The F-35 has been in production for many years and has produced a thousand aircraft. While I think it is the absolute poster child of a miss managed program, not upgrading the baseline configuration hardly seems like a solution.
I’m just questioning why so many were built with an apparently very limited config.The F-35 has been in production for many years and has produced a thousand aircraft. While I think it is the absolute poster child of a miss managed program, not upgrading the baseline configuration hardly seems like a solution.
That is a highly subjective and arguably ill informed comment when one considers that the F-35 is far in advance of any other fighter out there.very limited config.
Yep. Can the previous TR be so limiting?
Cause the old stuff was already Certified.I’m just questioning why so many were built with an apparently very limited config.
Because fighters are needed now, both for US and for the customers.I’m just questioning why so many were built with an apparently very limited config.
Because some people are replacing freaking F-4s with F-35s, nevermind F-16s.I’m just questioning why so many were built with an apparently very limited config.
on top of that - current capability list at a whole airforce level matters.Because some people are replacing freaking F-4s with F-35s, nevermind F-16s.
And considering that the first production F-35 Block 1s, the very first planes after FSD, could at least carry and launch 2x AMRAAMs and 2x JDAMs, that's the basics covered tolerably well.on top of that - current capability list at a whole airforce level matters.
Unless you're replacing the whole fleet of something that could do specific something with early f-35 fleet that can't provide a similar capability - it isn't a problem.
Yep, current set (AIM-120D, AIM-9X/ASRAAM, JDAM/LJDAM/PAVEWAY, SDB I) covers basics pretty thoroughly.And considering that the first production F-35 Block 1s, the very first planes after FSD, could at least carry and launch 2x AMRAAMs and 2x JDAMs, that's the basics covered tolerably well.
Russian aerial stance was defensive since the fall of the USSR anyway, so in hindsight, both sides just keep the status quo. All things considered together, RuAF in the air right now is probably (relatively) strongest since the 1990s.There's no shortage of J20s and production is full rate; F-35s will never outnumber them in the Pacific. But Su-57 numbers seem sufficiently low and F-35 buys for NATO members sufficiently high that it seems likely they will be heavily outnumbered by European F-35s for their entire service life.
new IR/laser designator,
So which Litening operators replaced their existing pods at every upgrade?In comparison Litening has gone through 3 models in the same time frame...
Technology develops. To put it a different way, one could say why did Apple produce/sell the all the iPhone versions up to the current one? Why didn't they just jump straight to the latest version?Then why produce 1,000 aircraft of reduced capability that are barely in service now?
It’s great for business!Technology develops. To put it a different way, one could say why did Apple produce/sell the all the iPhone versions up to the current one? Why didn't they just jump straight to the latest version?
It’s great for business!
Both J-20(B) and Su-57(M) are now going through an absolutely identical process.It’s great for business!
Makes you wonder if it'd be possible to just swap the guts out with the ATP-SE hardware.I'm not sure if Advanced EOTS has been contracted by anyone yet....and there might be a good reason why...
If its dependent on Block IV by the time it arrives it will be close to 20 years old tech, obsolete from service entry...LM needs to just start again and develop a new 'Super Advanced' EOTS...in readiness for Block IV...that won't need replacement immediately...
The present EOTS is based around the innards of Sniper XR, which has been superceded close to 10 years ago by Sniper ATP-SE. The tech behind it will be c30 years old by the time Block IV arrives...
I apologize for getting snarky. I’d defend the F-22 as much as F-35 fans do but the -35 just seems to get further and further behind and entire alliances are dependent on it. Too much shoved into this one basic airframe in my opinion.
Ok, so if you don't want to deal with reality...
I apologize for getting snarky. I’d defend the F-22 as much as F-35 fans do but the -35 just seems to get further and further behind and entire alliances are dependent on it. Too much shoved into this one basic airframe in my opinion.
Why? No lol.su-57 is a dead end
Given the performance of much Russian equipment in Ukraine, I think the Su-57 (and the Su-75 if it ever develops into real hardware...) are hampered in attempts to sell.Why? No lol.
It's simply young&CATSA-suppressed, so nothing comes out prematurely now, plus it's customer base is now completely detached from f-35(before they at least intersected somewhat).
No one wants to be Egypt (which iirc actually paid for all those su-35s it can't accept).
Don't believe all that you read in the media. Consider the fact that some 21 countries have either purchased and are operating or are awaiting their F-35s. I seem to think that all of the air staff making the recommendations might know a thing or two about the capabilities vs other options on the table.I apologize for getting snarky. I’d defend the F-22 as much as F-35 fans do but the -35 just seems to get further and further behind and entire alliances are dependent on it. Too much shoved into this one basic airframe in my opinion.
So which Litening operators replaced their existing pods at every upgrade?
Makes you wonder if it'd be possible to just swap the guts out with the ATP-SE hardware.
Annoying difficulty of LO aircraft, gotta build in any new tech instead of bolting on a pod like 4gen planes do.
I don't remember anything bad about su-57 in Ukraine. There is not enough of it, but it just started its production run - it's simply young.Given the performance of much Russian equipment in Ukraine, I think the Su-57 (and the Su-75 if it ever develops into real hardware...) are hampered in attempts to sell.
On different aircraft. You might as well add TIALD and Pave Spike to that list.The RAF has gone through Sniper STP, to Litening III and is now on Litening V
There aren’t any and there won’t be any.vs other options on the table.
Mixed fleets with 4 gen, designing your own supplement to F-35(typically heavy a2a), waiting a bit for more capable f-35 blocks.There aren’t any and there won’t be any.
That's odd...I am sure I have seen the likes of Rafale, Typhoon, Gripen, F-15, Super Hornet offered numerous times...There aren’t any and there won’t be any.
I was referring to Russian weapons in general not Su-57 specifically. Given it's very limited reported use I don't think it has made much impact what-so-ever.I don't remember anything bad about su-57 in Ukraine. There is not enough of it, but it just started its production run - it's simply young.
Also we don't know that much, other than that by 2024 it clearly has its LACM integrated, unlike the F-35 (which waits for block 4, and its internal jsow-er died anyway).
On the other hand - we don't know for sure what else is (or isn't) integrated there. And it's again somewhat unfair to f-35, which is far more exposed.
5,000 of them?That's odd...I am sure I have seen the likes of Rafael, Typhoon, Gripen, F-15, Super Hornet offered numerous times...
Huh??5,000 of them?
To replace the numbers of planned F-35sHuh??