“Any advancement in some kind of capabilities we may have to fight is obviously worrisome,” Field said. But the 1,763 figure has not been changed by the development of new top-line fighters from China and Russia, Field said. He argued those developments show the need for America to have the advanced F-35 systems.
Doubtful. Two Western reference threats, the F-22 and Typhoon which mirror growing Pacific Rim threats, the PAK-FA and SU-30/SU-35 (PDF), easily outperform the F-35.
(click on image to make larger)
Then too, there are ground threats.
6 comments:
No problems,GE and RR have an alternate engine in production,oops.
The more I see, the more convinced I am that the RAAF should have a mixed fleet. For example:
* 48 F/A-18F Super Hornets (including a small Growler element) with a primary strike focus (particularly maritime strike) and a secondary but significant A2A capability.
* Replace the Classic Hornets with 60 new fighters (selected by competitive tender) with a primary A2A focus but with a secondary strike capability.
Total: 108 aircraft.
With equipment that is in service or in development, this could provide, for example:
* A strike package of Super Hornets carrying JASSM-ER and MALD-J supported by a couple of Growlers with Next Generation Jammer.
* Escorted by a new air superiority fighter (eg latest model Typhoon).
A combination of aircraft types allows for greater specialization of skills in the RAAF and makes it more difficult for the enemy to create counter-measures.
Of course, two types of aircraft imposes an additional logistic and training burden, but that has to come second to operational considerations.
Hi NGF
How about escorted by a new air superiority fighter (e.g. mixed fleet of F-15AU and Typhoon?).
I got heeps of proposal of aircraft options.
If you want to combine, the best candidate should be the Gripens NG. Super Hornets Growlers and Gripens share the same engine. Gripens are cheaper to buy and operate, and they also are very capable airplanes with Aesa radar and little bit stealth as the Super Hornets. That could save you money.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKlQyPOiRuE
Also Gripens can be deploy from short runways as the Super Hornets, utilize the same armament plus the Meteors missiles, can Supercruce in certain conditions, they have HMD and they are as fast and maneuverable as the Typhoons for dogfight and air to air combat. They also have a better Aesa Radar and the best data link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB3NChJEiRM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-rutpyFF3I
No doubt you've all seen it by now, but over at Flight there's a fantastic blog post that reveals, well, what the F35 should have been sans "trying to be all things to all people" - a stealth F16 if ever there was one.
Looks even better now.....but probably totally unaffordable in the current climate!
go read it for yourself
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2013/02/was-there-ever-a-yf-24.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
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