F-35 JSF 에 본격적 도전장을 던진 Eurofighter Typhoon...

 

지난 주 <Farnborough Air Show 2010> 기간 중 Eurofighter 社로 부터 제기된 F-35 관련 내용, 즉 F-35 는 대지상 공격용 (Attack)

이며, 진정한 의미의 5세대 스텔스전투기 (Fighter) 로써는 요구되는 공중전 기준에는 미달 한다는 Eurofighter 社의 주장이 Flight

International on-line 기사로 공식화 되었습니다. 아래 기사의 전문을 소개합니다.

 

앞서 Stephen Trimble 기자의 블로그를 통해 알려진 Eurofighter 社의 시뮬레이션 결과를 이미 소개한 바 있습니다만,  --->

 

F-35  or  A-35  or  F/A-35 ?

 

동일한 내용을 공식 기사로 다루었다는데 그 의미가 있으며, 앞으로 이를 두고 갑론을박이 있을 것으로 판단됩니다. 과연 공중조기

경보기의 유도를 받는 Eurofighter Typhoon 1개 편대 (4대) 가, JDAM 과 공대공 미사일 각 2발씩을 장착한 8대의 F-35 와 교전시

85% 를 막아냈다는 Eurofighter 社의 주장, 85% 를 격퇴시켰다는 표현이 어떤 의미이며, 공대공 미사일은 또한 어떤 종류를 장착하

였는지 등, 많은 것이 궁금해지는 부분입니다.

 

그리고 대다수 전투기들의 AoA 각도인 25~35도 방향에서, F-35 역시 이 방향에서는 손쉽게 탐지가 된다는 마지막 글 역시 끝없는

논쟁을 불러올 것으로 생각됩니다.

 

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DATE : 27/07/10

SOURCE : Flight International

Eurofighter boasts Typhoon reign over F-35

By Stephen Trimble

 

Eurofighter has launched a new campaign to assert the supremacy of the Typhoon against the Lockheed Martin F-35 in air-to-air combat, describing internal simulations giving the former an advantage over a numerically superior F-35 attack force.

 

The campaign is aimed at challenging Lockheed's claims that the F-35 enjoys a 6:1 exchange ratio over modern fighters.

 

Eurofighter also hopes to dispel creeping global acceptance of Lockeed's description of the F-35 as a fifth-generation fighter that is implicitly superior to so-called fourth-generation fighters, such as the Typhoon. The challenge appears as several countries face decisions over buying both aircraft. on 20 July, Italy announced a decision to cancel a planned Tranche 3B contract for 25 Typhoons.

 

In Eurofighter's view, buying F-35s at the expense of fewer Typhoons reduces the air force's overall capability. Eurofighter respects the F-35 as a world-class fighter for the air-to-ground mission, but not as a fighter in the traditional role as an air-to-air machine, says Craig Penrice, a Typhoon pilot and marketing adviser.

 

Lockheed and programme officials have claimed that the days of traditional dogfighting are over. A promotional video released last year by F-35 supplier Northrop Grumman claims, for example, that "manoeuvrability is irrelevant" to a modern fighter. The video shows the F-35 can defeat opponents not with dogfighting skill, but by firing missiles agile enough to turn 180º.

 

Eurofighter, however, claims the F-35 lacks all-aspect, very low observable stealth, and is vulnerable to detection and defeat by non-stealthy opponents.

 

In an internal simulation series, Eurofighter found that four Typhoons supported by an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) defeated 85% of attacks by eight F-35s carrying an internal load of two joint direct attack munitions (JDAM) and two air-to-air missiles, Penrice says.

 

According to Laurie Hilditch, Eurofighter's head of the future requirements capture, the F-35's frontal-aspect stealth can be defeated by stationing interceptors and AWACS at a 25º to 30º angle to the F-35's most likely approach path to a target.

 

 

  ⓒ Eurofighter Typhoon