in 1974, and the gargantuan Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, a legendary aircraft from the 1950s that has been constantly updated ever since.

(Creative Commons)

   

The B-2 holds the record for longest air combat mission in history. In 2001, the Spirit of America and five other B-2s were the first to enter Afghan airspace for a record setting 44-hour mission. The aircraft’s performance is even more impressive in that the B-2 made a quick pit stop for a 45-minute crew and service change with engines still running. It then flew back to Missouri for another 30-hour flight for a total of more than 70 consecutive hours.

Andersen Air Force Base, Guam - A B-2 Spirit bomber takes off for a mission during an air and space expeditionary force deployment here. Bomber aircraft have had an ongoing presence on the island since February 2004. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Val Gempis)

Specifications (B-2A Block 30)

General characteristics

• Crew: 2: pilot (left seat) and mission commander (right seat)
• Length: 21.0 m
• Wingspan: 52.4 m
• Height: 5.18 m
• Empty weight: 71.700 kg
• Gross weight: 152.200 kg
• Max takeoff weight: 170.600 kg
• Fuel capacity: 75.750 kg
• Powerplant: 4 × General Electric F118-GE-100 non-afterburning turbofans, 17,300 lbf (77 kN) thrust each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 630 mph (1,010 km/h, 550 kn) at 40,000 ft altitude / Mach 0.95 at sea level
• Cruise speed: 560 mph (900 km/h, 487 kn) at 40,000 ft altitude
• Range: 6,900 mi (11,000 km, 6,000 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 15,200 m
• Wing loading: 329 kg/m2

Armament

2 internal bays for ordnance and payload with an official limit of 18.000 kg; maximum estimated limit is 23,000 kg.

• 80× 500 lb class bombs (Mk-82, GBU-38) mounted on Bomb Rack Assembly (BRA)
• 36× 750 lb CBU class bombs on BRA
• 16× 2,000 lb class bombs (Mk-84, GBU-31) mounted on Rotary Launcher Assembly (RLA)
• 16× B61 or B83 nuclear bombs on RLA (strategic mission)
• Standoff weapon: AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) and AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM).
• 2× GBU-57 Massive Ordinance Penetrator

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Sukhoi Su-57 Fifth-Generation Multirole Fighter Aircraft

Fighter Aircraft August 18, 2020

Sukhoi Su-57 Fifth-Generation Multirole Fighter Aircraft

Efran Syah       Comment   

The Sukhoi Su-57 (unconfirmed NATO reporting name: Felon) is a stealth, single-seat, twin-engine multirole fifth-generation jet fighter being developed since 2002 for air superiority and attack operations.

(Грета Коронатуборг)

The Su-57 is the product of the PAK FA (Perspektivny Aviatsionny Kompleks Frontovoy Aviatsii, lit. ''prospective aeronautical complex of front-line air forces''), a fifth-generation fighter programme of the Russian Air Force. Sukhoi's internal name for the aircraft is T-50.

(WarplaneP)

The prototypes and initial production batch are to be delivered with a highly upgraded Lyulka AL-31 variant, the AL-41F1, as an interim powerplant while an advanced clean-sheet design engine, currently designated the izdeliye 30, is in final stages of development and expected to be available after mid-2020s. The aircraft is expected to have a service life of up to 35 years.

(Anna Zvereva)

Although most information is classified, sources within the Sukhoi company and Defence Ministry have openly stated that the aircraft is to be stealthy, supermaneuverable, have supercruise capability, incorporate substantial amounts of composite materials, and possess advanced avionics such as active phased-array radar and sensor fusion.

(Anna Zvereva)

Weapons are housed in two tandem main weapons bays between the engine nacelles and smaller bulged, triangular-section bays near the wing root.

Internal weapons carriage eliminates drag from external stores and enables higher performance compared to external carriage, as well as enhancing stealth.

The Su-57's aerodynamics and engines enable it to achieve Mach 2 and fly supersonic without afterburners, or supercruise, a significant kinematic advantage over prior generations of aircraft.

Combined with a high fuel load, the fighter has a supersonic range of over 1,500 km (930 mi), more than twice that of the Su-27. Extendable refueling probe is available to further increase its range.

(Creative Common)

Due to the extensive use of polymeric carbon plastics composites, the aircraft has four times fewer parts compared to the Su-27, weighs less and is easier to mass-produce.

The aircraft canopy is made of composite material and 70-90 nm thick metal oxide layers with enhanced radar wave absorbing to minimize the radar return of the cockpit by 30% and protect the pilot from the impact of ultraviolet and thermal radiation.

(Anna Zvereva)

The AL-41F1 engines incorporate thrust vectoring (TVC) nozzles whose rotational axes are each canted at an angle, similar to the nozzle arrangement of the Su-35S. This configuration allows the aircraft to produce thrust vectoring moments about all three rotational axes, pitch, yaw and roll.

(Anna Zvereva)

The T-50 prototype has two tandem main internal weapon bays each approximately 4.6 m long and 1.0 m wide and two small triangular-section weapon bays that protrude under the fuselage near the wing root.

Internal carriage of weapons preserves the aircraft's stealth and significantly reduces aerodynamic drag, thus preserving kinematic performance compared to performance with external stores.

For air-to-air combat, the Su-57 is expected to carry four beyond-visual-range missiles in its two main weapons bays and two short-range missiles in the wing root weapons bays.

The primary medium-range missile is the active radar-homing K-77M (izdeliye 180), an upgraded R-77 variant with AESA seeker and conventional rear fins.

The short-range missile is the infrared-homing ("heat seeking") K-74M2 (izdeliye 760), an upgraded R-74 variant with reduced cross-section for internal carriage.

The Su-57 has a glass cockpit with two 38 cm main multi-functional LCD displays similar to the arrangement of the Su-35S. Positioned around the cockpit are three smaller control panel displays. The cockpit has a wide-angle (30° by 22°) head-up display (HUD). Primary controls are the joystick and a pair of throttles.

The aircraft uses a two-piece canopy, with the aft section sliding forward and locking into place. The canopy is treated with special coatings to increase the aircraft's stealth.

(Dmitry Terekhov)

The Su-57 employs the NPP Zvezda K-36D-5 ejection seat and the SOZhE-50 life support system, which comprises the anti-g and oxygen generating system. The 30 kg (66 lb) oxygen generating system will provide the pilot with unlimited oxygen supply.

Specifications (Su-57)

General characteristics

Crew: 1

Length: 20.1 m

Wingspan: 14.1 m

Height: 4.74 m

Wing area: 78.8 m2

Empty weight: 18,000 kg

Gross weight: 25,000 kg typical mission weight, 29,270 kg at full load

Max takeoff weight: 35,000 kg

Fuel capacity: 10,300 kg internally

Powerplant: 2 × Saturn AL-41F1 (initial production) turbofans with thrust vectoring, 93.1 kN (20,900 lbf) thrust each dry, 147.2 kN (33,100 lbf) with afterburner

Powerplant: 2 × izdeliye 30 (in development) turbofans with thrust vectoring, 107.9 kN (24,300 lbf) thrust each dry, 176.6 kN (39,700 lbf) with afterburner

Performance

Maximum speed:

• Mach 2 (2,120 km/h; 1,320 mph) at altitude
• Mach 1.6 (1,710 km/h; 1,060 mph) supercruise at altitude

Range: 3,500 km (2,200 mi, 1,900 nmi) subsonic, 4,500 km from 2 outboard fuel tanks

Supersonic range: 1,500 km (930 mi, 810 nmi)

Service ceiling: 20,000 m

g limits: +9.0

Armament

Guns: 1 × 30 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 autocannon

Hardpoints: 12 hardpoints (6 × internal, 6 × external)

Air-to-air missiles:

• 4 × RVV-MD
• 2 × R-73
• R-37M

Air-to-surface missiles:

• 4 × Kh-38ME, Kh-59MK2

Anti-ship missiles:

• 2 × Kh-35E, 31 etс.

Anti-radiation missiles:

• 4 × Kh-58UShKE
• 250, 500, 1500 kg guided bombs
• Anti-tank "Drill" 500 kg cluster-bomb + active homing

Avionics

Sh-121 multifunctional integrated radio electronic system (MIRES)

• Byelka radar (400 km, 60 tracks with 16 targeted)
• N036-1-01: Frontal X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar
• N036B-1-01: Cheek X-band AESA radars for increased angular coverage
• N036L-1-01: Slat L-band arrays for IFF
• L402 Himalayas electronic countermeasure suite

101KS Atoll electro-optical targeting system

• 101KS-O: Laser Directional Infrared Counter Measures
• 101KS-V: Infra-red search and track
• 101KS-U: Ultraviolet missile approach warning system
• 101KS-N: advanced stabilised navigation and targeting system
• 101KS-N: optional external Targeting pod
• 101KS-P: thermal imager for low altitude flying and night landing

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Best Pics of the Month: July 2020

Pics of the Month August 05, 2020

Best Pics of the Month: July 2020

Efran Syah       Comment   

Two U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs release countermeasure flares over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, July 23, 2020. The A-10 is a highly accurate airframe that provides U.S. and coalition forces a maneuverable close air support and precision strike platform. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Justin Parsons)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 27, 2020) — A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 164 (Reinforced), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, approaches the amphibious landing dock USS Somerset (LPD 25) during training to increase Navy-Marine Corps interoperability in the eastern Pacific. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps continue to combine efforts to refine and strengthen fundamental amphibious capabilities and reinforce the Navy-Marine Corps team. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brendan Mullin)

A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), a U.S. Navy MH-60R Seahawk and two MH-60S Seahawks assigned to Helicopter Combat Squadron 21, conduct a Defense of Amphibious Task Force (DATF) training during Exercise Trident Storm at San Clemente Island, Calif., July 30, 2020. During Trident Storm, 3rd MAW Marines worked alongside their naval counterparts and focused on long-range strikes, air to ground support and DATF training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Levi J. Guerra)

Two B-1B Lancers, assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., conduct a flyover before landing at Andersen AFB, Guam, July 17, 2020. The Bomber Task Force is deployed to Andersen AFB in support of Pacific Air Forces’ training efforts with allies, partners and joint forces. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Christina Bennett)

Fireworks explode behind a C-130J Super Hercules at Yokota Air Base, Japan, July 2, 2020. The fireworks show was part of the Independence Day celebration hosted by the 374th Force Support Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Brieana E. Bolfing)

U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, employ a tactical aviation ground refueling system (TAGRS) while conducting expeditionary advanced base operations in support of a CH-53K King Stallion training evolution at a forward arming refueling point at Yuma Proving Grounds Rang, Ariz., July 15, 2020. (U.S. Marine Corps photo By Lance Cpl. Jaime Reyes)

Maj. Garret Schmitz, F-16 Viper Demonstration Team pilot and commander, performs a dedication pass in an F-16 Fighting Falcon at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., July 16, 2020. The dedication pass is an aerial salute to service members past and present. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Benjamin Ingold)

U.S. Air Force Maj Cody “ShIV” Wilton, A-10 Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team pilot, in an A-10, Capt Kristin “Beo” Wolfe, F-35 Lightning II Demonstration Team pilot, in an F-35, and a P-51 Mustang, perform a heritage flight during practice for the 2020 Thunder over Cedar Creek Lake Air Show over Cedar Creek Lake, Texas, July 3, 2020. The ToCCL air show honors past and present military personnel. (U.S. Air Force by Senior Airman Kristine Legate)

BALABAC STRAIT (July 15, 2020) Aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing 17 rest on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 11, is deployed conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Elliot Schaudt)

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KS, UNITED STATES 07.02.2020 - One KC-135 Stratotanker and seven KC-46A Pegasus perform an elephant walk July 1, 2020, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. McConnell’s tanker aircrews and maintenance personnel were tested on their ability to rapidly generating multiple sorties during a weather evacuation exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chris Thornbury)

SAN DIEGO (July 13, 2020) An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3 combats a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). On the morning of July 12, a fire was called away aboard the ship while it was moored pier side at Naval Base San Diego. The fire continues to be fought into the following day. Bonhomme Richard is going through a maintenance availability, which began in 2018. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Mora Jr.)

SAN DIEGO (July 12, 2020) A fire continues to be fought into the evening on board the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego, July 12. On the morning of July 12, a fire was called away aboard the ship while it was moored pier side at Naval Base San Diego. Base and shipboard firefighters responded to the fire. Bonhomme Richard is going through a maintenance availability, which began in 2018. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Austin Haist)

SAN DIEGO (July 12, 2020) Sailors and Federal Firefighters combat a fire onboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego, July 12. On the morning of July 12, a fire was called away aboard the ship while it was moored pier side at Naval Base San Diego. Local, base and shipboard firefighters responded to the fire. Bonhomme Richard is going through a maintenance availability, which began in 2018. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christina Ross)

SOUTH CHINA SEA (July 2, 2020) The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) conducts routine operations in the South China Sea, July 2, 2020. Gabrielle Giffords, part of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, is on a rotational deployment, operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brenton Poyser)

PHILIPPINE SEA (July 01, 2020) An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CAG) 5 lands on the flight deck of the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5. The USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and Ronald Reagan CSGs are conducting dual-carrier operations in the Philippine Sea as the Nimitz Carrier Strike Force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Quinton A. Lee)

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