The US has just gone and done something I really can’t see the point of besides politics: they’ve gone and chopped their air dominance fighter after a production run of under 200 aircraft.
Instead they want to lay their eggs in the F-35 JSF basket – which performs poorly against the current Australian F-18s and will be chewed up by mostly anything the Soviets have as well as the Eurofighter, Gripen and Rafale. Does the US really want their air cover to be provided by the next generation F-16: a poor man’s jack of all trades but master of none? Yes, right now there aren’t many threats against the F-15C and F-18E/F but the Su-30s will spread through the world, and they do eat these aircraft for breakfast. Without a counter like the F-22 you can’t own the air space. Without air space, your military options are severely limited.
Obama: More F-22s an inexcusable waste – The DEW Line.
Robin Edgar
Organisational Structures | Technology and Science | Military, IT and Lifestyle consultancy | Social, Broadcast & Cross Media | Flying aircraft