After all these years, the F-16 continues to be the best damn MRF ever.
It appears physics and engineering capped out in the early 1970’s.
In 10 or so years (late 60s, early 70s) we developed and deployed the F-16 MRF, the F-15 Air Superiority, the F-18 MRF, the F-14 Tomcat (killed by politics not ability) and the B-1 Lancer. Not to mention the craft that will never be bettered until we get warp drive: the SR-71 Blackbird.
The F-22’s avionics may have given it an edge, but it has never actually proven itself to be 1:1 air superiority over, say, the F-15.
The only meaningful change since then have been the F-117 Nighthawk and the B-2 Spirit. But they were incremental, not fundamental, changes.
My point is: Back then we had grand ideas that started from a napkin and ended in short order in production-ready craft that have stood the test of time.
Nowadays, we have the F-35 flying anvil which took 20 years to even get a test drive and are useless for any purpose.
A camel is a mouse built to government specifications.
bump
“After all these years, the F-16 continues to be the best damn MRF ever.
It appears physics and engineering capped out in the early 1970’s.
In 10 or so years (late 60s, early 70s) we developed and deployed the F-16 MRF, the F-15 Air Superiority, the F-18 MRF, the F-14 Tomcat (killed by politics not ability) and the B-1 Lancer. Not to mention the craft that will never be bettered until we get warp drive: the SR-71 Blackbird.”
Good points.
F14 has speed and range over newer stuff.
SR71 was abandoned but the older, slower, lower flying, everything less U-2 was kept?! What the F**K?!
With the current Obama regime, probably our next weapon system will be designed by the same people who did Obama’s “Cr*pCare”.
The “healthcare” system so bad, that the Dems were willing to shut down the Govt rather than to be required to participate in ObabaCare.