With no impact on stealth but a new coating is apparently on the way.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk
Again, ferrite is black iron oxide.
Something I wonder and someone please correct me if I'm wrong here. But as far as I understand the coating utilizes ferrite particles which are suspended in a medium in order to absorb incoming radar waves and dissipate the absorbed radiation as heat.
The coatings are just getting abraded from regular wear, and possibly degraded from UV exposure as well. You can tell just how recently a civilian airliner has been to the shop by how shiny the paint is. All bright and shiny, it's fresh out of the shop. If you're starting to see grime on the belly it's been a year or two. If the paint looks kinda dull, it's time to go back to the shop.
with 50G short range missile, is it usefull?
It can be useful if your enemy has run out of 50G missiles.
When I was on CVN-65 (80-84), we transitioned from the brightly colored scheme to the all gray you see now, the gray paint had kind of a flat surface texture and sopped up all liquids, oils, solvents, etc so all of our F-14s, A-6/EA-6, A-7s, S-3s and SH-3s looked severely mottled in appearance, hard to clean and basically looked like crap.
Maybe got confused with her sister, USS Robin.
www.airandspaceforces.com
Anything that increases your range of potential manoeuvres is potentially useful, there's always going to be edge cases where a manoeuvre changes the scenario from just inside the missile's kinematics to just outside. The problem with high-alpha, slower-speed manoeuvres is that even if you avoid the first guy, you're just setting up an easy shot for his wingman. (I'm slightly paraphrasing one of the Typhoon test-pilots, who was actually talking about why VIFFing Harriers were still dead meat, but slow is slow).
Versus poorly trained pilots flying planes a generation or two behind the Harriers. A-4s are a 1950s design!
theaviationist.com
Air SDF? Odd, I was expecting them to be part of the MSDF. Or is everything that flies Air SDF, even if it's an ASW helicopter that is operated off of ships?The first three F-35B Lightning II STOVL jets for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) were seen during a refueling stop in Hawaii and are currently heading to Japan. They’re expected to arrive at Nyutabaru Airbase on August 7, 2025.
Source:
First Japanese F-35B Stealth Jets Spotted En Route to Japan
After months of delay, the first Japanese F-35Bs are on the way to their new home and were spotted during a stop in Hawaii. The first F-35B Lightning II
I assume it's similar to how the Brits do it, where the F-35Bs on their carriers are somehow linked to the RAF
Like many things to do with Japan and defense, it is a bit complicated.
And the OC of 617 is a Royal Marine....
I clarified further, my bad
Point of correction: How can you cancel something that doesn't exist? While I believe the F-35A would make a good replacement for the Spanish EF-18 Hornets (currently planned to remain in service until ~2037), there has been no order placed and as far as I am aware, not even any discussions. More likely in the nearer term would be a F-35B order to replace their AV-8Bs. If the Spanish Navy wishes to remain in the fixed wing game they have no real options other than the F-35B.
