Posted on 08/06/2016 9:53:52 AM PDT by Mariner
Questioning the honor of 31 pilots you don’t know is inappropriate.
I am concerned about the F35 because we cannot afford for it to not be a success. However, I am also mindful that it is not a plane designed in the Top Gun “switching to guns” box we have in our minds for combat aircraft. It is a technological leap forward that is far beyond our competitors. The computers and aids for situational awareness might be considered 6th generation at this point even if they are on a 5th generation aircraft. That part of the aircraft is that good based on what I have read.
Every new combat aircraft in the last two generations has endured criticism - people say it sucks and panic because of X, Y, or Z. The F-16 and even the F-18 were much maligned, but both of them have been great and still are to this day. Many pilots hated the A-10 when it was first fielded because in their minds they view flying as a Thunderbirds high G demonstration. This aircraft is designed to dominate the battle space - not fly demonstration shows.
If it performs as we hope we will own the skies.
They are designing some pretty sophisticated upgrades for the F-15 right now that will likely represent a major upgrade for those aircraft based on the technology in the F-35. That is the name of the game. In my opinion, the Russians have reached the zenith of beautiful aircraft that will wow airshow crowds with pure performance, but the real battle is in the computers, sensors, and ability to integrate new technologies in a battle platform. We still have a major advantage there and frankly, flight performance is irrelevant if you can kill your adversaries before they see you.
With the $6,000,000,000 Taxpayer Dollars that Hillary “misplaced” when she ran the State Department, we could pay for 60 F-35’s at a Per Unit Cost of $100,000,000.
Just sayin’.
I have a question.
We refused to sell any F-22’s to our Allies, yet we are selling them F-35’s which are being touted as Superior to the F-22.
What am I missing?
Ours have enormous advantages in detection, tracking and targeting.
It's the avionics and IR detection that sets them apart.
OK, then why don’t the same limitations apply to the F-22?
F35s are half the cost and can be used on carriers and for ground support. F22s are dogfighters. F35s are ‘multi-role’. Or so goes the argument.
Do you expect their fellow airmen need to read this report to find out what they really think?
These two planes were never intended for identical misions. Its like comparing an f16 and an a-6.
I think it would be reasonable to assume they were suggested to focus on positives of the plane, and the things they like about it.
That said for certain aspects of future fighting it seems like it will do better than 4th gen aircraft will.
What ever happened to that A-10 vs F-35 competition?
They already have the f15 silent eagle design.
{”Questioning the honor of 31 pilots you don’t know is inappropriate.”
NO, it is not. Not considering recent history of the military, this corrupt administration, nor what I personally know of DoD programs.
I don’t wrap myself in the flag to the detriment of US taxpayers nor of US service members; you might, I don’t.
“The group that has flown the F 35 is a small and identifiable group. Did you expect them to say it was not a good aircraft?”
That’s about as reliable an indicator as when you ask you neighbor if he likes his new car!
There was a time when all the military reformist including guys like Chuck Spinney. He was an American former military analyst for the Pentagon who became famous in the early 1980s for what became known as the “Spinney Report”, criticizing what he described as the reckless pursuit of costly complex weapon systems by the Pentagon. He had a large following that said the F-15, M-1 and many other such systems were simply wrong. We had guys wanting to fill the skies with P-51s or F-5s.
“I’d like to see the same helmet and weapons load-out tried in the F-15C and F-16 ......”
If it’s modular, I could imagine it everywhere. With augmented reality, picture a C130 landing in the dark. Or low-deck maneuvers. Pure awesome.
Obviously that role belongs to tanks.
I am concerned about the F35 because we cannot afford for it to not be a success. However, I am also mindful that it is not a plane designed in the Top Gun “switching to guns” box we have in our minds for combat aircraft.
F-35 is one of the best weapons platforms ever flown and is arguably the best gun platform for both air to air and air to ground.
The F-35 lacks some very expensive stealth and technological advances that are on the F-22 and other US stealth aircraft. For example, the F-35 does not have stealthy exhaust nozzles. The F-22 has thrust vectoring exhaust nozzles. And they are optimized for stealth. If another country can replicate this, they have not publicized it.
Everything I have read about the F-35 indicate that it is not an inside fighter in the classical sense we are accustomed to - visual dogfight. I hope you are right.
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