Trillion-dollar jet cannot dogfight

https://medium.com/war-is-boring/test-pilot-admits-the-f-35-can-t-dogfight-cdb9d11a875

Quote :

A test pilot has some very, very bad news about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The pricey new stealth jet can’t turn or climb fast enough to hit an enemy plane during a dogfight or to dodge the enemy’s own gunfire, the pilot reported following a day of mock air battles back in January.

“The F-35 was at a distinct energy disadvantage,” the unnamed pilot wrote in a scathing five-page brief that War Is Boring has obtained. The brief is unclassified but is labeled “for official use only.”

In the end, the F-35 — the only new fighter jet that America and most of its allies are developing — is demonstrably inferior in a dogfight with the F-16, which the U.S. Air Force first acquired in the late 1970s.

The test pilot explained that he has also flown 1980s-vintage F-15E fighter-bombers and found the F-35 to be “substantially inferior” to the older plane when it comes to managing energy in a close battle.

Eric wrote:

https://medium.com/war-is-boring/test-pilot-admits-the-f-35-can-t-dogfight-cdb9d11a875

Quote :

A test pilot has some very, very bad news about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The pricey new stealth jet can’t turn or climb fast enough to hit an enemy plane during a dogfight or to dodge the enemy’s own gunfire, the pilot reported following a day of mock air battles back in January.

“The F-35 was at a distinct energy disadvantage,” the unnamed pilot wrote in a scathing five-page brief that War Is Boring has obtained. The brief is unclassified but is labeled “for official use only.”

In the end, the F-35 — the only new fighter jet that America and most of its allies are developing — is demonstrably inferior in a dogfight with the F-16, which the U.S. Air Force first acquired in the late 1970s.

The test pilot explained that he has also flown 1980s-vintage F-15E fighter-bombers and found the F-35 to be “substantially inferior” to the older plane when it comes to managing energy in a close battle.

Is this the albatross that even the military doesn't want that we've [government] overpaid for?....Another example of too big to fail?....

Unlike the Air Force not wanting the A-10, they want the F-35. Probably not so much now that they know it is a poor dogfighter.

The only thing the Air Force seems to want to do these days is precision bomb. To hell with our "boots on the ground" and the close air support they need.

Eric wrote:

Unlike the Air Force not wanting the A-10, they want the F-35.  Probably not so much now that they know it is a poor dogfighter.

The only thing the Air Force seems to want to do these days is precision bomb.  To hell with our "boots on the ground" and the close air support they need.

That's logical???....Technology is great but sometimes there's no replacing the old like 'boots on the ground' and that being said we'd better have something to support them....

Eric wrote:

Unlike the Air Force not wanting the A-10, they want the F-35.  Probably not so much now that they know it is a poor dogfighter.

The only thing the Air Force seems to want to do these days is precision bomb.  To hell with our "boots on the ground" and the close air support they need.

The F-35 is a ridiculous concept - one airframe and engine modified to fit all involved military branches requirements. The result of trying to do everything with one thing is not being able to do anything well. There has been so much money wasted on this program I doubt if the Pentadrone bean counters can even keep track. When a pilot needs to have a $400,000 helmet just to fly the plane something is very wrong........