Author Topic: Is the F-35 a Lethal 'Velociraptor' or Easy Prey for Russia or China?  (Read 353 times)

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rangerrebew

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Is the F-35 a Lethal 'Velociraptor' or Easy Prey for Russia or China?
Dave Majumdar

July 7, 2016
 

The United States Marine Corps’ top aviation officer offered an upbeat assessment of the Lockheed Martin F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to the House Armed Services Committee during his testimony on July 6. The stealthy new jump-jet is performing well during training exercises despite using an interim software configuration that affords the pricy aircraft only a fraction of the capabilities the Pentagon requires of it.

To illustrate his point, Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, the U.S. Marine Corps’ deputy commandant for aviation, described a training evolution at the service’s elite Weapons and Tactics Instructor course—which is run by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One at Yuma, Arizona—where the F-35 was a participant. Where as normally half of a thirty aircraft strike package including Boeing AV-8B Harrier IIs, F/A-18Cs and EA-6B Prowlers would not make it through high-end air defenses, the new F-35s struck their targets with virtual impunity.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-f-35-lethal-velociraptor-or-easy-pray-russia-or-china-16873

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« Last Edit: July 07, 2016, 04:16:49 pm by rangerrebew »

Offline SZonian

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Sitting here at my keyboard and considering whether or not to postulate on how well the aircraft will perform in those capacities would be pure speculation and based on limited quantities of information about current threats.

When the F-117 deployed over Iraq in 1991, we were told to expect losses when flying over the most complex air defenses of the era...a law of averages thing I guess.  Things have changed significantly since then, so it remains to be seen. 

Keep in mind, the F-22 hasn't flown against an enemy aircraft in anger and yet, is considered the "deadliest" aircraft ever conceived based on very similar exercises.  Exercises that the F-35 needs to undergo in order to have some idea on its capabilities.  I hesitate to think that any pilot of an F-35, given a full debrief of an exercise where they might have gotten their asses waxed is going to remain an F-35 pilot.  If it were me, and I got waxed every time I flew against enemy threats in an exercise, I'd be rethinking my career choice.

Do note that I've said absolutely nothing about the F-35 performing the role of the A-10. 

The A-10 is a stand alone, premier weapons platform in a category all of its own.   :smokin:
Throwing our allegiances to political parties in the long run gave away our liberty.