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To: PUGACHEV
The capabilities of new aircraft are hard for many to grasp. They see a big gun on an A-10 and decide that is a superior aircraft. The A-10 is an extremely capable aircraft, for one particular mission sunset. That is CAS in a permissive environment.

The F-35 has an extremely advanced radar, capable of simultaneous air to air, air to ground, and active ECM, that is tied into all aspect EO/IR cameras, a targeting camera, and ESM. All of that data flows to the pilot via a 10x20 color display and helmet mounted visor. The capabilities of how to employ a system like this even outstrip my imagination, after a 20 year career in Navy fighters.

Pilots love shiny new things, but they also have fierce loyalty to their current airframes. When people tell you candidly it's a game changer, I tend to believe them.

26 posted on 06/17/2017 8:47:34 AM PDT by USNBandit (Sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: USNBandit

Bingo, yes! They did talk about that. The helmet/visor combination on the F-35 was a marvel. It allowed the pilot to “see” right through the airplane. In other words, an F-35 pilot could look down and see right through his legs and feet and through the bottom of the aircraft and “see” what was happening below him or at any angle he turned his head. I wondered that if that’s how it worked couldn’t, a pilot with the same helmet in a trailer hundreds or thousands of miles away fly the plane as well. That comment was greeted with a grunt, Aaagh!, and nothing more.


32 posted on 06/17/2017 9:39:24 AM PDT by PUGACHEV
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