Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire F-35 Lightning II

Yeah, if they still wrote code on paper. If they wrote it on stone tablets it would be 100X that tall.

The next generation of aircraft will not have pilots and will cost less.

My old boss, a retired Air Force colonel, headed up the F35 testing program for the AF varient. He says that the F35 was the best combat fighter he ever flew. Can't remember how many military planes he flew, but it was something like 35. For the record he said a MiG (not sure the version) was the worst.

FWIW.

From your posted report.


Well that's quite an improvement in just the short time this thread has been active on 24hr. You claimed 30% just a few short hours ago.


As many have said the weapon system is a game changer and such tech comes at a price. I would take 55% ready to kick all the worlds ADA ass over 100% ready 4th Gen that can't get through a low level SAM screen. And 4th gen is far from 100% mission capable rate.

But we can all agree JSF has room for improvement.

Block IV in the HOUSE.

Having been involved off and on with the structural side of the F-35 for the past 20+ years, it's had its fair share of structural issues from the get go. The forged bulk heads were a big pain in the ass almost from the start. As the fleet hours (speaking of all variants) increase with use it's becoming a handful to manage. LM and the AF/Navy have a big task with managing both a damage tolerance (AF) and durabilty (Navy) weapon system. Some of the CPs/FCLs have extremely low inspection intervals.

JoeBob, despite having a similar moniker as one of the greatest fighter pilots that ever lived (bonus points to you if you can tell me who that is) why don't you share with me how you know the most modern fighter in production today is already obsolete. More bonus points if you can tell me another competing fighter in production that is less obsolete. Double points if you can tell us how you know that to be true.

I can tell you Lockheed Martin demonstrated DAS to me in the early 90's. At the time they called it ADAS (Applied Distributive Aperture System), but the same concept. So, it may really be "20-30 year-old" technology but since NOBDOY else in the world has it, it is certainly not "out of date." You have to get up pretty early in the morning to stay ahead in the fighter aircraft technology world, and America does that very well.

Your description of changing capabilities by simply swapping "boxes" shows a lack of knowledge of how modularity works in the current state of the art. Computing is so miniaturized these days that there are no capabilities that have to be "left on the ground" due to lack of software and firmware hosting capacity. Weapons loadouts - now that's another story. There's only so much "hate" you can carry so we have to choose wisely, and multi-spectral, multi-purpose weapons are very desirable. Especially if they are "little."

Rex

I'll commit the sin of responding to a post before having read the entire thread, just because I'm afraid I may run into a bigger idiot later on and forget to address you.

Do you have some insight into US Hypersonic programs that you'd like to share? Do you really believe we are sucking hind tit in that department? We went "dark" on hypersonics years ago and we remain so for a reason - because it's none of your (or my - these days) business. If you really belive a nation of drunks (Russia) or repressed victims of communism (China) can out do what we have been quietly accomplishing for years, you're very mistaken.

F-35s are not being used in combat in Ukraine because neither Russia nor Ukraine owns F-35s. It's just that simple.

T. Rex

How much time have you spent in Eastern Europe or Russia dealing with Russian weapon systems?


Yes I do know about lackluster attempts to develop a hypersonic missile. What is your highest clearance btw?


Why are we and NATO sending American f16s to Ukraine? The US stated repeatedly that Ukraine was the most powerful military in Europe. If that is the case why is Ukraine forcibly conscripting women for trench warfare?


Is NATO and the US training Ukraine pilots to fly f 16s?




Did the F 35 play a crucial role in our loss in Iraq and Afghanistan? Explain how they evaded modern ADA systems used by the taliban in Afghanistan

How many of our aircraft were shot down. In Vietnam the last war we fought where the enemy used ADA systems. Who supplied those systems? Vietnam, btw was a poor third world country. And we lost that war as usual

How is the f 16 performing now in Ukraine?

How does the ATACM compare to a kinzhal?

https://www.popularmechanics.com/mi...ypersonic-missile-flight-test-canceled/#

Name 3 hypersonic missile systems used by the U.S. in combat the past ten years. Tell about the US artillery using using laser guided artillery like the 152mm krasnopol in combat . Does the US have a drone actually used in combat like the altius U?


Why did the US military kick out thousands of highly qualified and experienced combat troops for not taking a vaccine that never worked?

Why is the US encouraging drag queen strip shows for children on military bases now? To increase our combat readability?

Lol

To put it lightly folks.....I'd kiss the ass of every individual at LM and whomever was involved in developing this bird for I'm inclined to believe it's one super fighter aircraft! Wish to hell I could fly this dude.....just one time!! That would be a kick in the arse!

You pumped gas in the Air Force over 35 years ago and and have never been in combat. In fact you admitted you never even touched a weapon during your few years of service

You should return to your in patient drug alcohol rehab program


I laughed when shrapnel visited your supposed super huge weapons manufacturing facility in Wyoming which you stated you owned and directed manufacturing

I also made pizzas in a pizza place back in High School.

I have many skillz.

How much time have you spent in Eastern Europe or Russia dealing with Russian weapon systems?
Was among my primary duties in the USAF, when I was deeply involved in Foreign Materiel Exploitation. How about you?

Yes I do know about lackluster attempts to develop a hypersonic missile. What is your highest clearance btw?

TS/SCI/TK/G/LM/ME/O/Z/E, and a couple dozen SAPs. How about you?

Why are we and NATO sending American f16s to Ukraine?
This is a great question and one I have posed to numerous US senior officers - "To what problem, in the Ukraine conflict, is the F-16 the solution?" It's a hard question to answer at the tactical and operational level, given the nature of the air war there. But at the strategic level it is clear to me. Sending F-16s to Ukraine is a clear indicator to Russia that the US and NATO are "all in." Basing Vipers in Ukraine is a long-term, expensive undertaking that indicates a long-term commitment to the country - a clear message to Russia that we are not going to cut and run. Please understand this analysis by me has nothing to do with whether or not I think that move is WISE. It's just the answer to your "why" question.

Is NATO and the US training Ukraine pilots to fly f 16s?
Yes. Within 20 miles of me as I type.

Did the F 35 play a crucial role in our loss in Iraq and Afghanistan?
No. Our politicians gave us that gift.

Explain how they evaded modern ADA systems used by the taliban in Afghanistan
There were none. Are you trying to have a conversation or just be a prick?

How many of our aircraft were shot down. In Vietnam the last war we fought where the enemy used ADA systems.
1,737

Who supplied those systems? Vietnam, btw was a poor third world country. And we lost that war as usual
Russia

How is the f 16 performing now in Ukraine?
The F-16 is not yet deployed to Ukraine.

How does the ATACM compare to a kinzhal?
The Kinzal is a piece of crap that is not even an actual hypersonic missile. Classified US systems are none of your business.

Name 3 hypersonic missile systems used by the U.S. in combat the past ten years
What possible need has the US had to use a hypersonic system in the past 10 years? Are you a total idiot? What recent threat has justified revealing that level of classified capability?

Why did the US military kick out thousands of highly qualified and experienced combat troops for not taking a vaccine that never worked?
Because the high level civilian and military leadership of the US armed forces are a bunch of lickspittle sycophants.

Why is the US encouraging drag queen strip shows for children on military bases now? To increase our combat readability?
See above.

[/quote]

Wow, just wow...
..lol

If these nimrods here only knew

Yeah, John. Thought we were talking about the F-35 but some folks are just carrying a lot of anger...
I do what I can.
Rex

IIRC TRex is a senior research scientist who has the 4th or 5th most hours in a F-16, in the world.

Has been involved with stealth tech from the F-117 to the F-22 and F-35.

He has trained F-16 pilots all over the world.

Has flown his F-16 against the F-22 in a mock dogfight, to a Mexican standoff.

Generals still call him at his home seeking his advise.
(I know this first hand)

And I had the honor of having him as my camp cook on my last deer hunt on the AZ strip a few weeks ago.

A very gracious man and pretty good cook.

I am going to go out on a limb here and guess your call sign was TREX.

Well Bob, you're very kind. Fortunately, you and your son were such good hunters we never made it deep enough into the ten-day hunt that we were eating out of cans. Otherwise you might not have been so complimentary.

4th, BTW ;o)

Rex

It’s obsolete in the same way any computer from twenty or thirty years ago is obsolete. I’m not telling you that the airplane doesn’t have more capabilities than anything else, I’m telling that it gets there with 30 year old technology.

If they built the exact same airplane today to do the same thing, the computers would be far more advanced and work in ways far more modular and interchangeable than they are on the F-35.

You guys want to focus on everything the F-35 does. Well, that’s fine but it still has 30 year old technology that is obsolete across the board. Your Iphone in your hand is more sophisticated in a lot of ways.

You guys misunderstood what I’m saying. The F-35 is very capable. I’m not saying it isn’t. I’m just telling you that is computing is 30 years out of date and that is a big reason why all of the blocks take so long to come out and are so buggy when they do. All of that is going to get better and better but I don’t think the F-35 is optimized to take advantage of it as it does.