Gneckes -> RE: Trends in Air-to-Air Combat: Implications for Future Air Superiority (7/21/2015 9:03:24 AM)
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I think the point the article about the F-35 was trying to make is the same point the talk at the top of the thread made: characteristics such as extreme manoeuvrability are becoming less important than stealth, missile load etc. Being able to do 9g is nice, but when you're facing missiles that can do 50, 60 or even 100g and can be fired "over the shoulder", that's not going to be as helpful as it used to be. As for cherry-picking the scenario: sure, clever pilots would probably be able to ambush even stealth planes and force them into WVR fights- even the F-22 has been "shot down" in mock fights by a Rafale, a Typhoon, a Growler and even a T-38 trainer. However, the evidence still indicates that in the future, the vast majority of air-to-air kills will occur in BVR, where the F-35 has a clear edge.
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