Well, paul mcallister nailed it.
paul mcallister wrote:From what I have read the aircraft is a compromise all round
Just as was the F-4 that went to the Air Force, Navy, and Marines, just as was the F-102 which ended up as a new plane, the F-106, just as was the F-104 when Germany wanted it as a ground attack fighter so it had to be redesigned for that mission since no one needs a Mach 2 tank buster.
Like the Osprey, this is a complicated piece of machinery. That being said, the F-35 went 17 years before it had an actual crash in 2018. That's pretty good no matter what else might be said about the aircraft. Certainly better than the Osprey's record and yet the Osprey, now that it is firmly in operational status, is becoming a favorite of the Marines that fly and ride in it.
Unit price for the F-35 is set to start coming down on the next batch, and as far as
paul mcallister wrote:Stealth is all very well and good, but it seems to me that the US in particular seem to be almost fixated with it, and as many a current fighter pilot will tell you, ISIS doesn`t have an airforce.
That is true, but China does and that's who you have to play too.
This takes nothing away from the venerable F-15, F-16, or F-18 but in a high threat antiaircraft zone, stealth has its uses. The idea is to kill the missile before the missile or air crew knows you are there isn't it? In ground attack I don't think anything in service or planned beats an A-10 but against another aircraft or in a high threat anti-aircraft zone, I wouldn't want to go in with an A-10 either.
During WW2 the P-38 Lightening was pretty good at ground attack, fighter, and recon duties, but by no means was it the best at any of them. So the current Lightening suffers the same fate. Asked for something by everyone but unable to do everything asked by all. Still, I think it will have a good operational record but any Air Force that employs the F-35 will still need dedicated aircraft for specific missions.
Lucas wrote:Who else remembers that time that Sec of the AF Deb James suggested that we abolish the A-10 and replace it with the B-1 bomber for close air support?
I guess I don't. Someone had been reading too many Dale Brown novels.
What's the point of an open door policy if inside the open door sits a closed mind?