Page 1 of 2
F-35s vs ISIS?
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 4:29 am
by Jericho941
http://fightersweep.com/3420/why-the-f- ... -in-syria/
NATO politics aside, Russia has just turned the entire Eastern Mediterranean into a denied, non-permissive environment. It’s a buzz phrase you may have seen before in literature about the F-35 when everyone said “we don’t need that for fighting insurgents” as they ranted against the F-35’s usefulness. Well, guess what?
We do now.
Critics are right in saying the A-10C is superior in CAS in a
permissive environment. They can loiter, shoot the awesome
The Gun, and strike fear into the hearts of the Daesh fighters all day long; but, when it comes to operating in a double-digit SAM MEZ with a muddy air picture?
Good luck.
This is exactly what the Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II was designed for.
Heh heh heh.
Re: F-35s vs ISIS?
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 4:59 am
by g-man
This is what the F35 was specced for. Except that they're still behind schedule and not fully operational yet. While we're at it can I get a couple of X-wings to go in that fairytale strike package? [facepalm]
Re: F-35s vs ISIS?
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 5:16 am
by George guy
Re: F-35s vs ISIS?
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 5:35 am
by Kommander
g-man wrote:This is what the F35 was specced for. Except that they're still behind schedule and not fully operational yet. While we're at it can I get a couple of X-wings to go in that fairytale strike package? [facepalm]
This is my problem as well. Very few people doubt the needs for a good gen 5 fighter/strike aircraft. The issue is that this damn thing has take over 20 years to field, is vastly more expensive than it should be, and is still having technical issues. The BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT is not the end all be all of airplanes, but I don't think it's unreasonable to ask that our new planes work well at a reasonable price.
Re: F-35s vs ISIS?
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:26 pm
by HTRN
Kommander wrote:is still having technical issues.
Aren't most of the issues with the VTOL version?
Re: F-35s vs ISIS?
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 1:07 pm
by toad
Supposedly it has software problems across all models. It has been speculated the programmers couldn't keep up with the changes being made to components in gold plating and having the manufacturing base spread all over the place to keep the congress critters on the program. Security mandates made communication between construction sites difficult also according to rumor.
Re: F-35s vs ISIS?
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 4:02 pm
by g-man
toad wrote:Security mandates made communication between construction sites difficult also according to rumor...
Great big fat lot of good that did...
Re: F-35s vs ISIS?
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 7:23 pm
by Jericho941
HTRN wrote:Kommander wrote:is still having technical issues.
Aren't most of the issues with the VTOL version?
Yup. The F-35B has been,
by far, the biggest stumbling block of the JSF program. The -A and -C models are just about ready.
It's one thing to make a lookalike. It's quite another to be able to produce stealth materials, hardware, and engines that are worth a damn, something consistently out of China's reach.
Re: F-35s vs ISIS?
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:50 pm
by Mike OTDP
Having spent 35 years in flight test, I can state without fear of successful contradiction that software delays are 80% or more of the delays in a modern aircraft program.
Especially since the vendors chronically provide a best-case schedule...and the program managers buy off on it.
Re: F-35s vs ISIS?
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:54 pm
by g-man
Jericho941 wrote:HTRN wrote:Kommander wrote:is still having technical issues.
Aren't most of the issues with the VTOL version?
Yup. The F-35B has been,
by far, the biggest stumbling block of the JSF program. The -A and -C models are just about ready.
It's one thing to make a lookalike. It's quite another to be able to produce stealth materials, hardware, and engines that are worth a damn, something consistently out of China's reach.
Yeah, but making it FLY without the electronowizardry which is [strike]being updated[/strike] still currently under development means it's likely at least a comparable (if not better) flying aircraft NOW, stealth aside.
Also, despite significant advances in blacking out the radar signature of our current airframes, IR signature is still a bitch to hide.