Unfortunately it will not be going up against "legacy" fighter aircraft in the Pacific Rim; that is if the F-35 ever shows up. Even if it does, it won't be ready for squadron service until the early 2020's. Over 20 years after its operational requirement was drawn up. An operational requirement, that depended on having enough F-22s to clear away the big threats. Here is a comparison of technology that doesn't include China.
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4 comments:
Why only the Pacific Rim?
Because the F-35 will totally dominate the airspace in the Carribbean and DC (obviously!).
Heretic
Marketing for the F-35 claims that it will be 8 times better than a legacy fighter in generating dollars for Defense Industries.
Fixed it for you.
Heretic
Carribbean?
Not if venezuela keep its political alignment. By then SU-35BM and plenty of diesel submarine. Probably several russign destroyers and nuclear submarine around it.
Then there is Brazil, Cuba, and probably nicaragua.
The assumption of total air domination in carribbean only works if noone else can send air craft carrier. Or air craft carrier technology does not evolve much in '20-'30.
I for one can envision where US is in the defensive in Carribbean. Carribean has several feature that makes it fairly hard to hold. Islands cluster, sudden weather change in summer, a lot of little countries with jungle, and massive number of oil rigs.
An agile player with enough quantity might just control the carribbean combined with second or third front.
Still too far to see, since there is no other super power fighting in carribbean since the sail age. But geographically, it won't be an easy place to fight as people think.
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