Stealth Fighter Jets - F-22 Raptor & F-35 Lightning II

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F-22 Raptor

(US Air Force)
Updated: 2011-02-15 17:30

Two US Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters fly near Andersen Air Force Base in this handout photo dated August 4, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

The sophisticated F-22 aerodesign, advanced flight controls, thrust vectoring, and high thrust-to-weight ratio provide the capability to outmaneuver all current and projected aircraft. The F-22 design has been extensively tested and refined aerodynamically during the development process.

The F-22's characteristics provide a synergistic effect ensuring F-22A lethality against all advanced air threats. The combination of stealth, integrated avionics and supercruise drastically shrinks surface-to-air missile engagement envelopes and minimizes enemy capabilities to track and engage the F-22. The combination of reduced observability and supercruise accentuates the advantage of surprise in a tactical environment.

The F-22 will have better reliability and maintainability than any fighter aircraft in history. Increased F-22 reliability and maintainability pays off in less manpower required to fix the aircraft and the ability to operate more efficiently.

Background

The Advanced Tactical Fighter entered the Demonstration and Validation phase in 1986. The prototype aircraft (YF-22 and YF-23) both completed their first flights in late 1990. Ultimately the YF-22 was selected as best of the two and the engineering and manufacturing development effort began in 1991 with development contracts to Lockheed/Boeing (airframe) and Pratt & Whitney (engines). EMD included extensive subsystem and system testing as well as flight testing with nine aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The first EMD flight was in 1997 and at the completion of its flight test life this aircraft was used for live-fire testing.

The program received approval to enter low rate initial production in 2001. Initial operational and test evaluation by the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center was successfully completed in 2004. Based on maturity of design and other factors the program received approval for full rate production in 2005. Air Education and Training Command, Air Combat Command and Pacific Air Forces are the primary Air Force organizations flying the F-22. The aircraft designation was the F/A-22 for a short time before being renamed F-22A in December 2005.

General Characteristics

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.
Thrust: 35,000-pound class (each engine)
Wingspan: 44 feet, 6 inches (13.6 meters)
Length: 62 feet, 1 inch (18.9 meters)
Height: 16 feet, 8 inches (5.1 meters)
Weight: 43,340 pounds (19,700 kilograms)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 83,500 pounds (38,000 kilograms)
Fuel Capacity: Internal: 18,000 pounds (8,200 kilograms); with 2 external wing fuel tanks: 26,000 pounds (11,900 kilograms)
Payload: Same as armament air-to-air or air-to-ground loadouts; with or without 2 external wing fuel tanks.
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)
Crew: One
Unit Cost: $143 million
Initial operating capability: December 2005
Inventory: Total force, 137

F-35 Lightning II

(lockheedmartin.com)
Updated: 2011-02-15 17:30

F-35 Lightning II [Photo/lockheedmartin.com]

The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), integrates advanced very low observable stealth into a supersonic, highly agile 5th generation fighter. The capabilities built into the F-35 Lightning II provide the pilot with unprecedented situational awareness and unmatched lethality and survivability.

While each variant (F-35A, F-35B, F-35C) is uniquely designed to operate from different bases, all three variants set new standards in network-enabled mission systems, sensor fusion, supportability and maintainability.

The world's most experienced aerospace industry leaders (Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and the Fighter Engine Team—Pratt & Whitney and GE Rolls-Royce) combine sophisticated manufacturing, engineering and technological capabilities to develop the F-35 Lightning II. This, along with global partnerships, has been an integral part of the JSF Program. Setting the stage for reliability and maintainability, the F-35's built-in sustainment establishes new levels of operational readiness and helps meet the needs across the spectrum of military operations.

With its host of next-generation technologies and unprecedented capabilities, the F-35 is the world's most advanced multirole fighter.

Division of property

ARTICLES OF LAW By BHAG SINGH

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A person may not care much about what happens to his property in the event of his demise, but this may change once he gets married.

WHEN a person gets married, it is a turning point in more ways than one. In most cases, it can involve a change in lifestyle and the way in which things are done. One significant area is property rights. For working couples, each party may have his or her own property or assets. This could be in terms of money, landed property or other security. It may have been inherited or acquired through the person’s own efforts.

After the parties are married, whatever is acquired may be said to have been earned through the joint efforts of both and therefore belongs to them jointly. Of course, it need not be the case that each has contributed equally in financial terms. This is because a contribution can be made in many ways.

However, prior to the marriage, the people closest to each individual would usually be the parents and siblings, though this may not always be the case.

At this stage, an individual who is single may not give much thought to the subject. He or she may be quite happy for the parents or siblings to sort matters out if anything happens. In fact, at a young age, the question of such an event happening would not be given much thought.

However, different matters may have to be considered after an individual gets married. Initially it would be concern for the spouse should anything happen. The need to provide for the children will also be given due attention, when there are additions to the family.

Even though a person may get married, the need to care for parents or siblings may not immediately cease. So how does one ensure a balance between care for the parents and siblings who need help, and the spouse and children?

This is especially so when an individual who is married continues to care for his parents and siblings who may need help. The option to make such choices through the use of a Will on an unqualified basis is only possible in the case of non-Muslims.

In the case of Muslims, the syariah law lays down who the beneficiaries are and in what proportion they are entitled to the inheritance. One-third of the estate can be willed away to non-beneficiaries but the legal beneficiaries cannot have their shares altered.

Back to non-Muslims, in the absence of a Will, a person who dies leaving a wife, children and parents, will see one-quarter go to the parents. In cases where the parents are well-off, the one-quarter that goes to the parents may appear unnecessary, if all that the individual has is required by the immediate family.

In such a case, one would expect the parents to waive their entitlement in favour of their daughter-in-law and grandchildren who may need the money more. However, in some cases the parents may be very old and dependent on their children, that is, the brothers or sisters of the deceased. In such a case, the decision made by the parents may be influenced by their other children who may be eyeing the former’s entitlement.

Options

Whilst this may appear unfair and unlikely to happen, it is unfortunately a fact of life that relationships can count little when money is involved. Human greed often assumes a more prominent place in the mind of the individual concerned in such a situation. It is thus necessary for the individual, when he gets married and starts his family, to evaluate and balance the various needs.

When the children are not yet in sight, the needs of the wife who is also working, are likely to be less. This situation can allow for a bigger part of the estate to be left to needy parents and siblings or other relatives. However, the parents may pass away and the needs of the siblings may get smaller. Or the needs of his own immediate family may have increased.

The Will then can be changed to meet the children’s needs. A Will is not an inflexible document. Its contents or provisions can be changed depending on the circumstances. A Will is only effective when the testator, that is, the person making the Will, dies.

Thus a testator who makes a Will to give property to his immediate family, can where the circumstances require and warrant, revoke the Will and give everything to charity. If this is done, there is nothing the immediate family can do. The rights of the testator are extensive.

However, the usefulness of a Will lies in the testator being able to provide for the needs of those he cares for. To achieve this purpose, the testator needs to be alert to changes in circumstances so as to make the necessary adjustments. Failure to do so can have the effect of defeating the objectives and intentions of the testator at a material time. If in such circumstances changes are not monitored and acted upon, it may well result in unfairness to those it was intended to help.

Then again, there are those who do not get married or having been married, for one reason or another, are single again and have no children. In the case of such persons, as they grow older, assets are likely to increase.

Such persons may think differently with regard to what happens to their property after their demise. Instead of letting the law take its course, they may well chose whoever they like to pass on the property. This could include people who have been near and dear to them or a charitable cause or a cause that they are passionate about.

Love train rekindles romance!

Love train rekindles romance for 20 senior citizens
By ISABELLE LAI newsdesk@thestar.com.my

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KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty senior citizens had a roaring Valentine’s Day in a one-day train ride to Ipoh organised by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB).

Dubbed the “Retro Love Coach”, the senior citizens sat in a KTMB event coach that had a stage area, karaoke station and colourful retro seat covers and decorations.

Senior citizen Norsiah Nordin, 58, said the train ride was a romantic way of bringing her husband Ishak Abd Rahman, 61, and her closer.

“We had time to talk and enjoy the view with the leisurely pace of the train. It was like old times,” she said.
Both husband and wife agreed that Valentine’s Day was an expression of love and was not an issue for married couples.

“It’s good for married couples to be loving towards each other in daily life,” said Ishak, adding that he and his wife of 36 years often went travelling together to keep their romance alive.

Amir Rusli, 63, said the secret of a healthy marriage was to have “lots and lots” of patience.

”Don’t fret and squabble over small things. Think long-term,” he said.
Other than the married couples, eight senior ladies who had been friends for over three decades also took the train ride.

Retired widow Minah Abdul Majid, 62, said she and her friends often went on such trips together to have fun.
“Life as a senior citizen is great. We have the freedom to enjoy ourselves with friends that we have known for a lifetime,” she said.

KTMB marketing manager Mohd Noordin Kimi said the Retro Love Coach package was organised for the senior citizens in conjunction with the launch of the company’s 1Malaysia Couples Train package. The new package provides a 25% discount for groups of three couples.

“For example, a Malay couple should find Chinese and Indian friends (also couples) so the six of them can qualify for the package.”

KTMB will be organising a trip for couples to Singapore on May 16. The one-day package costing RM300 aims to attract around 300 couples of all ages and races. Those interested can call him at 019-2291486.f

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