BY : aviationweek



Even two aircrewmen may not be enough as cyber, intelligence and air combat commands have joined forces to promote new fighter designs that can conduct at least three missions at the same time.

New two-seat versions of the F/A-18, F-16, F-15C, F-15E and F-22 with advanced active, electronically-scanned array (AESA) radars will be expected to wind their way through enemy air defenses, invade networks, shoot down opposing aircraft and find very small targets and bomb them with precision.

Planners also see two-person crews as crucial in establishing local area networks so that in the event of nuclear, electronic or computer attacks (which could blackout command and control of today’s network centric forces) even a few of these aircraft could quickly begin communicating, gathering intelligence and counterattacking.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin are each either fielding or designing at least two new two-seat aircraft. The Navy is working up the first Boeing Block 2 F/A-18F Super Hornets squadron -- VFA-213 at NAS Oceana, Va. -- while the first production EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft flew this month.In private conversations, Lockheed Martin officials say they are looking at two two-seat concepts. The first is a new version of the F-22. It would have a large wing, redesigned from the FB-22 concept, for additional fuel coverage. But unlike the bomber wing, it will allow supersonic cruise. In addition, a fuselage plug will add the second seat and a larger weapons bay that could include advanced, long-range missile designs. Company analysts have estimated the second seat would add only about 10% to the airframe cost.

All of these new designs are wrapped around increasingly sophisticated versions of the active, electronically scanned array radar that can triple the range of conventional radars. Depending on the size of array and target, that varies from around 100 miles for an F-16-size array to more than 150 miles for an F-15 which will carry the largest, fighter-sized AESA array.

That’s slightly more than the F-22. However, because the Raptor is stealthy, it can get closer to the target for a more detailed look.

The Air Warfare Center is testing developmental airborne network attack capabilities, says Lt. Gen. Robert Elder, commander of the 8th Air Force which has been tapped for cyber warfare operations and shares Barksdale AFB, La. with the new Cyber Warfare Command.

Some of the star graduates and experienced instructors from the Air Weapons School are preparing to introduce airborne network attack into Red, Blue and Black Flag exercises, he says. Black Flag is a new arena for specialists to experiment with new technologies in a combat environment and decide where the Air Force should invest its resources.

“We are actually starting to practice with these [tactical network attack] capabilities,” Elder says. “With enough testing, we’ll get the confidence [to bring them into the exercises].” Tactical home for the operation capability will be “basically, stealth platforms” like F-22, F-35 and B-2, but it also will include space, bombers, fighters and large ISR platforms, he says. “It’s not restricted to any platform.”

Some of the early work on such projects, include the Suter series, involved the RC-135 Rivet Joint and EC-130 Compass Call, “and one of the platforms we did a lot of work with was the [E-8] Joint-Stars.”