Posted on 01/23/2019 6:30:18 AM PST by C19fan
China's J-20 stealth fighter jet represents a massive milestone for Beijing's armed forces and the first stealth aircraft ever fielded outside the US, but the impressive effort still falls noticeably short in some areas.
The J-20 doesn't have a cannon, and represents the only entry into the world of fifth-generation fighters that skips the gun, which has seen 100 years of aerial combat.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Not many who follow such things go to Business Insider for military equipment specs and info ...
Stealth planes aren’t meant to dog fight.
Stealth is useless when you can be seen by the naked eye.
I guess in related news, C-130s are not suited for VTOL.
Wasn’t the F4 similarly equipped off the assembly line, only to have a gun added later?
RE: China’s J-20 stealth fighter has no cannon
Let’s not underestimate these Chicoms. They look at things from a long term perspective. This is just first iteration.
Who cares what the mission is for the airplane?
The real question is why are we doing business with a country intent on threatening us and arming up for world dominance?
Is cheap crap at Walmart worth this?
Stealth planes aren’t meant to dog fight.
Guess that leaves out the F-22 and the SU-57
A cannon is of such limited use today in aircraft, its the weapon of last resort... and likelihood of either side scoring a kill with a cannon in air to air combat is insanely low.
A Business Insider review found that the last time a US plane shot down an enemy aircraft with guns was most likely the Cold War-era tank buster A-10 downing an Iraqi helicopter in 1991.
Yes. guns were considered old school an they had only missiles so when they were expended, those planes were just more targets for the MiGs. I believe a number were lost that way and so the retro fit.
Anyone who looks at the issue should understand that a 5th generation fighter in a turning dogfight using guns has already squandered the vast majority of its tactical advantages, likely due to poor training or an inept pilot.
I think it is more along the lines that just because a plane is built to hold its own in a turning fight doesn’t mean it SHOULD get into a turning fight. If you are in a dogfight in an F-22 against a Pakistani F-16, you did something wrong.
Chinese pilots are trained in Kamikaze
I do believe that a fighter aircraft SHOULD have an onboard, built in gun. It is a poor tactical decision to have to use it, but to be in a situation where you need one and don’t have it is even worse.
If you are in a dogfight in an F-22 against a Pakistani F-16, you did something wrong.
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But then the Pakistani F-16 is no match in the first place especially with a Paki pilot ...
They added a gun pod. Externally.
There are only so many missiles to expend - when they are gone and enemy planes to be attacked there is the gun.
An F-22 has a gun for the same reason a tank commander has a pistol; something has gone very wrong.
Agree on the premise during a dogfight.
I’ve also watched F-18 HUD camera video of Marines doing gun runs on AAA sites during the first GW.
Keep the guns, ya never know when they become handy.
“But then the Pakistani F-16 is no match in the first place especially with a Paki pilot ...”
Maybe true about the pilot. But an F-16 and F-22 shooting cannons at each other is much closer match than one might think.
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