“as far as flying yeah kinda it’s the slowest thing we have fielded since the 1950s”
Only Mach 1.6 with a 1200nm range.
Oh, and nobody can see it.
It struggles to get a 590 mile combat radius with a 3000 pound load. An A-6E carried 18000 pounds out 1000 miles from the boat. An F-14d also had a much bigger load and range.
Range means loiter time. It means a carrier in the Indian ocean can put planes over Afghanistan without coming into range of Pakistan’s shore based missiles.
And yes, 1.6 is very slow for a modern fighter. Almost all it’s competitors can outrun it easily. Also the ones it replaces can.
Stealth? Nobody can see it? Think again, it has some stealth features but it is VERY observable. It is nothing like the stealth of the F-117.
Basically, it’s a poor attempt to build a low end F-22, enrich contractors, and sell a lot overseas.
Think about this, if it was such a hot ship. We wouldn’t be selling them to anyone that asked.
The sad truth is that carrier air wings are only about half as powerful as in the Desert Storm era.
Oh, and hang external tanks or weapons, and now it’s a glaringly visible slow moonpig.
“Oh, and nobody can see it.”
Says who? You?