No, it has the same poor lift ratio as the POS F-105.
If we are not returning to dogfighting why do we need a MANNED fighter?
“If we are not returning to dogfighting why do we need a MANNED fighter?”
Here’s hoping that we we adopt a large cheap drone fleet. 100 million a pop (and likely to double) means this aircraft will never be built in the numbers the services actually want/need.
By dogfighting, I refer to maneuvering to the 6 o’clock position to employ heat seeking missiles or guns. It has a different set of requirements than modern air combat, where long range radar and data links and face-shooting radar and heat missiles are used.
There is great need for a very sharp pilot in air combat and bombing. Only the stupid try to dogfight.