The F-35 thread

Dave said:
Except the F35 is designed to kill it's targets at ranges far in excess of what the 25mm (:p) cannon can reach, in other words, if the F35 is overflying its target something has gone wrong with the mission...
Click to expand...

Well, ***** happens. I would rather have something as a backup just in case.

The US already learn't this lesson, why they are intent on learning it again I'm not sure.

I understand why the B has a gunpod (most versions of the Harrier also have one) but I'm not sure why the C does.
 
buka001 said:
Possible. Or they picked up an anomaly, were uncertain and now the Israeli's have said yeah we went in with a few F-35's. Russians are going ahh so that's what it was.

P.s. not really serious with this post.

I am inclined to believe it was not picked up at all.
Click to expand...

You can bet your bottom dollar that they are now gonna be sniffing around a lot more on the Israeli border. Why the Israelis basically gave them the go ahead really surprises me; they are normally much more astute then that.
 
FoXtroT said:
You can bet your bottom dollar that they are now gonna be sniffing around a lot more on the Israeli border. Why the Israelis basically gave them the go ahead really surprises me; they are normally much more astute then that.
Click to expand...

Yeah absolutely.

i am sure some officer just got a kicking ... Yuri you told me no contacts? WTf is this?
 
A gun is also extremely important in Danger Close CAS scenarios meaning an A-10 can fire at targets closer to friendlies with is cannon than a F-35B with a guided munition.
 
Has anybody read the Skunkworks book where they described the first real life test of the F-117? They flew a simulated attack against a US air defence unit telling them they are testing new counter measures. The crew was really proud when they detected and identified the chase plane while the commander standing outside saw two aircraft.
 
Ok, little more doubtful, but perhaps something more will come out on this.
 
Dave said:
Except the F35 is designed to kill it's targets at ranges far in excess of what the 25mm (:p) cannon can reach, in other words, if the F35 is overflying its target something has gone wrong with the mission...
Click to expand...

My DIRCM system just destroyed or jammed every missile the F35 fired at me. So all it can do now is fly formation as I go about my mission.

This is the DIRCM technology available today as mounted on the C-17 they the US sends to AAD every time. Pro tip it is mounted underneath the tail. What would it look 5 years from now and will a F-35 regret not having a cannon then.
 
Last edited:
Dave said:
So you think the F35 only has infrared capable missiles?

OK...
Click to expand...

The USA needs to forgo the use of AIM-120's and rather procure the MBDA Meteor.

When I was at Fanrborough Airshow I spoke with a Gripen pilot who was involved with testing and developing this missile. He couldn't share much, but said this missile is a a generation better than the AMRAAM. Its able to conserve energy for its terminal stages far better than any missile in use
 
Makes sense. The Russian vid I posted earlier doesn't say the F-35Is were on the Jan Damascus raid, and I also think it very unlikely they got up close. However, it's not too far-fetched to surmise that the Americans and Israelis (along with all the F-35 partners) are very eager to test when the S-300s and S-400 light up. I wouldn't be surprised if probing sorties with F-35s and 4G assets are launched every other day, from all sorts of altitudes and directions, all while checking to see how and when the SAMs react. This intel is of prime importance. The Russians of course know this, which makes it all the more interesting.
 
Arthur said:
Makes sense. The Russian vid I posted earlier doesn't say the F-35Is were on the Jan Damascus raid, and I also think it very unlikely they got up close. However, it's not too far-fetched to surmise that the Americans and Israelis (along with all the F-35 partners) are very eager to test when the S-300s and S-400 light up. I wouldn't be surprised if probing sorties with F-35s and 4G assets are launched every other day, from all sorts of altitudes and directions, all while checking to see how and when the SAMs react. This intel is of prime importance. The Russians of course know this, which makes it all the more interesting.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I am sure the Israelis will do some sensing with the f-35's.

I think the US have also been using F-22's for this as well.
 
Dave said:
So you think the F35 only has infrared capable missiles?

OK...
Click to expand...

Hard kill DIRCM system and improved EW systems to counter modern anti radar missiles both of which you can retroactively added to non stealth aircraft by using a pod.

The weapon versus defense is an age old battle in the military environment. New weapon ... new defense .. upgraded weapon ... upgraded defense... new weapon ....

So if I say that by removing the internal cannon the F-35B / F-35C pilot lost 33% of his offensive weapon air to air weapon options would that be a problem? The most modern radar and IR missile will get exploited the next day and once hard kill makes it to DIRCM air to air missiles will have problem.

Just for the record IR missiles are way way scarier than radar since you have no idea they are coming while radar missiles requires requires a transmitter to paint your aircraft.
 
Last edited:
buka001 said:
Agreed. I am sure the Israelis will do some sensing with the f-35's.

I think the US have also been using F-22's for this as well.
Click to expand...

The F-22's have been used a but more aggressively in Syria than ELINT activities since they were used to scare away Fencers bombing to close to US special forces.

The U.S. military on Friday dispatched two F-22 Raptors stealth fighter jets to intercept a pair of Syrian Su-24 Fencer aircraft that flew in the vicinity of Hasakah, Syria, according to news accounts citing an unnamed Pentagon official.
Click to expand...
Source
 
Blu82 said:
Hard kill DIRCM system and improved EW systems to counter modern anti radar missiles both of which you can retroactively added to non stealth aircraft by using a pod.

The weapon versus defense is an age old battle in the military environment. New weapon ... new defense .. upgraded weapon ... upgraded defense... new weapon ....

So if I say that by removing the internal cannon the F-35B / F-35C pilot lost 33% of his offensive weapon air to air weapon options would that be a problem? The most modern radar and IR missile will get exploited the next day and once hard kill makes it to DIRCM air to air missiles will have problem.
Click to expand...

You keep mentioning DIRCM and radar missiles, you might want to go read up on what DIRCM is and what is does..

Just for the record IR missiles are way way scarier than radar since you have no idea they are coming while radar missiles requires requires a transmitter to paint your aircraft.
Click to expand...

Modern radar missiles don't need the "shooting" aircraft to paint anything, the F35 can remain dark and take a link from a faraway AWACS or using something like Meteor make the shoot using IRST and the missile takes its own radar lock on the target from 10km out (no jet in the world will accelerate away from a Meteor when it's 10km out and locked on).
 
Dave said:
You keep mentioning DIRCM and radar missiles, you might want to go read up on what DIRCM is and what is does..



Modern radar missiles don't need the "shooting" aircraft to paint anything, the F35 can remain dark and take a link from a faraway AWACS or using something like Meteor make the shoot using IRST and the missile takes its own radar lock on the target from 10km out (no jet in the world will accelerate away from a Meteor when it's 10km out and locked on).
Click to expand...

This is why the US needs to have the meteor instead of Aim-120's.
 
You keep mentioning DIRCM and radar missiles, you might want to go read up on what DIRCM is and what is does..
Click to expand...
Fine hard kill directed counter measures which is the next thing for aircraft counter measures. Currently systems are flares / DIRCM for infrared EW / chaff for radar missiles.

Modern radar missiles don't need the "shooting" aircraft to paint anything, the F35 can remain dark and take a link from a faraway AWACS
Click to expand...
You AWACS is still running with its radar on and it is a two one one scenario now. Should I start mentioning the China / Russian weapon systems designed specifically to kill AWACS aircraft?

make the shoot using IRST
Click to expand...
So we are flying a F-16's / F-18's now because the F-22 and F-35 has no long range IRST capability? Also if you can see them on IRST systems they can see you meaning you just wasted your stealth capability on your F-35.
 
Blu82 said:
So we are flying a F-16's / F-18's now because the F-22 and F-35 has no long range IRST capability? Also if you can see them on IRST systems they can see you meaning you just wasted your stealth capability on your F-35.
Click to expand...

Why do you think that? There have been a number of reports saying F35 will have IRST at least as capable as PIRATE.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X