Agrégateur de flux

Der zwischenstaatliche Ausschuss für Klimaänderungen (IPCC) ist zu seiner 61. Plenarsitzung zusammengekommen. Es konnte jedoch keine Einigung über den Zeitplan für die nächsten Berichte erzielt werden.

(Ouagadougou, 07 août 2024). Le Président de la République de Sierra Leone, Julius Maada BIO est arrivé, ce mercredi matin à Ouagadougou, pour une visite de travail et d'amitié.

Il a été accueilli à sa descente d'avion par le Président du Faso, le Capitaine Ibrahim TRAORE. Après les honneurs militaires et un tête-à-tête entre les deux Hommes d'Etat au salon d'honneur de l'aéroport international de Ouagadougou, le cortège a mis le cap sur le palais présidentiel de Koulouba.

Les deux Chefs d'Etat auront une séance de travail élargie à leurs délégations, suivie d'un huis-clos entre les Présidents TRAORE et BIO. Ils passeront en revue plusieurs questions d'intérêt commun liées à l'unité africaine et à la situation internationale.

La visite sera aussi une occasion pour les deux Chefs d'Etat d'échanger autour des axes de coopération bilatérale entre le Burkina Faso et la République de Sierra Leone.

Direction de la Communication de la Présidence du Faso

Summary and Key Points: The USS Pierre (LCS-38), the final Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), has been launched, marking the end of this controversial program.

-Despite being touted for their speed and versatility in near-shore waters, the LCS fleet has faced criticism due to frequent breakdowns and the cancellation of planned mission modules.

-The U.S. Navy has already started retiring some of these ships ahead of schedule, and there are discussions about transferring them to allies for roles like drug interdiction or regional defense.

End of the Line for the Independence-Class Littoral Combat Ship – Final Vessel Launched

The United States Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program has been seen as one of the sea service's biggest missteps since the end of the Cold War – perhaps only second to the Zumwalt-class destroyers. Both the LCS and the stealth destroyers were seen as failures for being the wrong ships at the wrong time, and while the U.S. Navy cut the Zumwalt-class program to just three ships – which made it a very costly mistake – the service has continued to accept delivery of brand new LCS vessels even as the oldest were retired years ahead of schedule.

This week, Mobile, Alabama-based Austal USA announced that it launched the future USS Pierre (LCS-38), the final vessel of the Independence-variant of the LCS program. Christened in May, LCS-38 is the nineteenth vessel of the class to be built by Austal and is on track to begin sea trials later this year.

"Meeting this ship milestone in such a safe and timely manner demonstrates how well our Austal USA launch team, transporter operators, and tug pilots have learned to work together over the last thirteen years, seamlessly executing this technical launch process," said Austal USA Vice President of New Construction, Dave Growden. "Our industry teams work methodically alongside our Navy partners to improve this innovative process with each launch evolution, guaranteeing the Navy a quality product delivered on time and budget."

After the future USS Pierre enters service, she will be homeported in San Diego.

LCS 38 is only the second U.S. Navy warship to be named for the South Dakota capital, while the first USS Pierre was a PC-class submarine chaser that was commissioned in 1943 during the Second World War, and decommissioned in 1958.

End of the Line for the LCS in Sight

The launch of the future USS Pierre comes just days after Lockheed Martin subsidiary Fincantieri Marinette Marine delivered the Freedom-variant USS Nantucket (LCS-27) to the United States Navy at its shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin.

Two additional Freedom-class LCSs are now under construction – the future USS Beloit (LCS-29) and future USS Cleveland (LCS-31) – the final warships of the program. Both are expected to be handed over to the U.S. Navy by the end of the year. With their delivery, it will mark the end of the construction phase for the troubled LCS program – although it is unclear how long the fleet of LCSs will remain in service.

It was three years ago that the U.S. Navy began to retire the oldest of vessels of the respective variants – even as some of the ships have served in the fleet for less than half the expected twenty-five-year service life. To date, five have been decommissioned, while two more Independence-class variants are expected to be retired from service this year. In addition, the United States Navy has considered offering some of its LCS to allies and partners via the Pentagon's foreign military sales.

Littoral Combat Ship: The Little Crappy Ships That Can't

Though the warships were touted to emphasize speed and could operate in littoral or near-shore waters, such as those of the South China Sea, the LCS suffered from breakdowns while Congressional lawmakers cut the funding for the planned mission modules that were meant to provide flexible capabilities for the warships.

That has left the U.S. Navy with a lightly armed vessel that isn't ideally suited to a confrontation with a near-peer adversary such as China. As a result, there have been calls to transfer them to partner nations in South America, where the warships could be employed in a drug interdiction role, or to the Middle East where they could bolster the navies of regional allies.

It was only in April, that testing began on a Mine Countermeasure Mission Package (MCM MP) aboard the Independence-variant USS Canberra (LCS-30), which could finally give the LCS program purpose. The MCM package, made up of an integrated suite of unmanned maritime systems sensors, was developed to locate, identify, and destroy mines in littoral waters.

However, it would seem that module is too little and it comes too late for the warships that have earned the scorn of sailors and senior naval officials alike.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.

Patrice Laffont, animateur star des années 70, 80 et 90 avec "Des chiffres et des lettres", "Fort Boyard" et "Pyramide", est mort mercredi à l'âge de 84 ans, a annoncé son ancien employeur, France Télévisions. Retour sur le parcours d'un incontournable du petit écran.

Summary and Key Points: The F-16XL was an advanced variant of the F-16 designed for supercruise capabilities and increased payload, initially considered as a potential replacement for the F-111 Aardvark.

-Despite its enhanced features, including greater range, payload capacity, and reduced radar signature, it lost out to the F-15E Strike Eagle.

-The F-16XL's technology contributed to later advancements in fighter jets, including the F-22 Raptor.

Two prototypes were used in various NASA experiments before being retired to museums.

F-16XL: The Fighter Jet That Could Have Been

America’s formidable fourth-generation F-16 fighter platform made headlines last year when the White House gave Ukraine the green light to fly them in war.

Since February 2022, Kyiv has asserted that without more advanced aerial capabilities, it would be unable to thwart Russia’s advances.

Initially, the Biden administration was adamant that it would not provide F-16 Fighting Falcon airframes to aid Ukraine’s defensive efforts. However, the training of Ukrainian pilots on these airframes was ultimately okayed.

American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the U.S. would actually head up the coalition of nations that will train Ukraine’s pilots and crews to properly operate the Fighting Falcons last month. 

A brief history of the F-16 platform

The General Dynamics F-16 was designed nearly five decades ago to fulfill the U.S. Air Force’s need for an air superiority fighter.

Following the Vietnam War, military officials understood the need for airframes better equipped to maneuver with minimum possible energy loss

By the 1970’s, the Fighting Falcon was born out of the Lightweight Fighter program.

The compact, multi-role jet is highly maneuverable and can operate in both air-to-surface and air-to-air combat.

Over the years, the F-16 platform has achieved an honorable combat record and continues to fly for the USAF as well as a litany of foreign militaries. 

Where are the F-16XLs today?

While the F-16 has an honorable legacy, not all of its subsequent variants have made it to the service phase.

Shortly after winning the Lightweight Fighter program contract, General Dynamics worked on several prototypes, including two variants it later delivered to NASA’s Langely Research Center.

Referred to by their serial numbers #849 and #848, these jets were both used in a litany of experiments that only concluded in the late 1990s.

Notably, F-16XL #849 participated in a 1995 sonic boom study where it flew 200 feet behind a NASA SR-71 to ascertain the boundary of a SR-71’s supersonic shockwave.

As Peter Suciu explained on additional F-16XL studies conducted by NASA: “The two-seat F-16XL was extensively modified by NASA Dryden for the Supersonic Boundary Layer Control research project in the mid-1990s. A turbine-driven suction system was installed in the aircraft’s fuselage while a modified, thickened left-wing pulled in boundary layer air flowing over the wing to enable laminar, or smooth, airflow over the wing. The aircraft last flew in 1996 and is reportedly no longer airworthy.”

While these variants are now sitting in storage at the Air Force Flight Center Museum at Edwards and on display at the Museum Air Park, they are highly respected by aviation buffs and industry experts alike. 

F-16XL: F-16 on Steroids? 

The resulting F-16XL design was conceptualized to potentially replace the F-111 Aardvark. Ultimately, however, McDonnell Douglas’ F-15E jet was awarded the contract. The two constructed F-16XL fighters were then relegated to Edwards Air Force Base.

The main concept driving the F-16XL was supercruise (sustained supersonic cruising without afterburner) capability. The culminating prototype did indeed have a longer range while still saving on fuel.

Despite the F-16XL’s trajectory, the fighter is widely recognized by aviation experts as a powerhouse.

According to Military.com, this variant would carry twice the payload of the original Fighting Falcon variant and fly as much as 44% further.

Furthermore, the F-16XL could accomplish this without external fuel tanks and while sporting a full suite of air-to-air weapons including four AMRAAMs and two AIM-9 Sidewinders. 

Additional capabilities have been outlined by Air and Space Forces: “As for penetration and survivability, the F-16XL can dash supersonically with a load of bombs at either high or low altitude. It can climb at high rates with the bombs aboard. And it has a speed advantage of up to eighty-three knots over the F-16A at sea level at military power setting and 311 knots on afterburner at altitude while carrying a bomb load.

Two additional capabilities of the F-16XL contribute to survivability. First is improved instantaneous maneuver ability coupled with greatly expanded flight operating limits (with bombs), and second is reduced radar signature resulting from the configuration shaping.” 

Did the Air Force Make a Mistake? 

While the Strike Eagle platform that did eventually enter service with the USAF proved to be highly capable, the F-16XL would have undoubtedly enhanced the service’s prowess if accepted alongside the F-15 back in the day.

Nonetheless, the F-16 has contributed to modern aerial concepts. In fact, the variant would even aid in the development of the supercruise capability of the first-ever fifth generation airframe to take to the skies- the F-22 Raptor. 

About the Author: Maya Carlin 

Maya Carlin is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. 

All images are Creative Commons. 

Summary and Key Points: The F-16XL was an experimental variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, designed with cranked-arrow delta wings to enhance lift, range, and payload.

-Developed under the U.S. Air Force's Enhanced Tactical Fighter program, the F-16XL competed against the F-15E Strike Eagle to replace the F-111 Aardvark.

-Despite its innovative design, the F-16XL lost to the F-15E due to cost and survivability considerations.

-Though not adopted, the F-16XL's design influenced future F-16 variants.

F-16XL: The Innovative Fighter That Could Have Changed U.S. Air Power

The F-16XL is an experimental variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) for the United States Air Force. America’s F-16XL was designed to explore the benefits of a cranked-arrow delta wing, which was intended to improve the aircraft’s lift, range, and payload capabilities. 

Designers of this unique bird developed it with an additional two fuselage sections near the front and back of the aircraft, thereby extending its length to around 56 inches.

Not only were the cranked-arrow wings a new and innovative turn by the designers of the XL, but they also added a new wing skin of carbon fiber that reduced the bird’s weight by 600 pounds. Here, by the way, you can see the mosaic that is military aerospace engineering. Because obviously the designers were borrowing cutting-edge concepts from other projects, such as stealth planes, with the carbon fiber skin, and toying with them in the context of a souped-up F-16. 

Between the new wings and the lighter overall weight, the XL could outfly a conventional F-16 by leaps-and-bounds. Not only that, though, the new design allowed for so much spare room that the F-16XL could carry 27 hardpoints for armaments!

Engineering is so cool, isn’t it?

The XL has Its Origins in an Even Zanier Concept Plane: The SCAMP

In fact, the F-16XL was based on earlier, even more radical F-16 prototype design, the F-16 SCAMP (Supersonic Cruise and Maneuver Prototype) from 1977. The SCAMP was a truly brilliant concept. 

On first glance, bean counters might be upset that, as Alex Hollings wrote for Military.com, “The effort wasn’t about fielding another production fighter—General Dynamics had no intention of trying to sell SCAMP once it was complete.” But it was actually a rare example of deft stewardship of the taxpayer’s money by the Pentagon.

Rather than SCAMP being the next warplane for the Air Force in the late 1970s, instead, as Hollings assessed, “the entire premise behind the program was to quickly (and cheaply) field a platform [the USAF] could use to test the concept behind supersonic cruising, or as we’ve come to call it today, ‘supercruising.’”

From there, the F-16 SCAMP became the basis of the F-16XL. 

The Air Force’s Enhanced Tactical Fighter Program

The F-16XL was designed to explore the benefits of a cranked-arrow delta wing, which was intended to improve the aircraft’s lift, range, and payload capabilities. This bird was considered to be part of the Air Force’s Enhanced Tactical Fighter (ETF) program.

America’s EFT program was an initiative for the Air Force in the early 1980s. It was aimed at developing a replacement for what was then the aging F-111 Aardvark. The program sought to procure an aircraft that could perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions effectively.

Two main contenders emerged: the General Dynamics F-16XL and the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle. As you’ve read the F-16XL was a derivative of the F-16 Fighting Falcon while the F-15E was a derivative of the F-15 Eagle that was merely designed to carry a larger payload and have extended range compared to its predecessors. 

Ultimately, by 1984, the Air Force selected the F-15E Strike Eagle over the F-16XL. 

Key factors in the Air Force’s decision included the F-15E’s lower development costs, perceived future growth potential, and advantage of having two engines for increased survivability and payload capacity. When the F-16XL lost out to the F-15E Strike Eagle, the two F-16XL prototype aircraft were transferred to NASA for greater aeronautical research. 

Replacing the F-111 Aardvark

As for why the Air Force was originally interested in the F-16XL as a replacement for the aging F-111 Aardvark, that comes down strategic and tactical needs. The F-111’s mission sets involved attack, strategic bombing, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare (EW). The F-111 was also known for its innovative variable-sweep wing design, which allowed it to adjust its wing configuration for optimal performance at different speeds and altitudes. 

So, the designers of the F-16XL knew that they needed to create a bird that was as versatile as had been the F-111 Aardvark. It would seem as though the designers of the XL focused on the Aardvark’s unique wing design. Hence, why General Dynamics built the F-16XL had its own unique wing configuration—the aforementioned cranked-arrow delta wing.

A Worthwhile Cause

The F-16XL made its inaugural flight on July 14, 1982. After that, the innovative bird went through a wide range of testing and evaluation by the USAF. Although the Air Force ultimately chose to go with the F-15E Strike Eagle as the replacement for the ailing Aardvark, the development of the F-16XL was not an entirely useless exercise. 

After all, the Air Force would incorporate the warbird’s innovative design and other features into later versions of the F-16, such as the F-16C/D the F-16 E/F Desert Falcon variants which continue proving their worth today (only now being slowly supplanted by America’s fleet of fifth-generation warplanes). 

It’s too bad that the F-16XL was not embraced by the Air Force, as it was undeniably a better plane than the F-15E and would have been more innovative than the F-15E. Ultimately, the Air Force chose to go with the F-15E because of how its production line was established and maintained. 

Still, it’s fun to imagine what might have been. A light, supercruising, F-16 with 27 different kinds of armaments on it would have been one lethal warbird.

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock. 

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