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Old 01-11-2018, 06:08 PM
jetlag jetlag is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
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GH
A lot of what you say is true, but only one other aircraft can do what this one does. The electronics warfare capability is unprecedented. All of the aircraft you mention get blown out the sky at the same time, and they do not know where the missile came from until it's too late.
We have to be ahead of the Chinese and the Russians.
While I'm with you, they should go faster, they will get there quicker and need a lot less fuel. You should brush up on some of the tactics; they are different now. But you're right, if they try to turn and burn with an SU-35, the odds aren't necessarily in the F-35's favor. However, we don't know all the capabilities yet.
If you recall, the F-104 was faster, but I don't think you'd want to go to war with a squadron of those. And because of the smoke trail and a turning radius analogous to a semi truck, an F4 won't work either. Generation 5 fighters will outclass a G4 most any time. Whole squadrons of F-15s and F-16s were 'destroyed' by one F-22, multiple times. I'm not saying we don't need A-10s, F16s, F-15s and F-18s, but their utility is rapidly coming to an end.
The A-10 should stay a long time!
Allen
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