Legacy Fighter Aircraft Upgrades and New Stealth Fighters - Research Paper Example

of the Introduction The conflict and war on terror have an erratic and unpredictable outcomes as the perceived enemies of democracy are apparently in the stage of structural changes using factors that shape reform agendas in those regions (Rosh, 1988, p. 671). Such is complemented with the increasing education of people, who were subject of monarchical system, about the need for them to participate and nurture democratic and transparent governance in their respective system (Morgan & Bickers, 1992, p. 25; Collier & Hoeffler, 1998, p. 563; Collier & Ankle, 2002, p. 13). While terror seemed to be seeped within regional efforts supported by allied forces to weaken the perceived enemies, however, there is perceived military imbalance in strategic geographic region where US military’s power seemed bit nil, if not weak, but is nonetheless complemented with diplomatic relations, such as those security threat cases posed by China and of North Korea in Asia. The odds of denuclearization efforts and hazy economic-political climate within the region as well as the sustaining movements in the Arab countries remained both a threat and opportunity for the US forces to rethink about the need to upgrade the capacities for warfare (Collier & Hoeffler, 2006, p. 89; Deger & Sen, 1983, p. 67; Harbom & Wallensteen, 2007, p. 623; Reynal-Querol, 2005, pp. 445) In the last decade, US forces have been focused in combating terror groups in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and in working with reformists’ organization within the Arab region with hope to change the system and make it more liberal in its trading relation. However, amid these challenging turn of events, there are also intrinsic realities posed by Pentagon about the need of the military aviation forces to scale up its defence or operational system, such as upgrading of its its USAF fighter platforms from F-22 to new F-35s, as well as by upgrading the aerodynamics or aircraft systems. In this project, the researcher will determine the (a) prices of the F-35s and the cost of upgrading its aerodynamic systems, (b) the capacity of the US government and military agency to allocate budget for these projects, and (c) the consideration of the legislators on the fiscal requirements for this upgrade. Data Collection This is a qualitative research that will investigate the requirement in upgrading the military aviation forces of US and to hopefully embark comparative details of these matters with consideration of the current deliberation of the needs and cost analysis of the upgrade. Qualitative study will rely in primary and secondary sources that can be lifted from interviews, reports, publications, magazines and online information. The study will help elucidate the prospect and consequence of plan to upgrade the military aviation system. Data gathered will be reviewed, collated and evaluated to arrive at a reasonable conclusion that may (or may not) aid the decision-making of the legislations and authorities in Pentagon. The researchers evaluate the information based on historical records, plans of the DoD, and budget schedules as well as its estimates (GAO, 2012). Test reports were also considered including the risk information of the new capabilities (GAO, 2012). Data Analysis Last month, July of 2013, the Department of Defence of the United Sates announced of forging an agreement to purchase 71 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin at a lower cost of 4% less than the original prices for stealth and radar evading fighter jets but discounts will only be for 36 units and another 8% less for the remaining 35 units (Drew, 2013). Reports mentioned that the cost, including the ancillary facilities, are pegged at $7 billion per unit thus, state authorities require the reduction of the cost while other cost analysts outside the government batted that the cost would be rising still. The high costs and the anent problems associated in the acquisition have also discouraged other Pentagon officials and thought of scrapping the program that will cost $391.2 billion. J-35 is an advance extremely superior stealth aviation fighter that could escape any radar system and is equipped with weapons platforms, excellent propulsion and pilot control systems to replace the old combat aircrafts (Longley, 2012). This program was targeted at attaining the three variations of plane to provide complementary services for the US Navy and Marine Corps as well as of allied forces when circumstances require (Longley, 2012). The development of these stealth fighter jets are modelled with such engineering capacities that are retrofitted parts for excellent functions (Longley, 2012). UNITS DISTINCTIVE FEATURES F-22 F-22 – low observability; high manoeuvrability; advance integrated avionics and can undertake supersonic cruise as its aerodynamic performance (FAS.org, 2013). Its stealth and lethal and enemy are easily detected by its fushion on-off board; and can effectively rapidly attack leaving less time for enemies to counter attack (FAS.org, 2013). It has supersonic speed and capable of carrying AIM-120 C, two AIM-9 missiles, 1000 pound class Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), 2-AIM 120C and 2 AIM 9 missiles. It has global positioning system- guided JDAM and does clean combat configurations (FAS.org, 2013). Its design has a center fuselage, stores management; integrate navigation and electronic warfare system (INEWS) as well as of communication, navigation and identification system (CNI) (FAS.org, 2013). F-35 F-35 has the speed of 1,930 km/hr, range of 2,220 km and a length of 16 m. It has a wingspan of 11 m and its engine of Pratt and Whitney (Sherman & Hardiman, 2013, p. 1). It has a system with the following features: a. Northrup Grumman Advanced Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) (Sherman et al., 2013, p. 1); b. Snader/Litton Amecon electronic countermeasures (Sherman et al, 2013, p. 1); c. Lockheed Martin Electro-optical targeting system (Sherman et al, 2013, p. 1); d. Northrup Grumman distributed aperture infrared sensor (DAIRS) thermal imaging system (Sherman et al., 2013, p. 1); e. Vision systems international advanced helmet-mounted display (Sherman et al, 2013, p. 1). Other Pentagon officials however maintain optimism that the project acquisition can be strategized in staggered purchased within ten years, under fair agreement, to save production contracts as other countries like Australia, Italy, Norway and Britain are also scaling up its airforce might by purchasing the same stealth fighter jets (Drew, 2013). The DoD recently explicated the details of the major defence acquisition. Among many other information of its acquisition, the DoD estimated to purchase projects based on the SAR report in December 2012: Figure 1. Part of the Program Acquisition Cost Summary (Dollars in Millions) As of December 31, 2012 (DoD, 2012). The DoD explained that part of improving the homeland security for defence, stealth operation, aerial surveillance, and the like, require the involvement of that costly $132, 146.7 million ballistic missile defence system (BMDS) and the purchase of F-35 joint strike fighter which covered the aircraft and the engine. There was cost reduction in 2012 based on its SAR although officials further hope that prices will be lowered down if the supplier aimed at increasing its sales and production of F-35 units (DoD, 2012). It was also explicated that the cost of the “F-35 units decreased for about $4,942.4 million (-1.5%) from $331,855.2 million to $326,912.8 million with anent decrease of labour rates from prime contractor and subcontractor at the cost of (-$7,853.3 million) and due to revised airframe and subcontractor estimates that included the actual costs of Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) lots at an estimate of -$1,121.3 million (DoD, 2012b, p 1).” Critics maintained that a “$400 billion program acquisition of these stealth jet fighters is the costliest budget in global history on matter of defence specially so that the budget scaled up to 70% from the last period when Pentagon decided to purchase 2,500 stealthy single seat and engine in 2001 (Thompson, 2013, p. 1).” The acquisition thereof will also require operational cost for maintenance, training for its pilots, fuel, insurances and those other incidental expenses or obligations inherent in property utilization. The DoD have no choice but to negotiate the rates of F-35 and ensure that the contract with its suppliers will maintain the current prices of the units or lower it at a certain percentile. At the momentum of this upgrade, researchers cited that the national government would be spending $618 billion for defence, a cost which is bit higher than the national budget for Medicare and almost near to the $860 billion budget for social security (Amadeo, 2013). Amadeo (2013) pointed that the cost of upgrading the national defence has actually added to the “budget deficit of $ 744 billion (p. 1).” That budget was in fact almost near to the entire budget for DoD in 2012 where $553 billion was considered as discretionary funding and $5 billion was considered as mandatory funding (Johnson, 2012). Amadeo (2013) further cited that more savings could be attained if instead of buying F-35 strikers, they would opt for C-130 airline aircraft and will not purchase another Global Hawk Block 30 unmanned aerial vehicles. The savings, she recommended, could be utilized in operational costs for counterterrorism with allied forces within regional levels, trainings, support services, medical benefits for its personnel, families, and veterans (Amadeo, 2013). Aside from the budget allocated for the purchases of these stealth fighters, the DoD is also allocated with $92.3 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations to support for post conflict services for Afghanistan, of which, $3.8 billion will be for the State Department while the rest will be retained within DoD’s disposition (Amadeo, 2013). In April 2012, the GAO reported that DoD planned to purchase F-22-A at a cost of $11.7 B. The f-22 was also considered as world’s most advance stealth fighter. $9.7 billion will be utilized for specific modernization increments and related support costs and about $2 billion will be allocated for its improvement and maintenance (GAO, 2012). This aircraft was formerly designed for post-Cold war period against Soviet Union with such excellent capacity for ground attack and was tagged as the F-22A modernization program of the DoD in 2012 (GAO, 2012). The aircraft is also considered as the highly manoeuvrable as aviation with advanced integrated avionics and supercruise engine capable of sustained supersonic flight (GAO, 2012). The unit cost is bit cheaper than the targeted F-35 stealth fighter except that the latter has a high capabilities for supersonic flight and intelligence air-based operation or navigation . The purchases were also subjected to the problems of testing, defects and funding fluctuations (GAO, 2012). Originally, the plan in 1991 for the acquisition of these F-22 are pegged at 648 aircrafts and the purchases are targeted to be completed within a span of 14 years (GAO, 2012). Although originally designed only for air-to-air mission but added capacities were increased to make them capable for ground assaults. Those plans of purchasing 648 aircrafts were later reduced to 188 aircrafts and the program was completed in 2012 at the cost of $67.3 billion. While F-22 and F-35 have clear advanced aerodynamics strategies, a qualitative analysis will examine and compare the advanced aerodynamics of stealth will to legacy fighters, including the benefits of super-cruise capability, optimum combat configurations, weapon loads, employment altitudes, and turn performance (Hartmann, 1997). Both model of aircrafts have complete digital, radio frequency and avionics simulators that are deemed to be cost-effective and efficient (Hartmann, 1997). These constituted advanced electronic counter measures (ECM) that are present in F-22 and F35 except that the latter might have more advance warfare assessment system for aerial navigation (Hartmann, 1997). It might be also wise to consider if the ECM of F-22 can be upgraded with the capacity of F-35’s ECM to lessen the cost of acquisition. But these remained to be a subject of negotiation and agreement in the purchase and acquisition. While we understood that the DoD act as an global police of the world, there is also a need for the Chief and its administration to balance its budget for defence and for homeland security with the rest of the needs of the country and should work well with the legislative bodies by persuading them with effective and efficient delivery of services and results in its conducts and mandates (Amadeo, 2013). Public fund ought to be disbursed more responsibly as other critics of the production of 2,457 fighter jets have actually tripled its original budget when it was first proposed (Longley, 2012). Public fund should not be squandered at a period when the rest of the American populace is demanding for more job creation and opportunities to enliven their economic conditions (Johnson, 2011). The modernization of the US military forces can be attained at a reasonable cost without jeopardizing the other interests of the nations. As democratic institutions are built on post-conflict institutions, such as those in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in Arab Spring region, the DoD must re-strategize and see the changing needs of time too. The threats are maybe there but some of the major actions required for democratization and reconstruction of areas, where there was once such robust rounds of conflict, are diplomatic and support services to regions that are espousing structural reforms (Persson, Roland, & Tabellini, 2000, p. 1121; Stalenheim, Perdomo, & Skons, 2008, p. 175; Yildirim & Sezgin, 2005, p. 93). In these areas, war planes are not considered significant anymore but diplomatic services for reform can be advanced. The Asian continent however remained confronted with violence and disagreements on territorial limits of the seas, such as what is transpiring between Philippines, China, Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia. There is also obvious concern to stabilize the region via denuclearization, an issue that is disturbing the neighbourhood for too long with North Korea. But while these seemed to be controllable at this moment and diplomatic course shapes its direction, albeit the unceasing ignition of verbal conflicts, the purchases of aviation fighters can best be purchased at periodic or staggered basis to also accommodate the urgent economic and social needs of the country. The warfare cannot be sufficiently won by modern aviation alone but also of non-conventional approaches by remaining sensitive to the strategic implications and diplomatic defence strategies. Conclusion The plan to upgradesF-22 and to purchase F-35 is indeed costly. Further, experience showed that while the purchases of the F-22 at sequential mode have not actually reached the targeted number of units that must be acquired within the period, it is also further exacerbated by the estimated total cost of acquisition which doubly increased the cost from its supposed original budget to a rate higher than what was expected. The disparity of figures is apparently distressing. UNITS Original Budget Cost utilized upon completion of the project Number of Planes Targeted to Purchase Actual Number of Planes Purchased F-22 $ 11. 7 B $67.3 billion 648 aircrafts 188 aircrafts F-35 $391. 2 B - 71 aircrafts - The wide disparities of the figures in the F-22 acquisition from its original budget to actual cost of purchases to the number of the aircrafts actually bought were disturbing if not alarming. The subtrahend speaks a lot of these deals and the reasons advanced for the scaling costs are subject for regular verification and monitoring specially with the new plan of purchasing F-35. The model in the acquisition of the F-22, at a staggered basis, can be followed thru in the acquisition of F-35 but there ought to be transparency on how the bidding, agreement, and purchases are undertaken to ascertain that no funds will be misappropriated. The plan for upgrades must also be accounted not only on the bases of executive and legislative decisions but also the actual capacity of the government to purchase all these amid serious concerns for economy and government administration whilst we balance these with the future potential need for defence. Further, while its recognized that the DoD planned of providing repairs and upgrades for F-22 units but it has to decide whether the upgrade can be undertaken at a minimal costs and which of these spending can be sourced from its annual budget; or, it must prioritize the purchases of F-35 to totally replace dysfunctional F-22s. This is because if there are those who hypothesized that F-22s repair can be a better alternative against the acquisition of F-35, there ought to be a prior comprehensive assessment of the statuses of F-22s and see which can be considered as repairable and which must be laid dysfunctional. References Collier, P. & Hoeffler, A.(1998). 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