F-22A隐身性能出色演习中用机炮击落F-16战机

http://mil.news.sina.com.cn/p/2007-01-26/0839428545.html
　美国《航空航天技术周刊》2007年1月7日报道 随着F-22正式服役，对其的关注已转向评估该款隐身战斗机对于空空优势战斗机的角色适应程度如何，现在就看看飞行员和机务人员在研究这种飞机性能时有何惊喜。本文作者之一Michael Fabey曾在廷德尔空军基地靶场上空置身F-15D战斗机后座上亲眼目睹了F-22与F-15飞行员展示飞机性能。

　　F-22最终正在证明自己是一款格斗战斗机。一架携带反辐射导弹和“响尾蛇”空空导弹的F-22悄悄地尾随上了一架F-16，在进入目视距离仍没有被发现的情况下模拟使用航炮实施了攻击。这是2006年6月，F-22在阿拉斯加参加“北方利刃2006”联合军事演习时的真实一幕，这次是F-22首次参加大规模演习。

　　美空军首支F-22作战部队——第27战斗机联队将与本月底前往未披露的地点进行首次空中远征部队部署(译者注：1月9日美《空军时报》透露称12架F-22将于2月初部署日本嘉手纳空军基地)。另一支F-22部队——第94战斗机中队将于2月参加“红旗”演习。在这种情况下对于F-22的这样那样的报道逐渐重要起来。

　　航炮攻击是美空军计划人员希望F-22不会用到的一种能力。这种战斗机是设计用于在敌人视距和雷达探测距离外消灭敌人的。在视距范围内作战，特别是使用航炮，这是一种时代问题上的错误。2006年6月美军在阿拉斯加举行了“北方利刃”演习，演习第一个星期F-22取得了击落144架而无一架被击落的好成绩。被击落的飞机中仅有3架是视距内击落的，其中两架被AIM-9“响尾蛇”导弹击落，另一架被航炮击落。

　　第27战斗机中队的F-22并没有展示90度转弯、眼镜蛇机动、高角度攻击、大离轴角发射响尾蛇导弹和独一无二的机头指向等能力。参加演习的人表示，原因是作为对手的常规飞机在被击落前根本不知道F-22已经接近。

　　F-22战斗机飞行员表示他们在战场空间上最喜欢选择比其它战斗机都高的高空位置，在这个位置进行巡航飞行可以节约油料，同时雷达对空地目标信息获取的能力也最强。在优势的高度F-22可以超巡航飞行数百英里，从而可以在敌方战斗机威胁己方高价值侦察机、指挥控制飞机和加油机之前将其击落。

　　第27战斗机中队透露的最重要的信息或许是F-22有能力使用自身传感器帮助己方常规战斗机识别和锁定敌方飞机，从而帮助己方战斗机及早接敌。由于具有先进的态势感知能力，F-22可以在自身武器用光后为常规飞机提供目标。

　　第27战斗机中队中队长维德·托利沃尔中校说：“我们通常留F-22就位提供帮助，但我们不具体制定哪架飞机提供信息。所有的F-22都出动并提供其所获信息这一点非常重要。”

　　由于装备有高分辨率雷达，F-22可以确保目标高度误差在几百英尺之内。维德·托利沃尔中校表示，“F-22识别飞机的能力有时比预警机还要快很多倍，它结合了高分辨率雷达和尽量接近目标这两种能力。”

　　F-22的雷达探测距离被描述为刚超过100英里(约合160公里)，但是其实际探测距离约为125到150英里，而F-15战斗机的标准雷达探测距离只有56英里。使用新的相控阵雷达技术后，使用窄波束的下一代雷达的探测距离预计会超过250英里。

　　接近敌人而不被锁定的能力使F-22可以在常规战斗机无法生存的威胁区域作战。从而F-22可以在远离所保护的飞机和国土的地方与目标交战。

　　F-22所获取的所有空天数据都显示在一个方便阅读的显示屏上。维德·托利沃尔中校说：“当我用光标点一架己方的F-15或F/A-18就可以知道他们所锁定的目标。我可以告诉他们说‘你们重复瞄准了，另外哪里还有没有被锁定的目标’，这样就可以保证不让敌人漏网。”

　　然而，这些信息越来越少地需要口述了。美空军空中作战司令部司令罗纳德·凯斯将军说：“你观看了(阿拉斯加的)演习，就知道那非常吓人。F-22战斗机飞行员们几乎一言不发。”这种沉默也揭示了这种战斗机未来可能的一些能力。

　　凯斯说：“因为飞机的设计原因，我们有了做更多事的能力。我们可以把无人驾驶作战飞机系统与F-22配合使用。在战场部署3架无人驾驶作战飞机系统，当防空警报响起的时候，我点击无人驾驶作战飞机系统的图标，然后无人驾驶作战飞机系统就可以飞往目标并实施攻击等。”

　　在阿拉斯加，由于F-22处于前沿高空，利用先进的雷达，它可以监视150英里之外的预警机所不能监视的救援任务。维德·托利沃尔说：“我们可以看着直升机降落在山谷中，并为其提供保护。”
除了预警机之外，F-22也可以向RC-135信号情报飞机提供数据，帮助其加强战场态势感知能力。凯斯说：“如果RC-135要获得一个目标(信号源)的三维坐标，F-22可以帮忙。如果一架预警机发现了40英里外的大机群，F-22可以前往侦测并汇报那是2架F-18、2架F-15和4架F-16。”

　　此外，凯斯还表示，美军正在为F-22研制一种不宜被截获的数据链，目的是增强F-22传递更多目标参数的能力，这些参数如灵敏度、高分辨率红外数据等。凯斯说：“向F-22传递数据并不困难，但是要在保持其隐身性能的情况下由其发送数据就相对比较难。我们已经购买了数据链，但是我们还没有进行安装。”

　　F-22先进的电子情报传感器也增强了对地面活动的感知能力。托利沃尔说：“我可以告诉EA-6B电子攻击机机组哪里有地空导弹阵地，然后他们就可以立即将电子战传感器指向那里。这样可以大大缩短他们进行瞄准的时间。”

　　F-22可以使用其电子侦察能力对信号源实施精确打击，这种能力也就是摧毁敌防空系统。Tollive说：“未来型号的F-22预计会具有自身的电子攻击能力，从而可以压制或对目标实施软杀伤。”

　　在阿拉斯加的演习中，F-22的作战高度和额外速度都获得了赞扬。Tollive说：“我们呆在高空，因为这样可以获得更多的动能和速度优势，同时可以减少燃料消耗。F-22通常比其它飞机飞的都高。”虽然他本人不愿透露F-22的作战高度，但是美国国防部官员透露的数据是65000英尺，比其它战斗机至少高15000英尺。

　　Tollive说：“有时我们也会飞的低一些，主要是要目视识别威胁或者由于‘阿姆拉姆’导弹用完的情况下要降低高度用热寻的导弹消灭目标。”

　　Tollive表示压倒性的演习作战结果的原因在于“他们看不到我们。我们在未被探测的情况下抵达，然后迅速击杀。我们不做任何大转弯。不是90度转弯不有趣，而是我们没有机会用它。”

　　F-22的1.5马赫超巡航能力也在阿拉斯加的演习中进行了展示。因为演习中最多一次只升空了8架F-22，其中4架持续进行空中加油并绕着150英里的轨道飞行。超巡航能力使F-22可以迅速转完一圈。进入阵位时，F-22为了节省燃料就在高空巡航。

　　托利沃尔说：“我们大量进行超巡航的另一个原因是战场空域如此之大。空域大约是120英里*140英里。我们可以在高空保持节油巡航。当发现威胁上升时，我们可以开加力加速并利用探测优势直冲目标。

　　阿拉斯加演习的典型情况是一天有24架战斗机(其中包括8架F-22)升空保卫领土和其它飞机。美空军的F-15、F-16和海军陆战队的F/A-18模拟40架米格-29、苏-22、苏-24、苏-27和苏-30(单一阶段曾模拟了103架次的敌机)。模拟的敌机装备有AA-10、AA-12和霹雳-12空空导弹，并有SA-6、SA-10和SA-20地空导弹支援，另外还有1架EA-6B实施电子干扰。演习中红方(敌方)的空中力量逐日增强。结果显示F-22绘制战场电子作战序列(EOB)的能力起到了关键作用。

　　托利沃尔说：“我喜欢情报，但是情报最好在数小时或数天前知悉才能最好地发挥作用。F-22则不会造成延时，我可以实时提供战场电子作战序列。我不是说我们比RC-135还强，但是我们可以去RC-135不能去的地方。如果RC-135在150英里以外，那么它发现高威胁目标的速度不如我们快。”

　　模拟的对手也不甘心失败。托利沃尔说：“我们的对手试过500英尺低空突防，45000到50000英尺高度并以1.6马赫的速度突防，试图在我发现他们的时候将我击落。他们集中过大量部队试图利用纯粹的数量优势取胜。他们的这些努力都没有成功。”

　　F-22的战术是于演习前在兰利空军基地开发的，当时只进行了小规模实践。这些战术包括F-22双机编队，与F-15C或F/A-18E/F合成等。托利沃尔说：“我可以从后方或上方帮助他们(F-15C或F/A-18E/F)进行瞄准。我们所进行的作战合成事实上都没取什么名字。我能发现和帮助F-15C或F/A-18E/F锁定它们探测范围之外的目标。”

　　目前F-22的一些能力仍然是机密，其中包括其电子攻击能力、信息战能力和巡航导弹防御能力等。托利沃尔说：“我们的一种改进是为其安装电子攻击系统，从而增强其在作战网络中的分量，这一点并不是秘密。
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=awst&id=news/aw010807p1.xml
Raptor Scores in Alaskan Exercise

Jan 7, 2007
By David A. Fulghum and Michael J. Fabey


As the F-22 begins its operational life, interest has turned to assessing just how well suited the stealthy Raptor is to its role as the premier air-to-air fighter, while taking a peek at some of the surprises for pilots and maintenance crews as they explore what the aircraft can do. As part of the research for this series of articles on the F-22, Michael Fabey flew in the back seat of an F-15D while the Eagle and Raptor pilots demonstrated their aircraft's capabilities in the air-to-air ranges at Tyndall AFB, Fla. (For additional details of the Raptor's unique air-to-air capabilities, see AW&ST Sept. 6, 1999, p. 84.)

The F-22 is proving it's a dogfighter after all.

While it wasn't part of a hard-turning furball, an F-22--with its Amraams and Sidewinders expended--slipped into visual range behind an F-16 and undetected made a simulated kill with its cannon during the stealth fighter's first large-scale exercise and deployment outside the continental U.S.

Those and other revelations about the F-22's emerging capabilities are increasingly important as the first combat unit, the U.S. Air Force's 27th Fighter Sqdn., begins its initial Air Expeditionary Force deployment this month to an undisclosed site. And the first F-22 unit, the 94th Fighter Sqdn., will participate in Red Flag in February.

The gun kill is a capability Air Force planners hope their F-22s won't use. The fighter is designed to destroy a foe well beyond his visual and radar range. Within visual-range combat and, in particular, gun kills are anachronisms. In amassing 144 kills to no losses during the first week of the joint-service Northern Edge exercise in Alaska last summer, only three air-to-air "kills" were in the visual arena--two involving AIM-9 Sidewinders and one the F-22's cannon.

The 27th Fighter Sqdn. aircraft--on deployment from Langley AFB, Va.--didn't get to show off their J-Turn and Cobra maneuvers or their high-angle-of-attack, high-off-boresight (which actually will arrive with the AIM-9X) and unique nose-pointing capabilities. The reason, those involved say, was because the victims of the three encounters, flying conventional fighters, never had a clue they were being stalked by F-22s until they were "killed."

Raptor pilots agree that their preferred location for the fighter while in the battlespace is at high altitude, well above the other fighters, where they can adopt a fuel-efficient cruise, sweeping both the air and ground with radar and electronic surveillance for targets. From a superior altitude, the F-22 used sustained supercruise to range across hundreds of miles of airspace before an enemy fighter could threaten friendly high-value surveillance, command-and-control and tanker aircraft.

Perhaps the most important revelation by the 27th Fighter Sqdn. was demonstrating the F-22's ability to use its sensors to identify and target enemy aircraft for conventional fighters by providing information so they could engage the enemy sooner than they could on their own. Because of the advanced situational awareness they afford, F-22s would stick around after using up their weapons to continue providing targets and IDs to the conventional fighters.

"We always left F-22s on station to help, but we didn't designate any one aircraft to provide data," says Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver, the unit's commander. "It was critical that every F-22 out there provided all the data he had."

With its high-resolution radar, the F-22 can guarantee target altitudes to within a couple of hundred feet. Its ability to identify an aircraft is "sometimes many times quicker than the AWACS," he says. "It was a combination of high-resolution sensors and being closer to the targets."

The F-22's radar range is described only as being more than 100 mi. However, it's thought to be closer to 125-150 mi., which is much farther than the standard F-15's 56-mi. radar range. New, active electronically scanned radar technology--optimized for digital throughput--is expected to soon push next-generation radar ranges, in narrow beams, out to 250 mi. or more.

The ability to close on the enemy without being targeted also allowed the F-22s to operate in threat areas where conventional fighters could not survive. This enabled the Raptor to engage targets at a greater distance from the aircraft and homeland they were defending.

Raptor pilots had all the available data on the airspace fused and displayed on a single, easy-to-read screen.

"When I look down at my scope and put my cursor over a [friendly] F-15 or F/A-18, it tells me who they are locked on to," he says. For example, "I could help them out by saying, 'You're double-targeted and there's a group over here untargeted' . . . to make sure we got everybody." F-15 targets will be latent because of the radar sweep.

However, these messages are less and less verbal. "When you watch [tapes of the Alaska] exercise, it's fairly spooky," says Gen. Ronald Keys, chief of Air Combat Command. "There's hardly a word spoken among Raptor pilots." That silence also previews some of the fighter's possible future capabilities.

"Because of the way the aircraft was designed, we have the capability to do more," Keys says. "We can put unmanned combat aircraft systems in there with Raptor. You've got three fairly low-observable UCAS in the battlespace. An air defense system pops up, and I click on a UCAS icon and drag it over [the emitter's location] and click. The UCAS throttles over and jams it, blows it up or whatever."

In Alaska, because the F-22 remained far forward at high altitude, with an advanced radar it could monitor rescue missions that the AWACS 150 mi. away could not. "We could see the helicopters down in the valleys and protect them," Tolliver says.

In addition to AWACS, the F-22 also can feed data to the RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft to improve situational awareness of the battlespace.

"If a Rivet Joint is trying to get triangulation [on a precise emitter location], he can get more [voice] information" from an F-22, Keys says. "If an AWACS sees a heavy group 40 mi. to the north, Raptor can come up and say it's two F-18s, two F-15s and four F-16s."

Moreover, Keys says, modifications are underway to transmit additional target parameters--such as sensitive, high-resolution infrared data--from the F-22 with a low-probability-of-intercept data link.

"Getting data into an F-22 is not hard," Keys says. "Getting it out [while staying low observable] is more difficult. We bought the links, but we just don't have them on yet."

The F-22's advanced electronic surveillance sensors also provided additional awareness of ground activity.

"I could talk to an EA-6B Prowler electronic attack crew and tell them where a surface-to-air missile site was active so they would immediately know where to point their electronic warfare sensors," Tolliver says. "That decreased their targeting time line considerably."

In addition, the F-22 can use its electronic surveillance capabilities to conduct precision bombing strikes on emitters--a capability called destruction of enemy air defenses.

"And future editions of the F-22 are predicted to have to have their own electronic attack capability so that we'll be able to suppress or nonkinetically kill a site like that," he says.

The F-22's operating altitude and additional speed during the Alaska exercise also garnered praise.

"We stayed high because it gives us an extra kinetic advantage with shooting, speed and fuel consumption," Tolliver says. "The Raptor typically flies way higher than everybody else and it handles like a dream at those altitudes." Tolliver wouldn't confirm the operating altitude, but Pentagon officials have put it at 65,000 ft., which is at least 15,000 ft. higher than the other fighters.

"There were times we went lower, maybe to visually identify a threat or if we were out of Amraams and there was a bandit sneaking in at low altitude," he says. "The Raptor would roll in and kill him with a heat-seeking missile."

The lopsided combat ratio resulted because, "they never saw us," Tolliver says. "We got there without being detected, and we killed them rapidly. We didn't do any major turning. It's not that the J-Turn maneuver isn't fun, but we didn't get a chance to use it."

The F-22's Mach 1.5 supercruise capability also got a workout in Alaska. Because only eight F-22s were ever airborne at once during the exercise, four of them were constantly involved in refueling from tankers flying orbits 150 mi. away. Supercruise got the fighters there and back quickly. On station, the fighter would conserve fuel by cruising at high altitude.

"We also used supercruise quite a bit because the fight was on such a large scale," Tolliver says. "The airspace was roughly 120 mi. by 140 mi. We could sit up at high altitude and save our gas and watch. We don't hang out at Mach 1.5. With our acceleration, when we saw the threats building, because we could see them so far out, we'd dump the nose over, light the burners and we were right up to fighting speed."

During a typical day in the Alaska "war," 24 air-to-air fighters, including up to eight F-22s, defended their aerial assets and homeland for 2.5 hr. Air Force F-15s and F-16s and Marine F/A-18s simulated up to 40 MiG-29s, Su-22s, Su-24s, Su-27s and Su-30s (which regenerated into 103 enemy sorties in a single period). They carried AA-10s A to F, Archers, AA-12 Adders and the Chinese-built PL-12. These were supported by SA-6, SA-10 and SA-20 surface to air missiles and an EA-6B for jamming. Each day, the red air became stronger and carried more capability.

As a result of all the emitters in the battlespace, the F-22's ability to map the electronic order of battle (EOB)--what's emitting and from where--proved critical.

"I love intel, but it's only as good as the last time [analysts] got a data update, which could have been hours or even a day earlier," Tolliver says. An F-22 "gets rid of the time delay. I can plot an EOB in real time. I'm not saying we're better than a Rivet Joint, but I can go places that it can't. If he's 150 mi. away, he's probably not going to be able to plot a high-fidelity threat location as quickly as I can."

The adversaries were wily and didn't want to lose.

"We had guys running in at 500 ft. off the deck," Tolliver says. "We had guys flying in at 45,000-50,000 ft. doing Mach 1.6, trying to shoot me before I know they are there. They would mass their forces and try to win with sheer numbers. None of it worked."

A tactic used by the F-22s was actually developed and practiced in smaller scale at Langley before the exercise. Raptors worked in pairs, integrated with F-15Cs or F/A-18E/Fs.

"I could help target for them from behind and above," Tolliver says. "We really don't have a name for what we were doing other than integrated ops. I was able to look down and smartly target F-15s or F/A-18s to groups at ranges where they could not yet [detect] the target."

Yet, there are a number of F-22 capabilities that are shrouded in mystery, including electronic attack, information warfare and cruise missile defense.

"It's no secret that one of our mods is to put electronic attack on board and then we will play a role in combating networks," Tolliver says. "We're already involved in the collection part. When we come back from a mission, we have the ability to download EOB data that's turned into intelligence pictures. This makes us an intelligence platform doing nontraditional ISR by bringing back emitter data so that teams can go out and conduct information operations."

The next step will be to pass the detailed information about surface-to-air missile locations, capabilities and emission details (called parametrics).

"If I have characterized, say an SA-10, I can send it verbally to AWACS and they can send it out to other platforms," says Maj. Shawn Anger, an F-22 instructor with the 43rd Fighter Sqdn. at Tyndall AFB, Fla. However, "I can't pass the parametrics characterization. Hopefully, we'll be able to shoot it up the radar"--a new capability for the radar, which is being developed to send large, high-bandwidth imagery files.