I was waiting for someone to quote those hacks. Seriously, those guys have zero credibility.

If the B-21 wants to go before Congress and pass into full existence, it needs to make the case that it not only won’t repeat the flaws of the F-35, but that it will serve genuine needs of American security.

Good points as well. Thanks for not being a dick and saying my opinion isn’t valid because I haven’t sat next to an air traffic controller during an exercise where the F-35 cleaned up.

This is not historically accurate, both the B-2 and B-1 share engines of frontline fighters.

Couldn’t have said it better. Couldn’t agree anymore. These idiots who never strapped on boots and just fantasize about what these planes can or cannot do or recite from a Google search don’t know what it’s like.

But with BVR combat you are assuming both sides detect each other at the same time. That’s simply not true when one side is 100% stealth and the other isn’t, without even getting into the massive disparity in sensor capabilities (which is really incredibly large)

I stood next to various combat controllers (JTACs/CCTs/TACPs/etc) during some of the F-35's very first forays into CAS-type scenarios. They did fine. Training isn’t real world but calling for fire/sending a 9-line etc can be trained very, very realistically.

There is no evidence to support the claim that the Air Force doesn’t care about CAS anymore. It’s a ridiculous canard parroted by the uninformed: people who refuse to accept that planes besides the A-10 perform CAS all the time. Take your high-horse speeches somewhere else.

How exactly is the A-10 more “survivable” than the F-35?

Oh agreed. Probably the only real way to train many of the flight skills and truly know all the limits of the aircraft

I KNOW the F-35 can provide A-10 quality CAS on an even or superior level. I twiddled my fucking thumbs a dozen times waiting on A-10s.

Nice picture of the rounds. The only problem is, number 2 would be perfectly adequate for how we are using the A10 now, go with number 3 if you want a safety factor.

Fuel efficient....until it is shot full of holes limping home.

Nah, the F-35 does have eyes in the back of its head. Literally. 360 IR system that can detect an a2a missile launch from 1000 miles away (tested and proven). It just wasn’t turned on for that test... along with a million other things. If you actually care to know:

No... according to half those who like to pretend they are defence “journalists”, the unit cost is over $1trn.

Step 1: F-35 is terrible!

I have actually worked on large defense contracts with the US Air Force, been indoctrinated into both the culture and the process, lived it for 17 years, and then rejected it in disgust. There are bright spots here and there, and I was very heartened to hear that the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office was put in…

but it clearly has a unique set of capabilities that fighters on the market don’t come close to, while at least matching them in traditional capability

My comment was way better with the picture actually loaded.

Remember when they funded these programs entirely with black budget money and we didn’t even notice or know that the money was being spent? Pepperidge farms remembers....