USAF rethinks future fleet, ponders clean-sheet 4.5-generation fighter

[TheLauMan]

Waiting till someone proposes that the US buy HAL Tejas.

 

[GumNaam]

Waiting till someone proposes that the US buy HAL Tejas.

idiots already have!

India offers LCA Tejas trainer variant to US Navy: Report

To replace the US Navy’s T-38 Goshawk, India touts the LIFT variant of the LCA Tejas

www.theweek.in

 

[Turcici Imperium]

wo ho? back to the drawing board are we and that too, for a brand new 4.5 generation fighter? what happened uncle sam? the super duper 5th plus generation f35 not good enough for ya all of a sudden?

US says F35 is a Ferrari that you can use during weekends and not everytime. The problem is, Turkey and other nations were looking for a workhorse, that they can rely on everytime. We were looking for planes that we could squeeze til last drop, like we currently use our existing planes.

So, US will probably gonna purchase more reliable platform for their security needs (maybe upgraded F-22 and F15EX?)

 

[GumNaam]

US says F35 is a Ferrari that you can use during weekends and not everytime. The problem is, Turkey and other nations were looking for a workhorse, that they can rely on everytime. We were looking for planes that we could squeeze til last drop, like we currently use our existing planes.

So, US will probably gonna purchase more reliable platform for their security needs (maybe upgraded F-22 and F15EX?)

in hind sight, should kept the f22 going & installed all the f35 sensors on the f22, would've been a much more cheaper & better iron
option. f35s don't stand a chance against the f22 and the f22 was already a flying reality when then f35 was still on the drawing board. but you know big business...

 

[Vapnope]

How F16 blk 70/72 is not on table is something which surprises me. It has all the good elements from capex and opex POV and it can stand up to any 4.5 generation plane in the world. Is there a spec sheet other than operational cost which USAF wants for a new 4.5 gen plane?

 

[Mk-313]

I don't think so. The US has actually never fought peer adversaries in conventional warfare throughout its entire existence. It has always been at an overwhelming advantage; even in WW2, US had 2x the GDP and population of the entire Axis, and 5x more than Imperial Japan. It has never fought against an opponent with even half of its own GDP. Even with a large, but not overwhelming advantage, such as that against the Soviet Union (where it 'merely' 2x the Soviet GDP), the US refrained from a direct fight.

Therefore, we can say that they don't actually know what will work in an actual near peer war.

Meanwhile, China and Russia have fought multiple peer opponents with equal or greater GDP and won.

War of 1716 - overwhelmed in numbers and gdp
British American War 1812 -overwhelmed in numbers and gdp
Spanish American War - overwhelmed in numbers dont know spains gdp at that time

US has the highest fighting history of any nation present today. of its 200+ years of existence it has only been at peace for 21 yaars

GDP is not a direct measure of wealth and certainly doesnt decide war fates. a better direct measure would be GDP/Capita if u actually wana go into it

How F16 blk 70/72 is not on table is something which surprises me. It has all the good elements from capex and opex POV and it can stand up to any 4.5 generation plane in the world. Is there a spec sheet other than operational cost which USAF wants for a new 4.5 gen plane?

Block 70/72 is a variant produced only for middle east like jordan etc under contract. USAF uses 50/52

in hind sight, should kept the f22 going & installed all the f35 sensors on the f22, would've been a much more cheaper & better iron
option. f35s don't stand a chance against the f22 and the f22 was already a flying reality when then f35 was still on the drawing board. but you know big business...

Well, the platforms differ entirely. F22 is made for air superioty and F35 is more like a strategic multirole fighter. F22's job is to clear the sky so F35 can come and bomb the shit out of the target, share reconissance datalink etc. its called a strike package

Also they tried revitalizing the F22 but the report said by the time they can get the assembly going the world would already be moving to 6th Gen platform so wqs no point

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

US says F35 is a Ferrari that you can use during weekends and not everytime. The problem is, Turkey and other nations were looking for a workhorse, that they can rely on everytime. We were looking for planes that we could squeeze til last drop, like we currently use our existing planes.

So, US will probably gonna purchase more reliable platform for their security needs (maybe upgraded F-22 and F15EX?)

The US is incapable of producing more F-22 without a MAJOR redesign.
Many critical parts are out of production.
They are better off designing a new plane with the learnings made.

 

[Irfan Baloch]

You don't need 5th generation fighters to bomb third world countries, or knock their vintage air forces out of the sky.

Its honestly a good move.

Not really, its just pointless using a 5th generation fighters to fight wars that don't require it.

The fact that he wants a new fighter built in the first place says the US isn't running out of money.

Besides, the US military has record high military spending at the moment, so your comment doesn't make sense.