Okinawa 기지에 배치된 F-22 Raptor 와 F-15C Eagle 소식...

 

지난 3월말 천안함 피격사고 이후 미 공군은, 괌 Andersen 공군기지와 오키나와 Kadena 공군기지에 F-22 Raptor 의 배치 및

F-15C Eagle 의 추가배치를 단행한 바 있습니다. 이들 전투기들의 전진 및 증강 배치는 미국의 입장에서 보자면, 단순히 천안함

사태에 대한 대응 조치 뿐만 아니라 날로 증대되고 있는 중국의 탄도 및 순항미사일로 부터의 위협에 대한 선제적 대응 조치라는

분석이 있었습니다.

 

마침 AW&ST 에 이와 관련된 기사가 있어 아래 소개합니다. 기사에 의하면, F-22 와 F-15C 에 장착된 AESA 레이더가 중국의

탄도 및 순항미사일에 대한 요격능력을 가지고 있다는 내용이며, 일본 역시 이러한 AESA 레이더의 필요성을 인식하고 항자대

보유 F-15 기들에 대한 AESA 레이더 장착을 고려하고 있다는 내용입니다. 특히 F-22 의 경우, 종말단계에서의 탄도미사일에

대한 요격 능력은 충분하다고 합니다.

 

이러한 기사를 접할때마다 우리 대한민국 공군도 F-15K 와 KF-16 전투기들에 AESA 레이더 장착을 심각하게 고민해 주었으면

하는 바람입니다. 현재 KF-16 의 경우 일부 언론보도를 통해 공군이 레이더 성능개량사업을 검토하고 있다고 합니다만, 좀더

구체적으로 추진해 주었으면 하는 희망입니다. 또한 F-15K 의 경우도 이미 1차분 40대와 2차분 20대 모두 기존 기계식레이더를

장착하고 있습니다만, 향후 AESA 레이더로의 교체는 분명히 추진되어야 할 것으로 생각합니다.

 

F-15K 에 대한 AESA 레이더로의 교체는 향후 진행되는 FX 3차사업과 KFX 사업과 맞물려서 진행되었으면 바람입니다. 반면

KF-16 에 대한 레이더 교체사업은 조속히 추진되기를 희망합니다.

 

끝으로 지난 6일 Kadena 기지 행사로 개최된 [제4회 Shogun Pacific Muscle Classic] 에 참가 멋진 건강미를 자랑하는 미군

장병들의 모습을 소개합니다. 

 

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Defending Okinawa

New U.S. air-launched anti-missile weapons to guard Japan

Aviation Week & Space Technology, 05/31/2010

Authors : David A. Fulghum and Douglas Barrie

 

With military tensions growing in East Asia, the U.S. is sending F-22s and F-15s equipped with advanced, long-range radars to Okinawa. The radars are designed for air-launched cruise and ballistic missile defense, U.S. Air Force and aerospace industry officials tell Aviation Week.

 

By reneging on a campaign promise to move some U.S. forces from Okinawa, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hato­yama appears to have secured these additional cruise missile and tactical ballistic missile defenses for his far-flung island nation. Explaining his change of mind, Hatoyama says he now has a better appreciation of the role of U.S. forces on Okinawa as a deterrent in the region.

 

While Japanese critics have focused on the Marine Corps presence, the U.S. Air Force has been quietly assembling capabilities that offer long-range surveillance, advanced weaponry and increasingly sophisticated missile defenses. The buildup is impressive enough that Chinese military and commercial ships now conduct regular surveillance of activity near Okinawa.

 

Lockheed Martin F-22s from the 7th Fighter Sqdn. at Holloman AFB, N.M., will join the specially modified Boeing F-15Cs of the 44th Fighter Sqdn. and the 67th Fighter Sqdn. already at Kadena AB. Another four F-15Cs equipped with active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radars from the disbanding 71st Fighter Sqdn. at Langley AFB, Va., have been tapped for transfer as well.

 

Unofficially, U.S. military planners say that even more ­AESA-equipped F-15s will be sent to Okinawa to further increase the anti-missile forces already there. The first upgraded F-15 units worked out tactics for cruise missile defense while stationed in Alaska. About two years ago, they made the shift to Japan’s southern most air base, which has responsibility for an area of operations that extends to within about 20 mi. of China. Japan apparently joined in the preparations by sending its Mitsubishi F-4Js to mainland bases and replacing them with Mitsubishi F-15Js. Japan is considering a similar AESA radar upgrade to a portion of its F-15 fleet, but the proposition will have to be approved in the next round of Japanese defense budget negotiations.

 

The newest twist is that the U.S. Air National Guard (ANG) and Raytheon are planning demonstrations of a Raytheon air-launched, hit-to-kill missile called the network-centric airborne defense element (NCADE) for a boost-phase, ballistic missile defense mission. It uses a Raytheon AIM-120 Amraam body and extends the range far enough to support boost-phase, anti-ballistic missile operations.

 

In late April, the ANG revealed that it had started AESA radar upgrades of its F-15C Golden Eagle fleet, starting with the Florida ANG’s 125th Fighter Wing. They will be followed by units from Massachusetts and Montana.

 

Prior to talks last week with Ma Xiao­tian, deputy chief of general staff of the People’s Liberation Army, Adm. Robert Willard, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, noted to reporters in Beijing that China’s air and sea forces are becoming more aggressive in disputed areas of the South and East China seas.

 

China is seen as the primary cruise missile threat, since it already fields and continues to develop more capable weapons. The Chinese air force has the YJ/KD-63, while an air-launched variant of the DH-10 ground-launched cruise missile is also in the pipeline. The navy is beginning to field the YJ-62 long-range anti-ship cruise missile. A supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, the YJ-12, has also been in development for more than a decade, although the status of this project is unclear. Models of the JH-7A maritime strike aircraft have been displayed carrying the YJ-12, while the weapon (should development be completed) might also be a candidate for naval aviation’s Sukhoi Su-30 Flankers.

 

The greater fear factor comes from North Korea, however, because of its suspected nuclear ballistic missile capability and its government’s erratic behavior and aggressive actions, including the alleged sinking of a South Korean ship.

 

“There has been an assertiveness that has been growing over time,” Willard says. China claims islands and waters in the region that other nations dispute. The disagreements date back at least to the post-World War II redistribution of occupied territories among China, Korea, the then-Soviet Union and Japan. Japan, for example, recently faulted activities by Chinese military vessels and helicopters in international waters.

 

The Willard-Ma meeting is the first between senior U.S. and Chinese military commanders since Beijing ended military-to-military talks in January over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

 

The Raytheon-designed AESA radar essentially triples the aircraft’s radar range to around 150 mi. The radar performance is such that it is intended to allow fighters to detect small and stealthy targets in time to intercept cruise missiles with specially designed AIM-120C-6/7 and AIM-120D Amraam weapons.

 

Currently envisioned ballistic missile defenses are focused on boost-phase interception using an F-22, F-15 or perhaps even a remotely piloted aircraft. Moreover, defense officials say the F-22 — equipped with an AESA radar and a missile with sufficient speed and range — could intercept tactical ballistic missile warheads in the terminal phase and could, with further refinement, conduct anti-satellite missions against low-flying space objects.

 

Although neither military nor industry officials will answer questions on anti-satellite plans or capabilities, it is known that the challenges of intercepting short-range ballistic missiles from an airborne platform remain significant because of increased demands on both tracking and performance of the interceptor missile.

 

“We’re embracing an air-launched concept for theater ballistic missile defense as a deterrent and as a tactical capability to protect our forces in-theater and for homeland defense,” says Maj. Todd Giggy, chief of weapons and tactics for the Florida ANG’s 125th Fighter Wing.

 

 

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