Mean machines - Future Air wars - Air combat vehicles

Air power is an indispensable aspect in any nation's security apparatus. In this concluding part of mean machines, we will look at the manned vehicles which form an indispensable part of the land-sea-air attack vehicles combo

The world's only operational fifth-generation fighter, the F-22 Raptor is, and will remain, unprecedented in its total integration of stealth and advanced avionics

Primary Function: Air dominance, multi-role fighter

Contractor: Lockheed-Martin, Boeing

Power Plant: Two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners and two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles.

Crew: One

Fuel Capacity: Internal: 18,000 pounds (8,200 kilograms); with 2 external wing fuel tanks: 26,000 pounds (11,900 kilograms)

Speed: Mach 2 class with supercruise capability

Range: More than 1,850 miles ferry range with 2 external wing fuel tanks (1,600 nautical miles)

Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet (15 kilometers)

Armament: One M61A2 20-millimeter cannon with 480 rounds, internal side weapon bays carriage of two AIM-9 infrared (heat seeking) air-to-air missiles and internal main weapon bays carriage of six AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles (air-to-air loadout) or two 1,000-pound GBU-32 JDAMs and two AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles (air-to-ground loadout)

Unit Cost: $143 million (about Rs 643 crore)

The Eurofighter is the product of a consortium of British Aerospace, Deutsche Aerospace (Germany), Alenia (Italy), and CASA (Spain), with the United Kingdom and Germany providing technological leadership

Function: Multi-role fighter

Crew: 1

Engines: 2 Eurojet EJ200 afterburning turbofans, 60 kN dry, 93 kN with afterburner

Maximum speed: Mach 2.0+ (2390 km/h at high altitude)

Supercruise speed: Mach 1.3+ at altitude with typical air-to-air armament

Service ceiling: 18,290 m (60,000 ft)

Range: 1390 km

Armament: The Eurofighter carries NATO's best weapons. It has a high load Capacity with flexible missile configurations. It has thirteen carriage points, three of which are capable of holding external fuel tanks. The maximum fuel or weapons payload is 6,500 kg (14,330 lb.).

A mixture of at least 10 ASRAAMs (advanced short range air-to-air missiles) and AMRAAM (advanced medium range air-to-air missiles) can be carried with four of the AMRAAMs housed in low drag, low observability fuselage stations. A wide variety of air-to-surface weapons can be carried on seven stations, including avionics stores such as laser designators.

The F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets (F/A for Fighter/Attack).

Contractor: Boeing [McDonnell Douglas Aerospace] and Northrop Grumman (Airframe), General Electric (Engines), and Hughes (Radar)

Power Plant: Two F404-GE-402 afterburning engines, each in the 18,000 pound thrust class, which results in a combat thrust-to-weight ratio greater than 1-to-1. Depending on the mission and loading, combat radius is greater than 500 nautical miles

Mission and Capabilities: The F/A-18 Hornet can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Cockpit displays and mission avionics are thoroughly integrated to enhance crew situational awareness and mission capability in high threat, adverse weather/night environments. Cockpits are night vision goggle compatible. Multi-sensor Integration and advanced data link capabilities further enhance situational awareness.

Seating capacity/crew options: Model F/A-18C: one-seat (pilot-only); Model F/A-18D: two-seats (one for the pilot and one for the weapons/sensor officer [WSO])

Top speed: Mach 1.8

Combat radius: 500+ nm (900+ km)

Armament: F/A-18C/D can carry up to 13,700 pounds of external ordnance. Weapon stations include two wingtip stations for Sidewinders, two outboard wing stations for air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons, two inboard wing stations for fuel tanks, air-to-air, or air-to-ground weapons, two nacelle fuselage stations for AMRAAMs, Sparrows, or sensor pods; and one centreline station for fuel or air-to-ground weapons.

Unit cost: $39.5 million (about Rs 180 crore)

The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a light-weight single engine multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. The aircraft is in service with the Swedish Air Force, the Czech Air Force, the Hungarian Air Force and the South African Air Force, and has been ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force.

Role: Fighter/attack/reconaissance

Crew: 1

Wingspan (including Launchers): 8.4m

Ceiling: 50,000ft

Maximum Speed: Supersonic at all altitudes

Engine: The RM12engine, supplied by Volvo Aero, is a development of the GE F404 engine from General Electric. A digital engine control system automatically monitors the engine parameters and automatically switches on the back-up systems if required. A condition monitoring system registers the flight data.

Armament: The Gripen has seven external hardpoints for carrying payloads -- one at each wingtip, two under each wing and one on the fuselage centreline. The Sidewinder, mounted on the wingtips, is an all-aspect attack, short-range missile for enhanced dogfight capability. Air-to-surface missiles include the radar-guided Saab RBS15F anti-ship missile and Raytheon Maverick missile. The internally mounted 27mm Mauser high-energy gun can operate in an automatic radar-guided aiming mode. The stand-off dispenser is the DWF39 from EADS (formerly DaimlerChrysler Aerospace) and Bofors.

Unit cost: $40.61 million (about Rs 182 crore)

The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engined delta-wing agile multi-role 4.5-generation jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation

Primary Function: Multi-role fighter / reconnaisance

Crew: Single or twin seater

Powerplant: Two SNECMA M88-3 turbofans each rated at 19,555 lb (86.98 kN) with afterburning

Speed: Maximum level speed 'clean' at 36,090 ft (11000 m) 1,321 mph (1,147 kt / 2125 km/h)

Ceiling: 60,000 ft

Range: 1000 nautical miles

Armament: Cannon: 1 30mm DEFA 554; Mica missile, R 550 Magic 2 missile, BGL 400 (French counterpart to the American Paveway laser guided bombs)

Unit Cost: $82.3 million (about Rs 384 crore)

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a variant of the Sukhoi Su-30 jointly-developed by Russia's Sukhoi Corporation and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Air Force. It is a heavy class, long-range air superiority fighter which can also act as a multirole, strike fighter aircraft.

Crew: Two seater

Engines: The Su-30MKI is powered by the two AL-31FP turbofans, employing AL-100 vectoring nozzle

Ceiling: 17,500 m (57,415 ft)

Endurance: 10 hours

Max Range: 3,000 km (1,620 nm)

Top Speed: 664 mps (Mach 2)

Armament: Main gun is 30 mm caliber. The combat load is mounted on 12 stations. The maximum advertised combat load is 8000 kg. Over 70 versions of guided and unguided weapon stores, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, may be employed which allows the aircraft to fly the most diverse tactical missions.

Unit Cost: $36.55 million (about Rs 164 crore)

The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat.

Primary Function: Tactical fighter

Crew: One (F-15A/C), two (F-15B/D/E)

Powerplant: Two P&W F100 turbofan engines in 29,000 lb (13,154 kg) thrust class with afterburning

Speed: 1,875 mph (Mach 2.5 plus)

Ceiling: 65,000 feet

Range: 3,450 miles ferry range with conformal fuel tanks and three external fuel tanks

Armament: One internally mounted M-61A1 20mm 20-mm, six-barrel cannon with 940 rounds of ammunition; four AIM-9L/M Sidewinder and four AIM-7F/M Sparrow air-to-air missiles, or eight AIM-120 AMRAAMs, carried externally.

Unit Cost: A/B models $27.9 million (about Rs 126 crore), C/D models $29.9 million (about Rs 135 crore)

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations.

Primary Function: Multirole fighter

Crew: One (F-16C) / Two (F-16D)

Powerplant: F-16C/D: one Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-200/220/229 or one General Electric F110-GE-100/129

Speed: 1,500 mph (Mach 2 at altitude)

Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet

Range: Over 2,100 nautical miles

Armament: One M-61A1 20mm multibarrel cannon with 500 rounds; external stations can carry up to six air-to-air missiles, conventional air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions and electronic countermeasure pods

Unit Cost: F-16A/B: $14.6 million (about Rs 65.7 crore), F-16C/D: $18.8 million (about Rs 84.6 crore)

The MiG-29 Fulcrum is Russia's most important tactical fighter. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other nations, including India.

Primary Function: Multi-role fighter

Crew: One

Powerplant: Two Klimov/Sarkisov RD-33 turbofans at 18,298 afterburning pounds of thrust each

Speed: Mach 2.3 (1,520 mph)

Ceiling: 55,775 ft (17,000 m)

Range: 932 miles (810 nm/1500 km) with internal fuel

Armament: One 30mm GSh-301 cannon with 150 rounds, Six AAMs, including a mix of SARH and AA-8 Aphid (R60), AA-10 Alamo (R27T), AA-11 Archer, (R73), FAB 500-M62, FAB-1000, TN-100, ECM Pods, S-24, AS-12, AS-14

Unit Cost: $29 million (about Rs 130.5 crore).

The J-10 is a fourth-generation multi-role fighter, produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Co. (CAC). The secretive Chinese programme started in the late 1980s, and is reportedly based on the Israeli Lavi fighter, Israels attempt to develop its own F-16.

Primary Function: Multi-role fighter

Crew: 1

Powerplant: 1x Lyulka-Saturn AL-31FN turbofan, rated at 79.43 kN dry, 122.58 kN with afterburning (17,857 lbf, 27,557 lbf)

Maximum speed: Mach 1.2 at sea level; Mach 2.0 at altitude

Combat radius: 550 km (300 nm, 340 mi)

Maximum range: 1,850 km (1,000 nm, 1,150 mi)

Service ceiling: 18,000 m (59,055 ft)

Armament: Guns: 1 23 mm internal cannon; Hardpoints: 11 -- 3 under each wing and 5 under the fuselage; Missiles: air-to-air (PL-8, PL-11, PL-12, R-73, R-77), air-to-surface (YJ-9, YJ-9K); Bombs: laser-guided and unguided bombs

Unit Cost: 190m yuan ($27.84m or about Rs 125 crore)