I’ve seen videos on it from leading YouTubers. They do a good job at covering the maneuverability of it, but they don’t explain enough of the electronics to satisfy my appetite. I understand that it’s is great at electronic warfare due to advanced processing power from advanced chips. What are they doing with all that electronic power, running an LLM chat bot to deceive the enemy in their own language and ray tracing graphics on the helmet HUD?
We will never know the full scale, because that’s classified, but there are some details that we do know, and some that are reasonably safe to assume.
- Sensor systems better than anything else fielded (confirmed due to the high cost of one particular part needed for an IR tracker and camera)
- Teaming possibility with other planes where one plane detects and another plane fires
- Exceptional radar
- An unknown quantity of EW capabilities
In addition to this, I’d like to point out a major difference between US arms industry and that of russia: US capabilities are usually understated. Russian ones are usually either overstated, or only possible in the most ideal set of circumstances.
running an LLM chat bot to deceive the enemy in their own language and ray tracing graphics on the helmet HUD
Exactly this, yes
real-time tracking of
everything
One of the main issues for pilots is information overload, multiple sensor systems and information all presented separately. In the f35 they have combined sensors into a single output that combines the sensor information. No more having to look at different screens and having to combine and interpret the data yourself. Based on ir profile, Speed and maneuvers, the system can help by suggesting the type of contact the systems see and possibly even suggest actions. Like a game hud all around you. You look around and there is a red box showing “su35, airspeed, direction, altitude, possibly even armament information”. Possibly even data from other planes or an AWACS… all in your augmented reality view.
Also the transparency of the plane using augmented reality helps a lot.
I believe it’s radar is so advanced that it’s able to act as a QB the way dedicated planes like the Hawkeye used to do.
“QB”?
Quarterback. It’s a US football position that coordinates a teams players on the field.
Okay then.
That combined with it being able to lock weapons onto multiple targets simultaneously, and also being quite stealthy so it can do these things way before the targets even know it’s coming.
running an LLM chat bot to deceive the enemy in their own language
It engages the enemy into inescapable, endless, useless chatter, which is, as we all know, the most terrible and effective weapon on earth, stronger than all social media combined.
The heads up display isn’t something you see in front of you like most planes. The helmets are the heads up display, like augmented reality.
There are cameras all over the plane to help you see through the aircraft (see ground targets through the floor, nearby aircraft through your wing).
Just like how an apache gunner can simply look at a target to aim the gun at them you can do the same thing. And if you can’t hit it it’s still marked for every allied plane in the airspace to see. If you are out of missiles but you are tracking see a enemy plane miles ahead, you can send the data to an F-15 miles behind you and let their missiles lock and fire from farther than they can engage alone.
With that in mind the radar is awesome letting it see threats from greater distances than the opposition, with the stealth capabilities are good enough to keep them from easily doing the same.
I’m sure there are other surprises too, but the military obviously wants to keep those a secret
