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I feel like there's an orchestrated PR campaign around making these F-35s sound like a success. I wonder what exists for objective reporting & analysis in this

by animex 6y ago

I feel like there's an orchestrated PR campaign around making these F-35s sound like a success. I wonder what exists for objective reporting & analysis in this space.

strictnein 6y ago
I mean, there's real life, like Israel taking out advanced Chinese radars: https://defence-blog.com/news/source-israeli-f-35-destroyed-chinese-made-radar-during-airstrikes-in-syria.html https://defence-blog.com/news/source-israeli-f-35-destroyed-... Which China claimed could detect the F-22: https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23846/china-anti-stealth-radars-detect-f-22/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23846/chi...
- ceejayoz 6y ago
  Damascus is less than 40 miles from the Israeli border, so it's entirely possible that they detected the F-35s just fine; you can hit quite a few targets in Syria without ever actually violating Syrian airspace. Flying from Japan to China might be a little different.
- andromeduck 6y ago
  with drop tanks attached
- sudosysgen 6y ago
  The two aren't exclusive at all. It's possible that the F-35 was detected by the radar and that the radar was destroyed, if it wasn't possible at the time to guide a weapon onto target. It's also possible that the radar wasn't actually destroyed, or that it wasn't destroyed using an F-35, or that it was destroyed using some kind of munition such as a cruise missile or loitering munition where stealth is immaterial. Also, VHF radars aren't intended to guide missiles onto their targets, they are only detection radars for now. They would need dual tracking at the very least. But as of now, the mission profile of these radars is to provide advance warning and tracking and sensor fusion to, for example, a wing of J-20s which would enable them to intercept and kill F-35s. For example, a group of stealth interceptors could fly towards the detected planes with their radars off and RWRs on, fire off missiles when they are close to engagement distance to the F35s datalinked to the radar to aprroach, and once they are close enough, the missiles and planes turn on their radars all together using sensor fusion, guiding the missiles already very close their targets and destroying the F35s before they have a chance to counterattack. There are a few other ways VHF counterstealth radar can be effectively used to neutralize stealth aircraft, but none of them are within the reach of Syria, so this isn't surprising if it happened.

by animex 6y ago

I feel like there's an orchestrated PR campaign around making these F-35s sound like a success. I wonder what exists for objective reporting & analysis in this space.

strictnein 6y ago

I mean, there's real life, like Israel taking out advanced Chinese radars: https://defence-blog.com/news/source-israeli-f-35-destroyed-chinese-made-radar-during-airstrikes-in-syria.html https://defence-blog.com/news/source-israeli-f-35-destroyed-... Which China claimed could detect the F-22: https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23846/china-anti-stealth-radars-detect-f-22/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23846/chi...

ceejayoz 6y ago
Damascus is less than 40 miles from the Israeli border, so it's entirely possible that they detected the F-35s just fine; you can hit quite a few targets in Syria without ever actually violating Syrian airspace. Flying from Japan to China might be a little different.
andromeduck 6y ago
with drop tanks attached
sudosysgen 6y ago
The two aren't exclusive at all. It's possible that the F-35 was detected by the radar and that the radar was destroyed, if it wasn't possible at the time to guide a weapon onto target. It's also possible that the radar wasn't actually destroyed, or that it wasn't destroyed using an F-35, or that it was destroyed using some kind of munition such as a cruise missile or loitering munition where stealth is immaterial. Also, VHF radars aren't intended to guide missiles onto their targets, they are only detection radars for now. They would need dual tracking at the very least. But as of now, the mission profile of these radars is to provide advance warning and tracking and sensor fusion to, for example, a wing of J-20s which would enable them to intercept and kill F-35s. For example, a group of stealth interceptors could fly towards the detected planes with their radars off and RWRs on, fire off missiles when they are close to engagement distance to the F35s datalinked to the radar to aprroach, and once they are close enough, the missiles and planes turn on their radars all together using sensor fusion, guiding the missiles already very close their targets and destroying the F35s before they have a chance to counterattack. There are a few other ways VHF counterstealth radar can be effectively used to neutralize stealth aircraft, but none of them are within the reach of Syria, so this isn't surprising if it happened.