Article

2019-02-22 Science & Technology

Air Force F-35s absolutely wrecked their enemies during a mock air combat exercise, officials say

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Posted by DarthVader 2019-02-22 10:51|| || Front Page|| [11 views ] Top

#1 ...also depends upon who's writing the story. We are now in a low trust society.

Posted by Procopius2k 2019-02-22 11:13|| 2019-02-22 11:13|| Front Page Top

#2 Israel has been flying their version, which they have been optimizing for their own needs, so no doubt information is coming back about that, too.

Posted by trailing wife 2019-02-22 12:12|| 2019-02-22 12:12|| Front Page Top

#3 It is stories from the pilot that fly it and have flown against it that I trust. They are the ones who's asses are on the line.

The sensor suite is the most impressive feature and the fact it can share with other aircraft in real time.

Posted by DarthVader 2019-02-22 12:43|| 2019-02-22 12:43|| Front Page Top

#4 Hooray for us!

Posted by Almost Anonymous5839 2019-02-22 14:11|| 2019-02-22 14:11|| Front Page Top

#5 It can’t even fly within twenty-five miles of a thunderstorm because they had to remove lightning protection to save on weight–a requirement for the Marines so they could take off and land vertically in the F-35B.

Why do they say this if an F-35 carrying no external weapons can’t out perform an F-16D loaded with heavy fuel pylons?

David Axe got the scoop. Basically, the F-35 test pilot said the F-16 could outmaneuver the F-35 in most cases during a close engagement, or what most people would call a dogfight.

Posted by Woodrow 2019-02-22 17:53|| 2019-02-22 17:53|| Front Page Top

#6 Problem for the F-16 and other is that, you have to live long enough to get into dogfight range.

My only issue is "replacing" the A-10. Its a purpose build ground attack aircraft. It can do things an F35 cannot - and since the F-35 will be multirole, it will have other duties, and the Airforce has priorities they like a lot better than ground attack. Things like deep interdiction, SEAD, Air Superiority. Those will always take priority for advanced aircraft over loiter-and-support missions.

The A-10 will always be ground support/attack. Send all the A-10s to Ft Rucker. Give the A-10s to the Army and Marines - guard and reserve units. Let them take the direct support role and free up the USAF airdales to do their things, while Army and Marine pilots support their own.

Posted by Vespasian Unairt7733 2019-02-22 18:12|| 2019-02-22 18:12|| Front Page Top

#7 David Axe got the scoop.

David Axe is the poop. It's click bait. Lightning protection was added several years ago. Part of development. He's recycling 5 year old stories. Is that the journalistic version of being Green or Red?

the F-16 could outmaneuver the F-35

Not even close. That was not a dogfight. It was an early flight controls test to test nose pointing on the edge of the F-35 flight envelope (i.e. near stall). Modified the flight control parameters for better performance near stall.

Take a look at some the F-35 flight videos. The F-35 flies (inside) circles around the F-16.

Posted by Whavitle Omaling6026 2019-02-22 19:43|| 2019-02-22 19:43|| Front Page Top

#8 The F-35 did have the controls pooched a bit during the first dogfights as the engineers didn't have the flight controls de-buged fully. So artificial restraints were put on it.

Now they don't have that restrictions. I haven't heard how they do in a knife fight, but I think the F-35 would do at least as well as the F-22. That is if the enemy even gets close enough to get into a knife fight.

Posted by DarthVader 2019-02-22 23:53|| 2019-02-22 23:53|| Front Page Top

23:53 DarthVader
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