F-35A reaches IOC for USAF

[MigBuster 2,884]

[+daddyairplanes 10,253]

Well, we will take that declaration with a grain of salt. I'm more interested to see what the Isrealis do with it in the near future.

Edited August 3, 2016 by daddyairplanes

[SkyStrike 15]

I think that the IDF/IAF would be far better off with their F-16's & F-15's (or rather upgraded versions of them)... they're more versatile, battle hardy, carry a similar payload (of course the F-15I has a higher payload) & cost less to maintain and can do the job at a lesser cost.... Let's face it.. both the F-16 & F-15E/I are much more versatile combat proven warplanes and still are potent adversaries in the hands of skilled pilots.. Even on the modern 21st century battlefield... 

Edited August 3, 2016 by SkyStrike

[Nesher 628]

You gotta love LM videos on youtube (no matter how crappy people think their product is ;))

let's hope these jets will be used for peace keeping and not in wars.. at least here in the neighborhood..

[MigBuster 2,884]

I think that the IDF/IAF would be far better off with their F-16's & F-15's (or rather upgraded versions of them)... they're more versatile, battle hardy, carry a similar payload (of course the F-15I has a higher payload) & cost less to maintain and can do the job at a lesser cost.... Let's face it.. both the F-16 & F-15E/I are much more versatile combat proven warplanes and still are potent adversaries in the hands of skilled pilots.. Even on the modern 21st century battlefield... 

 

Anyone with the opportunity to get F-35s will get them once they get the facts and see its actual capability......they will be getting a capability that nothing else provides. 

 

In regards to sensors/computing power/stealth and A-G payload it is superior to the F-22A (F-16 also cannot touch the full up payload) and like other foreign operators so far I suspect Israeli pilots will be surprised at what it provides them compared to the "combat proven" jets that like the F-86 etc have had their time.

 

New modified F-15/16s rolling off the lines today are in reality not cheap (or cheap enough) and are poor value considering they are not even on the same planet and most certainly cannot perform all the same roles as F-22/35.

[SkyStrike 15]

Dear MigBuster,

 

I'll fully agree with you when you say that the F-35 has better A/G capability than the F-22. However the F-22 is definitely more stealthy and is arguably the most technologically advanced air superiority fighter ever designed and built. Hence the reason it is banned for export sales by the US Congress.

 

And besides.... The F-16C+ & F-15E variants are not that old Just about 25-30 years (in contrast to the F-86 Sabre that dates back to the '50's)... and the latest variants of the F-15 & F-16 can both carry and efficiently operate most if not all the latest guided weapons and avionics with the same efficiency as most (if not all) 5th generation fighters...

 

And when one considers combat losses and losses due to non combat mishaps/accidents: The loss of 1 F-35 may be equivalent to the loss of 2 (or more) F-15's or F-16's..

 

And considering climatic conditions and frequency of combat deployment (we're talking about Israel here being a hot Middle-Eastern country with frequent combat deployment of its military assets). Maintenance & operations of  the latest versions of the F-35's & F-16's would be significantly lower and easier in contrast with those of F-35's.....

 

You may correct me in case I've said anything erroneous.....

Edited August 4, 2016 by SkyStrike

[MigBuster 2,884]

Can only go with the people who know on that:

 

Hostage caused a stir in late spring when, in press interviews, he said the F-35 would be stealthier than the F-22, its larger USAF stablemate. Conventional wisdom had pegged the F-22, with its angled, vectored-thrust engines, as a stealthier machine than the F-35. Hostage also said the F-35 would be unbeatable when employed in numbers, which is why the full buy of aircraft is "so critical."

"I would say that General Hostage … is accurate in his statement about the simple stealthiness of the F-35 [with regard] to other airplanes," Bogdan said in the interview. The statement was accurate for radar cross section, as measured in decibels, and range of detectability, he said, and he scoffed at the notion that anyone can tell how stealthy an aircraft is just by looking at it.

http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2014/December%202014/The-F-35-on-Final-Approach.aspx

 

In the computing world the F-22 computing architecture is old hat compared to what has been put in the F-35, you would literally need to rip the whole lot out to provide the same throughput and use similar sensors like EODAS (AAQ-37). You have much newer standards like SAE AS5643 (1394B variant) to push all that information around and that is the real key here to gather, manage and share information.

I have seen various rumours regarding why the F-22 is not exportable and avionics might have been part of it when the decision was made years back...but that would seem ridiculous today if it was the only reason.

 

The point was that Combat proven is not a reason to keep or upgrade an old airframe..........there are plenty of old combat proven airframes you could upgrade..............but even with the upgrades they are still not the F-35/22. Even if you have the space you need to deal with extra weight distribution, structural loads and even then you are stuck with a non stealthy airframe. No one is going to spend the money on a platform like the F-15 that will remain inferior regardless. Did you see the queue for the Silent Eagle concept? ..............no neither did Boeing and there are pretty good reasons for that.

 

Various unit costs put the latest F-15 as similar or more expensive than the F-35 basically due to economies of scale and it's  tad doubtful you will be able to get 2 new F-16Vs for the price of 1 x F-35 on the same basis either. Regarding hot weather......somewhat doubt that will make too much difference but I am sure you will be able to see in the future.  The basic US F-16Cs looks significantly cheaper to run per flight hour...........less so the US F-15Es again depends on what figures you want to use.

 

The majority of countries buying upgraded F-15/16s will be ones that don't have access to the F-35......

The bottom line is that F-22/35 are not conventional fighters..they are not mere upgrades of the 4th Gen concept........they have enabled very different tactics.

[JediMaster 451]

The P-51D is combat proven. So is the F-86. Who needs "radar" anyway??