Seems to me the U. S. aircraft industry, could come up with a bargain basement aircraft with decent characteristics to compete with the aircraft of other nations.
It would match what the other aircraft are able to do, at good enough prices to be competitive.
We don’t want to see the F-22 to anyone. It’s too costly, and I believe the F-35 will work out to be also.
This leaves a void in affordable, marketable aircraft. To remain healthy, our aircraft industry needs to be able to compete in all markets.
Is there something I’m missing in this?
The only ones, probably, who could have solved the problems with the F22, and probably with the F35, are the Israelis. They are the very people the US and its islamic allies do not want within a thousand miles of the stuff.
That industry is dead, having backed the wrong horse. It’ll just take some time falling over.
Hey .. Lockheed, Boeing, etc. Have seen the sky writing .. diversify in the services you offer and pursue.. LIfe ain’t all about blowin’ da crap out of somebody, no matter how high a quality a ‘kill’ or bang it can deliver, we oughtnseekmnobler ways to hoohaw the public and stay above the profit line. And then some.
Adapt .. or die.
? - If a driver less car hits a deer, who gets the meat? :-)
It's been tried before, most notably the F-20 Tigershark. However, the feeling among potential customers was if the USAF didn't fly it, why should they?
If a country want's a "value" US built fighter, they have the F-16. If they want a larger aircraft, they have the F/A-18E or the F-15E. If they want cutting edge avionics with a little stealth, they have the F-35.
For non-US "value" aircraft, there's the Saab Gripen or the MiG-29. For something larger, there's the SU-27. For the latest and greatest in avionics, it's the Eurofighter and Rafale.