(03-04-2019, 10:31 PM)MalabarJag Wrote:

(03-04-2019, 07:13 PM)B2hibry Wrote: Their roles are different and technologies a decade apart. I am very familiar with both and while the F-22 is quite the air superiority fighter, the F-35 is a true quarterback that can serve multiple roles from air-to-air, air-to-ground, close air support, electronic countermeasure, intel gathering, swarm control, battle space management, and integrated targetting with other air assets and ship assets. With such leading edge technologies, you are going to have issues. With that said, the F-35 has flown combat missions and is exceeding expectation in advanced testing, including defeating multiple F-22 and FA-18 superhornets. When its new software is online it will be even more robust. Here is something some may find interesting...

https://taskandpurpose.com/air-force-f35...g-exercise

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-...-red-flag/

The F-22 is a "fifth generation" fighter. Those links only tell of the F-35 defeating fourth generation fighters (presumably F-16s or FA-18s). I would hope that the $1.5 trillion boondoggle jet would be able to defeat a plane developed 50 years ago, although I have my doubts about it beating an F-15 in actual combat (rather than simulation). Unless you have a better link I strongly doubt an F-35 can defeat an F-22 in air to air combat.

The Navy needed a new plane. So did the Marines. But trying to build a plane that fits a "multiple role" use means that you get a plane that isn't best at anything. To me, that's a waste. And the Warthog is still a better anti-tank plane.

A lot of misinformation or misunderstanding here...

F-35 has three models specific to each service that range in cost from $90M to $128M per aircraft. Not trillion. Multi-role today is not a negative and allows for establishing and holding overwhelming battle-space superiority in quick fashion, which is the operational name of the game. 

 Those planes designed 50 years ago are still being built today and many of our aircraft go threw constant upgrades or blocks that share many techs with 5th gen, with some obvious exceptions. And yes an F-35 can kill an F-22. The F-35s advantage is at a distance with stealth, countermeasures and data superiority. Air-to-air is not a true measure of capability in today’s battle-space. This isn’t WWII or Vietnam! And yes, A-10 is better today at close air support (CAS). Anti-tank isn’t really its role today. We don’t yet know the F-35s capability maximums but what it currently offers and the lessons learned are certainly not a waste. The aircraft is a complete unknown to the civilian world and completely underestimated.

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Maybe we should have another shutdown to remind folks where the waste is. Right now it rests on Capital Hill!

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