As threats such as cheap, expendable drones and hypersonic missiles continue to proliferate, air and missile defense must adapt to meet the challenges of intercepting and destroying them. Key to doing so is an integrated air and missile defense strategy that can quickly and accurately identify threats and respond to them. In this panel, Defense News explored how sensors, radars, command and control systems and interceptors can work in concert to effectively depend against unpredictable threats.

Watch Recordings:

Guest Speakers:

• Col. Anthony Behrens, Executive Director, Joint Program Office for the Guam Defense System
• Col. Jonathan A. Bodenhamer, Project Manager, STARE, PEO Missiles and Space
• Col. Andrew Lunoff, Project Manager, SHIELD, PEO Missiles and Space, U.S. Army
• Tom Karako, Senior Fellow, International Security Program and Director, Missile Defense Project, CSIS
• Joe DeAntona, Vice President, Requirements & Capabilities, Land & Air Defense Systems, Raytheon

The sound starts as a low rumble overhead in the distance. It changes as it gets closer. The slow, steady hum gives way to a sharp, shearing sound – like a massive, invisible sheet of paper being ripped slowly in two.

For more than 50 years, that sound – the sound of the Pratt & Whitney F100 engine – has signaled to U.S. and allied forces that help had arrived, in the form of F-15 or F-16 fighter jets. To adversaries, it’s been a message that any advantage they once had was no more.

And to aircrews – who can still hear it while wearing ear protection – it’s simply meant they were doing their jobs.

“My job was to make sure that the men and women on the ground got home safe,” said retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Nick “JDAM” Graham, a former weapon systems officer on the F-15E and now a senior program manager at Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business. “Hearing the F100 engines gave our military comfort.”

The F100 engine is among more than 120 capabilities – including radars, ejection seats and precision weapons – that RTX businesses contribute to the F-15 and the F-16, all in the name of helping aircrews accomplish their air-to-air, air-to-ground, close air support and enemy suppression missions safely.

The engines: Powering the mission

● F-15: Two Pratt & Whitney F100 engines with afterburners (three variants).

● F-16: One Pratt & Whitney F100 engine with afterburner (three variants).

“The dependability of my engine was just incredible,” said retired U.S. Air Force Col. Dale “Chaos” Hetke, a former F-16 pilot and now a lead integrator of Combat Air Forces at Pratt & Whitney. “Of the 1,000 hours I had in the aircraft, never once did my engine ever hiccup. That’s a testament to the men and the women who make that engine and the quality and the workmanship that they put into it.”

Hetke recalls the rush of adrenaline he experienced when, during one combat sortie, he was taking fire from surface-to-air missiles. He had to find a way out – fast.

“I put the aircraft into afterburner and immediately had the thrust and maneuverability to get away from the enemy,” he said. “That’s something I’ll always remember and be grateful for – I had that extra power when I needed it most.”

The radars: Detecting the threat

● F-15 radar systems include the RTX APG-82 and AESA family of radars.

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Joe “Grip” Beissner has 3,000 hours of flight time in the F-15, 750 of which were flying combat missions in the F-15E Strike Eagle. He also served as vice commander of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing in Afghanistan, leading F-15 squadrons in and out of combat. He’s now a senior leader in the Tactical Airborne Systems group at Raytheon, an RTX business. One of his sons flies the F-15. Another flies the F-16.

He and his sons talk about how important their radar systems are when it comes to mission success. One of the qualities they value most about the RTX radar is its versatility. Pilots like to have options.

“You use radar for things as easy as radar trail departure when there’s bad weather or rejoining the tankers for in-air refueling,” Beissner said. “And, of course, for more challenging parts of the mission. Radar is essential when it comes to intercepting hostile aircraft with a position of advantage.”

He also said having the RTX APG-82 radar and AIM-120 effectors onboard is a very powerful combination.

“First, we have to find the threats, and that’s the radar’s responsibility,” he said. “Then we identify the threat and make a tactical decision. Are we going to engage or not? The power and the range of the radar allow aircrews to make those types of split-second decisions before progressing to the target area and completing the mission.”

AMRAAM missile system: Engaging and deterring the enemy

● F-15 and F-16 weapon systems include RTX AIM-9X SIDEWINDER and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles.

The AMRAAM missile has both air-to-air and surface-to-air capabilities. It also features a built-in radar system that allows pilots to engage the enemy from extreme distances, then quickly leave the area before being detected.

Hetke recalled it as “the missile everybody around the world wanted to get their hands on.”

“As pilots, we had the utmost confidence in the missile,” he said. “If we ever had to shoot it at a bad guy in another aircraft, we knew that missile was going to take care of business.”

Beissner recounted one combat mission in Afghanistan. He was called in to provide air support for U.S. forces that were taking fire and had suffered significant losses. He and his squadron came in and delivered air-to-ground munition support, and it made all the difference.

“While flying back to base, a member of the on-the-ground forces called me and said, ‘Thank you, you guys saved our lives.’ The weapons we make at RTX, you put your faith in the fact that those are going to work. The first time, every time. And they do.”

ACES ejection seat: Keeping aircrews safe

Beissner, Graham and Hetke all relied on the Collins Aerospace ACES (Advanced Concept Ejection Seat) II throughout their flying careers. While they never needed to eject from their aircraft, they said knowing the technology was onboard gave them the peace of mind they needed to focus on their missions.

“I never had to worry if my seat would work,” said Graham. “I knew it would. When you’re mission planning, you spend your energy on the things that the mission requires – not worrying about the seat you’re sitting on.”

Confidence that you’re coming home

Each aviator, in different roles on different aircraft, said they knew they could complete their mission, because they had confidence in their training, in the people making, supporting and maintaining their aircraft, and confidence in the capabilities they had on board.

“When I took off in the F-15,” said Beissner, “there was no question in my mind that I was coming home safely. No question ever. I was determined to help everyone else make it home, too.”

Tracy Beissner, his wife and the mother of three U.S. Air Force pilots, knows better than most how high those stakes are.

“I trust these aircraft and the advantage they give us over our adversaries,” she said. “We’re not just protecting our country and our allies; we’re protecting our people. And this is personal for us – our kids’ lives are on the line.”

Learn more about RTX capabilities.

The annual Space & Missile Defense (SMD) Symposium is an educational, professional development and networking event for military and space and missile defense industry leaders. The Symposium focuses on the latest topics of interest in SMD, including threats from near-peer adversaries and rogue states, technological advances and what the short-term future holds.

Coming out of SMD, Defense News interviews Lt. Gen. Heath Collins from the Missile Defense Agency about the current state of space and missile defense, as well as challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Watch Recording:

Guest Speakers:

• Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, Director, Missile Defense Agency
• Misty Holmes, Vice President, Shipboard Missiles, Raytheon