Ask anything Thread (Air Force)

[Blitzo]

There is no way for satellites to provide the altitudes of the targets.

That entirely depends on the density and overlap of the satellite constellation and the extent of networking. Altitude should absolutely be doable when multiple satellites all over overlapping coverage of the same airspace with each other.

I read that the fidelity is good enough in the XY plane but not sufficient in the Z axis. You could be potentially off by a magnitude of kilometers.

For a modern BVRAAM seeker that's fairly doable.
I'm also not sure if you're referring to satellites or AEW&C here. If it's the latter, well we know AEW&C play a fairly key role as part of the sensor shooter complex for modern PLA BVRAAMs so it should be considered sufficient for at least certain target sets.



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As for the overall question about using satellites to provide midcourse guidance quality AMTI, the question was fundamentally future oriented to begin with -- i.e.: it is about a capability which doesn't exist today, but may exist in the future.
The technology for satellite based AMTI is there, and the rockets are there to launch super constellations as well. It entirely just becomes a matter of cost for the hardware and the networking, but the only true answer to the question "is it possible" is "yes it can be possible, but not with present technology".

 

[db00]

That entirely depends on the density and overlap of the satellite constellation and the extent of networking. Altitude should absolutely be doable when multiple satellites all over overlapping coverage of the same airspace with each other.




For a modern BVRAAM seeker that's fairly doable.
I'm also not sure if you're referring to satellites or AEW&C here. If it's the latter, well we know AEW&C play a fairly key role as part of the sensor shooter complex for modern PLA BVRAAMs so it should be considered sufficient for at least certain target sets.



===

As for the overall question about using satellites to provide midcourse guidance quality AMTI, the question was fundamentally future oriented to begin with -- i.e.: it is about a capability which doesn't exist today, but may exist in the future.
The technology for satellite based AMTI is there, and the rockets are there to launch super constellations as well. It entirely just becomes a matter of cost for the hardware and the networking, but the only true answer to the question "is it possible" is "yes it can be possible, but not with present technology".

I've done some quick calculations. If the PL-15 has a boresight of +/-30º and can detect an AWACS or tanker at a distance of 50 km with its AESA radar, its beam would cover 50 km from left to right and in altitude. For altitude, we would only need to search at 5,000 m and +/-5,000 m. From left to right, 50 km; at a speed of 850 km/h, the target would move about 236 m every second. In one minute, it would move about 14 km if it continued on its course. It seems that if the LEO satellite had an error of +/- 1 km and a latency of less than one minute, including processing and transmission time, it could be viable, although the success rates would not be very high. That latency of 1 minute is still very difficult to achieve, although in principle, one could wait for a LEO satellite to pass by before carrying out the attack. The greatest difficulty is the processing and transmission of information.

 

[GiantCanofWater]

is there a practical reason for the pattern paint job on the J-20?

 

[pokepara]

Does China have any analogues of vertical take-off aircraft? Here I am watching the F-35 take off from the Japanese JS Kaga, effectively turning the helicopter carrier into a full-fledged aircraft carrier, and no catapults or kilometer-long springboards are needed. The conventional Type 075 could be like this if there were similar aircraft:

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I did see some Chinese Naval Drone VTOL news recently:

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What was most interesting to me:

During vertical ascent, the rotors spin freely, allowing the drone to lift off like a helicopter from a cramped warship deck. As speed increases, the wings generate enough lift to sustain flight and the rotors gradually spin down.

At that point, the fairings slide shut over the rotor hubs, sealing them from airflow and reducing parasitic drag by as much as 60 per cent, according to computational fluid dynamics simulations verified in wind tunnel tests.

The result is a remarkably clean, teardrop-shaped fuselage – nearly indistinguishable from a pure jet drone in cruise – enabling efficient high-speed flight while retaining full VTOL capability.

In scenarios involving island chain warfare, maritime blockade operations or a rapid crisis response, this capability would allow the Chinese navy to maintain persistent coverage over vast oceanic areas, coordinating with ship-borne radar and command systems to create a distributed, resilient combat network.

“This turns every major surface combatant into a forward-operating base,” said the expert, who requested not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Yet the design is not without compromises. During high-speed cruise, the rotor system – though enclosed – becomes a deadweight, occupying space and adding mass that reduces payload capacity and fuel efficiency.

Similarly, during vertical flight, the turbojet and its fuel lines remain inert, contributing to structural burden.

As a result, the drone’s endurance and range likely fall short of pure jet-powered platforms like the Global Hawk or XQ-58A.

Its payload can be also limited, making it better suited for reconnaissance, electronic warfare or precision strikes with small munitions, rather than heavy ordnance.

 

[Atomicfrog]

Someone know if China looked to fit plumbing for external fuel tanks on sinovariants of the flanker ?

Some sources say that Su-35 have the capability to carry 2 but never seen one with them. Did China have done hit on the J-16 ?

 

[Deino]

Someone know if China looked to fit plumbing for external fuel tanks on sinovariants of the flanker ?

Some sources say that Su-35 have the capability to carry 2 but never seen one with them. Did China have done hit on the J-16 ?

From my understanding none were ever tested. If any were at least considered is another question, but I don't know this too.

 

[siegecrossbow]

Someone know if China looked to fit plumbing for external fuel tanks on sinovariants of the flanker ?

Some sources say that Su-35 have the capability to carry 2 but never seen one with them. Did China have done hit on the J-16 ?

Flankers have enough internal fuel to not need external fuel tanks, especially since YY-20 have entered service in large numbers. I don’t think they’ll worry about plumbing hard points for J-16.