Vanguard Magazine

20 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com tech TALK t curately fire upon said aircraft. Block 4.1 is slated for a 2023 release. Block 4.2 makes use of systems origi- nally intended solely for the F-22B pro- gram. It builds upon the systems inte- gration improvements of block 4.1 and breathes new life into many of the F-35's existing systems. • AN/APG-81v2 GaN MIMO radar. This radar will make use of Gallium nitride tech to greatly boost the power and reso- lution of the system while also reducing the number of 4,800 to 3,900. These changes will also add great improvement to the multistatic capabilities of the F-35 including a wider virtual aperture. • EOTS-XR will receive a boost in ca- pability with regards to the various visual spectrums it's capable of (4K thermal/4K visual light [new coating improves stealth characteristics when active]/4K near UV). It will also receive a significant boost to its synthetic ap- erture system that will greatly increase resolution, particularly when targets are obscured by obstacles. • MADL-L will add Link-16 support as well as satellite downlink and an augmen- tation of the F-35's current phased array. • HMDSv2 will upgrade the F-35 helmet with new optical capabilities including a visual range beyond the range of motion of the pilots' neck. It will also reduce the weight of the helmet to that of a normal HMD. Block 4.2 is scheduled for a 2026 release to enable issues that arise from the F-22B program implementation to be dealt with prior to installation in the F-35. Block 4.3 marks the arrival of the Pratt & Whitney F135-200 ADVENT engine. This variant improves on the core technol- ogy of the F119-200 and the ADVENT designator comes from the addition of the variable bypass system. Combined with the first fully 3D-printed fan disk, the F-35 will see its fuel efficiency at cruise improved by over 25 per cent which will improve range by 35 per cent while also providing a 15 per cent boost in thrust over the baseline F-35. The F135 will also provide a new 2MW power generation capability. Block 4.3 is slated for a 2025 release and is dependent on block 4.1. Block 4.4 is where the F-35 takes a step into the realm of science-fiction with the implementation of two different airborne laser system packages for the F-35. One exclusively for A and C models and anoth- er for A, B and C models. The scalable la- ser architecture (SLA) which is developed by General Atomics allows several differ- ent types of lasers to be fitted to match various mission profiles. The contract was received from DARPA as part of the High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defence System (HELLADS) initiative. • Full Power Laser (FPL) is the 1MW A and C model only modification which draws its power from the shaft of the F135 (recall the 2MW power generation capability of block 4.3) totaling 5MW. The FPL also provides 360-degree cov- erage of the F-35's surroundings using two small emitters on the ventral and dorsal surfaces. The FPL cannot be used by the F-35B because it would require the removal of the lift fan to be accom- modated in the airframe. A drawback to this system however, is that it replaces an internal fuel tank which reduces the F-35's range by approximately 150 nmi. • Modular Lightweight Laser (MLL). The MLL provides an alternative to the FPL that doesn't reduce range or payload in the way the FPL does and it sits in the gun-space. It's a 250-kW laser and it also makes use of the same ventral and dorsal emitters as the FPL. The FPL and MLL both make use of three modes: • Anti-anti-aircraft missile mode allows the laser to be used in conjunction with block 4.2 upgrades to engage and de- stroy incoming missiles with a high de- gree of accuracy. • Anti-ballistic missile mode makes use of lessons learned with the separate ABL program to provide a more flexible system that is much more potent and survivable in hostile airspace. The FPL provides a full 50 nmi boost-phase bal- listic missile interception capability. The MLL can provide a reduced (10 nmi) capability. The ABM mode also makes use of a spotter-beam to clear the im- mediate airspace and uses radar as op- posed to IRST to provide data on en- gagement. • Anti-aircraft mode will allow the laser system to be used to shoot enemy air- crafts out of the sky. Block 4.4 is slated for release by 2028 and re- quires blocks 4.2 and 4.3 for operation. The individual block upgrade costs (Table 1). At present only Italy, the United States and Asia-pacific partners are on-board with the block 4 program which is being over- seen by Integrated Technical Consulting (ITC) based in Alaska.

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